1From John Adams to Elbridge Gerry, 2 May 1785 (Adams Papers)
The Imputation of a weak Passion has made So much Impression upon me, that it may not be improper to Say a little more about it, even although I Should convert you, more and more to the Opinion of those who think the public Interest in danger from it. The Truth Should come out, and if the danger is real the Remedy is easily applied. According to all that I have read of Morals or Seen of...
2John Adams to Elbridge Gerry, 4 November 1784 (Adams Papers)
We are going on, with as much dispatch as the Nature of our Business will admit of, and We proceed with wonderful Harmony, good Humour and Unanimity. The D r , is confined to his House and Garden by the Stone as he thinks. He has not been farther from Home, than my House at Auteuil which is within a mile of his, for these twelve months. He cannot ride in a Carriage, because the motion of that...
3John Adams to Elbridge Gerry, 9 September 1784 (Adams Papers)
I have received your Letter of the 15 of June and am happy to inform you, that M r Jefferson and M r Humphrey are Arrived, as well as my Family with whom I am once more Settled. The Appointment of M r Jefferson is a very happy one. He is as active in Business as he is able, and has nothing So much at Heart as the real Service of his Country. I have known him of old. We have acted together...
4From John Adams to Elbridge Gerry, 13 April 1785 (Adams Papers)
I am, this moment informed, that the Packet is arrived but neither D r F. nor I have any Letters as yet. this is unlucky, because We Shall not be able to answer by this Packet. I Suppose it is a question with you whether you shall Send a Minister to Spain; I really hope you will. it is a question too no doubt, who to send.— There will be some perhaps many, perhaps all for M r Charmichael. I...
5From John Adams to Elbridge Gerry, 8 September 1783 (Adams Papers)
Yesterday morning, D r. Franklin produced a Resolution of Congress, that A. F. & J. should be joined in a Commission to treat of Commerce with Great Britain. This is well, & I hope you will pursue the plan & send another Commission to the same Persons to treat with Joseph, Catharine, Denmark & Portugal. Jay & I do admirably well with the old Man. We go on very smoothly, & make him know what is...
6From John Adams to Elbridge Gerry, 26 August 1785 (Adams Papers)
You will have Seen by my Public Dispatches what Prospects We have of any Sudden Arrangement with this Country. I may be more free, in a Letter to you, than I have been, in the Public Letters to M r Jay.— There is a mysterious Reserve among the Ministers which indicates either a Want of Unanimity among them, or a Dissatisfaction towards Us, or a Timidity arising from the Prejudices and Passions...
7From John Adams to Elbridge Gerry, 6 July 1785 (Adams Papers)
The inclosed Letters I Sent to M r Jay in Cypher, but as the Conversations with the King and Queen have been reported by Lord Carmarthen and the Lord and Ladies in waiting on the Queen, and are become generally known, there is no longer a Necessity of so much mystery, yet you must be Sensible of the Delicacy of the Subject, and therefore communicate them with Discretion and in Confidence. if M...
8From John Adams to Elbridge Gerry, 19 March 1786 (Adams Papers)
Before the Arrival of your kind Letter by Wingrove I had heard, from various quarters, of your Marriage and had received the most agreable Accounts of the Character of the Lady. give me leave to congratulate you, on this happy Event. Nothing can be more pleasing than the Transition from the Turbulence of War and Politicks to the Tranquility of domestick Life, in the Arms of a Lady of so much...
9From John Adams to Elbridge Gerry, 11 September 1785 (Adams Papers)
This Letter will be delivered you by my Friend M r Storer by whom I may write more confidentially, than I usually do, even to you. I wish I had as much publick Cause as I have private to Speak respectfully of the present Ministry. They have treated me, and I Suppose advised their Master to treat me, with all the personal Respect, and all the Regard to my public Character, which I can desire. I...
10John Adams to Elbridge Gerry, 27 June 1784 (Adams Papers)
I received your Favours by M r Reed and by Coll Herman, and am much obliged to you for your friendly Sentiments and instructive Communications. Your Plan of a Commission to treat with the maritime Powers, has not it Seems been adopted, and the departure of M r Jay for New York, has now rendered it, impracticable. Congress We are told is adjourned. M r Jay, and Mr Laurens as well as M r Dana...
11John Adams to Elbridge Gerry, 31 January 1785 (Adams Papers)
I learn with much Pleasure, that you are again in Congress, at the head of a respectable Delegation, and that the States in general are So well represented. Experience will Show the Necessity of having that Assembly composed of the best Men, by whom I mean Men of the most Experience, the best Talents and greatest Virtues. it is by these alone that fœderal Principles and Feelings, can be made...
12From John Adams to Elbridge Gerry, 24 May 1786 (Adams Papers)
I have just now received your Favour of the 12 th. of April. The Arrets I inclosed to King, to be delivered to you, if at New York, and to be Sent to you if gone to N. England, unless he Should have occasion to use them in Congress. I now inclose you some Papers relating to the British Whale Fisheries by which you will see What forced Plants they are, and how easily We may rival them. When you...
13From John Adams to Elbridge Gerry, 28 April 1785 (Adams Papers)
Your Letter of the 24 of February was this morning put into my Hand. That which you refer to as informing me, that M r Livingston was in nomination with M r Rutledge and me, I have not yet received. Of all the Letters I ever received in my Life, excepting one from M r Osgood, this is perhaps the most friendly and faithfull and lays me under the greatest Obligations. I rejoice in the...
14From John Adams to Elbridge Gerry, 13 December 1785 (Adams Papers)
It was but last Week that I received your Letter of the 14 th. of July.— With regard to the Money borrowed by me, and applid to the discharge of M r Morris’s Draughts, My Bankers in Amsterdam have as they inform me, transmitted their Accounts both to the Board of Treasury and M r Barclay.— By them it will appear that Several Millions of Livres I mean were remitted to Le Couteulx at Paris, and...
15From John Adams to Elbridge Gerry, 5 September 1783 (Adams Papers)
You remember the Contract with Du Coudrai, and his hundred officers, and with many other officers. Coudrai was to take Rank of allmost all our Generals, to have the Command of all our Artillery and military Manufactures, and be Subject to no orders, but those of Congress or the Commander in Chief, and the Marshall M. was wanted to be that Commander in Chief— Let me beg of you that those Papers...
16From John Adams to Elbridge Gerry, 6 September 1783 (Adams Papers)
I Shall never know when I have done writing to you. Our Affairs [are so] unsettled, and I am So uninformed, and uncertain about every Thing in America, th[at] you will excuse me if I give you, more Trouble than usual. I take it for granted, that you will not recall all your present Ministers, and neglect to Send new ones, altogether. This would be to Suppose that you dont mean to make any...
17John Adams to Elbridge Gerry, 9 March 1785 (Adams Papers)
You will See, by our joint Dispatches, that The Pope, Sardinia and Naples, by their Answers, have politely invited our Vessells into their Ports, but have not accepted the Proposition of Treaties of Commerce. His Holiness has gone as far I believe, in his Complaisance to Us as his Maxims will allow, there being as I believe no Example of a Treaty, between his Court and any Protestant Power....
18From John Adams to Elbridge Gerry, 25 April 1785 (Adams Papers)
Your Favour of 14. Feb. I have received of M r Jarvis, full, as usual, of important Information. I have rec d , too the Ratification of my Loan. In all that I Said of Seperating the foreign from the Domestic Debt, and in every Thing I may write about our Affairs at home, I always mean to Submit my Guesses to the Superiour Lights and better Judgments of those who are at home. When I was with...
19From John Adams to Elbridge Gerry, 10 September 1783 (Adams Papers)
As to the Trade with the West Indies, I do not think we can hope to revive it upon more favorable Terms than those before the War. If we can be admitted to carry Cargoes to G. Britain & Ireland, or G. Britain alone from the Islands, giving Bonds with Sureties to land them in some Port of those Kingdoms, it will be all we can expect. If Congress, are of the same Mind, they had better empower Us...
20John Adams to Elbridge Gerry, 12 December 1784 (Adams Papers)
I know not whether you intend to serve in Congress again or not: but whether at Trenton, or Boston or Marblehead it would be very bad oecomony, in me, not to write, you, because I have ever found your Letters replete with Information and the most judicious Reflections. D r: Franklin is so bad with the Stone, that he has not been to Versailles nor Paris these twelve months; he has ventured to...