511To John Adams from John Jay, 2 February 1786 (Adams Papers)
I lately wrote you a few hasty Lines just as the vessel which carried them was departing; and enclosed a Pamphlet containing my Correspondence with a M r Littlepage, who was formerly in my Family. The attack which produced that Pamphlet, was not only countenanced but stimulated by some of the Subjects of our good allies here. It is no Secret either to You or me that I am no favorite with them:...
512To John Adams from C. W. F. Dumas, 12 October 1786 (Adams Papers)
Autant nous avons été en peine de Vous savoir avec Madame en mer par la tempête qu’il faisoit, autant nous a réjoui la nouvelle de votre arrivée à Londres, laquelle écrite ici par Mr. De Lynde, me fut com̃uniquée en son temps par Mr. Fagel, avec qui j’eus occasion de m’entretenir de V. E. à l’hôtel de France, & qui m’a chargé de vous faire parvenir ses complimens. Mr. Jrujo, mon très cher ami,...
513To John Adams from De la Lande & Fynje, 29 July 1785 (Adams Papers)
We feel ourselves very much beholden to your Excellency, for your Condescension to favour us with Your respected letter of the 24 th Ins t: , but especially so, for the friendlÿ and sympathysing manner, in which your Excell y hath been pleased to express himself. We thank you most Sincerely for having already before the receipt of our Letter, written in our favour to the Honourable Board of...
514To John Adams from Richard Henry Lee, 1 August 1785 (Adams Papers)
I received your letter by your Son with the pleasure that will always attend such communications from an old and much esteemed friend— But on this occasion I have been the more happy as it furnished me with an opportunity of shewing civilities to the Son of my friend— I have had as much of his company as our mutual affairs would permit because I have had the satisfaction to lodge him in my...
515Richard Cranch to John Adams, 3 June 1785 (Adams Papers)
This will be handed to you by a worthy young Gentleman Mr. Bulfinch Son of Doctor Bulfinch; I doubt not but his Conduct will render him worthy of your Notice. I have not time to write you on publick Matters at present. The County have put me into the Senate this Year and we have very hard Service. I have enclosed the Speech of our new Governour &c. He is a Man of System and Application, and I...
516To John Adams from John Jay, 12 May 1787 (Adams Papers)
I had the Pleasure of writing you a few Lines on the 2 d. of last Month, since which I have received and communicated to Congress your Letters of 9 th. 24 th. and 27 th. January and 3 d. & 24 th. February last.— My Health continues much deranged, and I purpose in a few Days to make an Excursion into the Country for about a fortnight.— A Motion has lately been made in Congress to remove to...
517To John Adams from Arthur Lee, 4 July 1788 (Adams Papers)
Give me leave to congratulate you on your happy arrival in your native Country; & on the respectable reception that has attended it. I beg the favor of you to present my congratulations in the same account to M rs. Adams. Tho’ I am not an Admirer of the new Constitution, yet as you approve of it & as a great many wise & good men expect much honor & advantage to our Country from the adoption of...
518To John Adams from Wilhem & Jan Willink and Nicolaas & Jacob van Staphorst, 15 May 1787 (Adams Papers)
We have your excellency’s esteemed favors of 7 th: and two of 8 Instant transmitting us Letters from the Board of Treasury. The detention whereof later than others we received per the April Packet, has retarded the Business of a new Loan during a whole Week, A delay of utmost consequence at the eve of the June Interest falling due.— We sincerely lament the Necessity M r: John Rucker was in to...
519To John Adams from John Brown Cutting, 12 July 1788 (Adams Papers)
I have now the honor to inclose you a copy of the southern whale fishery bill—which I cou’d not obtain early enough to send forward when I last wrote. I likewise subjoin additionally to what I have already written to you on the subject—the transcript of a line or two on the same topic to M r Jefferson. As I expect to embark for Charlestown in a very few days—probably by the 25 th of this...
520To John Adams from Matthew Ridley, 26 October 1783 (Adams Papers)
I now inclose you four Letters received since your departure— Several very heavey failures have happen’d at Paris— One of them is the House of Bost Horion & C o. for upwards of 3,000,000.₶— Some others are talkd of.— The Affairs of the Caisse D’Escompte are now pretty well settled & the Managers talk of beginning to pay in Specie in the Month of Novem r: By the London papers I see that Barney...
521To John Adams from Rufus King, 2 May 1786 (Adams Papers)
M r. Alsop of this city, whom you must recollect as a delegate from this State to congress in 1775 & 1776, and whose daughter I have lately married, requests me to ask your Opinion, “whether a Refugee, whose Estate has been confiscated here, and to an amount exceeding that of his Debts, can by the British laws, or the Treaty of peace between G. Britain & the united States of america, be...
522From Benjamin Franklin to John Adams, 5 February 1784 (Franklin Papers)
ALS : Massachusetts Historical Society I received the Letter you did me the Honour of writing to me the 24th past. You have had a terrible Passage indeed, taking it all together from London to Amsterdam. The Season has been, and continues, uncommonly severe, and you must have suffered much. It is a Pity that the good Purpose of your Voyage, to save if possible the Credit of Mr Morris’s Bills...
523To John Adams from Paul R. Randall, 4 May 1786 (Adams Papers)
I should have addressed your Excellency long e’er this, since my Arrival from Algiers —but being in Expectation of bringing on M r: Lamb’s Letters—was entirely without Suspicion of the many Impediments which retarded my Progress thus far. M r Lamb must undoubtedly have given your Excellencies the Reasons of sending me from thence—and however repugnant to my Inclinations, I must be necessitated...
524To John Adams from Thomas Cushing, 9 May 1785 (Adams Papers)
The Agents appointed by the Gen l. Assembly of this State to conduct & prosecute their Claims to certain Lands lying to the Westward, controverted & disputed by the State of New York, have represented to me that in order to support this Claim they should wish to be furnished with an Authenticated Copy of the Patent of King James 1 st. to the Council of Plimouth given in 1620 & the original...
525Elbridge Gerry to John Adams, 5 March 1785 (Adams Papers)
Since my last, informing You of the Circumstances of your Appointment to the Court of London, Congress have elected Col o Smith of this State, Secretary to the Legation. several Candidates were presented to Congress, & my Friend & Collegue, M r King of Newbury port (whom I shall hereafter speak of, & whom I wish to introduce to your Confidence & Friendship) was of Opinion with myself, that it...
526Thomas Jefferson to John Adams, 19 June 1784 (Adams Papers)
Supposing that you would receive from Congress a direct communication of the powers given to yourself, Doct r. Franklin & myself, I have deferred from day to day writing to you, in hopes that every day would open to me a certainty of the time & place of my departure for the other side of the Atlantic. Paris being my destination I have thought it best to enquire for a passage to France...
527To John Adams from John Jay, 3 October 1787 (Adams Papers)
Still I am unable to give you satisfactory Information on the old and interesting Subject of your Return. My Report on it is not yet decided upon by Congress, altho’ some Progress has been made in it.— My Endeavors to forward it shall continue unremitted.— My last Letter to you was on the 4 th. Day of September, since which I have not had the Honor of receiving any Letter from you. Your Letter...
528To John Adams from Jabez Bowen, 28 April 1789 (Adams Papers)
In Examining the Debates in the Lower House of Congress I find Melasses mentioned as Charged with a Duty on Importation of six Cents. which sum in my opinion is much to high. Before the Revolution I was largely concern’d in Navigation, at which time Melasses paid a Duty of 3 d pr Gallon, but it was found impossible with all the British severity with Americans that knew the whole Business of...
529Richard Cranch to John Adams, 12 August 1784 (Adams Papers)
After a long Interval, I had Yesterday the great Happiness of receiving your esteemed Favour of the 3d. of April. I immediately sent the inclosed to Mr. Tyler. I have not seen him since your Letter came to his Hand. When I consider the amazing Exertions of Mind that you must have been continually making, and the Anxieties that must necessarily have prey’d upon your Spirits while Events of the...
530To John Adams from Wilhem & Jan Willink, Nicolaas & Jacob van Staphorst, and De la Lande & Fynje, 31 January 1784 (Adams Papers)
We are favoured with the honour of your Excellency’s letter of 29 of this month, wh ch. should have compiared Yesterday With us. M r. W m Willink did himself the honour to wait on your Excellency the night before your departure, to inform you of the unsuccessfullness of all our repeated endeavours, and notwithstanding the favourable dispositions of our Regency, Considerations of so much...
531From Thomas Jefferson to John Adams, 28 February 1787 (Jefferson Papers)
The inclosed letter is come to hand since I had the honour of addressing you last. Will you be so good as to forward a copy to Mr. Jay? The assembly of Notables is held to secrecy, so that little transpires and this floats among so much incertain matter that we know not what can be depended on. 80. millions more of annual revenue and provincial assemblies are the certain objects. The giving to...
532From Thomas Jefferson to John Adams, 6 February 1787 (Jefferson Papers)
Your favors by Colo. Franks have come safely to hand. He will set out from hence the 8th. inst. the packet being to sail from Havre the 10th. I inclose you the copy of a letter lately received from Mr. Barclay, and of the paper it inclosed. In a letter from Mr. Carmichael is a postscript dated Dec. 25. in the following words ‘since writing the preceding, the Portuguese Ambassador has pressed...
533To John Adams from the Board of Treasury, 25 July 1787 (Adams Papers)
We are favor’d with your Letter of the 8 th: of May last, transmitting Protests for Non Acceptance of the two Bills of Exchange for 75,000 Florins; drawn by Constable Rucker & C o. of New York on their Partner M r. John Rucker of London— From the Solidity of the House by whom the Bill was drawn (being in Partnership with M r. Robert Morris of Phil a. ) we had not the most distant Apprehension...
534To John Adams from Sylvanus Bourne, 28 January 1789 (Adams Papers)
Pardon the liberty I take, and permit me to call to your Excellency’s recollection, a Person who (at the time the Committee of Convention for framing this State’s Constitution were sitting in this town) requested to be taken into your Office, as a student at Law, and had your promise to be received if the services of your Country should not call you abroad; but which proving to be the case in...
535To John Adams from Wilhem & Jan Willink and Nicolaas & Jacob van Staphorst, [1]8 November 1785 (Adams Papers)
We acknowledge the Receit of Your Esteemed Favoúr of the 12 th. Inst t. advising ús your further acceptances of £100.– } ″100.– drawn by M r. Barclay Order M r Grand ″100.– ″150.– } drawn by M r. John Lamb Order M r
536From Thomas Jefferson to John Adams, 22 June 1785 (Jefferson Papers)
My last to you was of the 2d. inst. since which I have received yours of the 3d. and 7th. I informed you in mine of the substance of our letter to Baron Thulemeyer. Last night came to hand his acknolegement of the receipt of it. He accedes to the method proposed for signing, and has forwarded our dispatch to the king. I inclose you a copy of our letter to Mr. Jay to go by the packet of this...
537To John Adams from John Brown Cutting, [ante 25 August 1787] (Adams Papers)
M r Cutting presents respectful compliments to the American Minister and returning his warmest acknowledgments for the entertainment and invaluable instruction comprised in those sheets of his second Volume entitled a defence of the Constitution of Government of the United States of America (with which M r C. was lately favour’d and which having read rapidly once he is now again perusing with...
538From Thomas Jefferson to John Adams, 4 September 1785 (Jefferson Papers)
Mr. Mazzei, during the war was employed by the state of Virginia to procure them loans of money in Europe. He thinks that in allowing him for his expences they have allowed less than they actually were. You knew him in Paris, and knew of the journies which he made. I would thank you for the best guess you can make of what his expences may have been, according to the stile in which you observed...
539James Erwin to John Adams, 17 January 1785 (Adams Papers)
Tis with the utmost grief. I Acq t. you: the Accident which as befallen me. at my departure from Cadix. to Tereniffe. were I was bound to. but unfortunately taken by one of the Emperor of Moroccos Cruzers. and Carried into Tangier. were my Vessel lays. afterwards myself & people. with many fatigues obliged to proceed to Morocco. to the Emperor. with whom I spoke to. & notwithstanding Replied...
540John Quincy Adams to John Adams, 1 June 1784 (Adams Papers)
Yesterday I received your favour by Dr. Parker, and was very glad to find you pleased with your situation, tho’ I was myself in pretty low Spirits. I have been continually endeavouring to get acquainted with some person who would introduce me into the House of Commons, and have not as yet succeeded; on the other hand, Callihan is arrived; has had a delightful passage, but in lieu of our...