Abigail Adams to Mary Smith Cranch, 28 January 1800
Abigail Adams to Mary Smith Cranch
Philadelphia Janry 28 1800
my Dear sister
I yesterday received Your Letter of the 19th. I think You have testified Your proportion
of Respect in a handsome manner to the Memory of the good and virtuous
Washington— that he ought to live in our Memories, and be transmitted to
posterity as a Character truly worthy Imitation, is Right; but some Eulogyst
have asscribed to him solely, what was the joint effort & concert of
Many. to no one Man in America, belongs the Epithet of Saviour of his Country; that Washingtons
Character, when we take into view, his Education, the place of his Birth,
and the Various Scenes in which he was call’d to act, exhibits a most
uncommon assemblage of Modesty, Moderation Magninimity, fortititud
perseverence and disinterestedness, will be most readily allowed, but at no
time, did the fate of America rest upon the Breath of even a Washington, and
those who assert these
things, are Ignorant of the spirit of
their countrymen, and whilst they Strive to exalt one character, degrade
that of their country these reflections have arrisen in My mind from reading
mr Paynes oration, and a Mad Rant of Bombast in a Boston centinal of a mr
Messenger— judge Minots oration is exempt from these reflections— it is the cool mild and wise and
judicious observations upon his Character are those only which will out live
the badges of mourning.1
Simple Truth is his best his greatest Eulogy— she alone can render his Fame
immortal—
The News from France, is not that the Royall standard is raised—but that a Triumvirate exists—2 Buonaparta is an adventerous Man. he is upon a Pinacle and with one foot only— we are yet alltogether in the dark respecting his view’s. Time must develope them—but one volcano burst forth after an other, and what current the lava will take; we must wait to learn—
I send you the report upon citizen Randolphs Letter.3 the young Man is like to cost the Country more Money in the debate by the time it will take up, than all his Services will be worth tho he lived to the age of an Anti-deluvian. I have not a doubt that it was all a contrived buisness, by the Anti feds to raise a ferment, to Spread amongst their constituents— see says the fly upon the wheel, what a dust I raise—4
I have had Letters from Berlin and the pleasure of hearing that both mr & mrs Adams were in good health—the latest date to 30 October5
when I wrote You last, I had had a sleepless Night.6 I then have no spirits to spair— I have had a turn of loosing my Sleep, but am not otherways Sick— I have for the last three Night been very fortunate
Genll Lincoln is about to return home by him I send a little packet which I request my sister to accept.7 pray desire Mrs Porter to look to the Beds frequently— I shall have much to request your care and attention to, as soon as you get through the Ordination. if the spring is not more of winter than the winter itself, I hope the Building will go up early in March the doors which must be cut through the Room & chamber will require the Removal of all the furniture, and the painting of Both which they now want. the glaseing of the front I would have done one of the first things—and the alteration in the kitchin which I contemplated I should like to have done, but the floor must be coverd—or painted again afterwards. when the new building goes up the kitchin will be so darkned that I must let the closset into it & take off a partition where the dressers now are. I think it would be best to run the partition along so as to take the Chamber door the cellar & parlour Door into the entry this will Make the kitchin much warmer & Screne the kitchin from the view of the parlour—but more of this Soon—
Mrs smith is very unwell with a voilent cold Soar Throat & some fever. She has kept her Chamber ever Since saturday. I hope She is getting better— caroline is well. the rest of us in pretty good Health— adieu my / Dear Sister I will write to mrs Black soon / yours
A A8
RC (MWA:Abigail Adams Letters).
1. Throughout January funeral orations were given for George Washington across New England, and many were printed in newspapers or as pamphlets. On 2 Jan. Boston printer Thomas Paine delivered a eulogy in Newburyport that characterized Washington as “inaccessible to human weakness.” On the same day Rev. Rosewell Messinger (1775–1844) delivered an oration in York, Maine, that was printed in the Massachusetts Mercury, 14 Jan., and mentioned in the Boston Columbian Centinel, 15 Jan., and opened: “The sun of the firmament is not darkened! The foundations of the earth do not tremble! Rocks have not fallen to dust! The mountains have not melted away! But the veil of liberty’s temple is rent in twain.” George Richards Minot (1758–1802), chief justice of the Suffolk County Court of Common Pleas, delivered a eulogy in Boston on 9 Jan., noting that although Americans’ “beloved WASHINGTON sleeps in death; their consolation is, that is faithful Brother, the vigilant ADAMS, survives.” Three collections of Washington eulogies were published within months of his death (Thomas Paine, An Eulogy on the Life of General George Washington, Who Died at Mount Vernon, December 14th, 1799, in the 68th Year of His Age, Newburyport, 1800, p. 6, No. 38178; Rosewell Messinger, An Oration, Delivered at Old York, on the Death of George Washington, Charlestown, 1800, No. 37995; Boston Columbian Centinel, 6 Jan. 1802; George Richards Minot, An Eulogy on George Washington, Boston, 1800, p. 6, 24, No. 37966; Eulogies and Orations on the Life and Death of General George Washington, Boston, 1800, No. 37383; Memory of Washington, Newport, R.I., 1800, No. 37951; The Washingtoniana, Baltimore, 1800, No. 39018).
2. News of the French coup d’état of 9 Nov. 1799 (An. VIII, 18 brumaire) was first reported in the Philadelphia Gazette of the United States, 27 Jan. 1800, which said that Napoleon had overthrown the Directory and speculated that a consular government would be formed. The Philadelphia Gazette, 28 Jan., outlined the initial three-person consulate of Napoleon, Roger Ducos, and Abbé Emmanuel Joseph Sieyès, for which see Descriptive List of Illustrations, No. 3, above.
3. Enclosure not found, but for the report issued by a House committee on the assault on John Randolph of Roanoke, see AA to William Smith, 16 Jan., and note 3, above.
4. Aesop’s fable “A Fly upon the Wheel.”
5. JQA wrote to JA on 30 Oct. 1799, updating him on the Anglo-Russian invasion of the Netherlands, detailing the status of the Second Coalition, and describing recent events in the European war (Adams Papers).
6. AA to Cranch, 17 Jan. [1800], in which AA expressed her approval of Rev. Peter Whitney Jr.’s settlement in Quincy and enclosed $10 toward the purchase of his ordination gown. She also criticized Randolph (, p. 208).
7. For the muslin fabric carried by Gen. Benjamin Lincoln, see Cranch to AA, 23 Feb., below.
8. AA also wrote to Cranch on 30 Jan., noting that she was to dine with members of Congress from Massachusetts and New Hampshire that day, remarking that her social schedule was busy because there were many “Congress Ladies” in Philadelphia, and inquiring about winter supplies for Phoebe Abdee (, p. 231).