21To John Adams from John Quincy Adams, 17 December 1796 (Adams Papers)
In my last Letter I purposed giving you an account of the measures which have been taken upon the Constitution produced after seven months labour by the Committee appointed to draw it up. But after mentioning the frowns which had been cast upon it while yet in embryo, by the citizen Noël, it would be perhaps superfluous now to relate how soon after its birth it has been overlaid.—The principal...
22To George Washington from John Quincy Adams, 9 December 1796 (Washington Papers)
I received at Amsterdam on the 5th instt the Letter which you did me the honour to write me on the 12th of September, and immediately made enquiries to ascertain whether there was at Amsterdam a person by the name of Sollingen. I could trace no such person, but am informed that Sollingen near Dusseldorf in Germany is a place where there are noted manufactures of arms and sword-cutlery. I have...
23John Quincy Adams to Louisa Catherine Johnson, 5 December 1796 (Adams Papers)
I have just now received, my dearest friend, your letter of the 15 th: of last month, since which I hope you have before now received two from me; and would to Heaven, they could have been such as would have been more conformable to our mutual inclinations, or that I could now give you tidings more agreeable for me to communicate or for you to receive.— Instead of which a Letter from America,...
24To John Adams from John Quincy Adams, 25 November 1796 (Adams Papers)
I received yesterday your favour of August 7. The first time I have had the pleasure of a letter from you since the same date. I have also to acknowledge an unusual interval since my last to you was written. I shall not plead in excuse that a very considerable American correspondence, which I find myself obliged to furnish altogether on my part, with few returns of any kind, and those few...
25John Quincy Adams to Louisa Catherine Johnson, 21 November 1796 (Adams Papers)
The day after I had sent away my last Letter, I received yours of the 1 st: inst t: which relieved me from an anxious apprehension that you were unwell, or indisposed. The picture resumes whatever it can express of that mild and gentle disposition which is one of the greatest ornaments of the original, and which in my eyes is of more worth than graces or beauty, riches or honours. You will...
26John Quincy Adams to Abigail Adams, 14 November 1796 (Adams Papers)
I received a few days ago, your favour of August 10 th. it mentions a previous letter of July 11 th. which has not yet reached me. The latest date from you before this last is of June 10. From my father I think I have none since May.— The appointment to the mission of Portugal, I find from your Letter was as I had before concluded, unknown to my father. I have already written you upon the...
27John Quincy Adams to Louisa Catherine Johnson, 12 November 1796 (Adams Papers)
I received by the last Post, two Letters from your Pappa, my amiable friend, and looked in vain for a line from you. Not a syllable even to tell me you were well. I found indeed from your Pappa’s Letters that you had not at their date received my last, and therefore upon the rigour of etiquette, you were not obliged to write. I shall not complain, and attribute your silence rather to your...
28John Quincy Adams to Charles Adams, 25 October 1796 (Adams Papers)
I have received your letter of September 7 th: with the account current, which as you observe, though not altogethe mercantile in point of form is fully intelligible and satisfactory. As I shall as soon as it is in my power authorise you to make another draught on my account, I shall remind you of two directions contained in my former letters and from which it is my wish that you will in no...
29John Quincy Adams to Louisa Catherine Johnson, 12 October 1796 (Adams Papers)
After reading your letter of the 30 th: of last month which I received this morning, I looked at your picture, and methought it looked unusually cool. — I read the letter a second time, and upon again turning to the picture, it seemed to look severe — Upon a third reading, I dared not again consult the portrait; I feared to find it disdainful — Between us two, my lovely friend let there be...
30John Quincy Adams to Louisa Catherine Johnson, 12 September 1796 (Adams Papers)
I have received, my amiable friend, your letters of the 19 th: and 28 th: of last month, and am properly grateful for the readiness with which you consent to accompany my rambling destinies. The sacrifice which you will be obliged to make in quitting your paternal roof, is so great, that it gives me not a little anxiety. To give you a substitute for it, I cannot expect. That you should ever...
31John Quincy Adams to Abigail Adams, 16 August 1796 (Adams Papers)
I have still to thank you for a very few lines addressed to myself, and for about half of a long Letter to my brother dated June 10.— The quotation expressive of the universal power of Love was pleasant, and the recommendation to my brother to fix his choice upon a person of manners habits and sentiments such as are likely to be found only in our own Country is judicious. — I have already...
32John Quincy Adams to Louisa Catherine Johnson, 13 August 1796 (Adams Papers)
I hope my amiable friend has before this received my letters of the 9 th: of last month, and of the 6 th of the present; and that all her doubts, if doubts she really had, whether she still retained all her Empire over my affections have vanished into thin air. Though there was a letter which must have reached her very shortly after the impatient anxiety which she expresses in her letter of...
33To John Adams from John Quincy Adams, 13 August 1796 (Adams Papers)
A few days ago, I received from England, together, your favours of March 25., May 5., and June 10. The two first were brought to London and forwarded from thence by Mr. Cook, whom as recommended by you, I shall be happy to see either here or in England, if his or my peregrinations should at any time bring us within reach of each other. At the same time I received with several other letters one...
34John Quincy Adams to Louisa Catherine Johnson, 6 August 1796 (Adams Papers)
I have just received my lovely friend, your letters of the 24 th: and 25 th: of last month. I perceive by the former that my long letter of the 9 th: had not reached you. I have hitherto written by vessels going directly from this Country to England, supposing that would be the shortest conveyance; but I believe after all the packet from Hamburg is the safest. I will in future write you by...
35John Quincy Adams to Abigail Adams Smith, 31 July 1796 (Adams Papers)
I received a few days ago your letter of April 27 th: which was forwarded to me from London. My stay there was much longer than I had expected when I went from this place. I returned here about two months ago. The time when you wrote was indeed a critical moment in the state of our political affairs. I was before I came from England witness to the effect produced there by the resolutions past...
36John Quincy Adams to Abigail Adams, 25 July 1796 (Adams Papers)
Your letters of May 20. and 25. have both reached me forwarded from London. The latter was brought by M r: Gore, who sent me at the same time the speech of M r: Ames which one of your letters mentions in terms of applause which I think it well deserves. After the apprehensions and anxiety, which the preceding accounts from America had excited, I was not a little gratified at the intelligence...
37To John Adams from John Quincy Adams, 21 July 1796 (Adams Papers)
Your favour of May 19th has lately been transmitted to me from England, and relieved me from some anxiety I had entertained for the fate of my letters written at London, as it mentions the receipt of them all to the middle of February. Since then I trust you have received three more from England, and there are now on the passage two, written since my return here. I have a letter from one of my...
38John Quincy Adams to Louisa Catherine Johnson, 9 July 1796 (Adams Papers)
I have just received your letter of the 28 th: of last month, and though I have not yet read it more than ten or fifteen times, I take the very first moment I have, to reply. I judge of your sentiments from my own, and conclude, that I shall run no risk of writing too often.— Perhaps in this I am mistaken. Perhaps with your aversion to writing , and the ILL-NATURE that the very thought of it...
39John Quincy Adams to Abigail Adams, 30 June 1796 (Adams Papers)
I begin again to number my letters to you; a practice which I neglected, in writing from England, but which I renew, that at least you may know whether any of them miscarry in the conveyance. I wrote you eight Letters from London: the last of them dated May 5 th: and though you have been the most frequent and punctual american correspondent I have had, I have yet no acknowledgment of the...
40To John Adams from John Quincy Adams, 24 June 1796 (Adams Papers)
A few days ago, I received your favour of April 5. which acknowledges the receipt of three little scraps from me, merely accompanying the newspapers, and some pamphlets. Your letter speaks of my long ones, but as it does not particularly notice the receipt of any that I wrote from England, I am still a little apprehensive on their account. As my long Letters to you have all been regularly...
41John Quincy Adams to Louisa Catherine Johnson, 17 June 1796 (Adams Papers)
I have just received from my good friend Hall, a Letter of the 8 th: inst t: which is precious to me not only as it comes from him, but because it gives me the information that you were well. He delights in giving pleasure to his friends, and he knows very well how to do it; for his letter speaks of you, as you deserve, and that could not fail of giving the highest gratification to me. The...
42John Quincy Adams to Charles Adams, 9 June 1796 (Adams Papers)
I returned here ten days ago from England and have this day received your letter of April 24. th: brought by M r: Rutgers. He is at Amsterdam, and when he comes this way it will give me much pleasure to see him. It gives me the most heartfelt satisfaction to be informed of the prosperous situation in which you are placed; of your present happiness, and future pleasing prospects, and you will...
43To John Adams from John Quincy Adams, 6 June 1796 (Adams Papers)
At length I have been released from a situation, equally remote from all public utility and all personal satisfaction. After a detention which I could not avoid, but which was at least unnecessary, of several months I left London on the 28th: of last month, and arrived here on the 31st: The People there were in the midst of the Saturnalian electioneering holidays. The writs issued for the New...
44John Quincy Adams to Joshua Johnson, 2 June 1796 (Adams Papers)
I arrived at Gravesend on Saturday, barely in time to get on board the vessel in which I had engaged my passage, and which was already under weigh. After a voyage of three days, I landed at Rotterdam, and came on here immediately. In the boat from Rotterdam I met M r: Bourne, who was on his return from Paris, and who goes on this day to Amsterdam As I understand there is a vessel going to...
45John Quincy Adams to Louisa Catherine Johnson, 2 June 1796 (Adams Papers)
You remember I was ordered peremptorily to be at Gravesend on Saturday morning by ten or eleven o’clock at the latest, though it was impossible for me to procure the necessary order to embark, and of course impossible for me to leave London before twelve. To reconcile the two circumstances was not within my competency, and indeed I think it might be given as no easy task to an abler man. I had...
46To John Adams from John Quincy Adams, 12 May 1796 (Adams Papers)
In addition to the letters and Packets which I have already sent by the present conveyance, I now enclose the newspapers up to this day. This contains intelligence of very considerable importance, which proves that the king of Sardinia has been compelled to enter into negotiations for Peace with the French Republic, and to surrender two strong fortresses as a preliminary to obtain a suspension...
47John Quincy Adams to Charles Adams, 10 May 1796 (Adams Papers)
Your favour of January 6 th: was received by our brother Thomas at the Hague, and by him forwarded a few days ago to me. He has been very ill during a great part of this last Winter; at first with an attack from his old Enemy the Rheumatism, and afterwards with a bilious intermittent fever, but by his last Letters he appears in a great measure to have recovered, and I hope by this time he has...
48John Quincy Adams to Abigail Adams, 5 May 1796 (Adams Papers)
I received a few days ago your favour of Feb y: 29. which was doubly grateful to me, as it was the first letter I had received from America, for many weeks.— Since then I have also received a letter from Philadelphia, which determines my immediate return to the Hague, from whence I hope that the next letter I shall write you will be dated. You will find in the papers enclosed all the news that...
49To John Adams from John Quincy Adams, 29 April 1796 (Adams Papers)
After almost four months of expectation, I have at length received a letter which permits my return to the Hague, which I shall accordingly do by the first direct opportunity which may occur. The communication between the two Countries is interrupted, but there are frequent occasions of crossing, at this Season, by neutral vessels. I have written you several lengthy letters within these few...
50John Quincy Adams to Abigail Adams, 24 April 1796 (Adams Papers)
You will find by the papers that I send with this letter, what you will perhaps know before the receipt of it; that is that the negotiations for Peace have stumbled at the threshold, and that a trial of one more year of War is to be endured by the contending Nations. The Notes of M r: Wickham & M r: Barthelemi are considered as decisive upon this point.— The scarcity of provisions has suddenly...
51To John Adams from John Quincy Adams, 18 April 1796 (Adams Papers)
The bearer of this letter, is Mr: Henry Rigal, who has been recommended to me as a gentleman of great respectability; he has heretofore held an office in the Service of the Elector of Bavaria, but from the present unsettled state of his Country, and a predilection in favour of America, he has determined to remove with his family and settle in some part of the United States, to whom I am well...
52To John Adams from John Quincy Adams, 17 April 1796 (Adams Papers)
Mr: Robert Bird, the bearer of this letter, is a respectable merchant of this place, a brother of the Gentleman with whom you had the pleasure of an acquaintance some years since, at New-York. He proposes making a tour in the United States, during the ensuing Season, and I am happy to have this opportunity of introducing him to your acquaintance, and recommending him to your attentions. I am,...
53To John Adams from John Quincy Adams, 14 April 1796 (Adams Papers)
You will see by the official papers published in the "Times" of the 11th: instt: which I enclose to you by this opportunity that the Government of this Country have at length thought proper to communicate to the other Governments of Europe, and to publish to the world the result of their late steps towards a negotiation with France.—The notes of Mr: Wickham and of Mr: Barthelemi, may serve as...
54To John Adams from John Quincy Adams, 4 April 1796 (Adams Papers)
The reports of Peace being at hand, so prevalent when I last wrote you have in a great measure died away. It is now said that proposals have been made by this Government and the Emperor in concert, to the French Directory, which on their part have been rejected. It is very probable that this account is true: but I do not imagine that the allies expected or intended that their terms should be...
55John Quincy Adams to Abigail Adams, 30 March 1796 (Adams Papers)
The opportunities for writing occur so frequently at this time, and there is so little to say that I am apprehensive some of them will escape without carrying any letters to you; for one is ashamed to write a short letter; when it is to go so far; and like most correspondents I do not always remember that to write little is better than not to write at all. I send you by the present opportunity...
56John Quincy Adams to Thomas Boylston Adams, 24 March 1796 (Adams Papers)
M r: Clagett has this moment delivered me your favour of the 29 th: ult o: and informs me that he goes again for Holland to-morrow morning. I have therefore only time to tell you that I am still waiting for that permission to return which I have been more than two months in hourly expectation of receiving. My detention here is doubly mortifying from the consideration that as my presence is...
57John Quincy Adams to Abigail Adams, 20 March 1796 (Adams Papers)
Your favour of January 23 d. by Captain Barnard reached me two or three days ago. I am a little surprized that you had not at that date received any letters from me later than July. But indeed the intercourse between America and Holland is so precarious and interrupted that it is scarcely possible that a letter should pass from the one to the other in a shorter time than four or five months....
58To John Adams from John Quincy Adams, 20 March 1796 (Adams Papers)
In the situation which has already detained me here between four and five months, and from which I am waiting with anxiety not unmingled with impatience to be relieved, I have very few opportunities to obtain any intelligence of importance other than what is contained in the daily newspapers, one complete sett of which I have regularly forwarded to you by every opportunity that has been known...
59John Quincy Adams to Abigail Adams, 28 February 1796 (Adams Papers)
The last Letter I wrote you should have gone by the Galen, but from being postponed to the last moment, the opportunity was lost, and it will now be delivered to you, together with this by my friend M r: Gardner who goes with Scott. He has also the goodness to take charge of the cloaks for yourself and Louisa, for which you wrote to my brother Thomas. As he remained at the Hague, I undertook...
60John Quincy Adams to Abigail Adams, 20 February 1796 (Adams Papers)
By the present opportunity, I send you a few pamphets which may give you some entertainment in the perusal, and newspapers from which you will collect the current intelligence. For my own part I have been here so long in idleness that I have almost entirely doff’d the world aside and bad it pass.— You will observe in the papers a pretended preliminary convention for a pacification between...
61To John Adams from John Quincy Adams, 10 February 1796 (Adams Papers)
Mr: Hall arrived a few days ago, and delivered to me a few days ago your favours of Novr: 17. and Decr: 12. The first acknowledges the receipt of my N. 11. July 27. But I feel somewhat concerned lest my next number to that, written very soon after it may have miscarried, as it should regularly have reached you before the date of your last. Mr. Randolph’s pamphlet had arrived before Mr. Hall,...
62To John Adams from John Quincy Adams, 1 February 1796 (Adams Papers)
Mr: Pinckney has returned, and of course my business here ceases. I am yet waiting however for orders enabling me to return to the Hague. I expect them with a little impatience, having many reasons to wish myself away from hence. The newspapers sent herewith contain intelligence of two important Events. The armistice concluded between the french and Austrian armies on the Rhine; and the return...
63John Quincy Adams to Thomas Boylston Adams, 25 January 1796 (Adams Papers)
I believe there have been two or three opportunities of writing to the Hague since I received your favour of the 23 d: ult o: which have escaped me. This circumstance is not to be attributed entirely to indolence or inattention on my part: in fact I have been very unwell, and for the last three weeks have scarcely taken a pen in hand. My previous correspondence from hence I think will bear no...
64To John Adams from John Quincy Adams, 7 January 1796 (Adams Papers)
I have a few papers to send you, and cannot omit the occasion to say a few words, though I have but very few to say. Our own affairs are at a stand. Mr: Pinckney will be here in the course of this week, and I have not chosen to do any thing conclusive before his return.—I believe there are people here, who like Publicola much better than they think of its reputed author. You have long known,...
65John Quincy Adams to Abigail Adams, 6 January 1796 (Adams Papers)
I have the receipt of two Letters from you to acknowledge; the one bearing date September 15. and the other October 8. of the year which has just been added to the rolls of departed Time. For both these Letters please to accept my cordial thanks. As the principal subject of them relates to the Treaty, which brought me here, they are not susceptible of a lengthy answer from me.— The part which...
66To John Adams from John Quincy Adams, 1 January 1796 (Adams Papers)
I wrote you so copiously, a few days since, that I can embrace the present opportunity only to offer the tribute of my duty and affection on the commencement of the new year, and to enclose a few papers and a review which may perhaps afford an hour of amusement. No news of importance has transpired since the date of my last Letter. The communication between the Continent and this island is at...
67John Quincy Adams to Charles Adams, 30 December 1795 (Adams Papers)
Your favour of 19 th: September was transmitted to me by our brother from the Hague about a fortnight since; I have answered already that of Sept r: 27. which I received on my first arrival here. You will find from one of my former Letters, that with a little balance of yours still to be accounted for by me, and with another little Commission which I have troubled you with your demand on me...
68To John Adams from John Quincy Adams, 29 December 1795 (Adams Papers)
Since the date of my last number, I have twice enclosed to you a packet of newspapers, with a line of excuse for not writing by the same opportunities. In the interval I have received your favour of Septr: 19. The pleasure I receive from every new testimony of your approbation, is pure as it is exquisite, nor can there I think belong to the lot of humanity, a sensation more delicious than that...
69John Quincy Adams to Thomas Boylston Adams, 26 December 1795 (Adams Papers)
Your Packet by M r: Clarke at length was delivered me on the 21 st: and your letter of the 11 th: of this month, by M r: Calhoun the day preceding. Quincy’s letter is indeed a valuable one, and contains some opinions which are at once just important, and not sufficiently established in the minds of Americans in general. I would enclose it back to you, but think I may as well be the bearer of...
70To John Adams from John Quincy Adams, 29 November 1795 (Adams Papers)
I have entered upon my business, and have many things to say to you, but find myself at present, pressed for want of time. The newspapers to this date are enclosed. By the next opportunity I hope to write you largely, and I wish it may then be in my power to give you an opinion more favourable, of the dispositions entertained here towards the United States than my present expectations will...