1From John Quincy Adams to William Smith Shaw, 27 December 1805 (Adams Papers)
I have to thank you for the receipt of your letter of the 14th: instt: and for the last number of the Anthology, which came at the same time—I am much pleased with the Spirit of this publication which appears to improve as it advances, and which I hope you will not suffer to flag—I am much flattered by the partiality of the opinion entertained by the Gentlemen that a regular contribution from...
2From John Quincy Adams to William Smith Shaw, 17 October 1807 (Adams Papers)
We arrived safe at Providence on the Evening of the day when we took leave of you in Boston; and the next morning embarked in a Packet which was ready to sail. We were however detained at anchor just below Providence the whole of that day, and the next Night—On Monday we effected with much difficulty our passage to Newport, and sailed from thence on Tuesday Morning—We had every possible...
3From John Quincy Adams to William Smith Shaw, 7 March 1808 (Adams Papers)
I will thank you to pay to my father, for me, on or before the 22d: of this month eleven hundred and seventy two dollars and forty-nine cents—being $1081.27. for part principal of a debt due from me to him and $91.22. for a quarter’s interest on the same debt—As you have probably not funds sufficient in your hands to make this payment I enclose you an order to receive the money due to me at...
4Thomas Boylston Adams to William Smith Shaw, 30 March 1801 (Adams Papers)
I had not time to write before the departure of the post to day, to both you & my mother, and having received a letter from her she was best intitled to my earliest regards, though, if I rightly remember, you favor written at Suffield has not yet been acknowledged— Watsons Bill is enclosd as you desire— Dickins is not your debtor But you are his to the amount of four or five dollars, as I...
5From John Quincy Adams to William Smith Shaw, 5 February 1807 (Adams Papers)
I received some days since your favour of the 19. January, and thank you for the information it contains, and for the trouble you have taken in my individual concerns; I should have been happy to hear frequently from you; but I have been sensible that the multiplicity of your usual occupations, and the extraordinary call upon your time and attention, by the illness and decease of your...
6From John Quincy Adams to William Smith Shaw, 10 July 1806 (Adams Papers)
I have received an invitation from Mr: Boylston, to dine with him to-morrow—If you see him in town between this and then, will you be so good as to tell him that I much regret that I cannot come, as to-morrow at 2. O’Clock I commence my course of Lectures—And having already postponed it for two weeks, I cannot put it off again. To-day also I am detained here, on account of the Declamations—But...
7Thomas Boylston Adams to William Smith Shaw, 5 April 1801 (Adams Papers)
Your letter of the 29 th: ult o: is just received. with the papers enclosed, for which I thank you— The address of the Legislature is friendly— Answer proper — The letter, which is published in the Commercial Gazette, as from the Washington federalist, I had read with great satisfaction, in manuscript— I hope to grasp the hand that wrote it in a few months— The gentleman will find it more...
8From John Quincy Adams to William Smith Shaw, 25 March 1808 (Adams Papers)
Your favour of the 5th: instt: never came to my hands untill yesterday—I have long noticed the characters of the factions which were excited among all the antient nations, in their relations with the Romans—It has been particularly remarked by Montesquieu, and its application to our own Affairs is no new thing in my mind—Modern History is full of the same phenomenon—The English and French...
9Thomas Boylston Adams to William Smith Shaw, 31 August 1803 (Adams Papers)
Your favour of the 24 th: is before me, and I most ardently hope the information respecting the prospect of my mother’s recovery may not prove delusive. I expected a letter from my brother by this day’s mail, but am disappointed. My suspence & anxiety have been extreme for ten days past, and nothing but your letter, which assures me, that my mother was considerably better, has relieved my...
10From John Quincy Adams to William Smith Shaw, 19 February 1806 (Adams Papers)
I have received from you the Anthology for January, for which I thank you—In a letter yesterday to my brother I have made some remarks upon it with which I hope you will not be displeased—Perhaps my own zeal upon a subject of importance, made me more sollicitous concerning one Article in it than was necessary—I should be glad to review the several pamphlets on this subject lately published in...
11From John Quincy Adams to William Smith Shaw, 23 April 1808 (Adams Papers)
I have received your two letters of last Week, with a dozen copies of my letter to Mr: Otis—And Mr: Gardiner’s fast Sermon—But the copies which you mention as forwarding with your’s of the 15th: instt: have not come to hand. I thank you most cordially for the promptitude with which you executed the charge of publication—I find the federal newspapers in Boston, which began with a system of...
There is not anything in this world, which lies nearer my heart, or more deeply affects my Mind, then the welfare & happiness of my two Children both here, & in a future state of existence. For you, Is my fondest wish, my ardent Pray’r. And you judged rightly, when you informed me of your late appointment to believe I should sincerely rejoice in any circumstance, which might afford you a...
13From John Quincy Adams to William Smith Shaw, 3 February 1805 (Adams Papers)
I have received your letter enclosing Mr: Bradford’s Sermon which I have read with much pleasure; and informing me of the cruel misfortune which has befallen Mr: Smith, for whom, and his excellent lady and family, I feel very much distress’d—If there was any one merchant in Boston on whose safety and stability I should have confided more than any other, he was the man; and to find him thus...
14Thomas Boylston Adams to William Smith Shaw, 14 May 1801 (Adams Papers)
I enclose you a paper, which contains the Sentence referred to in my last, passed upon the troopers who flogged Duane. You will be able to form from the perusal of it, a more accurate opinion of the merits, than you could from my statement. The Circuit Court of the United States, under the new organization, opened on Monday— Present the three Judges— I attended & heard the charge delivered by...
15From John Quincy Adams to William Smith Shaw, 3 September 1806 (Adams Papers)
I now enclose you the auctioneer’s Bill and will thank you to make out the list of the Books, by their titles , with the prices fixed against them, and get the receipt of the auctioneer upon it, as received of me , which will be necessary for me as a voucher—There are only two volumes (Mason on Elocution, and Carey’s Pocket Atlas, which I purchased for myself, and are not to be included in the...
16From John Adams to William Smith Shaw, 10 July 1808 (Adams Papers)
I request the favour of you to insert the foregoing Letter in the next Anthology. It is a material Document in the Life of Washington, as well as in mine and my Sons. As I was bitterly reproached for promoting my Son, though I never did promote him, but only removed him with the same Rank and Appointment from Lisbon to Berlin, Washingtons Letter ought to have been considered as a Justification...
17From John Quincy Adams to William Smith Shaw, 18 February 1808 (Adams Papers)
I wrote you some time since and enclosed an order on the Branch Bank at Boston, to be placed to my credit; since which I have not heard from you. I have now only time to request you to pay to my father two hundred and ninety dollars, on my account—being $250. Divd: on ten Shares in N. E. Mc Insurance Company & $40. for do: on ten Shares in Boston Bank.—I expect in a few days to give you an...
18From John Quincy Adams to William Smith Shaw, 31 March 1806 (Adams Papers)
Since I wrote you last I have not heard directly from you although an interval of several weeks has elapsed—I sent you receipts for Gurley’s & Delille’s Rent, which I presume you have received—On this Idea, I have now to desire that you would enquire whether any dividend on the Stock of the Fire and Marine Insurance Company was made on the first of this Month—And if there was I will thank you...
19From John Quincy Adams to William Smith Shaw, 17 December 1804 (Adams Papers)
Some time since I sent you a check on the Branch Bank, in favour of J. Briesler for $45—to be presented if you had previously received the rent of Mr: Gurley, & Delisle, and deposited the money in Bank—I shall have occasion to send another check or two shortly, but untill I have ascertained whether you have received and paid in those monies, I cannot venture to draw; not being sure of having...
20From Abigail Smith Adams to William Smith Shaw, 1 October 1808 (Adams Papers)
Shall we ever have the pleasure of a visit from you at Quincy. I can Scarcly credit that you Should be so intirely weaned from a place, and Friends whom you once loved and esteemed. I know your avocations are numerous—your time fully occupied, but you may have leisure to visit the Atheneum, when your Friends here are to be no more seen. your uncle and Aunt Cranch have both been very sick. your...
21From John Quincy Adams to William Smith Shaw, 28 October 1807 (Adams Papers)
I enclosed to you by last Evening’s Mail a Copy of the President’s Message, as first printed by Smith—I now send you a copy together with the documents that accompanied it—You will see that the H.R. have a new Speaker and Clerk—They have this day determined to appoint the standing Committees by ballot instead of leaving their appointment to the Speaker as heretofore—The Washington Races...
22Thomas Boylston Adams to William Smith Shaw, 22 June 1801 (Adams Papers)
It falls to my lot to do things so repugnant to my inclination & so contrary to my sense of strict propriety, that I know not what apology to offer for complying, in opposition to both, with the absurd customs of the times, which so often impose a necessity of thus betraying my judgment. What answer can be given to a man who after living for a few months under the same roof with you, though in...
23From Thomas Boylston Adams to William Smith Shaw, 24 April 1805 (Adams Papers)
I want the form of a petition to be presented to the Court of Sessions, praying for a Committee to be appointed to assess damages, in case of property damaged by the proprietors of the Middlesex Canal—If you can not find a form, this side of Cambridge, you must go there and obtain one from the Clerks Office of the Sessions, where I presume you will find some on file— Our Petition must be...
24Thomas Boylston Adams to William Smith Shaw, 13 June 1802 (Adams Papers)
I received your short note, accompanying the Oration delivered by my brother, before the charitable fire Association, and thank you for the promptness of your attention in transmitting it. The perusal of it was a rich repast, and though its merit did not surpass, it fully equalled my expectations. I am yet to hear from you, in answer to some of my late communications. You have certainly lost...
25From John Quincy Adams to William Smith Shaw, 27 January 1806 (Adams Papers)
I have this morning received your favour of the 17th: and thank you for it—I should be glad to thank you more frequently than I have an opportunity to do for such favours. I cannot promise to write you often at much length, but I shall send you as often as I can documents which may be of use to you, and you will attribute to my continual occupations, from which I cannot now at least take upon...
26From Abigail Smith Adams to William Smith Shaw, 19 April 1806 (Adams Papers)
The Bill which Our Tennant has presented must I presume be allowd him: the repairs were necessary I have not any doubt. he ought not however to do these things without consulting us. have you leazed him the place an other Year? does he comply with the terms of his lease? I wish you to keep the Rent you receive always Seperate from any other Charges. I have devoted it the years past to the...
27From John Quincy Adams to William Smith Shaw, 7 November 1807 (Adams Papers)
I have not yet had the pleasure of receiving a line from you, which I presume is owing to the multiplicity of your occupations—I have had one letter from my Mother containing the information concerning which we were so anxious, of our children’s health. The Good-Intent has not yet arrived though I observe by a Newspaper that she cleared out from Boston about the 24th: of October—We are in...
28From John Quincy Adams to William Smith Shaw, 17 February 1807 (Adams Papers)
I received in proper time from you, a copy of Selfridge’s trial, and also the Anthology for January, for which you have my best thanks; and in return for which I now send you a blossom for the next month’s basket—I hope your council of Literary botanists will not be of opinion that some of its petals are too rank for the sense; however it is entirely at your and their disposal.—You must shew...
29From John Quincy Adams to William Smith Shaw, 9 November 1804 (Adams Papers)
I enclosed from New-York, for you, as you requested, a copy of Commodore Morris’s Defence, which I presume you have before this received, and which you will find an interesting and important pamphlet.—As you are fond of preserving public documents I now send you that part of the President’s Message, with the accompanying papers, which is now printed; you shall have the remainder as it issues...
There is not anything which lies nearer my heart, or more deeply affects my mind, than the welfare, & happiness of my two Children, both here, & in a future state of Existence. For you, Is my fondest wish, my ardent Prayer. And you judged rightly, when you informed me of your late appointment, to believe, I should sincerely rejoice in any circumstance which might afford you a decent support, &...