Adams Papers
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To John Adams from John Codman Jr., 27 August 1790

From John Codman Jr.

Boston 27 August 1790

Dear sir

Enclosed is an Account of the Cost of your two Casks of Wine & the charges which I have paid upon it— agreeably to your desire I shall acquaint Doctor Tufts of the amount that he may discharge it when convenient1

I understand our friend Mr Harrison does not accept the appointment of Consul at Cadiz— My Brother Richard whom I believe is honored with being personally known to you I am flattered to suppose would not discredit such an office, he has had as good an education as this country affords & since that time has spent several years in my compting house but lately being out of health he has taken a tour into France Spain & Italy which has given him an acquaintance with some of these languages & finding the climate beneficial to him is a good deal attached to a residence in that part of the world2

As your influence must greatly prevail with the President & the Secy of foreign affairs. I have taken the liberty in this instance to solicit your interest in his favour— The Consulship at Cadiz would be more acceptable than any other because I should have it in my power to serve my brother in the course of business better there than elsewhere and had it not been that I conceived Mr Harrison entitled to a preference, this application would have been made at an earlier period when the appointments from Massachusets were not so disproportionate as at present, which I have understood would probably prevent further appointments from this quarter, but when it is considered that the Education of the Young Gentlemen of this state especially of the Commercial kind is more attended to than in some of the States in the union, where Merchants are made up principally of foreigners it will not seem extraordinary that more candidates should offer from hence, than from them.

Was it necessary to furnish letters of recommendation from more disinterested persons I would thank you to mention it & I will forward them, I cannot however forbear to solicit your forgiveness for this intrusion on your goodness & to assure you that if you should feel satisfied to interest yourself in behalf of my brother you will confer a lasting obligation on him as well as on Your obedt & respectful Huml Servt.

John Codman jun

RC (Adams Papers); internal address: “His Excellency John Adam Esqre.”; endorsed: “John Codman Junr. / 27. Aug. Ansd. 10 Octr. / 1790.”

1Boston merchant John Codman Jr. (1755–1803) shipped two casks of wine from Spain. Replying on 15 July 1791 (Adams Papers), JA arranged for Cotton Tufts to send the shipment to his new residence in Philadelphia and to pay the bill (AFC description begins Adams Family Correspondence, ed. L. H. Butterfield, Marc Friedlaender, Richard Alan Ryerson, Margaret A. Hogan, Sara Martin, Hobson Woodward, and others, Cambridge, 1963–. description ends , 7:111).

2For the appointment of a U.S. consul at Cádiz, see Sylvanus Bourne’s letter of 8 Sept. 1789, and note 1, above.

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