Thomas Jefferson Papers
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https://founders.archives.gov/documents/Jefferson/03-16-02-0011

John Quincy Adams to Thomas Jefferson, 12 June 1820

From John Quincy Adams

Department of State, Washington, 12. June, 1820.

Sir,

By a Resolution of Congress, of the 19th of January last, the Secretary of State has been instructed to furnish each College and University in the United States with one copy of the Journal of the Federal Convention, recently printed by Order of Congress. Being uncertain whether a selection of a Principal or President has been made for the Virginia University, I beg leave to confide the copy of the Journal intended for that Seminary to your friendly care, and will be indebted to your kindness for placing the Volume in such a situation, that it may, either immediately or ultimately, become appertinent to the Library of the University: And, at the same time, I have the pleasure of transmitting to you a copy of the Journal for yourself.

I have the honour to be, very respectfully,

sir, your most humble and obedient servant—

John Quincy Adams.

RC (DLC); in a clerk’s hand, signed by Adams; at foot of text: “Thomas Jefferson, Esqr”; endorsed by TJ as received 18 June 1820 but recorded in SJL as received a day earlier. FC (Lb in DNA: RG 59, DL); at head of text: “Thomas Jefferson Esquire Milton. Virginia.” Enclosure: two copies of the Journal, Acts and Proceedings, of the Convention, assembled at Philadelphia … 1787, which formed the Constitution of the United States (Boston, 1819; Poor, Jefferson’s Library description begins Nathaniel P. Poor, Catalogue. President Jefferson’s Library, 1829 description ends , 11 [no. 647]).

appertinent is a variant of “appurtenant” that is “used especially in the non-legal sense,” meaning appertaining or “properly belonging or relating” (OED description begins James A. H. Murray, J. A. Simpson, E. S. C. Weiner, and others, eds., The Oxford English Dictionary, 2d ed., 1989, 20 vols. description ends ).

Index Entries

  • Adams, John Quincy; letters from search
  • Adams, John Quincy; sends works to University of Virginia and TJ search
  • books; on politics search
  • Congress, U.S.; donates works to U.S. colleges and universities search
  • Congress, U.S.; works printed by order of search
  • Constitution, U.S.; Journal, Acts and Proceedings, of the Convention, assembled at Philadelphia … 1787, which formed the Constitution of the United States search
  • Jefferson, Thomas; Books & Library; works sent to search
  • Journal, Acts and Proceedings, of the Convention, assembled at Philadelphia … 1787, which formed the Constitution of the United States search
  • schools and colleges; Congress donates books to search
  • Virginia, University of; Books and Library; books and manuscripts for search