John Adams to Abigail Adams, 8 November 1794

John Adams to Abigail Adams

Philadelphia Nov. 8. 1794

My dearest Friend

We took the Packet at New Haven, and arrived at N. York as Soon as the Stage— Although We Saved no time, We avoided some bruizes, at the Expence of a little of the Mal De Mer.

Mrs Smith and Children all well. Charity Smith married to Mr Shaw, Brother of the late Consul at Canton.—1 Our Charles at Steuben after an Examination at Albany and an honourable Admission to the Rank of Counciller at Law. I was at his Office and Saw his Clerk who appears well pleased, and Says his Master has good Business.2 We arrived last night in this City and lodged at a Mr Alders opposite to Mr Binghams.

No Senate yet.—3 The President returned. All Submission, in the Whiskey Counties. But a Force will be kept there to ensure their Obedience for some necessary time.

Antifœderalism, Jacobinism and Rebellion are drooping their heads, very much discouraged.

Clark of N. Jersey and Comr. Gillon dead.4 Smith of Carolina elected with great Ecclat.5 Butler gone to Charleston last Week unaccountably.— &c &c &c. Bradley left out, for a Man of different Politicks.6 Langdon in danger.7 These are Symptoms. If Ames fails The next Congress will be more fœderal than any that has yet assembled. but I Still hope better Things.

Fine Weather— I will write nothing as yet of Agriculture. Take great Care of your health which is prescious to me beyond all Calculation.

The Fall of Robespierre, has a great Effect on the Public Mind.— It has Startled and terrified many, whose Confidence in him was excessive. I am as ever. yours / without reserve.

J A.

RC (Adams Papers); endorsed: “Novbr 8th / 1794.”

1. Benjamin Shaw (1758–1807), the son of a Boston merchant, married Charity Smith, WSS’s sister, on 1 November. Benjamin’s brother Samuel (1754–1794) had served in the artillery during the Revolutionary War, then went into business, sailing on the first American vessel to go to China. Appointed U.S. consul at Canton in 1786, he died while returning from his third voyage to Asia (DAB; description begins Allen Johnson, Dumas Malone, and others, eds., Dictionary of American Biography, New York, 1928–1936; repr. New York, 1955–1980; 10 vols. plus index and supplements. description ends New York Weekly Museum, 15 Nov.).

2. Probably Samuel Bayard Malcom (1776–1815), Columbia 1794, who later became private secretary to JA during his presidency (Jefferson, Papers, Retirement Series, description begins The Papers of Thomas Jefferson: Retirement Series, ed. J. Jefferson Looney and others, Charlottesville, Va., 2004– . description ends 5:43; JA to AA, 3 March 1797, Adams Papers).

3. While the 2d session of the 3d Congress was supposed to begin on 3 Nov. 1794, the Senate did not achieve a quorum until 18 Nov. (Annals of Congress, description begins The Debates and Proceedings in the Congress of the United States [1789–1824], Washington, D.C., 1834–1856; 42 vols. description ends 3d Cong., 2d sess., p. 787).

4. Abraham Clark died on 15 Sept. after suffering sunstroke, and Alexander Gillon, for whom see vol. 4:55, died on 6 Oct. (DAB description begins Allen Johnson, Dumas Malone, and others, eds., Dictionary of American Biography, New York, 1928–1936; repr. New York, 1955–1980; 10 vols. plus index and supplements. description ends ; Biog. Dir. Cong. description begins Biographical Directory of the United States Congress, 1774–1989, Washington, D.C., 1989. description ends ).

5. For William Loughton Smith, see vol. 1:69. He served in the House of Representatives from 1789 until 1797 (Biog. Dir. Cong. description begins Biographical Directory of the United States Congress, 1774–1989, Washington, D.C., 1989. description ends ).

6. Stephen Row Bradley (1754–1830), Yale 1775, a lawyer and judge, had served as a Democratic-Republican senator from Vermont from 1791 to 1795. He was replaced in the 4th Congress by Elijah Paine, a Federalist (same).

7. John Langdon was reelected senator from New Hampshire (same).

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Source Project: Adams Papers
Title: John Adams to Abigail Adams, 8 November 1794
Author: Adams, John
Recipient: Adams, Abigail
Date: 8 November 1794

Reference

Cite as: “John Adams to Abigail Adams, 8 November 1794,” Founders Online, National Archives, https://founders.archives.gov/documents/Adams/04-10-02-0155. [Original source: The Adams Papers, Adams Family Correspondence, vol. 10, January 1794 – June 1795, ed. Margaret A. Hogan, C. James Taylor, Sara Martin, Hobson Woodward, Sara B. Sikes, Gregg L. Lint, and Sara Georgini. Cambridge, MA: Harvard University Press, 2011, pp. 248–249.]

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