1From Ann Frances Harrod Adams to John Adams, 20 June 1810 (Adams Papers)
When I take a retrospective view of the innumerable obligations which I owe you, not only as the revered Parents of my husband but as the kindest and best of friends, my heart expands with filial gratitude yet I know not how to attempt an expression of my feelings. After a residence of five years under your roof which has been endeared to me by some of the most interesting events of my life,...
2From François Adriaan Van der Kemp to John Adams, 13 July 1814 (Adams Papers)
How was I delighted in Seing your handwriting on the Addres—I could not guess—it was a Letter—I did not expect one—although I was confident, that, if the State of your health had been worse, Cornelia Amelia would have deemed it her duty to Send me a line—You can guess—how I was delighted—when opening it—I Saw it was a Letter from my revered frend—I glanced over it, without looking at the...
3From John Quincy Adams to John Adams, 16 December 1815 (Adams Papers)
Your Mama, and I, consent that you shall ask Doctor Nicholes’s permission to come home for the Holidays, on Tuesday; upon Condition that you will return to School after the Holidays, as cheerfully, as you now come from it. Your affectionate Father. MHi : Adams Papers.
4From John Quincy Adams to Charles Francis Adams, 21 August 1809 (Adams Papers)
It is related of Augustus Caesar, that being upon his death-bed, he turned just before he expired to the friends who were standing around, and asked them what they thought of the part which he had acted on the scene of human life—They express’d their admiration as their feelings or their prudence inspired—Then said he “Plaudite”. In the article of Death, Augustus was what he had been...
5From John Adams to George Washington Adams, 6 May 1815 (Adams Papers)
Hence forward I Shall adress you all three at once. Yesterday was one of the happiest days of my Life. It brought me News of your Father and Mother at Paris and your Uncle Aunt and Cousin at New York all in good health. My Boys! I want to Say Something to you on the Subject of Languages. I have no great Opinion of those who boast of possessing a great number of them. If you know Greek and...
6From John Adams to George Washington Adams, 1 September 1815 (Adams Papers)
I have received Letters from you all, and you know not how gratifying they have been to my heart. With pleasure I See the great Advantage you have already derived from the Advice of your Father. I have recd. four Letters from George N. 1. 2. 4 and 5. Number Three only is missing. George writes like the elder Brother he is. John writes with that Vivacity and Spirit which always delighted Us;...
7From John Adams to George Washington Adams, 9 September 1816 (Adams Papers)
I have now gone through Terence, and noted a few Lines for you to consider. Many perhaps have escaped my Notice that deserved it MHi : Adams Papers.
I received this day a Letter from your father dated 21 Sep’br. it was a Letter different from any which I have before received from him.—it communicated to me, and to you the sorrowfull intelligence of the Death of your dear and only Sister. She was taken Sick in August, and died the 15th of Seb’br with a nervous fever which brought on convulsions your parents are in great affliction as you...
It is better to go to the House of mourning than to the House of Feasting, or dancing, for the living lay it to heart. you my dear Children are now calld to the House of mourning and Sorrow, by the death of your dear Aunt Smith and the only daughter of your Grandparents, the only Sister of your Father. your Aunt died last night, to the deep affliction of the whole Family—her pure Spirit I...
10From John Adams to George Washington Adams, 6 May 1815 (Adams Papers)
I know not where your Father is, or I should write directly to him. As Soon as you See him, pray to procure for himself and for you “Il Consulato del Mare” with all the Tanslations of it, into Dutch, German, Italian, French, English Spanish, and as many as there be. I have it only with a translation into Low Dutch. About 8 or 9 hundred Years ago, (I have neither time nor patience to look up...
11From John Quincy Adams to George Washington Adams, May 1810 (Adams Papers)
I write to you both together, to assure you that although far distant from you, I always bear you both in my thoughts with tender affection—I hope that when you receive this letter, you will both be able to read, and understand it, and that you, George, will also be able to write me an answer to it—The greatest pleasure that you can give to you Parents, is to pursue your Studies with...
12From John Adams to George Washington Adams, 3 May 1815 (Adams Papers)
I adress myself to both of you as equally dear to me and because the difficulty with which I write, will not allow me to write seperately to each. Our anxiety for you and for your Father Mother, Brother, Uncle Aunt and little first and Second Cousin: have been greater than you can conceive. Some relief however We have received from Vessels you met at Sea, one of which brought a Letter from Mr...
13From John Adams to George Washington Adams, 6 May 1815 (Adams Papers)
I know not where your Father is, or I Should write directly to him. As Soon as you See him, pray him to procure for himself and for you “Il Consulato del Mare” with all the Tanslations of it, into Dutch, German, Italien, French, English Spanish, and as many as there be. I have it only with a translation into Low Dutch. About 8 or 9 hundred Years ago, (I have neither time nor patience to look...
14From John Quincy Adams to George Washington Adams, 17 December 1812 (Adams Papers)
I have not had the pleasure of hearing from you since I wrote you last; but having an opportunity, which now seldom happens, of sending letters to America, I will not let it pass, without writing you to inform you that your Mamma, and brother Charles, with myself are in as good health as the excessive cold weather of this Country and Season will admit—But I shall not have time at present to...
15To John Adams from John Quincy Adams, 24 February 1816 (Adams Papers)
I have for many Months made it a rule, to enclose to you a Newspaper, every week, and I have intended that it never should be without at least one Letter, from myself or some one of the family, to you or my Mother—I believe this intention has never entirely failed; but it has not always been possible for me to write, myself—The reasons of this are so well known to you, that I hope they will...
16To John Adams from William Cunningham, 14 June 1809 (Adams Papers)
I am favoured with yours of the 7th. inst. After telling me that the employment of your thoughts upon your public essays precludes your attention, for the present, to my letters, I should be bereft of apology for filling again a whole sheet, if you had not also said that you are in no apprehension of being inundated. Amidst the heaviest outpouring which may be supposed to be congregating in...
17To John Adams from François Adriaan Van der Kemp, 14 May 1814 (Adams Papers)
I regret, that So often I must wearÿ you with mÿ complaints about myself, and yet I must do it, in apologÿ to myself, when I write a dull Letter. I have again be tortured with head-ache, and enjoÿ now only a little relief, which I am apprehensive Shall not last long—but I must take hold of this interval, to give me the pleasure, of answering your last favour of the 2d inst. I believe, I Shall...
18To John Adams from Richard Rush, 24 May 1814 (Adams Papers)
I have given the above extract exactly as I find it in a book of my venerated parent that I have just been reading, and which is full of interesting anecdote. I avow it in part as my motive, that I may ask you what toast you would give now if I had the happiness of being in your company at Quincy. That we shall have to fight longer is, as I intimated to you a few days ago, highly probable. The...
19To John Adams from Benjamin Rush, 15 January 1812 (Adams Papers)
“Arma, Cestusque”, parmamque “repono,” upon the offensive subject of one of my late letters to you.— I sincerely rejoice in the successful issue of the operation upon Mrs Smith’s breast. I would reciprocate your expressions of pleasure upon the appearances of a recussitation of the Spirit of 177 4 at Washington did I believe they would terminate in any thing but in upon Speeches, Embassies...
20To John Adams from Richard Rush, 31 October 1816 (Adams Papers)
In further answer to your favor of the 20th of last month, I beg leave to say, that I have just returned from the visit I talked of making to Philadelphia. I find it to be as decidedly the opinion of my mother and brothers, as I confess it was my own, that my fathers letters should not be given up for the press. If, therefore, you should write to Doctor Mease, may we venture to ask it of your...
21To John Adams from James R. Willson, 25 May 1813 (Adams Papers)
An offective son, & one of the children of the church presumes to address you an epistle. I long admired your measures in preparing to expend this nation in time of peace, & thus prevent war from spreding ruin over the land. Now all the nation is convinced of the propriety of your measures respecting the navy & impropriety of the measures of your successors. Our navy has done wonders. God...
22To John Adams from William Stephens Smith, 23 February 1814 (Adams Papers)
More trouble hangs over the Camp The President last night, indulged The Secretary of War, by consenting to the arrest of Major General Wilkinson—The Court martial is detailed, and dispatches with an official arrest were this morning, sent off from the War office, to the Army of the North—somebody must be sacrificed to cover the blunders of the War— Yours respectfully, MHi : Adams Papers.
23To John Adams from François Adriaan Van der Kemp, 26 September 1812 (Adams Papers)
He published—his opinions on Jus Eccles. Protest . in the Ses—which were—under his presidium—defended publicly by his most eminent Students. This could not be performed without awakening the intolerant zeal of the clergy—Their rage—increased when manÿ of their Brethren Strengthened him with their open Support—then the Church became in danger. Spies—under pious pretexts were Send to him for...
24To John Adams from William Cunningham, 17 October 1809 (Adams Papers)
Your favour of the 27th. ult. arrived when I was at Worcester attending a session of the Supreme Court to get some redress for a most gross and injurious Fraud. Immediately on my return, I set out for Boston, from whence I returned last evening. These jaunts have occasioned this delay in the acknowledgment of your Letter. “Poor Democrats, Republicans, and still poorer Americans, are,” you say,...
25To John Adams from William Cunningham, 18 April 1811 (Adams Papers)
So much time has elapsed since the date of my letter in February, that I have dismissed all expectations of an answer. Of the destruction of Babylon, and the birth of Cyrus, considering how much the evidence of a system of Religion is depending on that event and on that character, I may have spoken more at random than a due regard to prevailing sentiments will allow. The whoredoms of Babylon...
26To John Adams from Thomas McKean, 20 November 1815 (Adams Papers)
I can now answer the questions in your favor of the 30th. July last, viz. Who shall write the history of the American Revolution &c.? Major General James Wilkinson has written it. He commences with the battle of Bunker’s or Breed’s hill at Boston and concludes with the battle near New-Orleans on the Missisippi, a period of forty years. It will be published in three volumes large octavo, each...
27From Louisa Catherine Johnson Adams to John Adams, 12 October 1810 (Adams Papers)
I recieved your letter my dear Child only a few days since and am charmed to find that George and you are such good boys I am sure you are much obliged to Cousin Abby for your letters. and I you will soon learn to write them yourself I hope as they will afford me double pleasure George is now near ten years old and is I am sure too much of a man to play truant any more and I am sure you never...
28Thomas Jefferson to John Adams, 14 October 1816 (Jefferson Papers)
Your letter, dear Sir, of May 6. had already well explained the Uses of grief, that of Sep. 3. with equal truth adduces instances of it’s abuse; and when we put into the same scale these abuses, with the afflictions of soul which even the Uses of grief cost us, we may consider it’s value in the economy of the human being, as equivocal at least. those afflictions cloud too great a portion of...
29To John Adams from George Bourne, 22 April 1809 (Adams Papers)
During some time past my time has been devoted to writing the History of Mr. Jefferson’s administration with an historical sketch of the affairs of the Union from the period of the adoption of the Federal Constitution: as the sale of the work in Massachusetts will be considerably enhanced by the Sanction of your name—I have intruded upon your politeness to ask permission to place it at the...
30To John Adams from James Lloyd, 17 March 1815 (Adams Papers)
I have the honor to acknowledge the receipt of your respected, and highly interesting letter of the 6th. & 9th. of the present month with their enclosures, the latter of which I now return.— While obliged by their communication I feel reluctant at trespassing so largely upon your time & retrospections, and beg leave again to reiterate the request, that you would not call them into exercise for...