22921From John Quincy Adams to Abigail Smith Adams, 28 December 1816 (Adams Papers)
General Boyd, Mr Stores, Mr Forbes, and Mr and Mrs. Everett, have all arrived in London within the week past; and by them, with many other Letters and despatches I have received your favours of 5. and of 26. November—There must be I think a Letter in arrear between the 30th. of September and the 5th. of Novr—You acknowledge the receipt of my Numbers 92 and 93—and 97 and 98. I hope the...
22922From Abigail Smith Adams to William Steuben Smith, 1816 (Adams Papers)
I have not been able to answer a very pleasant Letter from your Father, which I received after I was sick. I am now something stronger, and my physician says, I shall get up again, but a small blast would blow me away.... You will be so good as to give me information of your Brother as soon as you hear. I have not any Letter of a later date than Novbr 7th. Remember me to Aunt Nancy when you...
22923From Abigail Smith Adams to Harriet Welsh, 1 January 1817 (Adams Papers)
Many happy returns of the Season dear Harriet is wished you by your Friend, who you know would rejoice to see you at Quincy, but the Gay parties in Boston, must have more charms for the young and Beautifull, than the Sombre & dreary view of a dead & brown carpet which covers the Earth at present, & the leafless Trees, so naked and bare. I want to see it put on the white mantle, so emblamatical...
22924From John Quincy Adams to John Adams Smith, 1 January 1817 (Adams Papers)
I enclose herewith a draft of a Note to Lord Castlereagh on the case of the Hope, which I will thank you to copy on the sheet, with the signature and send immediately to His Lordship, as my New Years present. yours truly. MHi : Adams Family Papers, Letterbooks.
22925From John Adams to John Quincy Adams, 2 January 1817 (Adams Papers)
I have received your Letter of the 26th. of December 1817 inclosing a Postnote upon the Branch Bank of The United States at Boston for nine hundred and One dollars and Ninety five Cents, being the Amount of the dividend of five per Cent upon the debt proved under the Commission of Bankruptcy of Robert Bird and Co. at New York. I am your affectionate Father MHi : Adams Papers.
22926To John Adams from John Quincy Adams, 3 January 1817 (Adams Papers)
Your favour of 23. Septr: & 3. Octr. was brought to me by my old friend and Classmate I. M. Forbes, and that of 13. Novr. by General Boyd, who both came fellow-passengers in the same vessel. Mr Everett has since arrived, by whom I received a Letter of 26. November, from my dear Mother. I have briefly replied to my Mother upon the advice, which you and she have given me to return to the United...
22927From John Adams to John Adams Smith, 7 January 1817 (Adams Papers)
Thanks for your favour of Novbr. 13th. Of Lord Holland, I know nothing. I pity the people, I pity all men of destinction. I pity Emperors, Kings and Popes. they are all when invested with a little brief authority, hurried, and driven by their associates, into measures, they do not and cannot approve: What is to be the fate of Napoleon? no matter; Split him for a Mackerel and broil him for the...
22928From Abigail Smith Adams to John Quincy Adams, 8 January 1817 (Adams Papers)
I must begin my Letter by wishing you and yours, many returns of the Season, as pleasent, as delightfull as the present for the winter hitherto has been as mild, as the Summer was cold. “Sterne Says, God tempers the wind to the Shorn Lamb” and the winter as yet; has been temperd to the wants, and necessities of the people: altho their Herbage was cut off, and the Herds in their stalls will be...
22929From Louisa Catherine Johnson Adams to Albert Gallatin, 11 January 1817 (Adams Papers)
I write you a few lines to apologise for the liberty I took in requesting you would affix you Seal to what I supposed would have been a small paper parcell containing some very trifling articles for which Mr. Adams had permitted me to send, and which I thought too trifling to request an order for as it is always obtained with difficulty—I flatter myself you will pardon the error and believe me...
22930From John Quincy Adams to Abigail Smith Adams, 11 January 1817 (Adams Papers)
Your favour of 26. November, is yet the latest that I have received from you—But since my last to you, and since mine of the 3d. instant to my father, I have received one from him, more earnestly calling upon me, to ask my recall from this Mission, and return home—I have in my last Letters both to him and you, expressed my sentiments and intentions on this subject, and have alledged such...
22931From Thomas Jefferson to Abigail Smith Adams, 11 January 1817 (Adams Papers)
I owe you, dear Madam, a thousand thanks for the letters communicated in your favor of Dec. 15. and now returned. they give me more information than I possessed before of the family of mr Tracy. but what is infinitely interesting is the scene of the exchange of Louis XVIII. for Bonaparte. what lessons of wisdom mr Adams must have read in that short space of time! more than fall to the lot of...
22932From Abigail Smith Adams to Harriet Welsh, 14 January 1817 (Adams Papers)
I know dear H. that you will be glad to learn that S. received a Letter last Evening from mr C. dated 6 Jan’ry. he was recovering Slowly, but his Blister proved a troublesome companion so bad the dr had forbiden him to write for more than a week he was not disposed to remove from his Lodgings untill he heard from here, then as soon as he was able he intended sitting out for Washington. his...
22933To John Adams from John Quincy Adams, 14 January 1817 (Adams Papers)
As you live in terror of my long Letters, and as the very last, I had the pleasure of writing you, was of that description, and not without a smack of orthodoxy, I shall content myself this time with a very few lines, to accompany the Sunday’s Observer and Saturday’s cheap Cobbett; for the Porpuicine to shoot his Quills with more effect has made himself cheap, and although you will know what...
22934From Abigail Smith Adams to Harriet Welsh, 17 January 1817 (Adams Papers)
I return the sermon with my Thanks I had read it before, mr Newton brought it in manuscript to us. I was pleased with it, then and quite as much upon a second perusal—the letters I shall inclose to Caroline on Monday—Mr Coleman was much pleasd with the kind notice he received from the great people and from Mr Rush and family in particular. when he says he felt at home their children were all...
22935From Abigail Smith Adams to Harriet Welsh, 19 January 1817 (Adams Papers)
The weather has been so Boisterous to day that not one of us have ventured out to meeting. I have written a long Letter to Caroline, and I Send you her two last Letters and return those of mr Everets, with thanks. I think them full as entertaining as Eustices Letters classical Tour. I laughd heartily at the attack of the young Lady who insisted upon Waltz waltzing with the Gentlemen. The other...
22936From John Adams to John Quincy Adams, 22 January 1817 (Adams Papers)
Last night your Brother brought me your delicious Letter of 29th Octr. How do you know that Bees and Ants, and even Caterpillars and Cankerworms never enquire into the Why and the “Wherefore”? You cannot prove it. St. Justin and Dupuis, Dr Priestley and my Neighbour Colman all agree in the Precept “Be good.” I do not find however, that any of the Popes or their Janisary Loyola, or Luther or...
22937From John Quincy Adams to John Adams Smith, 23 January 1817 (Adams Papers)
If a large packet forwarded by the mail from Mr Maury at Liverpool, but coming from Philadelphia & charged with heavy postage should be brought to the office, pray do not pay the postage, nor open the packet till I come to town on Saturday. yours. MHi : Adams Family Papers, Letterbooks.
22938From John Quincy Adams to Abigail Smith Adams, 25 January 1817 (Adams Papers)
Scarcely a day now passes, without the arrival of vessels from the United States; but they are principally from New York or more Southern Ports—The failure of the Harvests in this Country has much contributed to their frequency. Two years ago the British Parliament made a Law, to raise the price of Bread; having discovered that if that first necessary of life should be cheap, the Country would...
22939From John Quincy Adams to Abigail Smith Adams, 1 February 1817 (Adams Papers)
Mr J. Sergeant, arrived in London last week, and delivered to me Letters from you, my father and my brother. Your’s is of 5. December—At that time, you observe, the Season with you, had become very cold—Most fortunately for this Country, there has been no cold weather this Winter, and scarcely any Snow. The verdure of the fields in this neighborhood, is like that of May—There are several...
22940From John Quincy Adams to Thomas Boylston Adams, 5 February 1817 (Adams Papers)
Mr Sargent who arrived in London, about ten days ago, delivered to me your Letter of 6. December; and I am now in daily expectation of receiving your annual account, and your final arrangement for making the second payment upon the Bank Shares. Your anticipation that the price of the Script would fall, as the day to make the payment drew near, was so well founded, that I hope you did not wait...
22941From John Quincy Adams to Abigail Smith Adams, 6 February 1817 (Adams Papers)
Nothing further received from you, since I wrote you last week—My boys have returned to School; and to close their holidays I went with them to Drury–Lane Theatre, and saw the Tragedy of Richard the third—The part of this amiable hero, was performed by Mr Kean, who is now the reigning favourite of the Public—They have mutilated this Play so much in their manner of getting it up, that it is...
22942From Abigail Smith Adams to François Adriaan Van der Kemp, 7 February 1817 (Adams Papers)
As my good Husband chats Sometimes in circles I will explain to you. my Son J Q A—inclosed to me the Monthly Repository, Saying that, A mr Aspland an Unitarian Clergyman called upon him, and gave him two copies of a late periodical Publication, one of which he inclosed, as he thought it would be particularly interesting to his Father, and to me; as containing a Letter from mr van der Kemp and...
22943From John Quincy Adams to Abigail Smith Adams, 12 February 1817 (Adams Papers)
Scarce a day now passes without the arrival of vessels laden with flour from the United States. I am informed from Liverpool that upwards of twenty-five thousand Barrels have already been received there since the opening of the Ports. We have had several days ago accounts from New-York, down to the 18th. of last Month; and on Saturday I received your kind Letter of 8. Jany.—There is an old...
22944From Abigail Smith Adams to Thomas Baker Johnson, 20 February 1817 (Adams Papers)
Having just closd a Letter to your Sister Buchannan my next is due to you. I am in arrears for a Letter dated in july, as well as for your last favour of December the Eleventh. In reply to your queries respecting mr Adams being designd for the office of Secretary of State, I must confess that I have not any better authority for it than you have, which is the News papers. the Southern papers...
22945From William Cranch to Abigail Smith Adams, 21 February 1817 (Adams Papers)
I know you will rejoice with me that Mrs. Cranch is again the mother of a daughter. This event happend last Evening. Mrs. Cranch requests you to permit us to name her with your name, not only as a testimony of our gratitude to you r for all your kindness to us and our connections, but as an incentive to the little stranger to in imitate the virtues which she will hear recounted when she shall...
22946From François Adriaan Van der Kemp to Abigail Smith Adams, 24 February 1817 (Adams Papers)
Unexpectedly I found myself once mor honoured with a few lines and well in a Season—in which the Severity of the weather might prevent any other—besides your Ladyship to bestow Similar favours: It cheered indeed my nearly benumbed Spirits; but—what enhanced the value of this gratification—was your courtesy in permitting me the perusal of a gift—intended by the Embassador for his favoured...
22947From John Quincy Adams to Thomas Baker Johnson, 28 February 1817 (Adams Papers)
In conformity to the request contained in your favour of 28. June last and to that in one of your Letters about the same time to your Sister, we have had our Portraits painted by Mr Leslie an Artist of very handsome talents, from our own Country, whose performance will I hope give you satisfaction. As there has been no vessel bound from London, directly to New Orleans; and as Mr Leslie was...
22948From François Adriaan Van der Kemp to Abigail Smith Adams, 7 March 1817 (Adams Papers)
Did I not foster Such an exalted opinion of John Quincy Adams, then yet I might deem it a becoming courtesy to address his excellent Parents on this Solemn occasion—But now I will indulge the irresisteble impulse, of allowing my Self the exquisiste gratification, which not often can be offered, in congratulating his Mother with the certainty—that the highest office—in the gift of the...
22949From Abigail Smith Adams to Harriet Welsh, 8 March 1817 (Adams Papers)
I have not had any opportunity of writing to you before—indeed I have been So occupied: that I have not had time, for beside Sickness, the good folk who love Sleighing have many of them embraced this opportunity of visiting us; and Louissa wants constant watching to Supply her by little & little with the small nourishment She takes and to See that She does not exceed her Strength by Sitting up...
22950From Susanna Boylston Adams Clark Treadway to Sarah Smith Adams, 11 March 1817 (Adams Papers)
I recieved your very kind letter, this morning, and hasten to acknowledge it; from Mr Clark, I heard last week, his health is entirely reestablished, but he was prevented leaving Maryland by the Ice, which renders the navigation very difficult, indeed it has been entirely closed for the last two months; I hope however by this time, the fetters, which have surrounded him are dissolved, and he...