John Quincy Adams to Thomas Boylston Adams, 11 April 1802
John Quincy Adams to Thomas Boylston Adams
Quincy 11. April 1802.
My dear Brother.
Since my last letter to you, I have not had the pleasure of receiving a line from you—1 I have it not yet in my power to unpack my books, and consequently not to take out and send you those belonging to you. But I have sent you a set of the Massachusetts Laws, and a copy of the translation from Bulow, by the Sylvia, Captain Seth Daggett, who has already sailed, and will probably reach Philadelphia as soon as this letter.2
I suppose you will learn from the newspapers the general result of our election for Governor, Lieutt: Governor and Senators— Mr: Strong will probably have a much larger majority this year than the last, and Mr: Robbins comes in by an equal majority as lieutt: Governor— You will see my name upon the Suffolk list of Senators, and perhaps be a little surprized, that I suffered it to be run. But as it was extremely doubtful and generally doubted, whether it could be carried, I did not choose either to shrink, or even to have the appearance of shrinking from the trial.— So I did not decline— And indeed a man may as well be busy about nothing for the public as for himself—3
Our friends here, are well.
Your’s affectionately
A.4
RC (MHi:Adams Papers, All Generations); internal address: “T. B. Adams Esqr.”
1. JQA’s most recent extant letter to TBA was of 3 Feb., for which see JQA to TBA, 9 Jan., note 13, above.
2. JQA sent TBA The Perpetual Laws of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts, 3 vols., Boston, 1801, , No. 895, and his translation of Baron Dietrich Heinrich von Bülow’s Der Freistaat von Nordamerika in seinem neusten zustand, 2 vols., Berlin, 1797, for which see JQA to TBA, 9 Jan., and note 5, above. The schooner Sylvia, Capt. Seth Daggett, departed Boston on 15 April and arrived in Philadelphia on 24 April (Philadelphia Gazette, 24 April).
3. The elections for Massachusetts’ governor, lieutenant governor, and senators took place on 5 April. Gov. Caleb Strong was reelected, receiving 30,456 votes to Elbridge Gerry’s 19,768. Edward Hutchinson Robbins was elected lieutenant governor, defeating Maj. Gen. William Heath, 28,334 votes to 17,695. The Boston press reported the results from early April until May, including comparisons to the previous year’s election (vol. 9:224; A New Nation Votes; New-England Palladium, 6, 9, 13, 16, 20, 23 April, 11 May; Boston Columbian Centinel, 7, 10, 14, 17, 21, 24 April, 1, 5 May). For JQA’s election to the state senate, see AA to TBA, 13 March, and note 7, above.
4. TBA acknowledged this letter on 19 April (Adams Papers), offering JQA congratulations on his election to the Mass. senate and noting, “The fed’s will be glad to use your name and talents, so long as they can give them a lift.”