1From John Adams to François Adriaan Van der Kemp, 17 April 1781 (Adams Papers)
Mr. Adams’s Compliments to Mr. Van der Kemp and asks the favour of his Company this Evening at the golden Lyon, to Spend the Evening and Sup with a chosen few of honest Americans. RC ( PHi : John Adams Letters). For François Adriaan Van der Kemp, a Mennonite minister and supporter of the U.S. and Patriot causes, see JA, Diary and Autobiography Diary and Autobiography of John Adams , ed. L. H....
2From John Adams to François AdriaanVan der Kemp,, 24 June 1781 (Adams Papers)
I have received your agreable favour of the fifth of this Month, Commodore Gillon was absent, when your Letter came to hand, and for many days after. As soon as he returned, I took the first Opportunity to Speak with him, on the subject of your Friend the Clergyman. The Commodore has no Chaplain and his Crew is composed of People of various Religions, the greatest Part however are Frenchmen...
I am this moment honoured with your Letter of Yesterdays date and I thank you for your kind Congratulations, on the News from America. May Great Britain ever Send to America, while she continues to send any, only such brave, able, active and enterprizing Generals as Cornwallis and Burgoine. Every Such General will consume them an Army of Ten or Fifteen Thousand Men, every Campain, without...
I have received your Letter, and am much concerned to perceive your Apprehensions that Affairs might take an unfavourable Turn. The Questions you do me the Honour to propose to me, are very difficult to Answer. I have ever been Scrupulous of advising Strangers to emigrate to America. There are difficulties to be encountered in every Exchange of Country. Arising from the Climate soil, Air,...
5From John Adams to François Adriaan van der Kemp, 6 January 1788 (Adams Papers)
As I had suffered much Anxiety on your Account during your Imprisonment, your Letter of the 29. of last month gave me some relief. I rejoiced to find that you was at liberty and out of danger. inclosed are two Letters, which I hope may be of Service to you.— living is now cheaper, than it has been, in America, and I doubt not you will Succeed very well.— You will be upon your guard, among the...
Your agreable Letter of the 9. Jan. has lain too long unanswered.—M r Mappa, I should be happy to present to the President and to Serve in any other Way in my Power. Your Criticisms upon “the defence” deserve more Consideration than I have time to give them. I can Say for myself, and I believe for most others, who have ever been called “leading Men,” in the late Revolution, that We were...
7From John Adams to François Adriaan Van der Kemp, 27 March 1790 (Adams Papers)
Your favour of March 17. is rec d. — The French Revolution will, I hope produce Effects in favour of Liberty Equity and Humanity, as extensive as this whole Globe and as lasting as all time.— But I will candidly own that the Form of Government they have adopted, can, in my humble opinion, be nothing more than a transient Experiment. an obstinate Adhærence to it, must involve France in great...
8From John Adams to François Adriaan Van der Kemp, 19 March 1793 (Adams Papers)
Your letter of the 9. ult. has been a circuit to Philadelphia and returned to me, only on Saturday last. Your friendly Congratulations, on a late Re election, are very obliging. I am as well as you, and have been these Eighteen years a Friend of Governor Clinton: but, although I feel no Resentment at his consenting to stand a Candidate for the office I held, I cannot but regret that he yields...
Before I left The Massachusetts I had the Pleasure of receiving a Letter from you: But I learned from it, with Some Uneasiness that you meditate a Removal to a greater distance from us. I had Yesterday another Letter from you of the 23 of November. I thank you for introducing to me, Major Peter Van Gaesbeek, whom however I have not yet had the Pleasure to see as he happened to call when I was...
10From John Adams to François Adriaan Van der Kemp, 18 February 1794 (Adams Papers)
I have just now received your kind Letter of the 3d of this month. I read every Thing which falls in my Way, which relates to the French Revolution: but I Suffer inexpressible Pains, from the bloody feats of War and Still more from those of Party Passions. Disgrace to the Cause of Liberty, and a general Depravation of hearts and manners among the rising Generation, is much to be dreaded from...