Abigail Adams to John Quincy Adams, 11 December 1803
Abigail Adams to John Quincy Adams
Quincy dec br 11th 1803
My dear Son
We have not a printer in Boston who gives us any of the debates in either house of Congress: I have seen the National intelligencer for a few weeks past. I there read the debate which I presume was the cause of Dr Eustice writing to mr Jos Hall the following, “You will probably have heard of the bold an independant manner in which J Q A. voted away from his party, having gained credit with us, it is to be expected he will proportionably lose with them”1 When I wrote You last Sunday I did not mention this in my Letter—2 I only observed, that [I] was sure you would as much as possible keep your mind free [fro]m party influence, and vote as your conscience aided by your judgement should dictate, and tho upon some occasions I might think Your Vote would have been different, it is
impossible to judge accurately, because we see not the reasons causes which have opperated, towards the decision— I did not however so soon expect to see dr Eustices observation verified— You will see read in Ben Russels centinal of Saturday the 10th an extract of a Letter from Washington to the Editor; Who the writer is I know not, But the Letter is evidently intended to convey an Idea that you was attaching yourself to the Majority, and with the Notes of admiration & the Lattin quotation.3 I do not like this Stabing in the dark Russel publishes, but takes care to omit the debate—which gave occasion to the Motion: You will proceed in a consistant uniform tenor of conduct, regardless of the goads & Stings you will have to encounter—
Your Brother has this moment arrived— I must quit my pen to welcome him. we are all well
Your affectionate Mother
A A
RC (Adams Papers). Some loss of text due to the placement of the seal.
1. JQA’s 3 Nov. speech during the Senate debate over funding the Louisiana Purchase was printed in the Washington, D.C., National Intelligencer, 25 Nov., and reprinted in the Boston Gazetteer, 14 December. The response that AA noted by Massachusetts congressman William Eustis was echoed elsewhere. On 10 Dec. Boston lawyer Joseph Hall wrote to JQA (Adams Papers), supporting JQA’s stance but cautioning that the Federalist stalwarts would disapprove. JQA in his 20 Dec. reply to Hall defended his actions and declared a lack of surprise at the criticism: “When I accepted the station I hold, it was not with the expectation of giving satisfaction at all times to all my constituents.— I expected to be often censured & from various & opposite quarters” (MHi: Misc. Bound Coll.).
2. AA to JQA, 3 Dec., above.
3. The Boston Columbian Centinel, 10 Dec., printed an anonymous letter criticizing JQA’s actions in the Louisiana debate and inaccurately predicting that he would join Democratic-Republicans in voting for the 12th Amendment. The article included an extract from Virgil, Aeneid, Book II, lines 6 and 8. JQA soon learned that the writer was Massachusetts representative William Stedman, for which see William Smith Shaw to JQA, 7 Jan. 1804, and note 1, below.