1From John Adams to Alexander Townsend, 2 June 1816 (Adams Papers)
I regret very much my accidental absence from home, when you did me the honour to call here. It will be found impossible to do justice to the character of Mr Dexter, without a thorough knowledge of the history of this country, especially of that part of it from 1797 to 1808. The parties during the revolution and since, have grown out of those parties which existed before, from the first...