841From John Adams to John Vaughan, 23 November 1813 (Adams Papers)
I regret that your kind Letter of Oct. 11. has been so long unanswered. Mr Colman needed no recommendation or introduction from me to you. He is delighted with his Visit to Philadelphia and the liberal Society he found there. I will hazard Something to you. In my Opinion Something was wanting in Philadelphia, to irradiate the Solemn gloom of the religion of that City, on one hand: and to check...
842From John Adams to Benjamin Waterhouse, 15 September 1811 (Adams Papers)
I receive no Letters with So much pleasure as yours and Rushes. The Shortest of them always contains Something new and Solid; Some thing witty and a good deal that his humerous. How many more hot Nutts for the Monkeys you will See, I know not. They will lie, and laugh and joke: but they will not make much Noise, because that might provoke Some of their own Party to peep at the Patriot which...
843From John Adams to Arnold Welles, 5 September 1812 (Adams Papers)
I have received your kind and obliging Letter of the second of this month encloseing a polite invitation to the Festivities at Fanuel Hall on this day, in Honour of Captain Hull and, the gallant officers and seamen of the Frigate Constitution. The committee will please to accept my thanks for this mark of their attention to me. I had till this morning flattered myself with the pleasing hope...
844From John Adams to Richard Sharp, 27 February 1811 (Adams Papers)
Through the favor of Mr Russel Sturgis I have received the original and a Duplicate of your kind Letter of the 19th December. It is to me a great Pleasure to learn, that you have become acquainted with Mr Harris, whom I esteem very much, and who is generally considered here as a most amiable Character well informed and accomplished. Your “Regrets that I had not a longer opportunity, in an...
845From John Adams to William White, 24 September 1813 (Adams Papers)
I rely entirely on the long and agreeable acquaintance between us and the knowledge I have had for 34 years, of the Candour & urbanity of your character, as an apology for the liberty I take of introducing to you the Reverend Henry Colman, an established minister of the Congregational Church in Hingham. As a gentleman a Scholar, & a Christian, I am confident you will find him not unworthy of...
846From John Adams to Boston Patriot, 19 September 1809 (Adams Papers)
1781, January 18—wrote to Mr. Mazzei, at Florence: “Yesterday I received yours, of the 19th of October. Some time since, I received the other, of the 19th of August: both went to Paris, and I being here, Mr. Dana and Mr. Thaxter forwarded their enclosures to America, according to my desire, but I am not able to say in what vessel. In consequence of Mr. Laurens’s calamity, I am ordered to...
847From John Adams to William White, 29 October 1814 (Adams Papers)
From your very kind reception of Mr Colman I am encouraged to introduce to you another of our choice Spirits, who is travelling for health and improvement The Revd Mr Edward Everett is in every view one of the most respectable Men of his Age, that ever arose in Massachusetts. He has given proofs to the World of a Genius, of Learning, and of Industry that have never been exceeded at his Age in...
848From John Adams to Richard Rush, 9 October 1815 (Adams Papers)
Thanks for your favour of the 2nd. & the valuable pamphlet “America Jurisprudence” With no less pleasure than difficulty I have read it once; the difficulty arose from a distressing inflammation in my eyes. Before I venture to say another word, concerning this book, I must promise, that I am no judge of its merits, because for the last forty years, I have been a stranger to Lawyers, Judges &...
849From John Adams to Thomas Jefferson, September 1813 (Adams Papers)
σὲ γὰρ πάντεσσι θέμις θνητοῖσι προσαυδᾶn. “It is not only permitted but enjoined upon all Mortals to address you.” Why should not our Divines translate it “It is our duty and our priviledge to address the Throne of thy grace and pray for all needed lawfull Blessings temporal and Spiritual,”. Θεμις was the Goddess of honesty, Justice, Decency, and right; the Wife of Jove, another name for Juno....
850From John Adams to William Stephens Smith, 3 July 1813 (Adams Papers)
Your letters give us information as well as entertainment. Your reception at head Quarters & at the war office, augur well for the public. It is impossible that your ideas, your conversation, can be wholly lost to either Dearborne is really to be pitied. He is worn down and tormented by the disease that humbled the great spirit of Louis 14th; not to mention the misfortunes of the first year of...
851From John Adams to John Quincy Adams, 2 January 1817 (Adams Papers)
I have received your Letter of the 26th. of December 1817 inclosing a Postnote upon the Branch Bank of The United States at Boston for nine hundred and One dollars and Ninety five Cents, being the Amount of the dividend of five per Cent upon the debt proved under the Commission of Bankruptcy of Robert Bird and Co. at New York. I am your affectionate Father MHi : Adams Papers.
852From John Adams to François Adriaan Van der Kemp, 30 November 1810 (Adams Papers)
I have this Moment received your obliging Favour of the 20th. Yesterday the anniversary Festival, which We in New England call by the technical Term Thanksgiving, I heard from my Reverend Pastor, Mr Peter Whitney, an excellent Sermon upon Patriotism from Psalm 137. 5. 6. If I forget thee O Jerusalem, let my right hand forget her cunning. If I do not remember thee let my tongue cleave to the...
853From John Adams to James Madison, 6 December 1816 (Adams Papers)
As I feel a kind of Ambition to introduce to the past present and future Presidents of U.S. Some of our most amiable Men, least bigotted least Superstitious Characters, and most catholic Minds, (in the moral, not Ecclesiastical Sense of the Word) I take the Liberty to introduce to you the Rev. Mr. Henry Colman. As it was known that he intended a Journey to the Southward for his Health which is...
854From John Adams to François Adriaan Van der Kemp, 23 January 1813 (Adams Papers)
Your favour of Dec. 7 is not lost nor forgotten. Oh! that my Situation in Life would permit me to undertake a Pilgrimage to Oldenbarneveldt! What a fervent Votary would I be, at the Shrine of Madonna? How would I delight in the Gardens of Mappa! And how would I Stop, going and returning, at Smiths Valley. I have Consulato del mare, with a translation in Dutch. I have Machiavels Works in...
855From John Adams to John Quincy Adams, 30 June 1815 (Adams Papers)
Where Shall the Begining, the Middle or the End of an oration be when the orator has nothing to Say? We are distracted for News from You, your Lady and your Children God bless you all. When I was young I read Hobbes and his Antagonists. A terrible Pother was made about his Doctrine, That the State of Nature is a State of War. That it is so, however till every One knows his place, all Nature...
856From John Adams to William Eustis, 18 February 1812 (Adams Papers)
Give me leave to enclose to you a Letter from a Gentleman whom I knew in former Life but have not lately seen. I knew his Grand Father, his Father, his Uncle and his Brothers and himself all of genuine old New England Blood You probably know personally more of him than I do. If it should be consistent with the public good in the Presidents opinion and yours I should hear with pleasure of his...
857From John Adams to Benjamin Waterhouse, 9 June 1813 (Adams Papers)
I enclose you sketches of Naval history and a letter from the Author Make what use of them you think probono publico. MHi : Adams Family Papers, Letterbooks.
858From John Adams to Boston Patriot, 25 January 1810 (Adams Papers)
During my absence, which was nearly through the whole month of July, the following state papers were translated by the gentlemen of my family, whom I left in Holland, and transmitted to Congress, or to be kept for me to sign, according to my directions after my return. Amsterdam, 5th July, 1781—“The following is an extract from the registry of the Resolutions of their high Mightinesses the...
859John Adams to Thomas Jefferson, 12 November 1813 (Jefferson Papers)
As I owe you more for your Letters of Oct. 12. and 28 than I Shall be able to pay, I Shall begin with the P.S. to the last. I am very Sorry to Say, that I cannot “assist your memory in the Enquiries of your letter of August 22 d .” I really know not who was the compositor of any one of the Petitions or Addresses you enumerate. Nay farther I am certain I never did know. I was so shallow a...
860From John Adams to François Adriaan Van der Kemp, 22 February 1815 (Adams Papers)
Alexander Hill Everett Esquire, a Genteman of the Bar in Boston, who had his Law Education in the Office of my son John Quincy Adams: and accompanied him to Russia, five or Six years ago, and afterwards travelled, in various parts of Europe, is to be Secretary of Legation to our Embassy to Holland. He is elder Brother to the Reverend Mr Edward Everett, and as great a schollar. He wishes me to...
861From John Adams to John Quincy Adams, 29 April 1809 (Adams Papers)
Please to convey the three inclosed Sheets to the Printers. I beg of you to come up in the Stage. I cannot come to Town as I intended to bring you and your dear Boy. Your Brother is Sick at Dedham. We have been obliged to Send for him and I have neither Horses nor Horse MHi : Adams Papers.
862From John Adams to Richard Rush, 13 June 1813 (Adams Papers)
Your kind Letter of the 6th has interested me more than any one I have received Since my last from your Father both by the important information, in it and especially by exciting the tender recollection of that great and good Man, and reviving all my Sensibility of his loss. I miss him every day and almost every hour. It is even a consolation to me that I cannot miss him long. But I must...
863From John Adams to Josiah, III Quincy, 18 February 1811 (Adams Papers)
I owe you thanks for your Speech, on place and Patronage. The moral and Patriotic sentiments are noble and exalted; The Eloquence masterly and the satire inimitable. There are not in Juvenal nor in Swift any images to be found more exquisitely ridiculous than the Charleston Hack, and the Treasury swill Trough, and Pigery. But are you right in supposing the rage for office more eager and...
864From John Adams to Richard Rush, 26 January 1814 (Adams Papers)
If I may judge of others by myself, Mr Hay had no cause of Apprehension that he Should be tedious: for when I had read the first page I could not lay aside the book till I had read the last. I know not when I have Seen a discussion of any legal or political question pursued with So dispassionate a temper, or written with more perspicuity, Accuracy or luminous Arrangement. The Author is Master...
865From John Adams to John Taylor, 24 February 1815 (Adams Papers)
The Correction in your favour of the 10th is exact. I pray you to restore No. 24 to its place No. 3 and all the Subsequent ones to their Ranks. In future I will correct the procedure. But it may be Some time before I can go on, for I have So many Irons in the fire, that I cannot bring them at once on the Anvil and hammer them all in the nick of time. I have not numbered this because it is a by...
866From John Adams to John Adams Smith, 12 December 1812 (Adams Papers)
Your ideas are accurate. The conduct of the faction now styling themselves Federalists, has in 1812 been consistent with their manœuvers in 1800.1. when they voted 37 times for Burr. I never saw Mr Clinton. By all I have heard or read, I suppose him to be a man of the World like Burr. Both, I presume, have thought themselves, all their lives, in pursuit of honour. Ambition and Avarice, as a...
867From John Adams to John Quincy Adams, 25 June 1816 (Adams Papers)
Your Mother who was Sick, all Winter, is recovered and restored to her characteristic Vivacity, Activity Witt Sense and benevolence. Of Consequence She must take upon herself the Duties of her Granddaughter Neice, Maids Husband and all. She must be always writing to You and all her Grandchildren which is as dangerous to her health as her domestic Exertions. I say She must because She Will....
868From John Adams to William G. Smith, 30 December 1812 (Adams Papers)
It is a serious thing to engage in War: and another very Serious thing to Recommend any Gentleman to the Government for any Employment in the Conduct of a War. You will therefore, I presume excuse the Liberty I take of asking a few Questions. 1 Do you believe, the present War against Great Britain to be Just? 2 Do you believe it to be necessary for the honour, Interest Dignity Safty Safety and...
869From John Adams to Boston Patriot, 21 November 1809 (Adams Papers)
AMSTERDAM, May 8, 1781—wrote to Dr. Franklin: “I have the honor of your letter of the 29th of April, and according to your desire have inclosed a list of the bills accepted with the times of their becoming due; and shall draw for the money to discharge them, only as they become payable and through the house of Fizax & Grand. I sincerely congratulate you upon the noble aid obtained from the...
870From John Adams to Boston Patriot, 18 June 1811 (Adams Papers)
As my object is to deposit as much about information concerning an interesting period of our history, as remains in my possession, and that they may not be scattered like the season’s leaves and like my friend Samuel Adams’ papers, I think it proper to send you some other copies which happen to be in my power.— To B Franklin, Esq. Paris, 5th June, 1782. Sir—Mr. Laurens, while under confinement...