1From John Adams to Rufus King, 23 December 1785 (Adams Papers)
I am much obliged to you for your kind Letter of the 2 d. of November, and hope that a Correspondence So agreably begun may be prosecuted, to the Benefit of the Country We have the Honour to serve. Although I may be not personally known to you, the Character uniformly given of your Talents, Application, and publick Spirit, leave me no room to doubt, that I Shall derive much necessary...
2From John Adams to Rufus King, 22 January 1786 (Adams Papers)
Yesterday I was honoured with your Letters of the 4. and 10. Dec r. — The Act of Congress respecting the British Consul General, is wise, and well guarded: Nevertheless I think that We Should not be So inattentive to Ettiquette, as to omit a Proposition for Sending a Minister Plenipotentiary. We give up, a Point, by receiving a Consul in return for a Minister, which, although it may appear of...
3From John Adams to Rufus King, 14 February 1786 (Adams Papers)
I have inclosed to M r Ramsay an Address to the landed trading and funded Interests of England, which contains Some good Sense, intermixed here and there with a little Folly. M r. Ramsay will be so good as to let you read it and in return you may let him read the inclosed Principle of the Commutation Act. As the Commerce of the United States begins to run to the East Indies, every Thing which...
4From John Adams to Rufus King, 14 June 1786 (Adams Papers)
Yesterday, arrived by the Post your Favours of the 2. 4. & 5. of May. Every Day will furnish America with fresh Proofs, of the fallacious nature of all her hopes of Prosperity, Grandeur and Glory, from the friendly disposition of foreign Powers. Whatever Assistance she may ever derive from any of them, must be purchased at a greater Price than it will be worth. Reverence thyself, is a Prœcept...
5From John Adams to Rufus King, 14 June 1786 (Adams Papers)
I had heard Sometime ago, of your Marriage with the amiable Daughter of my old Friend, M r Alsop, as well as of that of M r Gerry, and of both with the more Pleasure, probably as a good Work of the Same kind, for connecting Massachusetts and New York in the Bands of Love was going on here. Last Sunday under the Right Reverend Sanction of the Archbishop of Canterbury and the Bishop of st Asaph...
6From John Adams to Rufus King, 29 November 1786 (Adams Papers)
The tumultuous Conduct of many People in New England which is mentioned in your obliging Letter of the 3 d of October, does not I hope arise from any Competitions for the Government. If the People who wish for Hancock, or those who prefer Bowdoin, those who vote for Sullivan—or such as desire Langden, are Capable of exciting such kinds of Discontent, and Convulsions in order to keep out—or to...
7From John Adams to Rufus King, 19 April 1787 (Adams Papers)
M r. Francis Upton, a Gentleman recommended to me by M r: Hartley, will have the Honour to deliver you this Letter, He goes to NewYork, about an Estate Claimed by him, his Brother & Sister I beg Leave to introduce him to you— This Country affords nothing new—an obstinate continuation of the same Ministry, the same Principles Spirit, Passions, Prejudices, and in one word system is no News,— I...
8From John Adams to Rufus King, 11 October 1792 (Adams Papers)
I am very much obliged, Sir, by your kind Letter of the 30th of Septr, and for the important Intelligence contained in it There is Such a Complication of Tragedy Comedy and Farce, in all the Accounts from France that it is to me, to the last degree, disgusting to attend to them in detail. I read over the Accounts in general and then endeavour to divert my own Attention from y very Serious,...
9From John Adams to Rufus King, 18 August 1797 (Adams Papers)
This Letter will be presented to you, by Mr Peter Cunningham a Relation and an old Acquaintance of mine, for whom I have a good regard. He is going to London, with an honest American Soldier as well as Citizen, who is a fortunate Legatee to a good Estate in England. His Papers are very Authentic and he can I presume have no Difficulty. If he should however, your Advice and Countenance to him,...
10From John Adams to Rufus King, 16 October 1798 (Adams Papers)
The inclosed Letter from the Sec. of State I pray you to convey in Safety and as Soon as may be to Berlin. I ought not to omit the opportunity to thank you for the Pamphlets you have Sent me from time to time. They not only entertain and amuse me but I flatter myself are Usefull. Our Country Seems to be, as we used to Say in 1774 unanimous & firm. They are much more So now than they were then....
11From John Adams to Rufus King, 10 July 1803 (Adams Papers)
I duly received, his Britannic Majestys Declaration and the List of Papers presented to Parliament with the kind Letter you did me the Honor to write me on the twenty Second of June. With great Sincerity I thank you, Sir for this instance of your polite Attention to me, and for a great number of others of a like kind, during your Embassy in England. I was then So Situated that I could not...
12From John Adams to Rufus King, 24 September 1813 (Adams Papers)
I run the risque of introducing to You, the Reverend Mr Henry Colman of Hingham. He is one of our liberal Divines; one of our Christian Disciples; one of our Biblio critical Students. But you must not tell this in N. York; He is worthy of your Esteem. He is highly esteemed by all Men who know him here. He wishes to see all the great and good Men and all the great and good Things in New York...
13From John Adams to Rufus King, 2 December 1814 (Adams Papers)
I am very much obliged to you for the information, melancholly as it is to me, of the death of Mr Gerry. A Friendship of forty years I have found a rarity, though not a Singularity. I am left alone. While Paine Gerry and Lovell lived, there were Some that I Seemed to know: but now not one of my Contemporaries and Colleagues is left. Can there by any deeper damnation in this Universe, than to...
14From John Adams to Rufus King, 29 July 1818 (Adams Papers)
Your kind letter of th 12th has greatly obliged me. I had read the Speech before in the public papers and now again more than once, and always with great Satisfaction. It is a Master Piece of a Master Spirit. As far as my information goes and Memory recollets, I have not Seen So accurate and judicious So comprehensive and concise a View of the important Subject. I admire the Wisdom which...
15From John Adams to Rufus King, 7 December 1819 (Adams Papers)
I have received, and read with Avidity and pleasure your Eloquence and Ratiocination, on the great question of Slavery in the Missouri.—I have rarely if ever; meet a Stronger proof of the importance to a Nation of having in her Councils, Men of great Sagacity, and long experience in public affairs—As far as my Memory serves me, the facts you have stated, are perfectly correct—I believe there...