31From George Washington to Benjamin Rush, 10 May 1788 (Washington Papers)
Your favour of the 26th ulto together with the seeds of the manget werzel and the Pamphlet respecting the cultivation and use of this valuable plant, came safe and claims my particular acknowledgments. I thank you for both, and shall endeavor to propogate the former with care and attention. Mrs Washington Joins me in compliments to Mrs Rush. I am Sir &c. LB , DLC:GW . The copyist should have...
32From John Adams to Benjamin Rush, 2 December 1788 (Adams Papers)
A multiplicity of avocations have prevented me, from answering your friendly Letter of the 2 d of July, till I am almost ashamed to answer it, at all. Your Congratulations on my Arrival and kind Reception are very agreable because I know them to be Sincere. your Compliments upon my poor Volumes are consolatory, because they give me grounds to hope that they may have done Some good. it is an...
33From John Jay to Benjamin Rush, 23 January 1789 (Jay Papers)
Your Recommendation adds to increases the number of considerations which induce me to wish well to D r . Rodgers, for your Judgment relative to him as a Man and as a Physician cannot fail to have great Influence and will cooperate with my Regard for his worthy father to do him friendly offices. It will I assure you give me pleasure to cultivate the ^an^ acquaintance with your amiable friend M...
34From John Adams to Benjamin Rush, 8 February 1789 (Adams Papers)
Your obliging favor of the 22 d Ult I rec d. last night.— I remember so much of the transactions, at the formation of the Pensilvania Constitution, that I wish you could save time enough from almost any other pursuit, to arrange your materials for an History of the Revolution in Pensilvania, to be published hereafter; at present perhaps it might not be prudent. The four respectable characters,...
35From John Adams to Benjamin Rush, 17 May 1789 (Adams Papers)
Your favour of the 19 of March deserves a particular consideration and answer, which I have not, till now, been able, from a multitude of avocations some frivolous yet indispensable, others of more consequence, to give it. The Influence which you Suppose I may have as President of the Senate, will be found to be very little, if any at all. you Say the Eastern States must not be Suspected: but...
36From John Adams to Benjamin Rush, 9 June 1789 (Adams Papers)
No! You and I will not cease to discuss political questions: but We will agree to disagree , whenever We please, or rather whenever either of Us thinks he has reason for it.— I really know not what you mean by apeing the Corruptions of the British Court. I wish Congress had been called to meet at Philadelphia: but as it is now here, I can conceive of no way to get it transported thither,...
37From John Adams to Benjamin Rush, 19 June 1789 (Adams Papers)
Your Single Principle, in your Letter of the 15 th must fail you.— You say “that Republican Systems have never had a fair Tryal.”— What do you mean by a fair Tryal? and what by Republican systems.— Every Government that has more than one Man in its soverignty is a republican system. Tryals innumerable have been made. as many as there have existed Nations. There is not and never was, I believe,...
38From John Adams to Benjamin Rush, 5 July 1789 (Adams Papers)
Without waiting for an Answer to my last, I will take a little more notice of a Sentiment in one your Letters. You Say you “abhor all Titles.” I will take the familiar freedom of Friendship to say I dont believe you.— Let me explain my self.— I doubt not your Varacity. but I believe you deceive yourself, and have not yet examined your own heart, and recollected the feelings of every day and...
39From John Adams to Benjamin Rush, 15 July 1789 (Adams Papers)
I have read D r Rush, de moribus Germanorum, with pleasure. As I am a great lover of paradoxes, when defended with ingenuity, I have read also the Phillippic against Latin and Greek, with some amusement: but my reverence for those Languages and the inestimable treasures hoarded up in them is not abated. Jean Jaques Roussseau’s phillippic against the arts and sciences amused informed and...
40From John Adams to Benjamin Rush, 24 July 1789 (Adams Papers)
I have persecuted you, too much with my Letters.— I beg you would give yourself no trouble to answer them, but when you are quite at Leisure, from more important Business or more agreable Amusement. I deny; that there is or ever was in Europe a more free Republic than England, or that any Liberty on Earth ever equalled English Liberty, notwithstanding the defects in their Constitution. The...
41From John Adams to Benjamin Rush, 28 July 1789 (Adams Papers)
“The Characters, I So much admire among the ancients,” were not “formed wholly by Republican forms of Government”— I admire, Phillip and Alexander, as much as I do Themistocles and Pericles, nay as much as Demosthenes— I admire Pisistratus, almost as much as solon: and think that the Arts, Elegance, Literature and Science of Athens, was his Work and that of his sons, more than of any or all...
42From John Adams to Benjamin Rush, 2 February 1790 (Adams Papers)
I cannot give up my dear Latin and Greek although Fortune has never permitted me to enjoy so much of them as I wished.— I dont love you the less however for your Indifference or even Opposition to them. Pray do you carry your Theory so far as to wish to exclude French Italian, Spanish and Tudesque?— I begun to fear that your multiplied phisical and other Engagements had made You forget me— But...
43From John Adams to Benjamin Rush, [17] February 1790 (Adams Papers)
I had heard, before I rec d your Letter of the 12 th , of your new Engagements in the Colledge added to your extensive Practice and other virtuous Pursuits: and therefore was at no loss to account for your long Silence. I have no Pretensions to the Merit of your manly and successful opposition to the Constitution of Pensilvania: but I am very willing to be responsible for. any Consequences of...
44From James Madison to Benjamin Rush, 7 March 1790 (Madison Papers)
Altho’ your last favour of the 27 Ult: does not require any particular answer, I can not let this occasional correspondence drop, without thanking you for so interesting a supplement to your former remarks on the subject lately decided in the House of Representatives. It not only gives me pleasure, but strengthens my conviction, to find my sentiments ratified by those of enlightened and...
45From James Madison to Benjamin Rush, 20 March 1790 (Madison Papers)
I recd. your favor of the 10th. instant some days ago. Altho’ I feel the force of many of your remarks, I can not embrace the idea to which they lead. It would not be consistent with the view I have taken of the subject; nor indeed promise any chance of success agst. the present politics of the House. The Petitions on the subject of Slavery have employed more than a week, and are still before...
46From John Adams to Benjamin Rush, 4 April 1790 (Adams Papers)
The Tories as you observe in your friendly Letter of 24 Feb. are more attached to each other; they are also, We must candidly confess, more of real Politicians.— They make to themselves more merit with the People, for the smallest services, than the Whigs are able to do for the greatest. The Arts, the Trumpetts the Puffs, are their old Instruments and they know how to employ them. The History...
47From John Adams to Benjamin Rush, 18 April 1790 (Adams Papers)
Your letter of April 13, soars above the visible diurnal Sphære.— I own to you that avarice Ambition the Love of Fame &c are all mysterious Passions. They are the greatest Absurdities, Delusions and Follies that can be imagined, if in this Life only We had hope. In the Boat on our Return from Point no Point, the principal Topick of Conversation was Independence. — an intercepted Letter early...
48From James Madison to Benjamin Rush, 3 May 1790 (Madison Papers)
Letter not found. 3 May 1790. Offered for sale in the Parke-Bernet Catalogue No. 468, May 1943.
49From James Madison to Benjamin Rush, [3 May 1790] (Madison Papers)
… Your hint as to addresses from the H. of Rep. to the National Assembly was perfectly new. I am far from thinking that such a measure might not be formed as [to] do credit to this Country and good to both…. Printed extract (Parke-Bernet Catalogue No. 468, “The Alexander Biddle Papers” [1943], pt. 1, item 151). See PJM Robert J. Brugger et al., eds., The Papers of James Madison: Secretary of...
50From James Madison to Benjamin Rush, 3 May 1790 (Abstract) (Madison Papers)
3 May 1790, New York. “Your hint as to addresses from the H. of Rep. to the National Assembly was perfectly new. I am far from thinking that such a measure might not be formed as do credit to this Country and good to both.” Printed extract (Parke-Bernet Catalogue No. 468, “The Alexander Biddle Papers” [1943], pt. 1, item 151). See Rush to JM, 24 Apr. 1790 , PJM William T. Hutchinson et al.,...
51From James Madison to Benjamin Rush, 5 July 1790 (Madison Papers)
Permit me to introduce to you the Bearer Count Andreani a young nobleman from Milan, who after traversing Europe with a philosophical curiosity, is prompted by the same motive to visit America. You will find him well informed on many subjects, particularly on mineralogy and chemistry, and not more recommended to your esteem by his science, than he is by his agreeable manners to your...
52From James Madison to Benjamin Rush, 31 July 1790 (Madison Papers)
I am just favored with your Eulogium on Docr. Cullen which from the taste of a page or two promises me an elegant treat. I am glad of the opportunity of repaying it with the inclosed Report of Mr. Jefferson on a Standard of weights &c. which can not fail to please all those who set a due value on public reformations, and see the aids to be derived to them from a regard to philosophic...
53From Alexander Hamilton to Benjamin Rush, [13 August 1792] (Hamilton Papers)
[ Treasury Department, August 13, 1792. The dealer’s catalogue description of this letter reads: “Respecting proposed method for obtaining fresh water from salt water.” Letter not found. ] ALS , sold at Parke-Bernet Galleries, Inc., May 24, 1943, Lot 117. Rush, who had been a member of the Pennsylvania Ratifying Convention, was a prominent Philadelphia physician and philanthropist. He was...
54From James Madison to Benjamin Rush, 1 October 1792 (Madison Papers)
I thank you my dear Sir for the obliging communications in your letter of the 10th Sepr. which I have but just recd; and am pleased to find your hopes so much re-animated by the aspect of our affairs. Much if not all may depend on the choice of an independent and virtuous representation for Penna. The enemies of republicanism seem aware of this, and to be exhausting their artifices to mislead...
55From Thomas Jefferson to Benjamin Rush, 3 April 1793 (Jefferson Papers)
Th: Jefferson being engaged in packing his books will thank Dr. Rush for the volumes lent him if he had done with them. He presents him his best compliments. Douignan de la vie humaine. 2. vols. Compendium of Physic. RC ( DLC : Rush Papers); addressed: “Dr. Rush”; endorsed by Rush. Not recorded in SJL . The first book TJ requested was Guillaume Daignan, Tableau des Variétés de la Vie humaine...
56From Thomas Jefferson to Benjamin Rush, 7 August 1793 (Jefferson Papers)
Th: Jefferson presents his compliments to Dr. Rush and will be happy if he can take a dinner with him in the country with a small party of friends on Friday at three aclock.—He presumes Dr. Rush knows that his house is on this side the river 3, or 400 yds. below Grey’s ferry. RC (J. William Middendorf, Jr., Baltimore, 1949); addressed: “Dr. Rush.” Not recorded in SJL .
57Edmund Randolph to Benjamin Rush, 24 June 1794 (Washington Papers)
26 June 1794. Encloses Heinrich Matthias Marcard’s letter to GW of 5 Aug. 1793, which GW gave to Randolph "with a request that I should answer it." As Marcard’s letter takes "distinguished notice" of Rush and "opens the way for some other pen, than an official one," to respond, Randolph asks Rush to reply to the letter. LB , DNA : RG 59, Domestic Letters. Rush wrote Randolph on 27 June that he...
58From Thomas Jefferson to Benjamin Rush, 22 January 1797 (Jefferson Papers)
I recieved yesterday your kind favor of the 4th. inst. and the eulogium it covered on the subject of our late invaluable friend Rittenhouse, and I perused it with the avidity and approbation which the matter and manner of every thing from your pen has long taught me to feel. I thank you too for your congratulations on the public call on me to undertake the 2d. office in the US. but still more...
59From Thomas Jefferson to Benjamin Rush, 12 September 1799 (Jefferson Papers)
I recieved in due time your friendly letter inclosing two pamphlets . I have deferred acknoleging them till I could have time to read them. that time should be scarce here will seem odd to you. but mine, from an early breakfast to a late dinner is given to my farms, & from dinner to early bedtime to society or light reading. I have read that on animal life with very great delight. a great...
60From Thomas Jefferson to Benjamin Rush, 23 September 1800 (Jefferson Papers)
I have to acknolege the reciept of your favor of Aug. 22. and to congratulate you on the healthiness of your city. still Baltimore, Norfolk & Providence admonish us that we are not clear of our new scourge. when great evils happen, I am in the habit of looking out for what good may arise from them as consolations to us: and Providence has in fact so established the order of things as that most...