4451From John Adams to Edmund Jenings, 22 March 1781 (Adams Papers)
With great pleasure have I recieved yours of the 19th, with its Inclosures. I wish I could answer more at large, but in addition to a thousand other Objects crowding upon me at present, I have had to write my obscure Name nine and twenty thousand times to Obligations and Coupons, which I expect will give me before it is ended a great Name at least, if not a great deal of Money. I am...
4452To Benjamin Franklin from John Adams, 1 August 1781 (Franklin Papers)
LS : American Philosophical Society Upon my Arrival here I found your Letter of the 30th. of June, Copy of which had been sent along to me by Mr. Thaxter to Paris, but by some unaccountable means sent back without being delivered to me. Many Bills had been presented in my Absence, and at first I was at a loss whether to accept them, until further Advice from You. But considering they had lain...
4453Adams’ Diary: 4 April 1767 (Adams Papers)
Poor Nye of Sandwich, seems dejected. I should suspect by his Concern that Cotton gained Ground vs. him. He seems to be hipp’d. It fretts and worries and mortifies him. He cant sleep a Nights. His Health is infirm. Cotton is insane, wild. His Proposal of giving his House and Farm at Sandwich to the Province is a Proof of Insanity.... His sitting down at the Council Table with his Hat on and...
4454From John Adams to United States Senate, 4 February 1799 (Adams Papers)
I nominate Henry Seton of New York, to be a Lieutenant in the Navy DNA : RG 46—Records of the U.S. Senate.
4455John Adams to John Quincy Adams, 5 April 1794 (Adams Papers)
The Old Debtors to British subjects, united with the over Zealous Friends of France and the Democratical societies of our principal Cities, are urging a sequestration of Things in Action: and as I know you are not inattentive to any question of public Law, I have inclosed you some minutes of Authorities and I wish you to look into all others relative to this subject. I have not Grotius here,...
44561774. Tuesday. Septr. 27. (Adams Papers)
Dined at Mr. Bayards, with Dr. Cox, Dr. Rush, Mr. Hodge, Mr. Deane, Coll. Dyer. Dr. Cox gave us a Toast “May the fair Dove of Liberty, in this Deluge of Despotism, find Rest to the Sole of her Foot in America.”
4457From John Adams to François Adriaan Van der Kemp, [6 December 1796] (Adams Papers)
I have rec d your favour of the 10. of Nov. and thank you for the quotations from the Posthumous Works of the late K. of Prussia. The Quotations from Condercet are Proofs of Insincerity or Inconsistency but the latter may be easily expected from a Person who writes upon a subject he knows nothing of. I am able unfortunately to give you some Extracts of Letters concerning a Man of more Sense,...
4458From John Adams to Benjamin Stoddert, 31 March 1800 (Adams Papers)
The President of the United States requests the Secretary of the Navy to take immediate measures for carrying into execution the resolution of congress of the 29th, for presenting to Capt Thomas Truxton, a golden medal emblematical of the late action, between the United States frigate Constellation of thirty eight guns & the French ship of war La Vengeance of fifty four, in testimony of the...
4459From John Adams to John Bondfield, 18 August 1781 (Adams Papers)
I have received your favour of August 7. with much pleasure, and thank you for the agreable News it contains. The Dutch have at last, Sent off Parker with a Flea in his Ear —pardon a very homely Expression. There is an End, sir, from this Moment of British Tyranny upon the Sea. The Heart and Spirit of the English Navy is certainly broke, and their Skill and Courage gone. They have lost their...
4460July 26. 1796. Tuesday. (Adams Papers)
Cloudy and begins to rain, the Wind at N.E. The Men gone up the Hill to rake the Barley. In conformity to the fashion I drank this Morning and Yesterday Morning, about a Jill of Cyder. It seems to do me good, by diluting and dissolving the Phlegm or the Bile in the Stomach. The Christian Religion is, above all the Religions that ever prevailed or existed in ancient or modern Times, The...
4461From John Adams to Alpheus Cary, 26 November 1824 (Adams Papers)
I have received your respectful & affectionate letter of Novr. 4th. for which I thank you as well as for your Address before the Massachusetts Charitable Mechanic Association—The Address is neither unlettered nor unworthy of the Association to which it is addressed. It is a manly, well written and well informed peice of Composition. I feel a pride in it as the production of a Son of the Town...
4462From John Adams to the President of Congress, No. 30, 30 March 1780 (Adams Papers)
Paris, March 30 1780. RC in John Thaxter’s hand ( PCC , No. 84, I, f. 383–384). printed : Wharton, ed., Dipl. Corr. Amer. Rev. Francis Wharton, ed., The Revolutionary Diplomatic Correspondence of the United States , Washington, 1889; 6 vols. , 3:581–582. Read by Congress on 11 Sept., this letter contained an account of a confrontation in February between several corps of Irish volunteers and a...
4463John Adams to Abigail Adams, 15 February 1795 (Adams Papers)
This is the coldest day We have felt this Winter, and if it were not for the hope I have of a Letter from you Tomorrow, I should freeze for what I know, to night. This Month has been all unpleasant Weather but none severe. You have had a North East storm I perceive which raised the Tides And I hope brought in a fresh and abundant supply of Seaweed.— It is the dullest time We have seen this...
4464From John Adams to Alexander Hamilton, 20 June 1800 (Adams Papers)
The itinerant Life I have led has prevented me from Acknowledging the Receipt of your favour of May 24th., till this time. Your Sentiments are very Satisfactory to me, and will be duly attended to. I anticipate Criticism in every Thing which relates to Col. Smith. But Criticism, now criticised so long, I regard no more than “Great George a Birthday Song.”—Coll Smith Served through the War with...
44651782 November 12. Tuesday. (Adams Papers)
Dined with the Abby Chalut and Arnoux. The Farmer General, and his Daughter, Dr. Franklin and his Grand Son, Mr. Grand and his Lady and Neice, Mr. Ridley and I with one young French Gentleman made the Company. The Farmers Daughter is about 12 Years old and is I suppose an Enfant trouvee. He made her sing at Table, and she bids fair to be an accomplished Opera Girl, though she has not a...
4466John Adams to Abigail Adams, 23 February 1780 (Adams Papers)
The Children made me a Visit to day, and went with me to dine with my old Friends the two Abbys, whom you have often heard me mention, Chalut and Arnoux, who desire me to mention them to you in my Letters as devoted Friends of America, and particular Friends to me and to you, notwithstanding the difference of Religion. The Children are still in good Health, and Spirits and well pleased with...
44677. Mardi. (Adams Papers)
Dined at St. Lu, with the Farmer general Challut. The Marshall Richelieu, and many Abbes, Counts, Marquisses &c.
4468From John Adams to Joseph Delaplaine, 8 June 1813 (Adams Papers)
There are several things abroad which are reported to have been intended as pictures of me; some of them drawn by persons who never saw me. others by persons who never saw me to whom I never sat and others and others by painters who requested me to sit. I pretend not to be a judge of the merit of any of them. But there is not an approved likness among them. The least approved of all is one...
4469From John Adams to John Jay, 11 November 1785 (Adams Papers)
There is no better Advice to be given to the Merchants of the United States, than to push their Commerce to the East Indies as fast and as far as it will go. If Information from Persons who ought to know may be depended on, the Tobacco and Peltries as well as the Ginseng of the United States, are proper Articles for the China Markett, and have been found to answer very well, and many other of...
4470From John Adams to George Washington Adams, 25 November 1821 (Adams Papers)
Thanks for your No 5. I have now finished reading and hearing read the Four volumes of Hallam’s middle ages. It is a great work and deserves to be kept constantly in your view. It has a good Table of contents and an ample Index, without which accommodation, a book after the first reading, is commonly a useless piece of Lumber. I esteem it the greatest work of the 19th Century. He has made good...
4471From John Adams to Benjamin Rush, 23 March 1809 (Adams Papers)
I agree with Sidney as quoted in your favour of the 13th. That civil War is preferable to Slavery and I add that foreign War and civil War together at the Same time are preferable to Slavery. We hear very often declamations on the demoralizing tendency of War, but as much as I hate War, I cannot be of the opinion, that frequent Wars are So corrupting to human Nature as long Peace. In a Peace...
4472To Benjamin Franklin from John Adams, 25 May 1781 (Franklin Papers)
Copy: Massachusetts Historical Society I have the Honour to Advise you, that I have this day drawn four setts of Bills of Exchange, of two in each sett, for Ten thousand Livres Tournois each, payable to the order of Captain Joyner Commodore Gillon not being yet arrived, and this sum being represented to me by Major Jackson absolutely necessary for the present Use of the ship. I applied to the...
4473From John Adams to David Sewall, 14 December 1821 (Adams Papers)
yours of the Novemr. 26th. ulto. came duly to hand, and gratified me, (as all your Communications do), and if my scribbles afford you agreable amusement, it is a Satisfaction that, I am happy to contribute thereunto —I never saw any copy of the Epitaff on the greasy Tables of HC but from the impression it made on my mind at the Time, from reading it, on the Hall Door, as it now lays in my...
4474From John Adams to the President of Congress, No. 29, 25 December 1780 (Adams Papers)
The Dispute between Great Britain and the United Provinces is now wrought up to a Crisis. Things must take a new Turn, in the Course of a few Days; but whether they will end in a War, or, in the Retractation of one Party or the other, Time alone can determine. I have before transmitted to Congress, the two Memorials of Sir Joseph York, against Mr. Van Berkel and the Burgomasters of Amsterdam....
44751774. Monday Octr. 17. (Adams Papers)
Dined at Home.
4476August 5. 1796. Fryday. (Adams Papers)
A fine day. I have finished Petrarch. Walked up to the new Barn and over to the old Plain. Sullivan and Mr. Sam. Hayward threshing—Billings and Bass carting Earth and Seaweed and liming the Compost. Mr. Wibirt dined with Us. James brought home the twin oxen from Long Island. Trask burning Bushes in the Swamp on Penns Hill.
4477From John Adams to John Quincy Adams, 11 February 1811 (Adams Papers)
Twelve days of in cessant Snows have obscured from our Sight Sun Moon and Stars till this Morning, till this Moment when I am gazing at it as it rises, in the Chamber where your Mother has been confined during the whole Storm. I brought her home Sick, from The Meeting of The Accademy in Boston on the 30th. Jan. and She has not been out of her Chamber Since. She is now pretty well again...
4478Oct. 25. Fryday. (Adams Papers)
Dined at Gourney. Carriage broke again. Arrived at Night, at Pont-Sainte-Maxence, two Posts from Chantilly and one and an half from Senlis.
44791777. Tuesday. Septr. 23. (Adams Papers)
Mr. Okeley Okely , Mr. Hassey Hasse and Mr. Edwine Ettwein came to see me. Mr. Edwine shewed Us, the Childrens Meeting at half after 8 o’clock. Musick, consisting of an Organ and Singing in the German Language. Mr. Edwine gave a Discourse in German and then the same in English. Mrs. Langley shewed Us the Society of Single Women. Then Mr. Edwine shewed Us the Water Works and the Manufactures....
44801774. Thursday. Sept. 29. (Adams Papers)
Dined at Home, with the Delegates from North Carolina and a No. of other Gentlemen.