61John Quincy Adams to Thomas Boylston Adams, 25 July 1802 (Adams Papers)
In point of form I know not how the balance of epistolary correspondence between you and me stands; and it is altogether immaterial: having at present some leisure and the prospect of more, I cannot employ it to better advantage than in adding to the frequency of communication with you. My wife has recently received a letter from you, and has answered it within these two days, with an...
62John Quincy Adams to Thomas Boylston Adams, 9 January 1802 (Adams Papers)
I have received three letters from you without making the proper returns— The occasion of which has been the continual occupation I have found in moving, repairing and furnishing my house, and entering upon my office— These things are now chiefly accomplish’d, and I hope in future to have more leisure for making communications to you.— I can however not promise much in that respect.— My time...
63John Adams to Thomas Boylston Adams, 1 February 1802 (Adams Papers)
Politicks are forbidden fruit to me, at present, and what other Subject can I choose for a Letter? Shall I tell you what Books I read? or how many times a Week I go into the Woods? These Informations would not be interesting to you. I Suppose I may hint at a Question of Law without giving offence to the Powers that be, or the Powers that once were, but be not. A great noise has been made about...
64John Quincy Adams to Thomas Boylston Adams, 4 April 1801 (Adams Papers)
You will receive enclosed with this, a duplicate of my letter, relative to your annual account, and a literary letter of this date, containing an account of an interview between Frederic 2. and the poet Gellert, which I hope will amuse you.— If you chuse, it may be published as one of the letters on various topics of foreign literature. At the same time with your accounts, I received a couple...
65Abigail Adams to Thomas Boylston Adams, 5 July 1801 (Adams Papers)
I told William Shaw of the event which You have s[. . . .]olely questioned, and from the best Authority, even the hand writing of the Father in a letter to me; of the 14 of April. “The day before yesterday at half past three oclock afternoon, my dear Louissa gave me a son, she has had a very severe time through the winter, and is now so ill that I dare not write to her Mother to give her...
66John Quincy Adams to Thomas Boylston Adams, 27 August 1802 (Adams Papers)
I duly received your letters of the 21 st: enclosing the pamphlet of Gentz, and likewise the post-note, with your account— This last I have not yet examined, but I presume it to be substantially correct.— I am again to repeat my thanks for your attention to my affairs. I hope to have the pleasure of seeing you soon here, though I hope also that the tremendous menaces of malignant yellow fever...
67From John Quincy Adams to Thomas Boylston Adams, 20 January 1806 (Adams Papers)
Your letter closing the last and commencing the present year, has been several days in my hands, and has hitherto remained without reply, from a variety of causes; but the want of time has been the principal one. Business is thickening upon us very fast, and notwithstanding your injunction to me at the time when I was getting into the Carriage to come here, I have not been able to keep myself...
68Abigail Adams to Thomas Boylston Adams, 7 February 1802 (Adams Papers)
Your Letter of the Jan’ry I received near a fortnight ago, and have thought every day since that I would write to you; but few occurrences arise to amuse You, or entertain You of a domestick nature, and dissertations are not what you want; Your proposed project of removing to the state of Newyork occupies my attention. I know it must be urksome to you to pluck up stakes, (as the saying is)...
69John Quincy Adams to Thomas Boylston Adams, 21 August 1803 (Adams Papers)
You will be so anxious to hear the state of your mother’s health that I cannot forbear writing you a line— Since I wrote you last no material change has taken place— The danger has not apparently increased, neither can we flatter ourselves that it has diminished— Her pain is not so severe as it was, and she has now little fever; but her weakness is the most formidable symptom— She has little...
70John Quincy Adams to Thomas Boylston Adams, 24 March 1804 (Adams Papers)
An attempt was made this morning to postpone the adjournment for two days—from the 26 th: (Monday next) to Wednesday the 28 th: — The motion however was rejected.— Next came a motion to meet tomorrow. yeas 3. nays about 20.— The motion to protract, will probably be renewed on Monday; but I believe without success. A bill has pass’d the Senate, the object of which is to abandon the further...
71John Quincy Adams to Thomas Boylston Adams, 5 October 1802 (Adams Papers)
The apt and excellent quotation from Horace’s epistles, in your letter of 26 th: ult o: made me turn over all the editions and translations of the old poet, that came within my reach, to find the context— When once a man takes up Horace, it is not easy to lay him down again— So in turning over the leaves, I stumbled by the strangest accident imaginable upon the fourth Ode of the second book—...
72From John Quincy Adams to Thomas Boylston Adams, 5 February 1806 (Adams Papers)
Your favour of the 19th: of last Month, has been several days in my hands.—I have enclosed you the two sheets which were wanting to complete your files of the Journals of the House, but I cannot find a spare copy of the first sheet of the Senate’s Journals—I send most of the public documents to Shaw, because he wants them more than you, and because you will always have the first perusal of...
73Abigail Adams to Thomas Boylston Adams, 7 November 1802 (Adams Papers)
I received Your Letter after your return in october to the city. I had written to you as soon as I supposed it probable You had returnd. the Letter I presume reachd you, soon after you wrote to me; I am glad to find your Health improved by your excursion I cannot however but repeat my apprehensions that you are not planted in a soil to flourish, to obtain reputation honour or profit; I regreet...
74From John Quincy Adams to Thomas Boylston Adams, 17 February 1806 (Adams Papers)
Your favour of the 2d. instt: enclosing a copy of the judiciary Bill which was before you for consideration came to hand some days since—As your legislative occupations employ you only three hours a day, I can readily conceive that you can find little time for private correspondence; for as an Antient Orator was wont to say that he had not time to make his speech short, so I have often found...
75From John Quincy Adams to Thomas Boylston Adams, 5 January 1807 (Adams Papers)
On new year’s day I received your very agreeable Letter of Decr: 21st: which I should have answered immediately; but it was not sitting day; and I find no time for my correspondence but while we are in Session—The reason of which is that having become a Jack of so many trades, I employ all the time I have to spare at home , in preparing for my bussiness at Cambridge next Spring—I have...
76John Quincy Adams to Thomas Boylston Adams, 12 December 1802 (Adams Papers)
I have had your favour of the 30 th: ult o: several days; and have taken time to deliberate upon its contents— And first as to the chemical apparatus—If you have not already procured one, we shall spare you any further trouble about it, as we have succeeded in obtaining a large one here, which will quite supersede the want of D r: Woodhouse’s oeconomical preparations— If however you have...
77John Adams to Thomas Boylston Adams, 12 March 1802 (Adams Papers)
I rec d. last night, your Letter of the 3 d.— It was far from my thoughts to assign you a task. I meant only to turn your mind to a Subject, which must necessaryly engage much of your contemplations, as long as you live. The Folc Right, the Peoples Right, the common law, is the natural, Inheritance of Us all. It is our Birth Right. But precious as it is, and dear as it ought to be to all our...
78From John Quincy Adams to Thomas Boylston Adams, 21 November 1805 (Adams Papers)
I wrote to my mother from Providence & New-York, giving her an Account of our progress thus far; but the moment one sets one’s foot into Philadelphia, the Squire becomes such a standing topic of enquiry from all quarters, that it never fails to remind me of the duty of remembrance to him. We left New-York in the Diligence Stage on Monday Morning, and arrived here the next day just at...
79From John Quincy Adams to Thomas Boylston Adams, 13 January 1807 (Adams Papers)
I received a few days since your favour of the 28th. ulto: with the very interesting account of Selfridge’s trial—A subject upon which there has been much curiosity here; though we had heard nothing of the trial except the short paragraphs in the newspapers.—It has confirmed me in an opinion which I have long since entertained, that for our real security, in the protection of person, property,...
80John Quincy Adams to Thomas Boylston Adams, 2 January 1803 (Adams Papers)
I have now received the Port-Folio, to number 48 inclusive; excepting N: 47 which yet remains in arrear— They have come to me lately, two and three at a time; but other subscribers have not been so well served— At Quincy N: 48 has been received but six or seven numbers immediately preceding it are missing— This procedure must be corrected The ode to Xanthias Phoceus, has produced some...
81Abigail Adams to Thomas Boylston Adams, 13 March 1802 (Adams Papers)
I have received two Barrels of flower but no account of the price either from the Baker or You. be so kind so to forward one to me. also let me know as soon as possible whether my Letters of the 28 of Febry got safe to Hand. the Roads were so bad at that time, and the Mails so irregular that I had feard for the letters. I would not Suppose that there is less responsibility in the Post masters...
82From John Quincy Adams to Thomas Boylston Adams, 6 February 1808 (Adams Papers)
I am indebted to you, I believe for two letters; but there is so much in the last, of what parson Gardner in one of his Sermons said was called in the barbarous jargon of modern times quizzing , that I hardly know how to answer it at-all—For the use or abuse of my name in the newspapers, whether from friend or foe, in good or in evil I hope I shall not be held accountable—Neither do I suppose...
83Abigail Adams to Thomas Boylston Adams, 16 May 1801 (Adams Papers)
I have received two Letters from you since I wrote to you, one 26 April, the last 2 d May—inclosing one from Your Brother, which I now return, without knowing what advice to give You; upon the Subject of it; in what productive property you can place his interest, excepting those he has prohibited you from, I know not, the funds of this State Stand well, and are to be had with great difficulty,...
84John Adams to Thomas Boylston Adams, 28 January 1803 (Adams Papers)
I have had the pleasure of receiving your favour of the 18 th and congratulate you, on the Success of your labours. Thank you for the Print of D r Smith, and Should not dislike to have one of my old Friend M c Kean. Whatever may be said of that Gentlemans Consistency of Conduct, his Uniformity of Principle and System, his Fidelity to his Friends, his conjugal Felicity, his Constancy in his...
85From John Quincy Adams to Thomas Boylston Adams, 18 December 1805 (Adams Papers)
Your letter of the 4th: instt: came to hand two days ago—But I have no information of a public nature to communicate, which may render it worth your while to peruse an answer—We are all very full of sound and fury against the foreign Nations from whom we have received such violent outrages; but having two of them upon our hands at once, we shall be very cautious about engaging in the contest...
86Abigail Adams to Thomas Boylston Adams, 20 March 1803 (Adams Papers)
This is the third attempt I have made, to write to You; since my Eyes have been attackd with an inflamation, in both the others I found it too painfull to proceed. they are now upon the recovery; I have been obliged to put under cover the papers promissed; with the mortification of Sending them, unaccompanied with a line, I now forward the remainder, most Sincerely Wishing You Success in your...