Adams Papers
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To John Adams from Tristram Dalton, 3 March 1789

From Tristram Dalton

Newburyport March 3d. 1789

Dear Sir

The accounts received of the votes given for Vice President of the federal Senate render your Election to that high Office undoubted— will you permit me to congratulate you on the occasion, tho’ premature? not only because I wish to express my earliest Joy, which is sincere—but that I may, in season, propose accompanying you to New York—if your arrangements should make it convenient to you—

A cruel, indeterminate, disorder has confined me more than eleven weeks— my Physician this day declares, as his opinion, that my health will permit me to proceed on my Journey in 2 weeks more—

Mrs Dalton will go with me— if Mrs Adams should favor you with her good Company one Coach would accomodate us, and render the fatigues of the Ride less disagreeable to them—1

Mrs D & I can be in Boston, ready to proceed, by the 21st of this month—if necessary, the Wednesday preceding—or with more conveniency a few days after the 21st. when the roads will be better— My determination is to be in Congress as soon as the President of the Senate— my acceptance of a Seat therein was more readily made by the flattering expectations of your being in the Chair—for, presuming on former connections and favors, I promised myself the benefit of your advice and counsel in many affairs of importance that will be before that Body—and, if you will allow me the liberty, I will rely on them—

Mrs D requests that her respectful regards may be presented to Mrs Adams & your Self—I beg mine may be rendered agreeable

When convenient, please to favor me with your answer—

With perfect esteem, & unfeignd affection, / I am— / Dear Sir— / Your most hble Servant

Tristram Dalton

RC (Adams Papers); internal address: “His Excellency John Adams”; endorsed: “Mr Dalton. March 3.”; notation by CFA: “1789.”

1Dalton, elected by the Mass. General Court on 24 Nov. 1788 to serve in the Senate but delayed by “a painful indisposition,” left for New York with his wife, Ruth Hooper Dalton, on 1 April 1789, arriving nearly two weeks later. AA departed from Braintree accompanied by CA, her niece Louisa Catharine Smith, and two servants on 17 June and reached New York eight days later (First Fed. Elections description begins The Documentary History of the First Federal Elections, 17881790, ed. Merrill Jensen, Robert A. Becker, Gordon DenBoer, and others, Madison, Wis., 1976–1989; 4 vols. description ends , 1:441; Massachusetts Centinel, 18 March, 1 April; New-York Packet, 14 April; AFC description begins Adams Family Correspondence, ed. L. H. Butterfield, Marc Friedlaender, Richard Alan Ryerson, Margaret A. Hogan, Sara Martin, and others, Cambridge, 1963– . description ends , 8:464). For JA’s celebration-filled journey to New York, see John Langdon’s 6 April letter, and note 1, below.

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