Richard Cranch to Abigail Adams, 10 November 1800
Richard Cranch to Abigail Adams
Quincy Novr: 10th: 1800.
Dear Sister.
I have the great Happiness of informing you that Mrs. Cranch remains better. Her Boyls, with which she was much troubled, are broke and have discharg’d matter that I hope will be salutary. She received your most kind and affectionate Letter from New Haven of the 2d Instt: 1 We are glad to hear you got so far safe, and hope our great Preserver will be with you still, and keep you from every Danger and Accident, and preserve your Life and Health as a Blessing to us and the World. As to the rest of our Family, we are all getting better except Ruthy, who has a relaps and is very sick, but I hope a little better than she was two or three Days past. The young Woman that we hired in her place, is taken sick, and went home on Saturday last. I fear she has the Fever. Mrs. Miller, the Major’s Lady, is Dead. She died of this Fever last friday Morng. and is to be buried tomorrows.2 Your dear Sister Peabody returns from Boston this Day. she has not been here, as it was thought to be unsafe on acct. of the prevailing Sickness among us for her to come to Quincy. Your amiable and manly Grand Son William, came from Atkinson to Boston alone on last Saturday to wait upon his Aunt back to Atkinson. I was surprised at his venturing so far alone; he left his Bror: and Uncle Peabody & Family well. I wrote to the Honble: Mr. Nathan Read requesting his interest in favour of my Son, who wishes to procure the Office of Clerk of the House of Representatives in Congress, and received from him the inclosed very friendly and polite Letter, which I wish you to give to my Son when you have read it.3
The News of our Envoys having signed a Treaty of Friendship a Commerce with France, you will doubtless see in the Publick Papers before this comes to hand. It was signed at Paris on the Night between the last of Sepr. and the first of October.4 Mrs. Norton continues to gain Strength, and sits up twice a Day for a little while. Mr. Boylston Adams is got so well as to have taken a Ride to Bridgwater last Week, and was out to Meeting on Sunday. We think the Prospect Brightens with regard to the reelection of our honoured and dear Friend. Our Genl: Court meets tomorrow on that interesting Business.5 If the Treaty with France should be agreeable to the Americans at large, I think it will have a happy influence in favour of him whose Wisdom plan’d the Measure. I wrote you on the 3d Instt: inclosing a few lines to you from my dear Mrs. Cranch, being the first and utmost effort of her trembling hand. I sent it under Cover to your Son T: B Adams Esqr., and hope you have received it, as I know it will give you pleasure.6
Please to give our Parental Regards to our dear Children at Washington and Love to your Son T:B.A. I am, my dear Sister, with unfeigned thankfulness for your kindness to us in our Sickness, your ever affectionate & obliged Brother
Richard Cranch.
Please to present my best Wishes for the Health of my Hond: & dear Brother the President.
RC (Adams Papers).
1. AA’s letter to Mary Smith Cranch of 2 Nov, voiced her anguish at leaving Quincy during Cranch’s illness and apologized for not visiting before she left (, p. 254).
2. Elizabeth Hamock Miller, the wife of Maj. Ebenezer Miller, died on 8 Nov. (vol. 10:357–358; Boston Gazette, 10 Nov.).
3. In a letter of 6 Oct. to Richard Cranch, William Cranch noted that he had written to his former tutor, Nathan Read, requesting his assistance in securing the clerkship of the House of Representatives, a position then held by Jonathan W. Condy; on 29 Oct. Richard Cranch wrote to Read on the same subject (both MHi:Christopher P. Cranch Papers). Condy resigned on 4 Dec. because of ill health and was succeeded by John Holt Oswald on 9 Dec. (vol. 7:92–93; , 6th Cong., 2d sess., p. 736).
4. Franco-American diplomatic negotiations took place between April and September, culminating in the Convention of 1800. Negotiations were slowed by contention over the Jay Treaty and the 7 July 1798 act voiding all prior treaties between the United States and France. Officially dated 30 Sept. 1800 but signed on 1 and 3 Oct., the convention contained 27 articles that reaffirmed the “inviolable, and universal peace, and a true and sincere Friendship between the French Republic, and the United States of America” and addressed the recovery of debts and restoring of ships, preferential commercial relations, and privateering and piracy. The news was first published in the Boston press in the Massachusetts Mercury, 7 Nov., a day after a special edition of the Philadelphia Gazette, 6 Nov., announced the arrival of news of the signing and reprinted a newspaper report from Paris proclaiming that “a strict and durable friendship is about to reanimate the mutual commerce of the two nations.” Reaction in newspapers of both parties was generally positive, with the Philadelphia Aurora General Advertiser, 11 Nov., offering muted support: “No possible advantage could have been derived from the consideration of perpetuating the difficulties which had embarrassed and deranged the national peace of France and America.” JA made his first public comment in his address to Congress on 22 Nov., noting that the U.S. envoys were received “with the respect due to their character” and that while official confirmation had not arrived, “it is to be hoped that our efforts to effect an accomodation will at length meet with a success proportioned to the sincerity with which they have been so often repeated.” The convention arrived in Washington, D.C., on 11 Dec. (vol. 13:165; , p. 682–687; , 32:159–160; , 6th Cong., 2d sess., p. 724; , 2:457–487). For the ratification of the convention, see AA to Cotton Tufts, 15 Dec., and note 2, below.
5. On 11 Nov. the Mass. General Court convened to appoint electors for the presidential election of 1800. Sixteen men were chosen, all of whom later voted for JA and Charles Cotesworth Pinckney (Boston Columbian Centinel, 12, 15 Nov.; A New Nation Votes).
6. The letter from Mary Smith Cranch was dated 7 Nov., above; for Richard Cranch’s cover letter, see note 2 to that letter.