1From Richard Rush to Abigail Smith Adams, 2 April 1817 (Adams Papers)
I am to thank you for the kind wishes contained in your favor of the 24. of last month. You have often, indeed, gratified and flattered me by similar ones, and I feel how much I owe to your over partiality. The appointment of Mr Adams gives, as far as I can ascertain, the highest satisfaction. If ever a citizen of our country owed his elevation to the solid merits of his own character, your...
2To James Madison from Richard Rush, 18 April 1817 (Madison Papers)
I beg leave to send you, enclosed, a few English newspapers. I have not been able to look over them myself, but perhaps you may be able to glean an hours amusement from them. They are the latest we have in the office. I shall have great pleasure in sending you others that arrive. Our last letters from Mr Adams are to the 29th of January. He takes no notice of the report of 19 ships of war...
3From Richard Rush to Abigail Smith Adams, 4 May 1817 (Adams Papers)
Some time in the early part of last month, I had the pleasure to write you a letter in answer to your favor of the 24th of March. The mail is so true that it never occurs to us to doubt the safe arrival of a letter when we know that it has been safely lodged in the post office; nor did that which I wrote leave any thing suspended leading me to look for an answer. My only reason for thus...
4From Richard Rush to Abigail Smith Adams, 19 May 1817 (Adams Papers)
I am very happy that you have favored me with a letter respecting Mr Smith. It increases the interest that I before took in his situation. I will not permit myself to believe that any recollections are cherished to his disadvantage, on account of that portion of his conduct as a youth to which you have alluded. It would not be simply unkind, but unjust. It would be cruel. I took great pleasure...
5From Richard Rush to Abigail Smith Adams, 24 May 1817 (Adams Papers)
The President yesterday received a letter from Mr Adams, in which he mentions his acceptance of his late appointment, and that he expected to embark in the course of the present month. The letter is dated on the 19th of April. In the possible event of this information not having reached you by the same vessel, I hasten to communicate it, offering my renewed congratulations to yourself and Mr...
6To James Madison from Richard Rush, 18 June 1817 (Madison Papers)
When it became my lot to superintend for a short time, the business of the department of state, I little imagined, that among the foreign ministers, the Abbe Correa was the one with whom my official relations were to be the least smooth. Having imbibed a veneration for his character and genius, struck with the engaging simplicity of his manners and liberality of his principles, I had, on the...
7To James Madison from Richard Rush, 20 June 1817 (Madison Papers)
We have latterly had no papers from abroad. Mr Adams seems to have ceased sending them, probably from his preparations to come home. His last letter to the department stated his expectation to embark before the first of June. As to the French papers they come to us but seldom, and amount to but little when they do come. With Russia, France and Spain, our relations continue, I believe, just as...
8From Richard Rush to Abigail Smith Adams, 29 July 1817 (Adams Papers)
Your kind favor of the 14th of this month, was very gratifying to me. Nothing can be more interesting then the account which it gives of the Presidents visit to Boston and the vicinity. The letter from Mr Adams which you were so good as to enclose, I have to apologize for not returning sooner. I desire to thank you for the opportunity afforded me of perusing it. There is an impressive wisdom...
9To James Madison from Richard Rush, 6 September 1817 (Madison Papers)
Considering the struggle that is now going on in Pennsylvania, as not wholly local, I have been led to dip my pen in it. A month ago I threw together some remarks for one of the newspapers. They unexpectedly came back to me a few days since in the form of a two-penny pamphlet. I venture to enclose you one of them for the amusement of a leisure moment. Although no official promulgation has yet...
10To James Madison from Richard Rush, 14 January 1818 (Madison Papers)
I have great pleasure in sending you by a conveyance, which I hope will prove a safe one, Eustace’s tour and Malthus on population. In place of the most approved answer to the latter work, which, as yet, I have not been able to ascertain, I send the 34th number of the Quarterly review, which you will find to contain a more full notice of its doctrines than, I believe, has heretofore been taken...
11To John Adams from Richard Rush, 2 May 1818 (Adams Papers)
An old Scotch woman, in North-Shields, signing herself Ann Hewison, has sent me a manuscript Quarto of what she calls extracts from the diary of William Langborn, an American officer, kept during his travels through several parts of Europe. I copy, word for word, the following passages. London July 18. 1786. “Saturday—Did myself the pleasure, agreeably to yesterdays invitation, of dining with...
12To James Madison from Richard Rush, 2 May 1818 (Madison Papers)
I received through Mr Brent, in January, the favor of your few lines, accompanied by the letter for Mr Keilsall which was forwarded to my care. I am sorry to say that all my efforts to find him out, have, thus far, proved fruitless. I will not give them over, and hope that this instance of ill success in the beginning will not deter you from calling on me again whenever you have occasion. Your...
13To John Adams from Richard Rush, 4 December 1818 (Adams Papers)
Out of the circle of your own family, there are none who can feel more sorrow at the heavy affliction that has fallen upon you than we do here. We heard the melancholy news two days ago. “What exalted and long-tried excellence, exclaimed my wife, has gone to the tomb.” “As soon as my confinement was over,” she continued, “I had intended that my first letter, after one to my own mother, should...
14To James Madison from Richard Rush, 13 December 1818 (Madison Papers)
Your esteemed favor of the 24th of July came safely to hand, with the bill which it enclosed, the amount of which was obtained from the Mess: Barings. I send by this conveyance the anecdotes of the life of bishop Watson in two volumes, and a little posthumous work of Horace Walpoles, which has lately come out. These two books, coupled with Doddington’s diary, (to which I remember you first...
15Richard Rush to Thomas Jefferson, 1 March 1819 (Jefferson Papers)
I cannot permit the letter which you did me the favor to write to me by Mr Ticknor , to remain unacknowledged, if it be only to express the gratification which I felt at receiving it, and the sincere pleasure I derived from the testimony it afforded of your recovery from the illness with which, shortly before its date, you had been afflicted. I have one other motive. The world knows, that...
16To James Madison from Richard Rush, 8 September 1819 (Madison Papers)
I beg to offer my best thanks for your acceptable favor of the tenth of May and the very interesting views which it held up of our home affairs. The enormous abuses of the banking system, seem at last to have roused our people to a just sense of the resulting dangers, and we shall henceforth, it is to be hoped, not witness so excessive a multiplication of these institutions, whilst those which...
17Richard Rush to Thomas Jefferson, 3 May 1820 (Jefferson Papers)
Your acceptable favor of June last , reached me safely. The letter which it enclosed for Sir John Philippart , was immediately sent. I beg to say, that whenever you will use my instrumentality towards forwarding your correspondence either with this country or France , opportunities by the route of England being always most frequent, I shall feel honored and gratified. The just epitome of the...
18To James Madison from Richard Rush, 30 August 1820 (Madison Papers)
The Mr Keilsall to whom the enclosed letter is addressed, I have not, by all the inquiries which it has been in my power to make since I came to London, been able to find out. I therefore return it, not without regret at my disappointment, which however is lessened by the excuse which the act of returning it affords me of writing to you. The last time I had that pleasure, was, if I recollect...
19To James Madison from Richard Rush, 15 November 1820 (Madison Papers)
Your acceptable favor of the 12th of August, reached me about a month ago. I fear that this government will continue deaf to every expostulation that can be addressed to it on the subject of the West India trade. In the negociation of 1818, when Mr Gallatin was here, we made the attempt with all earnestness to prevail upon them to give up their narrow doctrines, but to no effect; whilst...
20Richard Rush to Thomas Jefferson, 11 December 1820 (Jefferson Papers)
I hasten to acknowledge the receipt of your favor of the 20 th of October , enclosing a bill of exchange on drawn by Joseph Marx and son , for 40 pounds sterling. It got to hand this day. The list of books enclosed , it will afford me very great satisfaction to procure in the best manner in my power. I shall hope for the pleasure of writing to you again respecting them, and beg permission to...
21To John Adams from Richard Rush, 9 February 1821 (Adams Papers)
Since I read in the newspapers the address which you delivered in November to the convention of Massachusetts, as President of that body, the scene has been so often before my eyes, that I can no longer remain silent. As a political incident, its character is memorable. If I could forget the scene of general Washington surrendering up his sword at Annapolis, I should say that it was the finest...
22Richard Rush to Thomas Jefferson, 14 March 1821 (Jefferson Papers)
I have heretofore acknowledged, by a line , your much-esteemed favor of the 20 th of October , since which that of the 27 th of December has got to hand. The latter enclosed a letter for Mr Roscoe and one for Mrs Cosway , both of which I was happy to be the means of forwarding. The residence of Mrs Cosway was found out without difficulty. The list of books , I have had great pleasure in...
23To James Madison from Richard Rush, 15 March 1821 (Madison Papers)
Your favor of the fourth of December came safely to hand, and with it the letter for Mr Joy, and one for Miss Wright, both of which have been delivered. Mr Smith into whose hands I put the latter, informs me that there was no difficulty in forwarding it to its destination. I have to beg, dear Sir, that you will without scruple commit to my care whatever letters you may have occasion to write...
24Richard Rush to Thomas Jefferson, 22 May 1821 (Jefferson Papers)
I wrote on the 14 th of March , mentioning the circumstances under which I had purchased the books, and now it gives me pleasure to say, that they have been shipped on board the ship Henry Clay , Thomas Potts master, which sailed from this port a few days ago, for Richmond . By the accidental omission of our consul to inform me of the sailing of the ship, until after she had gone, this letter...
25Enclosure: Invoice of Books from Lackington, Hughes & Company, 14 March 1821 (Jefferson Papers)
To Lackington, Hughes, Harding, Mavor & Lepard . Grammatica Anglo Saxonica ex Hickesiano Thesauro excerpta 8 o } 7. 6 Institutiones Grammaticæ Anglo-Saxonicæ et Mœso-Gothica Hickesii 4 to } 1. 16. Benson’s Saxon Vocabulary 8 o br. calf 1. 8. Thwaites Saxon Heptateuch 8
26To James Madison from Richard Rush, 25 June 1821 (Madison Papers)
Your favor of the 21st of April reached me a few days ago, and I have great pleasure in sending you herewith, a copy of Hones new testament, which I hope will be in time for the return of the packet. I have no account of the price, it having been just left at my house without a bill. It is but a trifle, and can be thought of at a future day. There is no other account between us. I have also to...
27To James Madison from Richard Rush, 25 September 1821 (Madison Papers)
The last number of the Edinburgh Review having just come out, I have great pleasure, whilst making up my despatches for the October packet, in sending it to you. It may probably be the means of putting you in possession of it rather sooner than you would otherwise see it, and I know the interest you will take in casting your eye over the article on Godwin’s work. These great northern criticks,...
28To John Adams from Richard Rush, 30 September 1821 (Adams Papers)
Your life will never cease to be useful to your country. In spite of yourself, in spite of your years, you will always belong to it. The incident, from alluding to which I could not refrain in my letter of February, has been followed up by another scarcely of less interest, and which perhaps may one day produce effects still more worthy to be noted. I mean, Sir, the address to the cadets,...
29Richard Rush to Thomas Jefferson, 9 October 1821 (Jefferson Papers)
I received on the 26 th of last month your favor of the 14 th of August , and have had great pleasure in attending to the commissions which it entrusted to me. Law books being very costly, Thomas ’s edition of Coke Littleton is set down at £4.4, though but three volumes. Rapins history, in fifteen, may be had for £2.12. It is therefore my intention to send you for the present, only these two...
30Enclosure: Invoice of Books from Lackington, Hughes & Company, 10 October 1821 (Jefferson Papers)
R. Rush Esq r To Lackington, Hughes, Harding, Mavor & Lepard . Oct 10. 1821— Rapin ’s Histy of England 15 Vol 8 o neat } 2. 12. 6 Coke ’s Institutes by