1801To John Adams from François Adriaan Van der Kemp, 20 June 1813 (Adams Papers)
No, you will not blame me, though I make use of a Sundays afternoon—having the morning employ’d in familÿ worship—in writing to an honoured friend. This too is religion, to remember the favours, which we received, and Shew our gratitude in our good will, though it is not in our power to prove it bÿ more vigorous exertions Freed this daÿ of head-ache I must improve these moments, and...
1802To John Adams from François Adriaan Van der Kemp, 9 February 1814 (Adams Papers)
Fill the glass to the brim—and empty it till the last drop—now you rejoice with your friend on the reëstablished ancient Dutch Government—My friends rule once more—The Almighty make them prosper, and confound their enemies, and humble them in the dust. was John Adams now America’s President I would beg him, how ungracefully I may beg, to send me immediately on an extraordinary mission—to...
1803To John Adams from François Adriaan Van der Kemp, 7 July 1816 (Adams Papers)
I make no apologÿ in not answering your gratifying favour of the 26th of may Sooner, nor do I Suppose, you required it. My avocations having been So manÿ—mÿ work So crowding—having no help but my Son, daÿ after daÿ planting and replanting, and Sowing again—what had been killed by the frost in my garden, that I really was no Sooner at leisure—and yet—often I took your letter in hand—but only to...
1804To John Adams from François Adriaan Van der Kemp, 16 August 1815 (Adams Papers)
To relief a while mÿ distressed mind I take up again your interesting favour of July 13—but do not expect, I make no pretence to it, that I Shall answer it as it deserves, as I Should wish—It is but Seldom, that I can persuade myself to come up to this pitch—but I am fully convinced of your indulgence. I know that even an indifferent line is not unacceptable to your kindness. I entered Some...
1805To John Adams from Joseph Bradley Varnum, 20 February 1813 (Adams Papers)
I have had the honor of Receiving your Letter of the 4th. Instant, for which and many other valuable & Instructive Communications from you, I tender you my most cordial and grateful acknowledgements. I am in hopes, that our next Campaign will be more prosperous than the last great Exertions are making to open it, by Land, with Vigour. The late Success of the Frigate Constitution, the news of...
1806To John Adams from Joseph Bradley Varnum, 23 November 1812 (Adams Papers)
With much pleasure I have this day received your communication of the 15th Instance, and I shall always be happy in Receiving Any Communication from, so Eminant a Statesman of the Revolution who in common with thousands of Others, both in the Cabinet and in the field, have put danger at defiance, and as it were, with Halters about their necks, did boldly contend for, and thro the Aid of divine...
1807To John Adams from Joseph Bradley Varnum, 22 January 1813 (Adams Papers)
I have received your Letter of the 5th. Instant, and I feel a Great degree of Consolation in learning, that you are Gratified with the late proceedings of Congress, in their decision for Building Ships of War. However a System of that kind might be considered impolitic in time of peace, and while Our Country were determined to Suffer the most Egregious wrongs, reather than repel them by force,...
1808To John Adams from Joseph Bradley Varnum, 12 December 1812 (Adams Papers)
I have this day Received your Letter of the 7th. Instant, and am, and always shall be thankful for a Line from you. I will try if any thing can be done for our good friend Dr. Warterhouse. A bill has this day passed the Senate 23. to 7 to a third Reading, and will ultimately pass that House by about the same Majority, for Building four 74 Gun Ships and Six forty fours, in addition to the four...
1809To John Adams from John Vaughan, 16 October 1815 (Adams Papers)
Accept of my warmest thanks for your kind letter by M. Gilman; the certainty that our old highly respected friends have not forgotten us is always grateful, & you have rendred it the more so, by the channel you have selected to communicate this token of your recollection. I have seen a Copy of your letter to D Morse which is highly satisfactory to the Society of Liberal Christian worshipping...
1810To John Adams from John Vaughan, 11 October 1813 (Adams Papers)
Mr Colman’s visit, highly acceptable in itself, to us all, has been the more So to me as he brought me a letter from yourself—Our endeavor to establish a more liberal religious Socy than had before existed here, (& of which you witnessed the Commencemt under Dr Priestley)—met with many Serious obstacles after he left us—We are overcoming them, & have built a Church, & the occasional Visits of...
1811To John Adams from Joseph Ward, 1 January 1810 (Adams Papers)
I had the honor to receive your Favour of the 15th of December, for which I beg leave to express my grateful acknowledgements. I never read any thing from your pen, without deriving information and pleasure. You have Sir, I believe drawn a correct map of Bonaparte’s power. I had some similar ideas, but you have measured things by a large scale, and marked the limits of nature. Napoleon, like...
1812To John Adams from Joseph Ward, 2 November 1809 (Adams Papers)
Your highly esteemed favour of the 24 ult. I had the honor to receive. I am instructed by your remarks upon Hutchinson, Hamilton, and other characters, and by your deep sentiments upon finance, the want of a correct History of American affairs, the conduct of England, &c. I admire your candor to Hutchinson. I think your remarks just as well as candid. If he had fortunately escaped the old...
1813To John Adams from Joseph Ward, 18 January 1810 (Adams Papers)
I had the honor to receive your highly estimated Favour of the 7th Inst. Its contents afford me, much information, amusement, and instruction. And convince me more & more that the public mind, and especially our rulers, want information. Your publications in the Patriot may, if they will study them, illume the path of our rulers. But the Sun shines in vain if men will not open their eyes. And...
1814To John Adams from Joseph Ward, 10 May 1809 (Adams Papers)
Your Letter of the 15th April I have had the honor to receive; and have read it over and over again with great pleasure. I cannot let go the pleasing hope, that future historians may record with truth & impartiality, the glorious deeds of our revolutionary Patriots, whose preeminent merit in founding our Nation, and framing our System of Government, entitles them to the gratitude and is a...
1815To John Adams from Joseph Ward, 10 April 1809 (Adams Papers)
I have long felt an inclination to write to you, two circumstances forbid me, want of matter, & having no personal weight to supply its place. Love and venerration, to Gentlemen, as well as to Ladies, sometimes prompt to a familiarity bordering on rudeness. Thus in time past I feared I might be led into an error in addressing you. The strong existence of those sensations, is the only apology I...
1816To John Adams from Joseph Ward, 17 January 1811 (Adams Papers)
Your favour of the 4th Inst. I had the honor to receive. (By some neglect in the Post Office, it did not come to hand ’till the 15.) I reciprocate Sir, your kind wishes. May the revolving years increase the enjoyment as much as the length of your life. The richest resource, I conceive, for happiness in advanced age, is in reviewing a useful life. Hence I conclude that forty years , employed...
1817To John Adams from Joseph Ward, 23 June 1809 (Adams Papers)
Your letter of the 6th Inst. I had the honor to receive the next day, just before I commenced a journey; I read it repeatedly and with great attention—and feel the importance of all your remarks. I wish every mind was duly impressed with the sentiments. The longer I live the more I am convinced that truth makes slow progress in the world; and to reform public errors is an arduous task. But...
1818To John Adams from Joseph Ward, 9 September 1809 (Adams Papers)
I have to make my grateful acknowledgements for your favour of the 31 Ult. I read, it as I do every thing that falls from your pen, with great attention. Every letter in the Patriot, under your Signature, I have read with equal attention pleasure & profit. I wish most sincerely they might be read by all men. There never was a time when the propagation of sound principles was more necessary....
1819To John Adams from Joseph Ward, 27 November 1809 (Adams Papers)
I had the honor to receive your Letter of the 14th, and after reading it several times, to fasten its contents in my memory, laid it up with your other favours, as a choice memorial of your Friendship. I have deposited them with similar estimable letters, received at different periods from the illustrious founders of our Nation, whose approbation encouraged me to hope I had not lived in vain....
1820To John Adams from Joseph Ward, 13 October 1809 (Adams Papers)
I had the honor to receive in due time your favour of the 27th Sept. I read it with that attention which is due to every line from your pen. The approbation you have been pleased to express in respect to the sentiments in my letter, gives me more satisfaction, than I could receive from the united voice of the whole mob of Statesmen from Newhampshire to Georgia. I continue to read with much...
1821To John Adams from Mercy Otis Warren, 10 July 1814 (Adams Papers)
It is very many days since I address’d a line to any of my Quincy friends, and as I think I have been some time in arrears for a very agreeable letter from the late President, my first attention is due to desire and I am quickened to discharge this obligation from having recently heard by my Sister Otis, that your health is declining.—The years you have counted up admonish that the harbingers...
1822To John Adams from Mercy Otis Warren, 12 February 1814 (Adams Papers)
The sudden death of a very amiable Grand–Son, has involved myself and family in such deep affliction, as prevents me from replying, as I intended this day, to the last mark, of your kind attention, dated the Second Instt.—I thought it my duty to return Governor Mc.Kean’s letter immediately, as requested.—By your permission I took the liberty to have it copied, and may observe upon it, when I...
1823To John Adams from Mercy Otis Warren, 4 August 1814 to 11 August 1814 (Adams Papers)
Yours my dear Sir, of the 15th Ulto: is in the same stile of partial friendship which I witnessed many years ago.—If the author of the Group ever deserved half the encomiums which you have lavished on her talents, it ought to be rescued from oblivion.—I know of no one living who can or will do this but yourself.—You expressed a wish in yours to have your memory refreshed.—In consequence of...
1824To John Adams from Mercy Otis Warren, 12 September 1813 (Adams Papers)
I was much gratified by seeing your signature affixed to a Letter address’d to Mrs. Warren.—I am also gratified and obliged by the marks of your attention manifest in the interesting inclosures of yours under date September 1st.—one of which deeply affected me as a Sister.—I have for many years known your respect and regard for a brother so justly esteemed by his connections, his friends, and...
1825To John Adams from Mercy Otis Warren, 31 March 1814 (Adams Papers)
I doubt not Sir, You will be pleased when I tell You that the Evening of my life is smoothed by the intercourse with a number of sensible, pious, elegant correspondents.—Younger than myself, indeed they are—but there are yet a few left, who stand near the grade of old age as well as myself, though not so far advanced.—It is truly a satisfaction to me to receive letters from a Gentleman with...
1826To John Adams from Mercy Otis Warren, 22 December 1813 (Adams Papers)
Your Letter of the 24th. Ulto: ought to be early acknowledged by one, who, through a long life has not been insensible of the worth of friendship, or negligent, whenever in her power to cherish the invaluable treasure.—I am therefore, delighted to see our young people strengthening each other in that disposition, which may be a source of happiness to them as they tread over the stage of life...
1827To John Adams from Benjamin Waterhouse, 12 March 1811 (Adams Papers)
I here send for your Perusal The Preface to the Botanist. The Publisher has printed off a few Copies dozen by Way of Sample of type, and to give Some general Idea of the Work, as well as a Short History of its origin. I thought there might be another Service in it, viz, if any thing appeared to egotistical, or too assuming in it, my Friends would probably give me the hint. I mean it as an...
1828To John Adams from Benjamin Waterhouse, 2 June 1815 (Adams Papers)
I am desirous of knowing whether you ever received from me a parcel of selected News-papers, and pieces cut out of News-papers, by the sloop of war that brought out the Dutch Minister, commanded by Captn. Baker? I am curious to know, because there were efforts to prevent any but high federal papers being sent, by those Americans in Boston, through whose hands all letters & packets passed...
1829To John Adams from Benjamin Waterhouse, 8 July 1811 (Adams Papers)
I recvd. your letter of the 5th, with pleasure & read it with satisfaction, as I always do, because I understand your politics, and because I see in them one uniform & everlasting principle that does not bend to the fashions & caprices of the day—Foolish people have cried out—“Mr Adams has changed his politics; he is no longer a federalist, but is changed to a republican.” I have as constantly...
1830To John Adams from Benjamin Waterhouse, 2 February 1816 (Adams Papers)
I have received several Epistles in prose and verse, written to console me for my heavy loss, but nothing has equalled the three first lines of your last letter.— It is seldom that affliction comes singly & alone. Suppose I should tell you that my professional & political enemies have succeeded in obtaining a decree of banishment against me, and that I am ordered to take my departure tomorrow...