91John Quincy Adams to Louisa Catherine Adams, 19 August 1804 (Adams Papers)
It is almost a fortnight since I received a line from you; and you have heretofore been so invariably punctual in writing me at least once a week, that for some days I have felt not a little concern lest this interruption of correspondence should have been occasioned by illness either of yourself or of the children— I encourage hopes however as much as possible, and discard as far as within my...
92John Quincy Adams to Louisa Catherine Adams, 26 August 1804 (Adams Papers)
Another week has past away, without bringing me a line from my dearest friend— The last letter I have received from you was dated the 31 st: of last month— I endeavour as much as possible to compose my mind with the hope that some accident at the Post-Office may have detained your letters since that time; but the thought that illness or some disaster must have befallen you or my dear children,...
93John Quincy Adams to Louisa Catherine Adams, 2 September 1804 (Adams Papers)
Since I wrote you last Tuesday in Boston I have received another letter from you, dated the 21 st: of August, which has completed the satisfaction I enjoyed in the receipt of those which had preceded it— After a painful expectation of nearly three weeks, I was thus compensated by four letters in the course of as many days— I was not mistaken in my calculation upon your punctuality, but am...
94John Quincy Adams to Louisa Catherine Adams, 23 September 1804 (Adams Papers)
I am in hopes there is a letter from you, lingering somewhere, at the Post-Office; not having received any, since I wrote you last; nor of course heard from you of a later date than the 4 th: of this month. I have not been from Quincy since my last; nor shall probably more than once or twice, before my departure to rejoin you— My present intention is to leave this place about the twenty-first...
95John Quincy Adams to Louisa Catherine Adams, 30 September 1804 (Adams Papers)
After an interval of considerable anxiety, arising from the lapse of time, since I had heard from my dearest friend, I was at length at once confirmed in my apprehensions, and in some sort relieved from their alarm by your letter of the 14 th: which however I did not receive untill the Evening before last— The Washington Post Mark on the cover was dated the 15 th: but, I had sent into Boston...
96John Quincy Adams to Louisa Catherine Adams, 7 October 1804 (Adams Papers)
Once more is the correspondence on the part of my best friend, brought up from all arrears; as I received since my last your two letters, of the 16 th: and 23 d: ult o: both together— I hope we shall on neither side be in arrears again, as I still hold the purpose of leaving this place; at latest a fortnight from to-morrow— It will give me great pleasure to meet you at Baltimore; but I cannot...
97To John Adams from John Quincy Adams, November 1804 (Adams Papers)
I have been happy to receive your obliging favour of the 14th: instt: and am much obliged to you for your opinions respecting the points of maritime Law, which require our attention at this Time—A coincidence of your opinion with that of the President of the United States, would be more than enough to stagger me in any point upon which I should have formed a different one—It makes me therefore...
98To John Adams from John Quincy Adams, 3 November 1804 (Adams Papers)
I wrote you a few lines from New-York, enclosing a copy of Commodore Morris’s Defence, for Mr: Shaw—The day after which I left that City and came on multum jactatus mare et terris—to Philadelphia in the Land Stage, and thence to Baltimore by the way of Newcastle and Frenchtown; chiefly by water—a mode of conveyance to me much more agreeable than that of a Stage Coach over the chaotic roads on...
99From 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...
100From John Quincy Adams to Thomas Boylston Adams, 12 November 1804 (Adams Papers)
I have sent you under another cover, a copy of the President’s Message, with the documents, and the Journals of both Houses—We have hitherto done nothing, and this week being destined to horse-racing, will of course be passed in doing more nothing. This morning came a Message, with nominations for appointments; consisting only of those which have been made during the recess—The only one...
101To John Adams from John Quincy Adams, 19 November 1804 (Adams Papers)
I have received your kind favour of the 6th: instt: and shall be careful to enclose the more important documents which may be printed from Time to Time— I hope my dear Mother has ere this entirely recovered from her illness. I had a letter from Mr: Shaw, one day later than your’s, in which he gives me a yet more flattering hope of her being on the recovery. Although the more my brother’s...
102From John Quincy Adams to Thomas Boylston Adams, 19 November 1804 (Adams Papers)
Under another cover, I enclose to you the documents laid on our table this morning— I have not yet had a line from you; but received a letter a few days since from your father, and one since from Shaw—The issue of your elections for the electoral Ticket, appears to be ascertained—and shows that the federalists will be relieved from the embarrassment of fixing upon their Candidate—It is...
103From John Quincy Adams to William Smith Shaw, 26 November 1804 (Adams Papers)
I have received both your letters, and to supply the demand from Mr: Briesler, now enclose a check on the Branch Bank, for $45. In paying it I wish you to tell Mr: Briesler, that I hope to have no more charges of expence upon the farm, exceeding his estimates by more than double. As to the new assessment on the Middlesex Canal, they must wait for the payment of that, untill I come home—In...
104From John Quincy Adams to Thomas Boylston Adams, 26 November 1804 (Adams Papers)
Yours of the 14th: came to hand Saturday Evening—24th: I suppose you were not inconsolable at the loss of your election, and that your expectations had not been raised very high of a different issue—As to the electoral Ticket, I am certainly not one of those who can say I told you so—Nor am I one of those who can say I am not sorry for it—But I do not think crimination against any body can be...
105From John Quincy Adams to Abigail Smith Adams, 3 December 1804 (Adams Papers)
I received some days since your kind letter of the 11th: of last month, and was delighted to find you had so far recovered as to be able to write—Since then I have been informed by my brother and Mr: Shaw, that your health continued improving and I sincerely pray to the great disposer of Events that it may be entirely restored and long continued, for your own comfort and the happiness of us...
106From John Quincy Adams to Josiah, III Quincy, 4 December 1804 (Adams Papers)
I received your favor of the 23d instant the evening before last, and am happy to find you enjoying so good spirits amid the discomfiture of honest principles which has occurred in our old parent Massachusetts. This event, though altogether unexpected to me, is easily accounted for after it has happened. I do not, however, impute it to the measures adopted by the Legislature at their summer...
107To John Adams from John Quincy Adams, 11 December 1804 (Adams Papers)
I received together last Evening your two favours of 30th: ulto: and 2d: instt: for which I most sincerely return you my thanks.—In the dreary path which I am now compell’d to tread, it is cheering to the Spirits, and gives the most pleasing consolation to have occasionally the benefit of your correspondence.—What the issue of the election in Massachusetts, will be on the harmony of the ruling...
108From John Quincy Adams to Thomas Boylston Adams, 13 December 1804 (Adams Papers)
Your letter of the 2d: has been duly received, and has contributed with those of your father received at the same time to cheer my mind, which every thing of a political nature around me struggles very hard to depress—Hitherto since my arrival here, I have thank Heaven enjoyed much domestic comfort from the health of my wife and children—this has been more favourable than I ever knew before,...
109From 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...
110From John Quincy Adams to Abigail Smith Adams, 19 December 1804 (Adams Papers)
I do not exactly recollect the date of my last Letter to you; but if it went safely you must have received it very shortly after the date of your favour of the 7th: which I received the evening before last. Indeed I am a little surprized that you had not received it before—By that you will find that in the frequency of my letters to my father and brother, I have not been forgetful of my dear...
111To John Adams from John Quincy Adams, 24 December 1804 (Adams Papers)
When I expressed a wish in writing to my brother, that you should purposely dismiss some part of that attention to the present course of public affairs, which I thought contributed much to make your hours unpleasant, I was not aware that your expectations of change in the politics of a considerable portion of the States, more favourable to the real interests, and morals of the Country, were so...
112From John Quincy Adams to Josiah, III Quincy, 28 December 1804 (Adams Papers)
Your favour of the 15th: instt. came to hand last Evening and I thank you for the remarks it contains—Shortness of time, now prevents me from replying to them so fully as I should wish—My principal object at present is to inclose for your perusal a bill, which has pass’d the House of Representatives, and is now before the Senate “to regulate the clearance of armed merchant vessels”—The...
113To John Adams from John Quincy Adams, 5 January 1805 (Adams Papers)
I have now two letters from you, and one from my mother, which ought to be answered more particularly, than my time will admit—The business of the Session has been delayed, untill such an accumulation has taken place, as will very much hurry the close of our Time—And although I might perhaps without injury to the public, suffer the business to be done without taking much trouble about it...
114From John Quincy Adams to Justus Bush Smith, 8 January 1805 (Adams Papers)
When I was at New-York in April last, I received from your brother James $500 in part payment of the interest due upon your note. There still remains about $200 of interest due—This, together with the principal, from what he then said to me, and from the assurances in your letters before that time, I suppose you are at this time prepared to discharge—If however it will better suit your...
115To John Adams from John Quincy Adams, 24 January 1805 (Adams Papers)
You will find, in the multitude of public documents, which I constantly transmit to you, the only apology I have to offer, for the irregularity which has crept upon the returns to your most valuable letters—Though I find it utterly impossible even to read all these papers, yet I feel it an indispensible duty to peruse with attention the greater part of them, and some of them require even a...
116From John Quincy Adams to William Smith Shaw, 27 January 1805 (Adams Papers)
I have this morning received your favor of the 7th, and thank you for it; I should be glad to thank you more frequently than I have an opportunity to do for such favors. 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...
117From 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...
118From John Quincy Adams to Thomas Boylston Adams, 8 February 1805 (Adams Papers)
I have two or three letters from you which I am afraid will never be answered in the manner all your letters deserve to be answered; but I know you will make all the proper allowances for my situation, and the shortness of my Time.—There is however a question or two which I can no longer delay to answer.—And first; respecting the enlargement of the Meeting-House, I have to say that I cannot...
119To John Adams from John Quincy Adams, 8 March 1805 (Adams Papers)
During the last days of the Session of Congress which has just expired, I found it impossible to continue the correspondence which I had previously maintained even so far as to enclose from day to day the public documents as they were printed—From 10 O’Clock in the morning untill 7 in the Evening the Senate was constantly in Session, with the interval of only half an hour each day for a slight...
120To John Adams from John Quincy Adams, 14 March 1805 (Adams Papers)
In my last Letter I observed to you, that the form of putting the final question on the Articles of Impeachment against Judge Chase, was varied from that which had been adopted in the case of Mr: Pickering, and made conformable to the English Precedents—To shew you how essentially this variation of form was connected with a most essential important question as to the nature of Impeachment...