31To John Adams from George Washington Jeffreys, 15 July 1817 (Adams Papers)
A Society has been established at this place for the promotion of agricultural and rural affairs—It consist of the most respectable and intelligent citizens of our county, who convinced of the imperfect state of agriculture among us, are stimulated by the most laudable motives to effect some improvements in it, and not only by examples on their farms, but by every other means which lay in...
32To John Adams from Hezekiah Niles, 16 July 1817 (Adams Papers)
I have the pleasure to return to you the letters of Gov McKean, with a copy of them inserted in the Register. My early & good friend Cæsar A Rodney, of Delaware, nephew of C.R. of the “76 congress, informs me that he has some of deceased patriots’ letters dated in 1777—1799; & says he will furnish them. When they are published, I shall send a copy to you. I am gratified to observe that the...
33To John Adams from Henry Channing, 21 July 1817 (Adams Papers)
Presuming that, as age advances, it must become irksome to maintain your extensive correspondence, I have long delayed addressing a line to you, hesitating, though I knew the subject would interest. The high respect I entertain for yourself and your son, the honble John Q. Adams, will not permit me longer to hesitate, since the communication, given in a Kentucky Paper, respecting our...
34Enclosure: Circular from Hezekiah Niles to Prominent Subscribers, 31 July 1817 (Jefferson Papers)
After revolving upon some suitable apology for intruding myself with the following statement and request, I have thought it most respectful to decline offering any, except to observe that if ought appears to your better judgement improper in either, that you will attribute it to any thing else than a willingness on my part to act so, in any respect towards you. For six years ending with the...
35To John Adams from Henry Channing, 9 August 1817 (Adams Papers)
With great pleasure, I, yesterday, received your favour of the 1st Inst. acknowledging the receipt of my letter of July 21st.—I conceive it important always thus early to advise a correspondent of the receipt of important letters, which I offer as my apology for this line. Were it not for the trouble in writing at your time of life, I should be tempted to draw largely upon your benevolence, in...
36To John Adams from Thomas Jefferson, 8 September 1817 (Adams Papers)
A month’s absence from Monticello has added to the delay of acknoleging your last letters; and indeed for a month before I left it our projected College gave me constant employment; for being the only Visitor in it’s immediate neighborhood, all it’s administrative business falls on me, and that, where building is going on, is not a little. in yours of July 15, you express a wish to see our...
37Thomas Jefferson to John Adams, 8 September 1817 (Jefferson Papers)
A month’s absence from Monticello has added to the delay of acknoleging your last letters; and indeed for a month before I left it our projected College gave me constant employment; for being the only Visitor in it’s immediate neighborhood, all it’s administrative business falls on me, and that, where building is going on, is not a little. in yours of July 15. you express a wish to see our...
38To John Adams from William Bainbridge, 16 September 1817 (Adams Papers)
On the rect. of a Letter signed by you and several others, respecting a Boat belonging to a Mr. Davis of Quincey; I immediately ordered an investigation of the transaction; And now forward to you the enclosed Letters, showing the result of the Inquiry—The injury that the Boat sustained appears to been purely accidental. I regret that Mr. Davis did not represent the Circumstance to the...
39From Abigail Smith Adams to John Adams, 17 September 1817 (Adams Papers)
I received your Letter by mr Beals, and was very glad to learn that you and your Brother had enterd School you will very soon get familiar with it, and if you do as well as you know how, you will not be behind your Class. If Charles is really unwell; mrs Welsh will give him something to take, and he must restrain his appetite which was too keen for the season of the Year. I would have you call...
40To John Adams from François Adriaan Van der Kemp, 20 September 1817 (Adams Papers)
Having in so long a time not received a word from Quincÿ, although I was freed from all anxiety about your wellfare mrs Guild and her amiable sister Catherine, both having informed me, that you continued to enjoy not only a hum cum dignitate, which would be nothing new—but all possible happiness that can fall to the share of human mind, while your excellent Lady’s gratification must have...
41From Louisa Catherine Johnson Adams to John Adams, 25 September 1817 (Adams Papers)
Your Letter my dear Son was received by your father a few days since but he is so extremely busy it is impossible for him to answer it immediately—We are very sorry to observe by your Letter that you are disatisfied with your situation and I must say I think you formed an opinion before you had time to judge either of its advantages or disadvantages. You must be perfectly sensible that both...
42To John Adams from Henry Channing, 30 September 1817 (Adams Papers)
I regret that I had not the pleasure of seeing your son, when he passed through this city. I did not hear of his being here, till the Steam Boat had left the wharf. I now address a line to you, asking your opinion on certain points, on which I want information and your advice.—Our Gen. Assembly meet at N. Haven, on the ninth of October—and I shall leave this on the eighth, being chosen a...
43To John Adams from Thomas Loring, 3 October 1817 (Adams Papers)
I would inform you my daughter Mrs: Lincoln died yesterday after a lingering illness. The funeral will be tomorrow.—The bell will toll at 3—O—clock.— If convenient it would be highly gratifying to us for yours, Judge Adams’s & Mr. John Greenleafs families to attend.— With sentiments of the highest respect / & esteem your most obedient servant.— MHi : Adams Papers.
44To John Adams from John Quincy Adams, 5 October 1817 (Adams Papers)
Yesterday your kind Letter of 29 September came to hand I thank you for your Congratulations upon my arrival here—My Wife and our family relations at this place are well. I was happy to meet the President here, but had the pleasure of seeing him only once before he departed for his Seat in Virginia. I am breaking in to the business of my Office. I find it even now as burdensome as I had...
45From Louisa Catherine Johnson Adams to John Adams, 12 October 1817 (Adams Papers)
I was very much pleased with the writing of your Letter and only have to recommend to you now to pay some attention to your style, which is essential to a gentleman; as he must necessarily through life enter into correspondence either on business or familiar subjects in which a correct and elegant style is expected and more particularly from persons possessing great advantages of education—I...
46To John Adams from Alpheus Cary, 13 October 1817 (Adams Papers)
I received on Saturday last, through the medium of the Post-Office, a letter from you dated the 9th. inst. in which you request me to procure you a piece of white marble 24 inches in length, by 20 inches in breadth, with an inscription engraved on it. Your request shall be immediately attended to, and the slab ready for delivery within eight or ten days from the date of this letter. You have...
47From Louisa Catherine Johnson Adams to John Adams, 18 October 1817 (Adams Papers)
I am so much pleased with your last Letter of 7th. instant that I sieze the earliest of opportunity of expressing my satisfaction at the rapid progress which you have already made in you style of writing and the hand writing does you much credit and Charles’s was likewise very good His turn of thought is evidently french and he requires great care and attention to correct him from the habit of...
48From Abigail Smith Adams to John Adams, 23 October 1817 (Adams Papers)
mr Dexter will come to Boston tomorrow for the Trunks you must go with him to mr Crufts who when you pick out the Trunks will deliver them—I See that nobody here will attend to them if I do not—they are lodged at mr Thorndikes Store Custer lies very dangerously sick your GM MHi : Adams Papers.
49To John Adams from David Sewall, 28 October 1817 (Adams Papers)
I take the liberty of Congratulating you on the returne of your worthy Son to America, after years of absence in Europe, And may He satisfactorily discharge the duties of his present appointment.—I was pleased and much gratified with a short interview with President Munro, on his late tour into the District of Maine: And have considerable expectations that the difference in Sentiment, on the...
50To John Adams from Hannah Adams, November 1817 (Adams Papers)
Sensible of the honour I received by your permitting me to prefix your name to the second and third editions of this work, I am desirous that the present should appear under the same respectable and distinguished patronage. The talents and virtues which you have exhibited, both in public and private life, will, I trust, be duly appreciated by the rising generation; and it is my ardent wish,...
51To John Adams from Elkanah Watson, 2 November 1817 (Adams Papers)
It is now 37 years since I had the pleasure to recieve your first letter at Anconis It was a paternal letter containing advice to a Young Man, which was peculiarly usefull to me. You than said—“ I must talk to you like an old man ”—I am now 15 years older than you was than. In several of your Subsequent letters you express’d a wish to know precisely, the conversation which pass’d between Judge...
52To John Adams from John Gardiner, 10 November 1817 (Adams Papers)
I take leave to present to you a Map, (of the military bounty Lands in the Illinois Territory) engraved for the use of the Soldiers of the late Army. By means of these Maps every Soldier can, for one dollar, obtain accurate information relative to the soil, Timber, & position of the Tract which falls to his lot, & thereby appreciate the value of his Country’s bounty. I have the honor / to be...
53To John Adams from James Riley, 14 November 1817 (Adams Papers)
I had the Honour duly to receive your highly esteemed favour re commendatory of my Narrative, under date of 23d July last.—It would have given me great pleasure, to become personally acquainted with a Gentleman, who has been so preeminently favoured by Heaven, with extraordinary intellect, Virtue, talents, & strength of mind, whose life has been devoted to his countrys best interests, in...
54From John Quincy Adams to John Adams, 17 November 1817 (Adams Papers)
I have received three Letters from you since I have been here, all grumbling Letters; and all very badly written—The first was of the 16th: the second of the 17th: of September, and the last of the 27th: of October—This last I disapprove of the most; and request you to write me no more such Letters—You conclude it by saying that you hope I will forgive any thing rash in my Son; but I shall do...
55From Louisa Catherine Johnson Adams to John Adams, 17 November 1817 (Adams Papers)
You will receive a Letter from your father by the same Mail which conveys this Letter to you in answer to the one which you wrote to him last week in which I am sorry to say you assumed a tone highly improper and disrespectful—The tender affection I bear you and the ardent desire (which forms a part of my existence) that I must ever feel for your welfare has induced me frequently while in...
56To John Adams from Timothy Alden, 20 November 1817 (Adams Papers)
Your esteemed favor of the 29 of April was duly received. In that you mention having received five numbers of the Alleghany Magazine. I have taken the liberty, which I hope you will excuse, to transmit all the numbers published, except the two last, which accompany this line. Please to accept them as a token of that respect, which I have been taught from early life to cherish for one, of whose...
57To John Adams from John Quincy Adams, 24 November 1817 (Adams Papers)
I have to answer two Letters from you—one of 28 October, and the other of 13. November—Tant va la Cruche à l’eau qu’à la fin elle se casse, was an old french proverb, long before Washington’s Mother was born. Tant va la Cruche a l’eau qu’à la fin elle s’emplit is the variation of Beaumarchais’s Basila in the Marriage of Figaro—But whether the pitcher is filled or whether it is broken it was...
58To John Adams from François Adriaan Van der Kemp, 29 November 1817 (Adams Papers)
As I returned home in safety in the course of this week, the first moments of leisure, after having informed my children and mr Busti of this happy event, shall be devoted, to acknowledge the favour of your’s of the first of Oct. In my former from Philadelphia I mentioned—how I was bruised—wounded—healed—and restored to perfect health—now I can only mention, and this, I am assured is a far...
59To John Adams from William Tudor, Jr., 7 December 1817 (Adams Papers)
I take the liberty of sending to you the only copy entire , which I possess of the Discourse I delivered before the Humane Society last Spring. I have promised it to Mr Shaw ultimately, and when you have read it, if you will take that trouble I will thank you to give it to him I do not ask you to read the Discourse itself which is a trifling performance on the trite subject of Charity, but the...
60To John Adams from Josephus Bradner Stuart, 10 December 1817 (Adams Papers)
I have obtained from Wm. Temple Franklin, Esqr. a selection of the manuscript writings of the late Dr. B. Franklin, which I am now arranging & intend ere long to publish.—It is my intintion in this work to present to the publick a political view of the times from 1770 to 1790. & to transmit to posterity the united fame , of those celebrated worthies to whom we are indebted for the glorious...