1To John Adams from Francis Dana, 31 July 1789 (Adams Papers)
I did not receive your very obliging favour of the 10 th: inst: till yesterday, when I returned from the eastern Circuit. I have heard that the Judicial bill has been passed in the Senate without any alterations respecting the general plan of the judicial system. But you seem to think great changes may be made in it in the house of Representatives—that the district Judges may be annihilated...
2To John Adams from Francis Dana, 6 September 1782 (Adams Papers)
I do not ask you to consider this as a letter to you. I have writen so much for several days that I am absolutely beat out; and my health besides begins to fail me. A most constant head ach hangs upon me, and almost stupifies me: Consider this therefore only as a cover of the enclosed letters. I shall probably trouble you more frequently in this way than I have ever done; but it must be upon...
3To John Adams from Francis Dana, 9 October 1780 (Adams Papers)
I reached Leide in the Scout at 6. o Clock, and finding it impossible from thence to get to Roterdam that night in a Scout, I took a Carriage, and rode on to that place, where I arrived between 10 and 11 Clock at night. There I luckily found a French Gentleman who was bound for Antwerp; with him I took another Carriage at Rotterdam, and tho’ the road was exceedingly bad, we got on within one...
4To John Adams from Francis Dana, 22 October 1781 (Adams Papers)
This letter together with a packet for Congress, will be delivered to you by Mr: Stephen Sayer who sets off from hence tomorrow for Amsterdam. He knows nothing from me about my business or affairs. Indeed I have had but little acquaintance with him, less than I shou’d have had, had he not been unfortunately confined by sickness almost the whole time I have been here. The account he will be...
5To John Adams from Francis Dana, 25 February 1781 (Adams Papers)
The enclosed letter came to hand the last Evening; I was about breaking it open, agreable to your directions, but observing it marked Cadiz, and supposing it to be a mear private Letter, I desisted. If it shou’d contain any news from our Country, I doubt not you will advise me of it by the first opportunity. Mr. Bondfield, who has lately been at Paris, writes me from Bordeaux on the 20th....
6To John Adams from Francis Dana, 27 March 1783 (Adams Papers)
Yours of the 22 d. of Feb y: has come to hand this moment, and has given me much satisfaction. I always admired the noble and independant spirit of my friend; but I now see cause to admire it still more. You have confered additional obligations upon, or to express myself otherwise, you have rendered additional services to your Country, by breaking to peices chains forged to hold it in a state...
7To John Adams from Francis Dana, 28 July 1776 (Adams Papers)
I had the pleasure of receiving your letter of the 12th. ultimo on the 1st. instant. It reminded me of my duty, or rather the omission of it. Indeed I know not what appology to make you for not having wrote you before it came to hand. The favor I esteem the greater on that account. Business I feel almost ashamed to offer in excuse, when I consider how constantly you are engaged in matters of...
8To John Adams from Francis Dana, [3 June 1783] (Adams Papers)
No answer as yet. There is another point touching the Treaty mentioned in my last, of much importance. That is to secure the same advantages for our proper productions when imported into the British Dominions in Europe, as is given upon the importation there of similar articles from their own Colonies on the Continent. At least secure the same advantages upon our proper productions, when...
9To John Adams from Francis Dana, 31 July 1780 (Adams Papers)
Mr. Appleton sets off to morrow for Holland, and I shall deliver this enclosing a copy of a letter to you, from the Comte De Vergennes of the 29th. instant, to his care. It was received yesterday. I thought it most adviseable to keep the original. I wrote to Mr. Genet acquainting him of the receipt of the letter, of your departure for Holland, and that I shou’d forward that, or any others...
10To John Adams from Francis Dana, 27 May 1798 (Adams Papers)
I did myself the honor on the 19th. inst to enclose you the address of the Grand Jury for the County of Plymouth And I now forward one, agreably to the intimation then given, from a respectable number of the Inhabitants of this Town. There were seven counterparts circulated in the Town, which are now in my hands, and have been signed by 147. being 40 more than the whole number present at our...
11To John Adams from Francis Dana, 10 April 1785 (Adams Papers)
A short time before the receipt of your letter of the 4 th. of Nov r: I had written to you & enclosed an account of the cash I had advanced for your Son; and acquainted you that I shoud not draw upon you without your express direction: being unwilling to put you to the least inconvenience in the payment of it. In the letter abovementioned you have desired me to draw upon you for it, unless I...
12To John Adams from Francis Dana, 7 March 1783 (Adams Papers)
The post of yesterday brôt me your obliging favour of the 5 th. of this month N.S. in which you say nothing of the Treaty with Sweden which the Leyden Gazette tells us was signed that day. I do not doubt the fact, from the intelligence you gave me some time past of the prepared state of it. My former letter will have advised you of the deficiency of M r: Grand’s Credit and of my proposal to...
13To John Adams from Francis Dana, 1 July 1782 (Adams Papers)
My last to you was of the 12/23 of May. I have not received any from you since yours of the 28th. of April. Enclosed you will receive the latter part of my letter to Mr: Livingston, which I pray you to forward with a proper direction. I send them open to you for your private Information. The matter these mentioned is what is alluded to in my last. Since the new British Ministry have consented...
14To John Adams from Francis Dana, 25 January 1782 (Adams Papers)
I answered your letter of the 14th. of Decr: on the 2/13th. inst: by post. I have also wrote to Mr: T. through the same channel, and enclosed the paper from France which you desired I wou’d send you. I have no copy of Spain ’s. I have seen Russia and Austria to France but ’tis not probable I cou’d obtain a copy of that if I asked for it; I am loth to make a request there, which may not be...
15To John Adams from Francis Dana, 4 June 1785 (Adams Papers)
I had the pleasure of your favour of 8 th: March last on the 26 th: of last Month, in which you acknowledge the receipt of mine of the 12 th: Dec r: last. I have written to you since then, but doing it in haste, I had not time to take a copy of my letter, and do not now recollect the date of it. I remember however to have informed you that I had laid an account of my extra expences before...
16To John Adams from Francis Dana, 4 March 1782 (Adams Papers)
I had the pleasure of your favour of the 5th. inst: that is to say of Feby, on the 17/28th of the same month. You have, in my opinion, pointed out the only certain way to solid glory; but some folks look for it to the direct opposite point of the Compass, by which means they will miss of it, and the promotion of their best Interests, till they face to the right about. When our inclinations...
17Enclosure: Key for a Code System, 8 September 1781 (Adams Papers)
No. 1. The Empress. or Russian. 2. The Emperor—Austrian 3. The King. 4. The Minister—Ministry. 5. Prussia—Prussian. 6. Sweden—Swedish. 7. Denmark—Danish 8. Holland—Dutch. 9. France—French. 10. Spain—Spanish. 11. Britain—British. 12. Congress—America 13. United States—American. 14. Prince de Potemkin. 15. Comte de Panin. 16. Comte D’Ostermann. 17. Dr. Franklin. 18. Mr. Adams. 19.
18To John Adams from Francis Dana, 24 August 1798 (Adams Papers)
I do myself the honor of transmitting to you, on the request of the Grand Jury attending the Supr: Judl: Court, now sitting in this place, their address to you, signed by all the Members of it, one only excepted. It is wished that your answer & the Address might be sent under cover to me thrõ the Post-Office, if a private conveyance shou’d not offer, and that I shou’d to take care to procure...
19To John Adams from Francis Dana, 8 April 1782 (Adams Papers)
I had the pleasure of your favour of the 15th March this morning, in which you acknowledge the receipt of mine of Feby 10/21 and of the paper enclosed; but you say nothing of another paper which I sent you by the same post, enclosed in blank, relative to the same subject: I hope it has safely reached you notwithstanding. I have wrote to you since, on Feby. 21. O.S. And to Mr: T. on the 5/16...
20To John Adams from Francis Dana, 9 May 1783 (Adams Papers)
The post of the 21 st. inst: brôt M r: Thaxter’s Letters of the 31 st. of March, and 3 d. of April; by which I find you had received mine of the 24 th. of Feb y: informing you that I had that day communicated my Mission to the Vice Chanc r: and the reason why I did it. The Contents of this packet will therefore much surprise you. You will be ready to ask what has since taken place. I only...
21To John Adams from Francis Dana, 9 March 1791 (Adams Papers)
The Justices of the Supreme Judicial Court in obedience to the order of the Senate of the 14th. of Feb: last, beg leave to submit the following opinions in answer to their Questions. First “Whether a Bill or Resolve having passed both Branches of the Legislature, and being laid before the Governor for his approbation, less than Five days before the Recess of the General Court next preceeding...
22To John Adams from Francis Dana, 19 August 1780 (Adams Papers)
I did not expect yesterday when Mr. Thaxter wrote you, that I shou’d have been able to have done myself that honor, by this oppor tunity, as I was much engaged in a particular business. I desired him to send you a transcript of part of a letter in the Gazette de France, said to be written by our worthy friend the late President Laurens; which he tells me he has done. I shall add, least the...
23To John Adams from Francis Dana, 12 February 1781 (Adams Papers)
Just in the moment I was sitting down to write to you, I had the pleasure of your’s of the 8th. instant in which you acknowledge the receipt of mine of the 1st. and of another without date. I am glad the packet has reached you safely. There were no letters from Mrs. Adams, Mrs. Dana, or from any of our Friends in our quarter. The vessel which brought your letters, came from Philadelphia. The...
24To John Adams from Francis Dana, 30 August 1782 (Adams Papers)
I received your letter of Aug: 7th. yesterday afternoon, and at the same time the packet you mention. I thank you most cordially for your sentiments upon “something of consequence”: but I am no longer at liberty to pursue a course like that you point out. My la st dispatches, which I presume you did not read, tho they came open under your Cover, are clear and decided upon that affair. I am...
25To John Adams from Francis Dana, 2 April 1792 (Adams Papers)
I beg leave to introduce to you my friend and kinsman Capt. Hobby who is going on to Philadelphia partly with a view of obtaining the appointment of Inspector of the Militia for the eastern part of our Commonwealth, if it shou’d be in the gift of the President. I am told the bill which has passed the house upon this subject, leaves the appointment & pay also, to the several States: This, with...
26To John Adams from Francis Dana, 16 September 1780 (Adams Papers)
I am this moment arrived in Town, much fatigued, and as it is so late, you will excuse my not waiting on you this evening. You must not be surprised to find me here. I am not the messenger of any bad news from our Country. I have some dispatches from Congress, brot to Paris by Mr. Searle, one of its Members. These occasioned my coming here. They are not of consequence to be communicated...
27To John Adams from Francis Dana, 26 June 1789 (Adams Papers)
When you was last at Cambridge at my house, in consideration of the weight of the business of my present office, and of the feeble state of my health, I was induced to suggest to you, that if any office under the United States, which your partiality for me might lead you to think me capable of filling, and the duties of which wou’d be less burthensome than those of my present one, shou’d be...
28To John Adams from Francis Dana, 13 January 1783 (Adams Papers)
I have read your preliminary treaty with some attention and much satisfaction. You will suffer me however to suggest whether it might not be expedient in the definitive Treaty, to ascertain more particularly the property of all the Islands in the Lakes, but especially those situated in, or near the entrance of, their several water communications; as also the right of navigating on either side...
29To John Adams from Francis Dana, 27 August 1780 (Adams Papers)
I have been made very happy by the letters you forwarded to me. I presume you must have been also, by those you wou’d receive by the same hand. Pray give my regards to Mr: Guild. You make no mention whether you have paid Messrs: de Neufville and Son the £60 sterling agreable to our proposal, nor whether there are any vessels going from Amsterdam for Massachusetts. If so I shall give further...
30To John Adams from Francis Dana, 19 December 1782 (Adams Papers)
I give you a thousand thanks for your short letter of the 8 th. of last month which I rec d. this morning. I had before received a Copy of the State Paper you mention; the consequences you draw from it relative to the Neutral Powers are clear & beyond all question. I had view’d the matter in the same light which you & M r: J. view it in, so far as can respect myself. You will see my sentiments...