3971From John Adams to Daniel Hitchcock, 24 August 1776 (Adams Papers)
Yours of the Twenty Second is before me. You mention, the Delicacy of appointing, an Officer of the Same State over another. And you put the Case of Coll Varnum and yourself. I have been a long Time puzzled to account, for Varnums Standing on the List of Colonells before you, whom I know to be many Years older than that Gentleman, has been represented to me to be. I have heard, this young...
3972From John Adams to U.S. Cabinet, 15 May 1800 (Adams Papers)
The President requests the Several heads of Departments to take the most prudent and oeconomical Arrangements for the removal of the public offices, Clerks and Papers, according to their own best Judgments as soon as may be convenient, in Such manner that the public offices may be opened in the City of Washington for the dispatch of Business by the fifteenth of June. DLC : Miscellaneous...
3973From John Adams to the President of Congress, No. 62, 8 May 1780 (Adams Papers)
Paris, 8 May 1780. RC ( PCC , No. 84, II, f. 23–26). LbC in John Thaxter’s hand( Adams Papers ). In the Letterbook this letter begins on the page following that of 11 May, numbered 64. printed: Wharton, ed., Dipl. Corr. Amer. Rev. Francis Wharton, ed., The Revolutionary Diplomatic Correspondence of the United States , Washington, 1889; 6 vols. , 3:656–660. In this letter, read in Congress on...
3974John Adams to Abigail Adams, 28 February 1779 (Adams Papers)
I suppose I must write every day, in order to keep or rather to restore good Humour, whether I have any thing to say or not. The Scaffold is cutt away, and I am left kicking and sprawling in the Mire, I think. It is hardly a state of Disgrace that I am in but rather of total Neglect and Contempt. The humane People about me, feel for my situation they say: But I feel for my Countrys situation....
3975From John Adams to John Peter De Windt, 1 May 1817 (Adams Papers)
You would be pleased to See the pretty Figure your Peach Trees and Cherry Trees make in my Garden. Their buds are at least a fortnight more forward than any of our native Trees. I hope you will contrive to come and see them next fall. Be Sure to bring the Sprightly Elizabeth with you. Tell her never to forget how her great grandfather Smoked his Segar. Tell her, if She will come and See him...
39761780. January 14. Fryday. (Adams Papers)
Rode from Ezpexo to Orduña, four Leagues. The Road is made all the Way, at a great Expence, but the Descent of the Mountains of Orduña is a great Curiosity. These Mountains are chiefly Rocks, of a vast hight: But a Road has been blown out of the Rocks, from the Hight of the Mountains, quite down into the Valey. After winding round and round a great Way, and observing the Marks of the Drills...
3977From John Adams to Joseph Delaplaine, 12 March 1822 (Adams Papers)
I thank you kindly for the Portrate of Mr Jay, which I very much admire, it is a great likeness it is stamped with wisdom sagacity, and benevolence as they have been, stamped upon his Countenance and Conduct, all his Life time.—I have delivered your formal letter to Mr Charles Shaw, to Mr William Smith Shaw the superintendent of the Boston Atheneaum and I shall deliver that inclosed with Mr...
3978From John Adams to Thomas McKean, 24 September 1813 (Adams Papers)
If I am committing an indiscretion, I hope you will pardon it. The Reverend Mr Henry Colman of Hingham, a Clergyman established in the Affections and Esteem of this Neighbourhood is on a Journey to Philadelphia. He has an Ardent desire to See the Old Patriots of the Revolution, and where can I look for an older one, than to Governor M. Kean? In addition to his professional Virtues of Piety and...
3979Enclosure: Draft of Peace Negotiation Articles, 13 July 1781 (Adams Papers)
Answer of the Minister Plenipotentiary of the United States of America, to the Articles to serve as a Basis to the Negotiation, for the Re-establishment of Peace. The United States of America, have no Objection provided their Allies have none to a Treaty with Great Britain, concerning the Re-establishment of Peace in America, or to another concerning the Re-establishment of Commerce, between...
3980From John Adams to Antoine Marie Cerisier, 19 August 1782 (Adams Papers)
I dare not venture to send the Comte’s Manuscript. If You will come here, You shall have the use of it as long as You please, and all the Accomodations You can desire. Pray quote the Reflections You mention from the Courier de Bas Rhin. I shall be glad to see yours in addition—there is ample Room for many. The Treaty of Commerce is not yet arranged. I have recd. a Card from the G. Pensionary,...
3981John Adams to Thomas Jefferson, 12 July 1822 (Jefferson Papers)
Yours of the 27 th June is received with pleasure, for the free air of it delights me. Your number of 1267. letters in a year, does not surprise me; I have no list of mine, and I could not make one without a weeks research, And I do not believe I ever received one quarter part of your number. And I very much doubt whether I received in the same year one twelfth part; There are reasons enough...
3982From John Adams to Benjamin Waterhouse, 28 October 1814 (Adams Papers)
Your Letter of the 10th is too delicious, to be disgraced by Ceremonies and Apologies in my Answer. You might as rationally ascribe the Events of this Annus mirablis, or any Annee la plus chetive et meprisable to the Power of Animalcules in Cayan Pepper Water, as to the Power or Policy of Men. I see nothing in the History of Napoleon more wonderfull or inexplicable, than in that of Zingis, of...
3983John Adams to Thomas Barclay, 11 June 1784 (Adams Papers)
My Express who sett off, on the third from Amsterdam is with you before now, and I hope you have found the Bills of Exchange to your Satisfaction. I am anxious for his Return, that I may have once collected together, under my own Eye, all that belongs to me in Europe, and be able to finish my Accounts. I should be much obliged to you, if you would examine my Accounts and Vouchers and give me...
3984John Adams to John Quincy Adams, 12 May 1794 (Adams Papers)
Your Letter of April 27 was put into the Post office at New York and I have neither seen nor heard of M r Dorr nor M r Jones. It is probable they found a Conveyance for their Letters in the ship which carries our Envoy Extraordinary and their Journey to this Town became unnecessary. I should have been glad to have seen them and I suppose they might have obtained their Request without...
3985From John Adams to Abigail Smith Adams, 31 August 1815 (Adams Papers)
I have received your letter of the 31st of August by Captain Brownson. I saw in an American Paper that Grandpapa has been on board the Seventy four which is in the command of Commadore Bainbrige and thought it a very fine Ship and and am in hopes of having a great many more by my return. I do not like England near so well as America nor do I think I should like any country so well as my native...
3986From John Adams to the Marquis of Carmarthen, 24 September 1787 (Adams Papers)
In Obedience to the orders of Congress I do myself the Honour, to inclose to your Lordship a Memorial to His Majestys Ministers of this days date. I have likewise the honour to inclose for the Information of his Majestys Ministers the Several Papers, numbered fom one to Seven, containing authenticated Accounts of the Proceedings, of the States of New Hampshire, Massachusetts, Rhode Island,...
3987From John Adams to Marie-Joseph-Paul-Yves-Roch-Gilbert du Motier, marquis de Lafayette, 3 October 1815 (Adams Papers)
Your Friend J. Q. A has given me Such an Account of his kind reception by your Family and of his delightful Journey and Visit to La Grange: that, though I could not envy his family their pleasure, I ardently wished I could have been one in their Suite. I would go father for such an excursion than for a Sight of Scipio in his retreat. Many Heroes, Statesmen and Phylosophers have retired: but...
39881780 Feb. 5. Saturday. (Adams Papers)
On Wednesday, the second of Feb. We took Post for Paris, and on Fryday the 4 arrived at Coué, where We lodged, but in the night it rained and froze at the same time untill the Roads were a glare of Ice, so that the Postillions informed Us, it was impossible for their Horses which in this Country are never frosted to go. We passed by Angouleme Yesterday Morning and encircled almost the whole...
3989From John Adams to Timothy Pickering, 23 September 1799 (Adams Papers)
I return you Mr. Murrays letters of May 28. June 13 & 22d, July 13 & 15 & the parts of newspapers inclosed with them. The private letter you sent me from Mr Murray, sometime ago, contained much such a review of the pamphlet of Boulay de la Meurthe. I have been anxious to see it, but it is not yet arrived. A parrallel between the English republic & the French must be a curious thing. I have...
3990From John Adams to Susanna Boylston Adams Clark Treadway, 9 September 1820 (Adams Papers)
The circle in which I move you know is very Contracted—and when I go round regularly like a hores in a mill I do pritty well—but if I indulge in the smallest eccentricity I am sure to suffer for it—I did however venture upon one which proved an exception—I went to Boston and dined with the Venerable Dr Vanderkemp at Mr Benjamin Guilds, in Company with a social Circle of Wise, Pious and...
Sewall, Attorney General. One of the highest Crimes, agravated as it was his Wife. Inquisition. Nancy Patterson. Lives in another Street, not so far as the Markett. Went to Bells House. He was in a great Passion with his Wife. She was bloody. He had a Child in his Arms, bloody. Cant tell the Time— whether it was a fortnight or 3 Weeks before she died. Her Eye was swelled so that she could not...
3992[Saturday Feb. 17. 1776.] (Adams Papers)
Saturday Feb. 17. 1776. The Committee to whom the Letters from Generals Arnold, Wooster, Schuyler and Lee were referred brought in their report, which was agreed to in the several Resolutions detailed in page 67. and 68 of this Volume of the Journals. Same day Resolved that Mr. J. Adams, Mr. Wythe and Mr. Sherman be a Committee to prepare Instructions for the Committee appointed to go to...
3993From John Adams to Harriet Welsh, 22 March 1822 (Adams Papers)
In answer to your Question of the 11th of this Month which has been so long on its way, that I have received it but this moment, I have no hesitation in saying that at no period of our revolution, could any Man be his popularity what it might, could have persuaded the people of this Country or any considerable number of them to be governed by a King of their own, or even a President for Life,...
3994From John Adams to James Warren, October 1775 (Adams Papers)
What think you of a North American Monarchy? Suppose We should appoint a Continental King, and a Continental House of Lords, and a Continental House of Commons, to be annually, or triennially or Septennially elected? And in this Way make a Supreme American Legislature? This is easily done you know by an omnipotent Continental Congress, and When once effected, His American Majesty may appoint a...
3995John Adams to Abigail Adams, 12 August 1776 (Adams Papers)
Mr. A. and Coll. Whipple, are at length gone. Coll. Tudor went off with them. They went away, about Three o Clock this afternoon. I wrote by A and Coll. Whipple too. By the latter I sent two large Bundles, which he promised to deliver to you. These middle States begin to taste the Sweets of War. Ten Thousand Difficulties and wants occur, which they had no Conception of before. Their Militia...
3996From John Adams to Elbridge Gerry, 14 April 1813 (Adams Papers)
I have received your favours of the 8th. and 10th and the volume of Benjamin Edes’s gazettes printed at Watertown between the 5th of June 1775 and the 9th. of December 1776. I am much obliged to you and to Mr Austin, for the Loan of this prescious collection of Memorials I read last Fall and Winter, The Scottish Chiefs, Thadeus of Warsaw and The Exiles of Siberia; and Scotts Lay, Marmion and...
3997John Adams to Charles Adams, 17 May 1794 (Adams Papers)
I am delighted with your delicious little Letter of 14 th. —but was puzzled to guess where you got your Description of Lubberland or what do the French call it? Pays de Cocany or some such Word. Does he get this, says I, from Old Chauar, or Spencer, or from shakespear? Young M r Otis, turned me to the Passage in elegant Extracts— It is it seems from the Tempest, which was to me, once very...
3998From John Adams to Joshua Thomas, 20 December 1802 (Adams Papers)
Nothing could afford me, more pleasure than to visit my Friends in Plymouth (where I formerly so much delighted to reside) on the 22d instant, according to your polite and obliging Invitation: but various circumstances will oblige me to denay myself that gratification. I feel a well grounded conviction that the best principles of sure great and glorious Ancestors, are inherited by a large...
3999From John Adams to C. W. F. Dumas, 1 October 1787 (Adams Papers)
Col. Forrest, informed me last Night that he delivered you the Letter I wrote by him. in which were orders upon the Bankers of Amsterdam to pay you your Salery, till then I was anxous about it, as you make no mention of it in yours of the 25 th of Sep r I am extreamly Sorry to hear of your unfortunate Situation, at the date of that Letter. but hope before this time there is some change for the...
4000From John Adams to William MacCreery, 13 April 1780 (Adams Papers)
I never heard a Word of your Arrival, untill this Day. I sincerely congratulate you upon it, and hope the fine Cargo you have brought will Set you at your Ease. Pray how did you leave all Friends and all Things at Baltimore, and in the rest of America? What is become of my old Friends Johnson, Paca, Chase, and many others? Baltimore flourishes, it seems in trade, which I wish may be increased,...