11From John Adams to Thomas Jefferson, 11 December 1814 (Adams Papers)
The Bearer of this Letter, after an Education at our Cambridge, travelled with J. Q. A. to Russia, spent two years in looking at parts of Europe, returned to Boston, read Law with one of our first Professors in Boston, is admitted to the Bar, and now Wishes to have the honour of Seeing Montecello and paying his respects to President Jefferson. His Name is Francis C. Gray a Son of our Lt...
12From John Adams to Thomas Jefferson, 22 July 1813 (Adams Papers)
Dr Priestley, in a letter to Mr Lindsey Northumberland Nov. 4. 1803 Says “As you were pleased with my comparison of Socrates and Jesus, I have begun to carry the same comparison to all the heathen Moralists, and I have all the books that I want for the purpose, except Simplicius and Arrian on Epictetus, and them I hope to get from a Library in Philadelphia: lest however I should fail there, I...
13From John Adams to Thomas Jefferson, 28 June 1813 (Adams Papers)
It is very true that “the denunciations of the Priesthood are fulminated against every Advocate for a compleat Freedom of Religion. Comminations, I believe, would be plenteously pronounced by even the most liberal of them, against Atheism, Deism.” against every Man who disbelieved or doubted the Resurrection of Jesus or the Miracles of the New Testament. Priestley himself would denounce the...
14John Adams to Thomas Jefferson, 28 June 1812 (Jefferson Papers)
I know not what, unless it were the Prophet of Tippacanoe , had turned my Curiosity to inquiries after the metaphisical Science of the Indians their ecclesiastical Establishments and theological Theories: but your Letter , written with all the Accuracy perspicuity and Elegance of your youth and middle Age, as it has given me great Satisfaction, deserves my best Thanks. It has given me...
15From John Adams to Thomas Jefferson, 14 September 1813 (Adams Papers)
I owe you a thousand thanks for your favour of Aug. 22 and its Enclosures, and for Dr Priestley’s “Doctrines of heathen Philosophy compared with those of Revelation.” Your Letter to Dr Rush, and the Sillabus, I return inclosed with this, according to your Injunction; though with great reluctance. May I beg a copy of both? They will do you no harm: me and others much good. I hope you will...
16From John Adams to Thomas Jefferson, 29 May 1813 (Adams Papers)
To leave the Pettifogger of Funivals Inn, or Cliffords Inn, his Archbishop Laud, and his Chevalier of St. Iago of Compostella Sir Christopher Gardiner, for the present; Paulo Multo majora canamus. There has been put into my hands, within a few days a gross Volume in octavo, of 544 Pages with the Title of “Memoirs of the late reverend Theophilus Lindsey. M. A.” including a brief “Analysis of...
17John Adams to Thomas Jefferson, 10 June 1813 (Jefferson Papers)
In your Letter to D r Priestley of March 21. 1801 , you ask “What an Effort, of Bigotry in politics and religion have We gone through! The barbarians really flattered themselves, they should be able to bring back the times of Vandalism, when ignorance put every thing into the hands of power and priestcraft. All Advances in Science were proscribed as innovations; they pretended to praise and...
18From John Adams to Thomas Jefferson, 1 May 1812 (Adams Papers)
Yesterday, I received from the Post Office, under an envellope inscribed with your hand, but without any letter, a very learned and ingenious Pamphlet, prepared by you for the Use of your Counsel, in the case of Edward Livingston against you: Mr Ingersol of Philadelphia, two or three Years ago Sent me two large Pamphlets upon the same Subject. Neddy is a naughty lad as well as a saucy one. I...
19John Adams to Thomas Jefferson, 3 May 1812 (Jefferson Papers)
I wrote you on the first of this month acknowledging the receipt of your “Proceedings” &c and now repeat my thanks for it. It is as masterly a pamplet pamphlet as ever I have read; and every way worthy of the Mind that composed and the pen which commited it to writing. There is witt and fancy and delicate touches of Satyr enough in it to make it entertaining while the profusion of learning the...
20From John Adams to Thomas Jefferson, February 1814 to 3 March 1814 (Adams Papers)
I was nibbling my pen and brushing my Faculties, to write a polite Letter of Thanks to Mr Counsellor Barton for his valuable Memoirs of Dr Rittenhouse though I could not account for his Sending it to me; when I received your favour of Jan. 24th. I now most cordially indorse my Thanks over to you. The Book is in the modern American Style an able imitation of Marshalls Washington, though far...
21From John Adams to Thomas Jefferson, 15 September 1813 (Adams Papers)
My last Sheet, would not admit an Observation that was material to my design. Dr Price was “inclined to think” that infinite Wisdom and Goodness, could not permit infinite Power, to be inactive, from Eternity: but that, an infinite and eternal Universe, must have necessarily flowed from these Attributes. Plato’s System was “ Αγαθος ” was eternal, Self existent &c. His Ideas, his Word, his...
22John Adams to Thomas Jefferson, 3 December 1813 (Jefferson Papers)
The Proverbs of the old greek Poets, are as Short and pithy as any of Solomon or Franklin . Hesiod has Several. His Αθανατους μεν πρωτα θεους νομω, ως δiακeitai Τiμα. Honour the Gods established by Law. I know not how We can escape Martyrdom, without a discreet Attention to this præcept. you have Suffered, and I have Suffered more than you, for want of a Strict if not a due observance of this...
23From John Adams to Thomas Jefferson, 9 August 1816 (Adams Papers)
The Biography of Mr Vander Kemp would require a Volume which I could not write if a Milion were offered me as a Reward for the Work. After a learned and Scientific Education he entered the Army in Holland and served as a Captain, with Reputation: but loving Books more than Arms he resigned his Commission and became a Preacher. My acquaintance with him commenced at Leyden in 1780. He was then...
24John Adams to Thomas Jefferson, 29 May 1813 (Jefferson Papers)
To leave the Pettifogger of Funivals Inn , or Cliffords Inn , his Archbishop Laud , and his Chevalier of St. Iago of Compostella Sir Christopher Gardiner , for the present; Paulo Multo majora canamus . There has been put into my hands, within a few days a gross Volume in octavo, of 544 Pages with the Title of “Memoirs of the late reverend Theophilus Lindsey. M.A. ” including a brief “Analysis...
25John Adams to Thomas Jefferson, 13 November 1815 (Jefferson Papers)
The fundamental Article of my political Creed is, that Despotism, or unlimited Sovereignty, or absolute Power is the Same in a Majority of a popular Assembly, an Aristocratical Counsel, an Oligarchical Junto and a Single Emperor. Equally arbitrary cruel bloody and in every respect, diabolical. Accordingly arbitrary Power, wherever it has resided, has never failed to destroy all the records...
26John Adams to Thomas Jefferson, 21 May 1812 (Jefferson Papers)
Samuel B. Malcom Esqr , is not wholly a Stranger to you. He was three years in my family in the Chara c ter of my private Secretary, and I believe his conduct appeared to you, as it invariably did to me ingenuous, candid faithful and industrious. His Friends in New York were among the most respectable; his Education was public and his Studies and in the Law and introduction to the Bar regular...
27From John Adams to Thomas Jefferson, 19 June 1815 (Adams Papers)
Education, which you brought into View in one of your Letters; is a subject so vast, and the systems of Writers are, So various and so contradictory: that human Life is too short to examine it: and a Man must die before he can learn to bring up his Children. The Phylosophers, Divines, Politicians and Pædagogues, who have published their Theories and Practices, in this apartment are without...
28John Adams to Thomas Jefferson, 28 June 1813 (Jefferson Papers)
It is very true, that “the denunciations of the Priesthood are fulminated against every Advocate for a compleat Fre e dom of Religion. ” Comminations, I believe, would be plenteously pronounced, by even the most liberal of them, against Atheism, Deism; against every Man who disbelieved or doubted the Resurrection of Jesus or the Miracles of the New Testament. Priestley himself would denounc e...
29From John Adams to Thomas Jefferson, 12 November 1813 (Adams Papers)
As I owe you more for your Letters of Oct. 12. and 28 than I Shall be able to pay. I Shall begin with the P.S. to the last. I am very Sorry to Say, that I cannot assist your memory “in the Enquiries of your letter of August 22d.” I really know not who was the compositor of any one of the Petitions or Addresses you enumerate. Nay farther I am certain I never did know. I was So Shallow a...
30From John Adams to Thomas Jefferson, 10 February 1812 (Adams Papers)
I have received with great pleasure your favour of the 23 of January. I suspected that the Sample was left at the Post Office and that you would soon have it. I regret the Shabby Condition in which you found it: but it was the only Copy I had, and I thought it Scarcely worth while to wait till I could get a Sett properly bound. The Dissertation on the State of real homespun was a feast to me,...
31From John Adams to Thomas Jefferson, 20 December 1814 (Adams Papers)
The most exalted of our young Genius’s in Boston have an Ambition to See Montecello, its Library and Sage. I lately gave a Line of Introduction to Mr Everett, our most celebrated Youth: But his Calls at home, forced him back from Washington. George Ticknor Esquire who will have the Honour to present this to you, has a reputation here, equal to the Character given him in the enclosed Letter...
32From John Adams to Thomas Jefferson, 21 May 1812 (Adams Papers)
Samuel B. Malcom Esqr, is not wholly a Stranger to you. He was three years in my family in the Character of my private Secretary, and I believe his conduct appeared to you, as it invariably did to me ingenuous, candid faithful and industrious. His Friends in New York were among the most respectable; his Education was public and his Studies and in the Law and introduction to the Bar regular...
33From John Adams to Thomas Jefferson, 3 May 1816 (Adams Papers)
Yours Ap. 8 has long Since been recd. J. “Would you agree to live your 80 years over again”? A. Aye! And Sanse Phrases.” J. “Would you agree to live your Eighty-Years over again forever”? A. I once heard our Acquaintance, Chew, of Philadelphia Say, “He Should like to go back to 25, to all Eternity”: but I own my Soul would Start and Shrink back on itself, at the Prospect of an endless...
34John Adams to Thomas Jefferson, 30 June 1813 (Jefferson Papers)
Before I proceed to the order of the day, which is the terrorism of a former day: I beg leave to correct an Idea, that Some readers may infer from an expression in one of your Letters. No Sentiment or expression in any of my Answers to Addresses were obtruded or insinuated by any Person about me. Every one of them was written with my own hand. I alone am responsable for all the Mistakes and...
35From John Adams to Thomas Jefferson, 11 June 1813 (Adams Papers)
I recd. yesterday your favour of May 27th. I lament with you the loss of Rush. I know of no Character living or dead who has done more real good in America. Robert Treat Paine still lives, at 83 or 84, alert drol and witty though deaf. Floyd I believe, yet remains. Paine must be very great; Philosopher and Christian; to live under the Afflictions of his Family. Sons and Daughters with Genius...
36John Adams to Thomas Jefferson, [ca. 3–5] July 1813 (Jefferson Papers)
Correspondences! The Letters of Bernard and Hutchinson , and Oliver and Paxton &c were detected and exposed before The Revolution. There are I doubt not, thousands of Letters, now in being, but Still concealed, from their Party to their Friends, which will, one day See the light. I have wondered for more than thirty years that So few have appeared: and have constantly expected that a Tory...
37From John Adams to Thomas Jefferson, September 1813 (Adams Papers)
σὲ γὰρ πάντεσσι θέμις θνητοῖσι προσαυδᾶn. “It is not only permitted but enjoined upon all Mortals to address you.” Why should not our Divines translate it “It is our duty and our priviledge to address the Throne of thy grace and pray for all needed lawfull Blessings temporal and Spiritual,”. Θεμις was the Goddess of honesty, Justice, Decency, and right; the Wife of Jove, another name for Juno....
38John Adams to Thomas Jefferson, 12 November 1813 (Jefferson Papers)
As I owe you more for your Letters of Oct. 12. and 28 than I Shall be able to pay, I Shall begin with the P.S. to the last. I am very Sorry to Say, that I cannot “assist your memory in the Enquiries of your letter of August 22 d .” I really know not who was the compositor of any one of the Petitions or Addresses you enumerate. Nay farther I am certain I never did know. I was so shallow a...
39From John Adams to Thomas Jefferson, 16 December 1816 (Adams Papers)
Your Letter dear Sir of Nov. 15 from Poplar Forrest was Sent to me from the Post Office the next day after I had Sent “The Analysis with my Thanks to you. “3. Vols. of Idiology!” Pray explain to me this Neological Title! What does it mean? When Bonaparte used it, I was delighted with it, upon the common Principle of delight in every Thing We cannot understand. Does it mean Idiotism? The...
40From John Adams to Thomas Jefferson, 12 July 1813 (Adams Papers)
I forgot in my last to remark, a very trifling Inaccuracy in yours of June 27th. The Letter intercepted in Hichbournes Trunk which was reported to glance at Mr Dickenson, was not in 1776. It was in the month of June 1775. Had it been June 1776, the English would not have printed it. The Nation had then too maturely reflected, on the necessity of Independence, and was too ripe and too hot for a...