21To Thomas Jefferson from John Adams, 4 November 1785 (Jefferson Papers)
Mr. Preston has at last found and sent me your Letter. Dr. Bancroft spoke to me, about Commodore Jones’s Demand upon Denmark: but upon looking into the Papers we found that the Commodore is recommended by Congress wholly to the Minister at the Court of Versailles, so that We were apprehensive our Powers would be disputed. The Danish Minister however was not here; I offered to go with Dr....
22From John Adams to Thomas Jefferson, 3 February 1821 (Adams Papers)
I have just read a sketch of the life of Swedenborg, and a larger work in two huge volumes of Memoirs of John Westley by Southey, and your kind letter of January 22d came to hand in the nick of time to furnish me with a very rational exclamation, “What a bedlamite is man!” They are histories of Galvanism and Mesmerism thrown into hotch potch they say that these men were honest and sincere, so...
23To Thomas Jefferson from John Adams, 3 June 1785 (Jefferson Papers)
I have now the Honour to inform you, that having shewn my Commission to the Right Honourable the Marquis of Carmarthen, and left an authenticated Copy together with a Copy of my Letter of Credence to the King according to the usage, I had the Honour on the first of this Month to be introduced by his Lordship to his Majesty, in his Closet with all the Ceremonies and Formalities, practised on...
24To Thomas Jefferson from John Adams, 16 September 1787 (Jefferson Papers)
Give me Leave to introduce to you Mr. John Brown Cutting, who will need no other Recommendation, than his own Genius. Let me beg your acceptance, too of a Sett of my Defence &c. and let me know your Opinion of the Second volume, and whether it is worth my while to write a third upon Confederations &c. Yours most Sincerely, RC ( DLC ); endorsed. Recorded in SJL as received 23 Sep. 1787. My...
25From John Adams to Thomas Jefferson, 10 November 1823 (Adams Papers)
Your last letter was brought to me from the Post office when at breakfast with my family. I bade one of the misses open the budget, she reported a letter from Mr. Jefferson and two or three newspapers. A letter from Mr. Jefferson says I, I know what the substance is before I open it; There is no secrets between Mr. Jefferson and me, And I cannot read it, therefore you may open and read it—When...
26From John Adams to Thomas Jefferson, 19 May 1821 (Adams Papers)
Must We, before We take our departure from this grand and beautiful World, Surrender all our pleasing hopes of the progres of Society? Of improvement of the intellectual and moral condition of the World? Of the reformation of mankind? The Piemontese Revolution Scarcely assumed a form; and the Neapolitan bubble is burst. And what Should hinder the Spanish and Portuguese Constitutions from...
27To Thomas Jefferson from John Adams, 12 October 1824 (Jefferson Papers)
By a resolution of the Citizens of Richmond we are authorised to make arrangement s for the reception of General La Fayette “in such manner, as may best comport with his convenience and testify the veneration of the Citizens for his character, their sense of his services and their affection for his person.” It will certainly be highly gartifying as well to the General as to our fellow Citizens...
28To Thomas Jefferson from John Adams, 6 September 1787 (Jefferson Papers)
I am Sorry to give you the trouble of this Commission: but I fear it will not be effectually done but by you, and therefore let me beg the favour of you to send for Mr. de La Blancherie and withdraw my Subscription to the Society of whose affairs he has the direction, and put a stop to his sending me the Nouvelles de la Republique des Lettres et Des Arts. He persuaded me at the Hague to...
29From John Adams to Thomas Jefferson, 10 July 1787 (Adams Papers)
I received with great Pleasure your favour of the first.— Your Excursion I dare answer for it, will be advantageous in many respects to our Country.— The Object of mine to Holland was to procure Money, and I had the good fortune to obtain as much as was necessary for the then present Purpose: but it was not in Consequence of any orders from Congress, and therefore I am under Some Apprehension...
30To Thomas Jefferson from John Adams, 10 November 1823 (Jefferson Papers)
Your last letter was brought to me from the Post office when at breakfast with my family. I bade one of the misses open the budget, she reported a letter from M r Jefferson and two or three newspapers. A letter from M r Jefferson says I. I know what the substance is before I open it; There is no secrets between M r Jefferson and me, and I cannot read it, therefore you may open and read it—when...
31To Thomas Jefferson from John Adams, 29 June 1786 (Jefferson Papers)
Inclosed is a Letter to Mr. Lamb and another to Mr. Randall: if you approve them please to Sign them and send them on. Why those Gentlemen have lingered in Spain I know not. I have long expected to hear of their Arrival in Paris. Possibly they wait for orders. If so, the inclosed will answer the End. The Chev. De Pinto told me on Wednesday that he had orders from his Court to inform me, that...
32From John Adams to Thomas Jefferson, 21 May 1819 (Adams Papers)
All the Literary Gentlemen of this part of the Country have an Ambitious Curiosity to see the Philosopher and Statesmen of Monticello—and they all apply to me for Introductions— and if I had ever received one introduction from you, I should have less scruple of Conscience in granting their requests—in the Stile of our New-England—the Reverend Mr Greenwood the Successor of Mr Thatcher and Dr...
33From John Adams to Thomas Jefferson, 11 June 1822 (Adams Papers)
Half an hour ago I received, and this moment have heard read, for the 3d. or 4th. time, the best letter that ever was written by an Octogenarian, dated June the first. It is so excellent that I am under an almost invincible temptation to commit a breach of trust by lending it to a printer. My Son Thomas Boylston—says it would be worth $500—to any Newspaper in Boston—But I dare not betray your...
34To Thomas Jefferson from John Adams, 31 January 1796 (Jefferson Papers)
I have received from our old Acquaintance D’Ivernois the inclosed Volume for you in the Course of the last Week. I consider all Reasoning upon French affairs of little moment. The Fates must determine hereafter as they have done heretofore. Reasoning has been all lost—Passion, Prejudice, Interest, Necessity has governed and will govern; and a Century must roll away before any permanent and...
35From John Adams to Thomas Jefferson, 28 January 1786 (Adams Papers)
I have rec d yours of the 12, but Yesterday, and wish it were in my Power to order the Interest due to the French Officers to be paid: but it is not.— They must remain unpaid, be the Consequence what it may untill Congress or the Board of Treasury order it. indeed, I dont know how your Subsistence & mine is to be paid after next month.— M r Grand will be likely to advance yours, but from...
36To Thomas Jefferson from John Adams, 17 April 1826 (Jefferson Papers)
Your letter of March 25 th has been a cordial to me, and the more consoling as it was brought by your Grandsons M r Randolph and M r Coolidge. every lady connected with you is snatched up, so that I cannot get any of them to dine with me, they are always engaged—how happens it that you Virginians are all sons of Anak, we New Englanders, are but Pygmies by the side of M r Randolph; I was very...
37From 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...
38From John Adams to Thomas Jefferson, 27 May 1819 (Adams Papers)
I have transmitted you a letter to Samuel Adams Welles Esqr. in Boston as you desire This gentleman is a singular character he is I believe the only surviving male of his Grandfather the late govenor of Massachusetts Samuel Adams who never had but two children a son and a daughter; his son who bore his name died early a surgeon in the army of the Revolution—without issue; his daughter married...
39From John Adams to Thomas Jefferson, 5 February 1795 (Adams Papers)
The inclosed Pamphlet and Papers I have received this Week from the Author, with his request to transmit them to you. I have before transmitted in the Course of this Winter, another Packet from the same Writer; but have as yet no answer from you: so that I am uncertain whether you have recd. it. Mr Jays Treaty with Britain is not yet arrived at the Secretary of States Office, though there is...
40From John Adams to Thomas Jefferson, 4 April 1794 (Adams Papers)
The inclosed Volume was lately sent in to me by a Servant—I have Since heard that the Author of it is in New York. The Book exhibits a curious Picture of the Government of Berne and is well worth reading. I congratulate you on the charming opening of the Spring and heartily wish I was enjoying of it as you are upon a Plantation, out of the hearing of the Din of Politicks and the Rumours of...
41From John Adams to Thomas Jefferson, 2 January 1789 (Adams Papers)
Give me leave to introduce to you John Coffin Jones Esq r , an eminent Merchant of Boston and a late Member of the Legislature from that Town. His Character both in public and private Life is much respected, and his Intelligence will enable him to give you a much better Account of the general and particular Politicks of this Country than I can. our Fellow Citizens are in the midst of their...
42From John Adams to Thomas Jefferson, 21 February 1820 (Adams Papers)
Was you ever acquainted with Dugald Stuart—before I left France I received a letter from Benjamin Vaughn Esqre. in London—Introducing, and recommending in strong terms two Gentlemen from Scotland, one by the name of Dugald Stuart and the other Lord———whose name and title I forget—as young Gentlemen of great talents and attainments sufficient to diminish our American prejudices against...
43To Thomas Jefferson from John Adams, 21 November 1794 (Jefferson Papers)
I am desired by our old Acquaintance Mr. D’Ivernois to transmit you the inclosed Papers for your inspection Opinion and Advice. The poor Fellow has been obliged to fly a Second time into Banishment. The first time, he was driven out as a Democrat: but it is now, Day about, as they Say, in Geneva, and he is compelled to run, as an Aristocrat. Shall We print his History? What Shall We do with...
44From 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...
45From John Adams to Thomas Jefferson, 21 December 1819 (Adams Papers)
I must answer your great question of the 10th in the Words of Dalembert to his Correspondent, who asked him what is Matter- “Je vous avoue que je n’en scais rien.” In some part of my Life I read a great Work of a Scotchmen on the Court of Augustus, in which with much learning, hard study, and fatiguing labour, he undertook to prove that had Brutus and Cassius been conqueror, they would have...
46To Thomas Jefferson from John Adams, 24 March 1801 (Jefferson Papers)
I have recd your favour of March 8 with the Letter inclosed, for which I thank you. Inclosed is a Letter to one of your Domesticks Joseph Dougherty , Had you read the Papers inclosed they might have given you a moment of Melancholly or at least of Sympathy with a mourning Father. They relate wholly to the Funeral of a Son who was once the delight of my Eyes and a darling of my heart, cutt off...
47From John Adams to Thomas Jefferson, 10 March 1823 (Adams Papers)
The sight of your well known hand writing in your favour of 25. Feb. last, gave me great pleasure, as it proved your arm to be restored and your pen still manageable—may it continue till you shall become as perfect a calvinist as I am in one particular. Poor Calvins infirmities his rheumatism his gouts and sciatics made him frequently cry out Mon dieu Jusque au quand Lord how long! Prat once...
48From 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...
49From John Adams to Thomas Jefferson, 2 December 1822 (Adams Papers)
I have been deeply afflicted with the account of your accident—At first your Leg was broke—I shuddered, I feared that I should have no more letters from Montecello—Next came the account that it was only a small bone in the Arm—My hopes revived the difference between the leg and the Arm was immense. To illustrate this difference, and for your consolation and amusement; I will give you an...
50To Thomas Jefferson from John Adams, 23 August 1785 (Jefferson Papers)
Last night, I received your Favour of the 17. If both Governments are possessed of the Contéents of my letter of the 7th. by opening it in the Post Office, much good may those Contéents do them. They both know they have deserved it. I hope it will convince them of their Error, and induce them to adopt more liberal Principles toward Us. I am for answering their Utmost Generosity with equal and...