4351From John Adams to Boston Patriot, 7 September 1811 (Adams Papers)
The preliminaries of peace were signed and I was weary of writing in the night. I do not find that I kept any journal during the remainder of the winter, until the month of May, 1783. I spent my time in looking at France, in the court and the city, in the theatres, churches, and especially in the palace, where the courts of justice are held. This survey of the laws, government, history,...
4352From John Adams to Samuel Osgood, 6 May 1785 (Adams Papers)
I have learnt with Pleasure, your Appointment to be one of the Commissioners of the Treasury of the United States and hope to hear by the next Packet, that you have accepted the Trust. It is of great Importance, that this Office should be in good hands, and the Duties of it, will no doubt give you full Employment, but I have heretofore rec’d so much benefit from your Correspondence, that I...
4353[May 1762] (Adams Papers)
The Cause of Jeffries Town Treasurer of Boston and Sewal and Edwards and several others being suits for the Penalties arising by the Law of the Province for building and covering those Building s not with slate nor Tile but with shingles. Mr. Gridley made a Motion that those Actions should be dismissed because the Judges were all Interested in the Event of them. Two of the Judges vizt. Wells...
4354From John Adams to William Lee, 10 April 1783 (Adams Papers)
I know not to what extravagances Adulation may extend in regard to D r: Franklin—nor do I much care, now the Independence of our Country, her Tom-Cod & Buckskins are so well secured. I expect soon to see a proposition to name the 18 th. Century, the Franklinian Age, le Siecle Franklinnien, & am willing to leave the Question, whether it shall have this epithet or that of Fredericien, to the D...
4355From John Adams to Thomas Jefferson, 3 May 1816 (Adams Papers)
Yours Ap. 8 has long Since been recd. J. “Would you agree to live your 80 years over again”? A. Aye! And Sanse Phrases.” J. “Would you agree to live your Eighty-Years over again forever”? A. I once heard our Acquaintance, Chew, of Philadelphia Say, “He Should like to go back to 25, to all Eternity”: but I own my Soul would Start and Shrink back on itself, at the Prospect of an endless...
4356From John Adams to Timothy Pickering, 7 June 1799 (Adams Papers)
I return you all the letters of Mr. King & Mr. Humphry’s which were inclosed with your letter of May 30th. Encourage Mr. King I pray you in your letters & instructions to him, to persevere with all the decision, which may be consistent with decency & politeness, in denying the right of British men of war to take from our ships of war, any men whatever & from our merchant vessel any Americans,...
4357John Adams to Abigail Adams, 30 June 1774 (Adams Papers)
I have nothing to do here, but to take the Air, enquire for News, talk Politicks and write Letters. This Town has the best Air I ever breathed. It is very level and there are no Mountains or Hills to obstruct the free Course of the Air, upon any Point of Compass for 8 or 10 Miles. It lies upon the Sea on the south And has a River running through it. The Weather has been inexpressibly fine all...
4358[April 13. 1776. and April 15.] (Adams Papers)
April 13. 1776. No Committee of the whole. April 15. No Committee of the whole.
4359From John Adams to John Marshall, 14 August 1800 (Adams Papers)
I received but last night your favor of the 4th. I have read the papers enclosed. 1. the letter from Mr. Robert Waln 2. the letter from Gid. Hill Wells. 3d The representation of three masters of vessels, Thomas Choate, Robert Forrest & Knowles Adams relative to the consulate of Madeira.—If there is a necessity of removing Mr. John Marsden Pintard, a native American & an old consul, why should...
4360[fifth of November 1779] (Adams Papers)
On the fifth of November 1779 I wrote to the Chevalier De Chavagne the Captain of the French Frigate The Sensible, that I had received all my dispatches from Congress and would be ready to embark and sail in Eight days. That the Persons who were to go with me, would be Mr. Dana who was Secretary to my Commission and Chargé D’Affaires, Mr. Thaxter my private Secretary, my two Sons, John, twelve...
4361John Adams to Cotton Tufts, 3 April 1786 (Adams Papers)
Inclosed with this is a Letter to Dr Holyoke and all the original Papers from the Royal Society of Medicine. You will be so good as to inclose and direct them to him. I hope Mr. John is, or will soon be at Colledge. You may draw upon me for two hundred Pounds st. and invest it as before, to help you pay the Expences of my Boys. Yours Inclosed is a Note from my Friend Count Sarsefield. Will you...
4362From John Adams to Joseph Thaxter, 28 August 1822 (Adams Papers)
Your letter from Edgarton of the 21st: instant, gave me great pleasure. The sight of your name excited recollections of an antient and pleasant acquaintance, and some little modern resentments for your having made several visits to this part of the Country, without coming to see me. I agree with you in your opinions of the modern Crusade. Superstition and enthusiasm are excited and enkindled...
4363March [1754]. (Adams Papers)
Beg inning of March Had a small flurry of snow. There was snow in Cambridge on 2 March and “a little” on 7 March (John Winthrop, Meteorological Journal, MH-Ar ). Other considerations rather favor the 2d over the 7th of March as the precise date of this entry in the Diary Fragment.
4364From John Adams to William Plumer, 27 October 1814 (Adams Papers)
I thank you for your pamphlet, which I read with great Satisfaction It is written with admirable temper, and carries demonstration with it, to every mind that is not rendered by party prejudice and passion, insensible to evidence. Too Many of our Clergy are going the Way of the Magi, the Druids the Mandarines, the Mufti, the Bramins, the Pontiffs of antient and modern times; by making...
4365From John Adams to François Adriaan Van der Kemp, 20 February 1811 (Adams Papers)
You have planned more Work in your favour of the 9th than could be executed by any Body in twenty years: by me, not in 50 or 100. But Sobrius esto! Oh my Soul! I must not Speak of your Indisposition lightly. Your Bark and Exercise and friendly Visits and Games of Chess are better for you, than Study or Writings. If your lovely Daughter reads to you The Lady of the Lake, I approve of that...
4366From John Adams to the President of Congress, 11 June 1781 (Adams Papers)
Amsterdam, 11 June 1781. RC in John Thaxter’s hand PCC , No. 84, III, f. 197–205. printed : Wharton, ed., Dipl. Corr. Amer. Rev. Francis Wharton, ed., The Revolutionary Diplomatic Correspondence of the United States , Washington, 1889; 6 vols. , 4:487–491. John Adams included English translations of a petition to the city of Antwerp by its merchants and inhabitants and of an essay by Antoine...
4367From John Adams to Timothy Pickering, 13 April 1799 (Adams Papers)
I regret that I cannot have an oppertunity of receiving General Maitland, and Colo. Grant and conversing with them on several subjects of Importance. They will I hope & presume communicate to you all that will be necessary for us to know, relative to a Certain Topick, but I wish to know their sentiments concerning Surrinam Curracoa &c—and the neutral Ports that harbour Privateers, Caienna too...
43681772. Feby. 9. Sunday. (Adams Papers)
“If I would but go to Hell for an eternal Moment or so, I might be knighted”—Shakespeare. Shakespeare, that great Master of every Affection of the Heart and every Sentiment of the Mind as well as of all the Powers of Expression, is sometimes fond of a certain pointed Oddity of Language, a certain Quaintness of Style, that is considered as an Imperfection, in his Character. The Motto prefixed...
4369John Adams to Abigail Adams, 7 December 1794 (Adams Papers)
Brisler has shipped, on board The Abby Captain Eames, two Barrells of Flour, one hundred Weight of Clover Seed and half a Bushell of Herds Grass Seeds; and the Medallion: all consigned to our Friend M r Smith in Boston. As Captain Eames’s Intention was to Sail to day, I Suppose he is gone. twelve Pounds of Clover seed and two quarts at least of Herds grass seeds must be sown, when the time...
4370From John Adams to John Jay, 8 May 1785 (Adams Papers)
In executing the Instructions of Congress, of the Seventh of March last, as well as all former Orders, which concern the Court of Great Britain, the Ministry will no doubt find my Commission and Letter of Credence Sufficient Authority. But you will See by a Letter from the Duke of Dorsett, which your Ministers here Sometime Since transmitted, that the British Cabinet have conceived doubts,...
4371John Adams to Abigail Smith, 14 February 1763 (Adams Papers)
Accidents are often more Friendly to us, than our own Prudence.—I intended to have been at Weymouth Yesterday, but a storm prevented.—Cruel, Yet perhaps blessed storm!—Cruel for detaining me from so much friendly, social Company, and perhaps blessed to you, or me or both, for keeping me at my Distance. For every experimental Phylosopher knows, that the steel and the Magnet or the Glass and...
4372From John Adams to Samuel Osgood, 12 April 1783 (Adams Papers)
Recollecting the Correspondence, which passed between you & me in the Year 1775, I have been sometimes in hopes you would have revived it, since you have been in Congress.— A Multitude of things have been transacted in Congress, the Grounds, Motives & Objects of which have never been explained to me; so that I have been frequently at a loss to regulate my own Conduct— I have been somewhat...
4373From John Adams to Oliver Wolcott, Jr., 15 May 1800 (Adams Papers)
The President requests the several heads of Departments, to take the most prudent and economical arrangements, for the removal of the public offices, clerks, and papers, according to their own best judgment, as soon as may be convenient, in such manner that the public offices may be opened in the City of Washington for the despatch of business, by the 15th of June. Printed Source--George...
4374From John Adams to Cotton Tufts, 12 February 1788 (Adams Papers)
Every Question you ask about the new Constitution Shows that you understand the subject as well as I can pretend to do, and that you are well aware of the reasonable Difficulties and objections. But is there not danger that a new Convention at this time, would increase the Difficulties and reasonable Exceptions rather than remove any of them? a Declaration of Rights I wish to see with all my...
4375From John Adams to Edmé Jacques Genet, 9 May 1780 (Adams Papers)
I thank you for your Note of yesterday and the Papers inclosed. The Proposals for a general Pacification, by the Dean of Gloucester, whether they were written by him, or another, were probably intended to feel the pulse, of France, or Spain, or America, nay it is not impossible that they might be intended to Sound, So inconsiderable a Portion of Existence as Mr. John Adams: but it must be...
4376From John Adams to Benjamin Stoddert, 8 June 1799 (Adams Papers)
The plan of operation in the naval service projected in your second favor of the third of June I like very well.—We must open the intercourse with St Domingo on the best terms we can provided the accounts from Steevens and Maitland will admit of it. I will not dissappoint those islandlers if I can help it. My greatest fears are that Maitland & Toussaint will not agree. The Constitution will...
4377John Adams to Abigail Adams, February 1779 (Adams Papers)
You are uneasy that I dont write enough. I understand you. You want me to unravel to you all the Mysteries of the Poli ti cks of Europe, and all the Intrigues of Courts. This would make Madam a Lady of Consequence no doubt and enable her to shine in a Circle of Politicians of Either sex.—But in the first Place I dont understand them—in the next if I did I would give the English Leave to laugh...
4378From John Adams to James Lovell, 3 January 1779 (Adams Papers)
I Suffer So much Uneasiness, on Account of the State of Things here, that I cannot fail to communicate my Anxieties, so to some one in Congress, which you may We are very much Straightened for Funds, and you send Us no supplies, and yet you draw upon Us, from America from the West Indies, and from many other Quarters. We are continually exposed to the Insolen Reproaches, and the Insolence of...
4379John Adams to John Quincy Adams, 28 October 1796 (Adams Papers)
I have this Morning, filed in order your Letters and have now in one bundle before me from N o. 6 to N o. 23 inclusively and will take care they shall not be again Seperated. The Western Posts are all delivered, and the Commissions in a good Way.— M r King and M r Gore in England and I hope M r Pinkney in France, will be your Friends bothe Personally and Politically. You are destined to...
4380From John Adams to Oliver Wolcott, Jr., 15 August 1800 (Adams Papers)
I received but last night your favor of the 4th. The papers containing applications & recommendations for the collectorship of the port of Louisville in Kentucky I have read & agree with you that Mr James McConnel appears to be the person most suitable to receive the appointment to succeed Col. Richard Taylor resigned & you may send him a commission accordingly. I return all these papers &...