1From John Adams to Joseph Ward, 24 October 1809 (Adams Papers)
Your favor of the 13th came seasonably to my hand. Your approbation of my communications to the public continues to give me great pleasure, and will continue to console me under all the abuse that has been or may be produced by them. To you, who have been an attentive observer of public affairs for half a century, there can by very little that is wholly new; but when I consider the errors that...
2From John Adams to Joseph Ward, 31 August 1809 (Adams Papers)
If I had not been blind to my own Interest I should have Sooner acknowledged your favor of 23d of June, as that might have been a mean of procuring another before this day. Your Observations are very gratefull to me because they lead me to hope for Some good from a Course of Publications, which few Persons appear to be Satisfied with, for indeed very few have read them in Boston. You Say you...
3From John Adams to Joseph Ward, 15 April 1809 (Adams Papers)
I have received your Letter of the tenth and read Some of the printed Papers inclosed and intend to read the rest. You Long Since let me in some degree into the Nature of your Claim and I always thought it founded in Justice, but have never been able to assist you to any Effect in procuring Relief. Now I am out of the Question except as an individual. You are persuaded that “Posterity and...
4From John Adams to Joseph Ward, 8 January 1810 (Adams Papers)
I agree with you in your favor of the 1st. that our National concerns are extreamly perplexed. That the National Pride of Britain may feel itself hurt: that it is possible the Ministry may proceed to War with Us for the Sake of Plunder: that the American Commerce would be a Feast for their Naval Friends: that our national Situation appears very unpromising and unpleasant: that I can See no...
5From John Adams to Joseph Ward, 14 November 1809 (Adams Papers)
Your letter of the 2 n d is, like all your other letters, a cordial to me. I seem to be conversing with one of the ultimi Americanorum. Your sentiments and mine upon public faith and public credit are perfectly consonant and concordant. As long as old Tenor or new Tenor Land Bank Bills, Continental currency, or Bank Bills of any kind, are made the medium of trade and standard of value, there...
6From John Adams to Joseph Ward, 6 June 1809 (Adams Papers)
I recd in Season your interesting favor of the 10th of May: but have not had Opportunity to acknowledge it till now. There appears to me, to be a very extraordinary and unaccountable Inattention in our Countrymen to the History of their own Country. While every kind of Trifle from Europe is printed and Scattered profusely in America our own Original Historians are very much neglected. A Copy...
7From John Adams to Joseph Ward, 14 December 1809 (Adams Papers)
I must, though much against my Inclination agree in your opinion expressed in your kind Letter of the 27th. of Nov. “that it will be a long time before, the Evil of a Paper Medium will be corrected.” your Reasons for this opinion, and your Judgment of the ill Effects of this Swindling System are infallible— The Article “Foreign Relations” in the Patriot was not from me. Nothing from me has...
8From John Adams to Joseph Ward, 27 September 1809 (Adams Papers)
Your Letters are a Cordial to me. I am glad to know that one Man of Sense has read my Correspondence as they call it. Hamilton was indeed a most fortunate and a most unfortunate Man. He had Talents and insinuating qualities; but he was a crafty designing Man with more Ambition than Principle, more Enterprize than Judgment. I am very glad they have republished his Pamphlet. I intended to have...
9From John Adams to Joseph Ward, 4 January 1811 (Adams Papers)
I am astonished! Looking in a Bundle of Letters, I found one from Col. Ward, unanswered, dated 18th. January 1810. A Letter from Such a Correspondent unanswered for a year was Such a proof of Inattention Negligence and bad Œconomy as convinced me that I was grown Old. A Merchant who Sends to Sea a trifling Adventure, and receives in return for it a rich Cargo, and knows that a repetition of...