Abigail Adams to William Smith, 16 January 1800
Abigail Adams to William Smith
Janry 16th 1800 Philadelphia
my dear sir
I received Your Letter by mr sheafe together with the small trunk safe, and render many thanks to you and Mrs smith for your kind attention. this Morning I received Your favour of Janry the 9th, with the papers inclosed manifesting every testimony of Respect and gratefull remembrance which an affectionate people can pay to the Memory of a Public Benefactor.1 My Native state has never been deficient in this Duty—for surely Gratitude is the duty of a people, as well as of an individual, and upon no occasion has it been more judiciously bestowed than the Present; for to quote the words which I have much admired, “our Washingtons Character was whiter than it is was brilliant” yet the brilliancy of it has dazzeld all beholders—2 even in the Democratic sense he deserved praise, for he was a good and Faithfull servant. I inclose to you a specimin of Virgina democracy— it has Made much conversation here, and I presume we do not yet hear the last of it. the youth will find that old Birds are not caught with Chaff— to form an Idea of the respectfull decent and elegant stile of the Writer, a small portrait may not be amiss— he is a slender person with an Infantine face, and a childs voice. if he had not been sent from the old dominion as a Member of congress, not a person who should see him, could possibly take him for a Lad of more than 17 or 18teen Years of Age. he wears his Hair like a school Boy— his whole dress is perfectly democratic & singular; but you see, as a servant of the public, he is equal to any Man in office— he has been usually spoken of as Little Johnny— with all this youthfull appearence, there is not a Man in congress older More undaunted when he rises to speak, or less embarressd. he chatters away like a Magpye—and in his Zeal for Disbanding the Army he stiled it a Mercenerary Army, an Army of Raggamuffins—and it is Said some officers or officer insulted our young hero— in concequence tho his Letter is not very full upon the subject, or such I presume as would be deemed evidence in a court of Justice— this Letter was known by many of his Party to have been written as early as monday morning. the report was circulated through the city—and the design evident. I fully believe mr Randolphs assertion, that he never intended it should come before congress— the public will make their comments upon it, as the President has not thought proper to do it— I leave it to those who do— the Lad is not without tallents.3
your Letter of the 7th I show’d to the President. he directed mr shaw to carry it to the Secretary of the Treasury; that if any difficulty should arise respecting capt Brooks comeing from France he might have some knowledge of the buisness—4
Mr Shaw says he is attentive to furnish you with every publication of any concequence
with a kind remembrance / to all Friend— I am dear sir Your affectionate Friend
Abigail Adams—
RC (MHi:Smith-Townsend Family Papers); addressed: “William Smith Esqr / Boston”; endorsed: “Philaa. 16. Jany 1800 / Mrs. Adams.”
1. Smith’s first letter to AA has not been found. His letter of 9 Jan., also not found, probably enclosed Boston newspapers that printed tributes to George Washington; see for example the Boston Russell’s Gazette, 30 Dec. 1799, and the Massachusetts Mercury, 7 Jan. 1800.
2. AA was paraphrasing the Senate’s 23 Dec. 1799 address to JA on Washington (, 6th Cong., 1st sess., p. 617).
3. The enclosure has not been found but was probably the Philadelphia Gazette of the United States, 15 Jan. 1800, which reported on the aftermath of a 9 Jan. speech by John Randolph opposing a standing provisional army. John Randolph of Roanoke (1773–1833) was a member of the prominent Virginia family. He studied at Princeton and Columbia without receiving a degree and subsequently read law with his cousin Edmund Randolph in New York City. In 1799 he was elected to Congress from Virginia. On 1 Jan. 1800, John Nicholas introduced a resolution to repeal the acts of 16 July 1798 and 3 March 1799, which expanded the army. In his speech of 9 Jan. 1800, John Randolph, an opponent of the provisional army, described U.S. soldiers as “mercenary forces” and “ragamuffins.” He publicly withdrew the word “ragamuffin” the next day, but a few hours later he was assaulted by Capt. James McKnight and Lt. Michael Reynolds while attending a performance at the New Theatre. Randolph wrote to JA on 11 Jan., demanding that the commissions of McKnight and Reynolds be revoked (Adams Papers). JA communicated Randolph’s letter to the House on 14 Jan., after which a committee concluded that the case did not warrant action. The effort to disband the provisional army failed when Nicholas’ resolution was defeated on 10 January. Three days later, Harrison Gray Otis recommended that army recruitment be halted, and a bill suspending enlistments was passed by the House on 24 Jan. and the Senate on 11 Feb. and signed into law on 20 Feb. (; , 31:304–307; Report of the Committee, to Whom was Referred, on the 14th Instant, the Message of the President of the United States, Phila., 1800, No. 38869; , 2:7).
4. Smith’s letter of 7 Jan. has not been found, but see AA to Smith, 19 Nov. 1799, and note 1, above.