31From John Quincy Adams to George Washington Adams, 8 November 1826 (Adams Papers)
Your Letter numbered 2. dated 30 and 31. October is before me—Enclosed in it was the receipt of the Executors for the 901. dollars 95 Cents which I had forwarded from New-York—The Savings Bank Book, I thought it would be best not to settle, until it should be time to make the second distribution to the Devisees; the interest being in the mean time going on. I now enclose to you 1. An order...
32From John Quincy Adams to George Washington Adams, 30 March 1825 (Adams Papers)
I have this day drawn upon you, at sight, for ten thousand Dollars, in favour of Richard Smith, Cashier of the United States Branch Bank or Order—I drew for the whole sum, because I cannot comprehend, how you should want five hundred dollars, to supply any claims upon you, on my account, while you are in the receipt of all the rents due not only on the first of January last, but on the first...
33From John Quincy Adams to George Washington Adams, 3 February 1824 (Adams Papers)
On the 5th. of last month I received your Letter dated on the first and have been in expectation of receiving the statement of your account promised in it, which has not yet arrived—It gives me great pleasure to learn that you are persevering by elevating your attention to the art of regular account keeping, and I cannot cease to exhorting you to master it throughly and to apply it...
34From John Quincy Adams to George Washington Adams, 1 March 1818 (Adams Papers)
Your Letter of the 19th: of Last Month, informing me of your admission to the University gave me great Satisfaction; and as you are now fully enrolled among the Sons of Harvard, I hope you will make it your constant and earnest object to do honour to that Institution, by the regularity of your conduct, and the steadiness of your pursuits You say that in the Class which you have entered,...
35From John Quincy Adams to George Washington Adams, 18 August 1825 (Adams Papers)
Thomas J. Hellan is to be offered as a Candidate for admission at Harvard University this year—I wish you to give him all the assistance which he may need for that purpose, and to consider him as under your parental, or brotherly care—You will be one of his bondsmen and request my brother to be the other—You will attend to the payment of his quarterly bills, and other necessary expenses,...
36From John Quincy Adams to George Washington Adams, 29 April 1817 (Adams Papers)
I have received your Letter of the 11th. and your mother has that of the 16th. from Paris. I wrote you by Mr Boyle, and have not written since, supposing a Letter could not reach Paris before you would have left it.—We shall from this day be constantly expecting your return, and I write this merely with the chance of its finding you at Bruxelles. We are preparing with all possible despatch to...
37From John Quincy Adams to George Washington Adams, 26 December 1817 (Adams Papers)
I have but one moment of time to answer your Letter of the 2d: instant—and to direct you at the close of the Winter Vacation to offer yourself and pass examination for admission to the present Freshman Class; and, I hope you will assiduously employ the interval in preparing yourself for it. I cannot but acknowledge my surprize and mortification, to learn that you have been wasting your time...
38From John Quincy Adams to George Washington Adams, 20 June 1826 (Adams Papers)
Mr Walker delivered me your Laconic epistle of the 3d. instt. promising an answer at an early day to my Letter of the 25th. ulto—for which answer I am patiently waiting—I made suitable allowance, for the accession to your necessary occupations, occasioned by the Session of the Legislature—From which however you will have been relieved before you shall receive this— Your Accounts for the...
39From John Quincy Adams to George Washington Adams, 16 October 1826 (Adams Papers)
We had a jovial day at Newport, after you left me, till five in the afternoon, when I embarked in the Revenue Cutter, Captain Cahoone—As we went on board the vessel, the gale subsided; the sun burst forth, and his last hour was unclouded—We proceeded with a light breeze and beautiful weather till last Evening, when coming to the pass of Hell-gate we were compelled to drop anchor—This morning...
40From John Quincy Adams to George Washington Adams, 24 October 1826 (Adams Papers)
Your Letters of the 16th. and 20th. instt have been received, and have given me great pleasure. The first relieving me from some concern on account of your health, and the second announcing an intention of diligence, and a commencement of performance highly satisfactory—Perseverance for a very short time in that plan of regularly rising at 5 in the morning, and devoting yourself to the...
41From John Quincy Adams to George Washington Adams, 5 October 1823 (Adams Papers)
I now enclose you a Letter for George Davis, which you will deliver to him—The subscription as I told you is conditional to be paid only, unless a sum of (I think 50000) Dollars should be subscribed before the first of January next and deposited in Bank—If you are admitted to attend the Meetings, I shall expect you will give me an account of the proceedings and of the progress of the object,...
42From 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...
43From John Quincy Adams to George Washington Adams, 8 November 1825 (Adams Papers)
I enclose herewith a Certificate of two Shares, N. 657. 658. in the Middlesex Canal, transferred to you in consideration of which, I expect you will pay some attention, to the direction of that Corporation and to the management of its concerns. I received your Letter announcing the departure of your mother, and her attendants from Quincy; they arrived here on the 18th. instt. all well except...
44From John Quincy Adams to George Washington Adams, October 1826 (Adams Papers)
There are four Deeds of the Executors to John Quincy Adams, executed, acknowledged, and left at the Office of the Register of Deeds at Dedham, to be recorded, which when recorded you will receive from the Register, and carefully keep There is one Bond, and four Mortagages, executed and acknowledged by me, to the Executors, and one Power of Attorney to my Co-Executor Josiah Quincy—all left also...
45From John Quincy Adams to George Washington Adams, 10 July 1820 (Adams Papers)
In looking over my file of Letters received, I find that the latest date I have from you is of 10. November 1819—I am not sure that I have written since then to you—so let this pass for N. 1. of the year 1820—I have lately had at least the satisfaction of hearing from you indirectly, by your Correspondence with your Mother and your brother; but shall be glad to hear from you more immediately....
46From John Quincy Adams to George Washington Adams, 25 October 1823 (Adams Papers)
I have this day received your Letter of the 20th. instt. with the copy of the lease to Joseph Baxter—The substance of the proposition of Mr. Balch is that I should give him or Mr Baxter five hundred and fifty Dollars to induce them to return my house to me—To this proposition I cannot consent—I will say now nothing of the terms upon which Mr Baxter originally obtained the lease—The rent which...
47From John Quincy Adams to George Washington Adams, 17 November 1818 (Adams Papers)
I have received a Letter from my eldest Son, which informs me that in consequence of a difficulty which had taken place at College, the President at the request of my dear and honoured father had consented that he should retire to Quincy, till the fermentation, was over, where he should study something or other, till the class is re-organized. As my Son in the same Letter desires me to assure...
48From John Quincy Adams to George Washington Adams, 14 January 1825 (Adams Papers)
I have received your Letter of the 1st. instt. (dated by mistake 1824) with the quarterly account enclosed, which I suppose is correct, and all the particulars of which I approve—It should have been signed with your name at bottom, with the addition of the words “Errors excepted” and dated—You will remember this, in the rendition to me of your next account, and remember it also, in all your...
49From John Quincy Adams to George Washington Adams, 22 December 1825 (Adams Papers)
I enclose herewith the Policy of Insurance upon the house in Court Street and also that upon the House in Hancock Street—Both of which you will safely keep: and remember to have them renewed at the proper time. I am greatly concerned to learn, that you were suffering with the toothache, and inflamation of the face; but hope that it has before this subsided. I propose to seize upon the first...
50From John Quincy Adams to George Washington Adams, 4 October 1826 (Adams Papers)
Know all men by these Presents that We John Quincy Adams of Boston in the County of Suffolk and Commonwealth of Massachusetts Esquire and Josiah Quincy also of said Boston Esquire Executors of the last Will and Testament of John Adams late of Quincy in the County of Norfolk Doctor of Laws, deceased have constituted and by these Presents do, constitute George Washington Adams of Boston...
51From John Quincy Adams to George Washington Adams, 31 October 1823 (Adams Papers)
I wish you to keep the enclosed Letter for my father, till the next time that you shall after receiving it, go out to Quincy to spend the Sunday with him—You will then after breakfast deliver it to himself in his Chamber, no other person being present; and tell him that I have requested you to read its contents to him, and afterwards, with his approbation, to burn the copy of Verses on his...
52From John Quincy Adams to George Washington Adams, 1 September 1811 (Adams Papers)
In your letter of 18 January to your Mama, you mentioned that you read to your Aunt Cranch a chapter in the Bible, or a Section of Dr. Doddridges annotations every evening, this information gave me great pleasure, for so great is my veneration for the Bible & so strong my belief that when duly read & meditated upon, it is of all the books in the world, that which contributes most to make men...
53From John Quincy Adams to George Washington Adams, 8 September 1811 (Adams Papers)
In your letter of 18. January to your Mama, you mentioned that you read to your Aunt Cranch a Chapter in the Bible, or a Section of Dr: Doddridge’s annotations every Evening—This information gave me great pleasure, for so great is my veneration for the Bible, and so strong my belief that when duly read and meditated upon, it is of all the books in the world that which contributes most to make...
54From John Quincy Adams to George Washington Adams, 6 December 1818 (Adams Papers)
I received about a fortnight since a few lines from you so ill written that it was with difficulty that I could read them, and to my great surprize dated at Quincy, when I had expected you were assiduously pursuing your studies at Cambridge, after an interruption not less melancholy than indispensable—Your Letter barely hinted at the temporary dissolution of your Class, and by its brevity and...
55From John Quincy Adams to George Washington Adams, 17 April 1824 (Adams Papers)
I have duly received your Letters N.7, 8 and 9. with their enclosures; accounts and vouchers—When in my last Letter; I observed that the account which you had previously sent me, did not inform me for what , the expenditures which you had charged against me were made, it was not my intention to require of you a full settlement, and a delivery of vouchers, at the close of every quarter—It was a...
56From John Quincy Adams to George Washington Adams, 15 September 1811 (Adams Papers)
The first point of view, in which I have invited you to consider the Bible, is in the light of a Divine Revelation . And what are we to understand by these terms?—I intend as much as possible to avoid the field of controversy, with which I am not well acquainted, and for which I have little respect, and still less inclination—My idea of the Bible as a Divine Revelation , is founded upon its...
57From John Quincy Adams to George Washington Adams, 10 November 1817 (Adams Papers)
Your Letter of 14. October N. 2. but Post-marked on the Superscription, “Cambridge 21 Octr. was received by me on the 25th: of the same month—my engagements as you suppose absorb so much of my time, that I am seldom able to snatch a moment for writing private Letters to my family and friends. Yet I shall always endeavour to be as punctual a correspondent as possible, and shall particularly...
58From John Quincy Adams to George Washington Adams, 9 July 1814 (Adams Papers)
Upon looking back on the list of my Letters sent to America, I am surprized to find that the last I wrote you was dated so long ago, as the 13th: of September; but the causes of this long silence have not been from any abatement of my affection for you. During the whole of the last Winter, and untill I left St: Petersburg to come upon my present Journey I did not receive a line from you—There...
59From John Quincy Adams to George Washington Adams, 21 October 1823 (Adams Papers)
I received yesterday your Letter N 1. dated the 15th. instt. with its enclosure, and am much pleased with the attention you are paying to my Affairs and your own—In entering upon a new Scene of life, it is important to begin well; to commence the formation of good habits, and to form a system for the employment of time which will obviate the formation of bad ones. At your Season of life, it is...
60From John Quincy Adams to George Washington Adams, 6 October 1811 (Adams Papers)
We were considering the Bible in its historical character, and as the history of a Family—From the moment when the universal History finishes, that of Abraham begins, and thenceforward it is the history of a family of which Abraham is the first and Jesus Christ the last person. And from the first appearance of Abraham, the whole history appears to have been ordered from age to age expressly to...