4501From John Adams to Timothy Pickering, 16 September 1798 (Adams Papers)
I have received your favor of the 11th. I wish I understood better than I do the conduct both of Gen. Pinckney & Mr. Gerry. I shall not be guilty of so much affectations of regard to science, as to be very willing to grant passports to Dupont De Nemours or any other French philosophers in the present situation of our Country. We have had too many French philosophers already; & I really begin...
4502The Pleadings Book: 1771–1773 (Adams Papers)
Case on a Bill of Lading vs. Master for not delivering the Plaintiff’s Goods freighted on Board the Defendant’s Vessell. For that the said Charles on &c.—received on board his said Ship called the X X and whereof the said Charles was Master (H ogshea ds, Casks &c.) containing the Goods in the schedule annexed—And on the &c.—at —— signed a certain Note in Writing called a Bill of Lading and...
4503From John Adams to Thomas Jefferson, 6 June 1786 (Adams Papers)
Yesterday I received your Favour of 30. May with its Inclosures. You have Since that day no doubt received my Answer to yours of the 11 th. , in which I agreed perfectly with You in the Propriety of Sending M r Lamb to Congress without Loss of time. I am content to Send M r Randal with him but had rather he Should come to You first and then to me, and embark in London after We shall have had...
4504From John Adams to J. H. Tiffany, 9 June 1819 (Adams Papers)
Please to accept the third Voloum of the “Defence” the first you will please to return when you have made all the use of it you wish for—the second I hope you have received—a fourth I may here–after lend you on the same condition I have the first —As you are the only Man now living who studies the Science of Government as far as I know—I should be willing if I had many days to live—to become...
4505From John Adams to Elbridge Gerry, 25 October 1779 (Adams Papers)
Yours of the 4. is before me. Mr. Dana, I think will accept. I have no personal Objection to either of the Gentlemen you mention. You know more of the political Character of one of them, than I do. With the other I never had any personal Misunderstanding. He has Abilities and he has had his Merit. But he has been in the Center of Disputes so much, that you must have learned perhaps more of his...
4506John Adams to Abigail Adams, 14 March 1777 (Adams Papers)
Congress has been sitting several Days and proceeding upon Business. I have been in Town above a Week and have spent much of my Time, in making Inquiries after the cheapest Places in Town for Board and stabling. I have at last removed my Horses from a stable at six and six Pence a Night, to another at three dollars a Week each. So that for the future I am to pay only six dollars a Week for Hay...
4507From John Adams to John Jay, 24 February 1787 (Adams Papers)
I do myself the Honour to transmit to Congress, a Letter from M r Harrison, with an Account of Disbursements for Captain Erwin and his Associates on their return to Cadiz from their Captivity in Morocco. Situated as M r Harrison was he had every motive of Humanity, and love of his Countrymen to relieve their necessities, and it would be too Severe, if not unjust, to leave the burthen upon him....
4508December 4. Wednesday. (Adams Papers)
It is proper that I should note here, that in the Beginning of the Year 1780, soon after my Arrival at Paris Mr. Galloways Pamphlets fell into my Hands. I wrote a long Series of Letters to a Friend in Answer to them. That Friend sent them to England: But the Printers dared not to publish them. They remained there untill the last Summer, when they were begun to be printed, and are continued to...
4509From John Adams to George Washington Adams, April 1813 (Adams Papers)
I sent you by Mr Colman a few latin lines, with a bald translation. Cannot you render that translation into French? Try. I send you now a few sentences on the same subject of Caloric by which you may judge how far the Ancients were behind the Moderns, in this point of natural Knowledge. Cicero, in his Essay De Natura Deorum; an admirable Work for its Age, which I hope you will, one day Study...
4510[April 14. Tuesday 1778.] (Adams Papers)
April 14. Tuesday 1778. I returned the Visits which had been made me by the American Gentlemen. This I found was an indispensable Punctilio, with my Countrymen in France. Great Offence had been taken by some of them, because Dr. Franklin had not very exactly performed this important Ettiquette, especially by those of them who had come over to Paris from England.
4511John Adams to Thomas Jefferson, [ca. 3–5] July 1813 (Jefferson Papers)
Correspondences! The Letters of Bernard and Hutchinson , and Oliver and Paxton &c were detected and exposed before The Revolution. There are I doubt not, thousands of Letters, now in being, but Still concealed, from their Party to their Friends, which will, one day See the light. I have wondered for more than thirty years that So few have appeared: and have constantly expected that a Tory...
4512Tuesday Novr. 18. 1777. (Adams Papers)
Lodged at Brooks’s, 5 Miles from the North River. Rode to the Continental Ferry, crossed over, and dined at Fish Kill, at the Drs. Mess, near the Hospital, with Dr. Sam. Adams, Dr. Eustis, Mr. Wells, &c. It was a feast—Salt Pork and Cabbage, roast Beef and Potatoes, and a noble suit Pudding, Grog and a Glass of Port. Our best Road home is through Litchfield and Springfield. Morehouses is a...
4513From John Adams to Benjamin Vaughan, 20 November 1791 (Adams Papers)
I am very much obliged to you for your kind letter by the Earl of Wycombe, a Nobleman who in his short visit to America, has acquired much esteem, and excited no regret but that his residence was no longer. Mr. Hammond too has been publickly received, and will be much respected in his public, and greatly esteemed in his private character. Your letters Sir would have allways given me pleasure;...
4514From John Adams to Ma., Citizens of Quincy, 30 October 1802 (Adams Papers)
I should rejoice in the prolongation of my life for another year, were it only for the pleasure of seeing and embracing so many of my Friends.— As every Gentleman here is at least as independent of me, as I can pretend to be of him; as there is no imaginable motive of hope Apprehension or any Sinister or private Interest, which could have prompted you, to such a manifestation of your friendly...
4515[Fryday June 7th. 1776.] (Adams Papers)
Fryday June 7th. 1776. Certain Resolutions respecting Independency being moved and seconded. Resolved That the Consideration of them be referred till tomorrow morning; and that the members be enjoyned to attend punctually at ten O Clock, in order to take the same into their consideration. It will naturally be enquired why these Resolutions and the Names of the Gentlemen who moved and seconded...
4516From John Adams to James Madison, 19 November 1812 (Adams Papers)
My Election to the Presidents Office was but by a majority of one, or at most of two Votes. Mr Jeffersons was by no Majority of the People, and by a Majority of one only in the House after Thirty or forty Votes equally divided between him and Mr Burr. Mr Jeffersons Second Election was by a great Majority and his third would have been by a greater Still, if he had not declined. Your Election...
4517To Thomas Jefferson from John Adams, 23 May 1785 (Jefferson Papers)
We are just arrived, covered with Dust, and we have hired our Boat, to go over tomorrow at ten. No green Peas, no Sallad, no Vegetables to be had upon the Road, and the Sky is still as clear dry and cold as ever. The Flocks of Sheep and herds of Cattle, through the Country, stalk about the Fields like Droves of Walking Skeletons. The Sheep are pastured chiefly I think in the plowed grounds,...
4518Fryday July 13. 1770. (Adams Papers)
Arose and walked with Patten to see the neighbouring Fields of English Grass and Grain and Indian Corn, consuming before the Worms. A long black Worm crawls up the Stalk of Rye or Grass and feeds upon the leaves. The Indian Corn looked stripped to a Skelleton, and that was black with the Worms. I found that they prevail very much in Arundell and Wells and so all along to Portsmouth and to...
451923 [i.e. 24] Saturday. (Adams Papers)
A cloudy morn. All my Time seems to roll away unnoticed. I long to study sometimes, but have no opportunity. I long to be a master of Greek and Latin. I long to prosecute the mathematical and philosophical Sciences. I long to know a little of Ethicks and moral Philosophy. But I have no Books, no Time, no Friends. I must therefore be contented to live and die an ignorant, obscure fellow. A...
4520From John Adams to United States Senate, 14 March 1798 (Adams Papers)
I nominate William Empson Hulings of Pennsylvania to be Vice Consul for the United States at New Orleans DNA : RG 46—Records of the U.S. Senate.
4521From John Adams to Rufus King, 14 June 1786 (Adams Papers)
I had heard Sometime ago, of your Marriage with the amiable Daughter of my old Friend, M r Alsop, as well as of that of M r Gerry, and of both with the more Pleasure, probably as a good Work of the Same kind, for connecting Massachusetts and New York in the Bands of Love was going on here. Last Sunday under the Right Reverend Sanction of the Archbishop of Canterbury and the Bishop of st Asaph...
4522John Adams to Abigail Adams 2d, 17 March 1777 (Adams Papers)
I hope by this Time, you can write an handsome Hand; but I wish you would, now and then, send a Specimen of it, to Philadelphia to your Pappa, that he may have the Pleasure of observing the Pro ficiency you make, not only in your Hand Writing, but in your turn of Thinking, and in your Faculty of expressing your Thoughts. You have discovered, in your Childhood, a remarkable Modesty,...
4523[1780. January 12. Thursday.] (Adams Papers)
1780. January 12. Thursday. We passed through several Villages, rode along the Side of a River; the Country more hilly than it had been for some time past, but it had a naked and poor appearance. We arrived at Bribiesca. Here there are two Convents one of Men, the other of Women, both Franciscans, and two Parish Churches. The Tavern was a large House and there were twelve good beds in it for...
4524From John Adams to William Stephens Smith, 5 December 1812 (Adams Papers)
I received yesterday your favour of the 16th of last month. It is of no other use to ruminate upon the faults, Errors, and blunders of Congress and Washington in the revolutionary War, or upon those of Congress and Jefferson or Congress and Madison during the last twelve years; than to derive wisdom from their costly experience, and rectify our counsels and correct the conduct of our arms for...
4525From John Adams to Caroline Amelia Smith De Windt, 22 November 1824 (Adams Papers)
Your letter of the 5th November gave us all great pleasure and certainly none more than me. I was delighted to hear that you had such good company from Boston to Newport and from thence on the Steamboat to New York, a circumstance which takes away the unpleasantness both of journeys & voyages, nor was I less gratified to hear of your safe arrival at Cedar Grove, and that you found your dear...
4526John Adams to Charles Adams, 2 June 1786 (Adams Papers)
I thank you for your Kind Letter of the 9th. of April, and congratulate you on the admission of your Brother, which must add much to your happiness. Thomas I suppose will join you in the fall, my Heart will be often with my treasure, at the University. My friends in their Letters give me favourable accounts of all my sons and of my Nephew Mr. Cranch, Your Characters are fair take care to keep...
4527John Adams to Abigail Adams, 13 July 1783 (Adams Papers)
We have had for a Fortnight or Three Weeks a Succession of Hot Weather, attended with an unusual Fog, that has been worse for me to bear than were ever the extreamest heats of Philadelphia. My Scorbutic Habit is very ill fitted to bear it. But all this is not so tedious as the mournfull Silence of every Body in America. Not a Line from you or any Body near you Since Christmas. Congress have...
4528From John Adams to Richard Peters, 18 June 1789 (Adams Papers)
Success you say, in yours of the 15 th. stamps a substantial value upon measures, Yet the Motto under a Picture of O. Cromwell, is not without its Justice It is a saying in France, “We can never be ruined, for if our ruin had been possible, it would have been accomplished long ago, since the wisest Heads in France have been these hundred Years employed in doing all they could to effect it”—...
4529John Adams to Abigail Adams, 13 February 1778 (Adams Papers)
I am favoured with an unexpected Opportunity, by Mr. Woodward the lame Man who once lived at Mr. Belchers, and who promises in a very kind manner to take great Care of the Letter, to inform you of our Safe Passage from the Moon head, on Board the ship. —The seas ran very high, and the Spray of the seas would have wet Us, but Captn. Tucker kindly brought great Coats on Purpose with which he...
4530From John Adams to A. Belen, 27 February 1800 (Adams Papers)
I pray you to present my thanks to the French Lodge held in this city for their obliging present of copies of a funeral oration delivered on the melancholly occasion of the Death of their Illustrious Brother General Washington. This exquisite morcell of Eloquence does honor to M.—Chaudron the Orator, & is one of the handsomest compliments to the memory of the General: I am also much indebted...