Susanna Lee to Abigail Adams, 16 December 1800
Susanna Palfrey Lee to Abigail Adams
Boston. December—16th: 1800
With the most timid respect do I address Mrs: Adams on a subject so interesting to me that I tremble while I write from a doubt of the propriety of the step, however solicitude for an affectionate Husband and our young family outweighs my scuples and prompts me to the measure. I must therefore rely upon the noble generosity of a character I have known and revered from my infancy, to pardon any impropriety there may be in requesting she will honor me so much as to aid with her influence an application which Mr. Lee has made to the President of the United States for the Consulate of Bourdeaux. Letters of recommendation which have been deposited in the Office of the Secretary of State for upwards of two Years, will show he has some pretensions— they are testimonials from some a number of our worthiest Patriots which procured at the time they were lodged there such encouragement from Mr Pickering as induced Mr. Lee to wait the event of the pending negotiation with France.1 the prospect of the favorable termination of the Mission has brought forward other and new Candidates it is from the Apprehension that the length of time which has elapsed since Mr Lee’s application may have in a degree effaced the impression made in his favor by the recommendation of his friends, with a hint we have received that should he be thought of the Arts of the Hamiltonian faction (a Member of which has lately been elected Senator from this State) will be used to prevent his Nomination, in order to assist some favorites of their own;2 has induced me to endeavor to obtain by this Method that which has become of much importance to the
future comfort of our family, and has for two Years past been the sole Object of our pursuit.—
Should our great and good President find it indispensible otherwise to dispose of the Consulate of Bourdeaux by the honour of Mrs. Adams patronage this fact will be so fully evinced as greatly to Mitigate the pain of the disappointment.
Requesting Mrs. Adams will have the goodness to suffer me to plead a Mothers anxiety as an apology for thus intruding on her time—I have the honour to be with the most profound respect her most devoted Servant
Susanna Lee
RC (Adams Papers).
1. Susanna Palfrey Lee (1767–1822) was the wife of William Lee, and their children were Susan Palfrey (b. 1795) and Mary Elizabeth (b. 1799). The Lees lived in Europe from 1796 to 1798, and on their return to the United States William sought a consular appointment at Bordeaux. Elbridge Gerry wrote letters to JA of 17 March 1798 and 16 Dec. 1799 (both Adams Papers), endorsing William as “a real patriot; but not a patriotic Zealot.” On 14 Nov. 1800 William wrote to John Marshall to renew his request for the post, and on 18 Feb. 1801 JA nominated him instead as commercial agent at Marseilles. The Senate confirmed the appointment six days later; however, William remained focused on Bordeaux, seeking President Thomas Jefferson’s support and ultimately receiving a nomination as a commercial agent to the French port. The Senate confirmed the appointment on 26 Jan. 1802, and William served in the post until 1816 (vol. 13:102; William Lee, comp., John Leigh of Agawam (Ipswich) Massachusetts 1634–1671 and His Descendants of the Name, Albany, N.Y., 1888, p. 258–259; A Yankee Jeffersonian: Selections from the Diary and Letters of William Lee of Massachusetts Written from 1796 to 1840, ed. Mary Lee Mann, Cambridge, 1958, p. 2, 53, 54, 299; , 6:505; , 6th Cong., 2d sess., p. 381, 384, 385; , 33:226).
2. On 14 Nov. 1800 Jonathan Mason Jr., for whom see vol. 8:375, was selected by the Mass. General Court to fill the Senate vacancy created by Benjamin Goodhue’s resignation. He took his seat on 19 Dec. and served until 1803 (Boston Independent Chronicle, 13–17 Nov. 1800; ; , 6th Cong., 2d sess., p. 113).