1To John Adams from William Tudor, Sr., 30 May 1817 (Adams Papers)
Your finale on Mr. Hutchinson’s Character was duly received. If I rightly remember, the Governor soon after dissolving the Provincial Assembly, retired or rather fled to England to shelter himself from the approaching Storm, & secure his hard earned Reward. The few Years of the revolutionary War which he lived must have embittered his declining Days marked by Neglect, & Disappointment....
2To John Adams from William Tudor, Sr., 15 January 1817 (Adams Papers)
The animated Style in which you have described the circumstances attending the Trial of Corbet & his comrades & the unfair Manner in which You were treated by the strange Species of Judges which made up the Vice Admiralty Court leads me to urge You to explain the Secret of Hutchinson’s Conduct in this multitudinous Divan; (for such the Court became by their repeated Adjournments to the Council...
3To John Adams from William Tudor, Sr., 11 November 1816 (Adams Papers)
From your Letter of the 7th. I find some Misconception has arisen between you & the Editor of the N.A. Review. Your note of the 5th. I handed to that gentleman, & told him how fully I agreed with you in the Sentiment that the Hutchinsonian Controversy & the Impeachment of the Judges, if not the Pivots upon which the Revolution turned they certainly urged on & hastened, those Measures which...
4To John Adams from William Tudor, Sr., 5 April 1818 (Adams Papers)
Since my last short Conversation with you, I have read Mr. Wirt’s Biographical Romance, a singular Book indeed! Composed more with a View to display the Author’s Talents, than those of his Subject. A better attempt at flattering Virginians, than furnishing Facts for sober, future, Historians. His Materials were scanty indeed, & he has made the most of them. Henry was undoubtedly a bold &...
5To John Adams from William Tudor, Sr., 30 November 1800 (Adams Papers)
I thank you for the Honour of your Letters of the 14. & 19. I hope no Reply that can give Consequence to the Author of the Book written by the Enemy, will be made. Your present Sovereign Station will most probably be holden. And whilst it continues, Acts of Infidelity & Treachery, ought not to make too deep Impressions. You are the Supreme Head of a Nation, in which Suspicion and Aspersion...
6To John Adams from William Tudor, Sr., 25 June 1818 (Adams Papers)
I ought sooner to have thank’d you for your last biographical Notices, but you had before left me to take my own time for scribling, & must not complain for my Abuse of the License. The anecdotes you have given of the Destruction of the private Papers of Mr. Otis & Mr. S. Adams has rescued two important facts from being totally lost to Posterity. They confessedly were two very extraordinary...
7To John Adams from William Tudor, Sr., 14 December 1800 (Adams Papers)
There are two sets of Persons here who appear particularly anxious to learn the Result of the Presidential Election. The Hamilton Faction shew much Exultation at the Appearance of Mr. Pinckney keeping an equal Pace with the Man they hate, on the Road they constructed for the New England Electors to pursue. Those Electors, at least those of Massachusetts, are desirous to know whether their...
8To John Adams from William Tudor, Sr., 23 July 1798 (Adams Papers)
It was with peculiar Pleasure, I rec’d your kind Letter of the 16th. I could not be dazzled with French Splendour for I saw none. And being a meer Passenger through their Country, Unknowing & unknown, I was not an Object for finesse. I never was disposed to be a Creature to any Faction; & certainly least of all to a foreign one. Detestible, however as I hold the French Government & all their...
9To John Adams from William Tudor, Sr., 27 May 1796 (Adams Papers)
I have to regret that I was out of Town the Morning that you called upon me. At the Time Doctor Welsh acquainted me with it he added that you had returned to Braintree, or I should have endeavoured immediately to have seen you, to have thanked you for so kind a Visit, as well as for those many Acts of Friendship from which, in early Life, I derived so much advantage. The Voyage and subsequent...
10To John Adams from William Tudor, Sr., 28 February 1817 (Adams Papers)
My son was particularly gratified with your account of Governor Pownal. His Impressions towards his Character from reading his Work on the Administration of the colonies, were favourable, though vague. He remarked to me, strongly, how valuable your Letters were, as in this Instance you had given several facts which probably no other Person now living was acquainted with, and which at some...