6811Abigail Adams to John Quincy Adams, 29 February 1796 (Adams Papers)
Seven Months were nearly elapsed, from the Date of Your former Letter, to the receipt of yours on the 22 of this Month Which was of Nov’ br 7 th ; from Helvoetsluice. You from experience can judge, how acceptable it was to me. the very sight of a Letter exilirates my Spirits, and I tread back ten years in an instant. I felt all you described from your Situation, and could trace you into the...
6812John Adams to Abigail Adams, 1 March 1796 (Adams Papers)
Yesterday the President sent his Carriage for me to go with the Family to the Theatre. The Rage and the Spoiled Child were the two Pieces. it rained and the House was not full. I thought I perceived a little Mortification. M r George Washington & his fair Lady were with Us. Yours of 21 st gives me a Satisfactory Account of farming. I think I would engage Billings if I could— I must leave it to...
6813Abigail Adams to John Adams, 2 March 1796 (Adams Papers)
Our Little Town of Quincy is become so rich that they can vote a Thousand Dollors to Build a School House, Yet cannot pay a Tax to their Minister which has been Due for more than two years. Your proportion of the Tax for the present Year including your part of the 300 for the School house is 187 Dollors 30 cents. the Braintree Tax I have not yet seen. both the collector & the School committe...
6814John Adams to Abigail Adams, 3 March 1796 (Adams Papers)
I rec d this morning your favour of Feb. 22.—the more agreable as it was not very confidently expected. I should be glad to see M r Copley. Charles brought the Treaty from Col. John Smith who brought it from Lisbon. I hope you will have Letters by the Vessell you mention from Rotterdam. The Treaties with Spain & Algiers have been unanimously Sanctioned by senate and that with Britain is...
6815Abigail Adams to John Adams, 5 March 1796 (Adams Papers)
Thursday post brought me Yours of the 20 th 23 & 24. we have had a good Season for buisness and our Teams have Stood Still a very few Days the whole winter. they have carted Me home all the Wood cut by vesey. they have carried all the manure up pens Hill designd for the corn. they have Sledded Some stones and they have carried up 36 loads of manure upon the Stoney Feild Hill. they have Drawn...
6816John Adams to Abigail Adams, 5 March 1796 (Adams Papers)
I Yesterday rec d the Letter inclosed from my Son and in the Evening the President told me he had Letters from him. You will perceive the Prudence of reserving to yourself the hint in his Letter to me, as every Thing of the Kind will be eagerly Seized and easily exaggerated. The Treaties are all ratified by the Senate and Yesterday M r Elsworths Nomination was consented to as Chief Justice, by...
6817John Adams to Abigail Adams, 7 March 1796 (Adams Papers)
I have made the necessary Inquiry concerning Seeds And have found the Price so extravagant that I have concluded it imprudent to purchase any for Capt n Beal, D r Welsh M r Dexter D r Tufts or myself. And I desire you to purchase or request D r Tufts to purchase for me one hundred and twenty Pounds of Clover Seed. The Second Crop of Clover, from which alone they thresh the Seeds in...
6818John Adams to Abigail Adams, 9 March 1796 (Adams Papers)
I rec d on Monday your two favours of 28. Feb. I am very glad you employed Pratt to cutt the Timber, for it is high time I had a Barn to shelter my Hay that the Cattle may not complain of it so much, as they do this Year, with Justice. I shall build only the shell this Year—Raise the Barn & Board & shingle it. The limed Manure upon the Hill I mean to have Spread upon the Grass Ground where it...
6819Abigail Adams to Thomas Boylston Adams, 10 March 1796 (Adams Papers)
I never feel so great a propensity to write as when I have just received a Letter. Yours of Nov br 10th reach’d me on the 28 th of Feb’y, and gave me a flow of Spirits which I have not experienced for a long time before. I had been mourning and sighing to hear, from my Dear sons in vain. The Letters by Mr Lamb were lost, together with the vessel captain, and all but one of his Hands and mr...
6820John Adams to Abigail Adams, 11 March 1796 (Adams Papers)
Why! this is very clever— Every Monday and every Thursday brings me regularly a Letter, which Softens the Tædium Vitæ The Ennui of Life, in this Wrangling disputacious Metropolis. So! We are to have a Quincy Academy! With all my Heart—I am willing to pay my Quota of the Expence. But Something more than a School House will be wanting for so desirable a Purpose. Oh that I had a Bosom to lean my...
6821Abigail Adams to John Adams, 12 March 1796 (Adams Papers)
Yours of Feb ry 27. March 1 st came to hand on Thursday. I regreet that Congress are like to Sit so long, for tho my Neighbours are Some of them pleasd to flatter My Vanity, by asscribing to me a knowledge of Farming. I have really very little pretentions to their enconiums. I find myself embarresed in the terms of leasing the Farms. I have endeavourd to abide as near as I could by Your...
6822John Adams to Abigail Adams, 12 March 1796 (Adams Papers)
I dined Yesterday with M r Burr, who lives here in Style. A Number of Members of the House The Speaker M r Dayton among the Rest. It Seems to be the general Opinion that the House will express some Opinions unfavourable to the Treaty: but finally carry it into Effect. There is a good deal of Apprehension expressed for the Union, in Conversation. Some think and Say it cannot last. Such is the...
6823John Adams to Abigail Adams, 15 March 1796 (Adams Papers)
Your delicious Letter of the 5 th. came to my hand Yesterday. Your beautiful and pathetic Reflections on the Match in our Presidential Family are such as I expected. It is to me, one of the most delightful Ideas that is treasured in my Mind, that my Children have no Brothers nor sisters of the half or quarter Blood. one such Consciousness would poison all the Happiness of my Life.— “Remembered...
6824John Adams to Abigail Adams, 19 March 1796 (Adams Papers)
We have a Turn of Weather as cold as any We have had through the whole Winter. The Violence of the North West Wind which has thrown down Chimneys and blown off Roofs in this City, We suppose has prevented the Eastern Mail from crossing the North River and deprived me of my Thursdays Letter as yet. I hope it will come to day. A Thousand and one Speeches have been made in the H. of Rep s. upon...
6825Abigail Adams to John Adams, 20 March 1796 (Adams Papers)
I received Your kind favours of March 3. 5 7 & 9 th by the Thursday post. we have as great a famine here of News as their is of Bread in Europe. the chief Topick of conversation is the Georgia Lands. their Present Legislature have displayd state Sovereignty in its fullest extent; our wise Men were never before so Bubbled. our Wealthyest citizens are taken in to a vast amount, Mr Russel Barrel...
6826John Quincy Adams to Abigail Adams, 20 March 1796 (Adams Papers)
Your favour of January 23 d. by Captain Barnard reached me two or three days ago. I am a little surprized that you had not at that date received any letters from me later than July. But indeed the intercourse between America and Holland is so precarious and interrupted that it is scarcely possible that a letter should pass from the one to the other in a shorter time than four or five months....
6827Charles Adams to John Adams, 21 March 1796 (Adams Papers)
I am clearly of opinion with you that we stand in need of some magic equally powerful as the Lyre of Amphion to quell the rage of the political elements and yet I have my doubts whether the power of music or eloquence could instil sentiments of Justice or integrity into the minds of some of our Legislators. My dictionaire Historique tells me that Amphion was the son of Jupiter and Antiope that...
6828John Quincy Adams to Thomas Boylston Adams, 24 March 1796 (Adams Papers)
M r: Clagett has this moment delivered me your favour of the 29 th: ult o: and informs me that he goes again for Holland to-morrow morning. I have therefore only time to tell you that I am still waiting for that permission to return which I have been more than two months in hourly expectation of receiving. My detention here is doubly mortifying from the consideration that as my presence is...
6829Abigail Adams to John Adams, 25 March 1796 (Adams Papers)
I was sadly dissapointed to Day when James returnd from the Post office without one Single Letter the Newspapers to the 14 th but not a Line. Post office or Post or Roads share the blame; I am more unfortunate than you when dissapointed, for you have two chances in a week, but I must wait untill Thursday returns before I can get any Letters, tho Saturdays post should bring them. I see by the...
6830John Adams to Abigail Adams, 25 March 1796 (Adams Papers)
on Wednesday I dined with M r Russell the Friend of D r Priestley and while We were at Table, in came large Packets of Letters and Newspapers from England. The Ladies at Table had Letters from their friends and the Scæne was so lively so much like what I had often felt that it put me into very good humour. The News was what you will see in Fennos Paper. Yesterday I dined at the Presidents with...
6831John Adams to Thomas Boylston Adams, 25 March 1796 (Adams Papers)
M r Hindman of Maryland has requested a Letter from me, for M r Richard Cook of Anapolis, who will tell you our News. I have read your public Dispatches with great Pleasure. I find your Situation has led you to an Attentive Observation of the Events of the War and the Maneuvres of Politicks and your curious felicity of Expression enables you to represent both to great Advantage. Your Mother...
6832Abigail Adams to John Adams, 28 March 1796 (Adams Papers)
Captain Beal was in Boston on Saturday and he prevaild on the post master to let him take up the Saturday Mail by which means I got those Letters which ought to have come on thursday Letters of the 11 th 12 th 13 15 & 16 th . the greatest comfort which I derived from them, was hearing that you were well. the prospect of sitting till June is not a very agreable one, and the cause less so. What...
6833John Adams to Abigail Adams, 29 March 1796 (Adams Papers)
On Monday I rec d your favour of the 20 th Nothing will damp the Rage for Speculation but a Peace which may break a few hundreds or thousands of speculators. The Georgia Business is Impudence of uncommon hardness. The Rage of Party is there unrestrained by Policy or Delicacy. Our sons Account of shakespears Relicks Fenno has printed without Names. He must early learn to bear Mortifications. He...
6834John Quincy Adams to Abigail Adams, 30 March 1796 (Adams Papers)
The opportunities for writing occur so frequently at this time, and there is so little to say that I am apprehensive some of them will escape without carrying any letters to you; for one is ashamed to write a short letter; when it is to go so far; and like most correspondents I do not always remember that to write little is better than not to write at all. I send you by the present opportunity...
6835Abigail Adams to John Adams, 1 April 1796 (Adams Papers)
I yesterday received Yours of March 19 & 23 d inclosing the Letter from our son, compareing Such events as have taken place in Europe, with the Spirit, and Temper of the Parties in America, and the evident disposition of foreign Powers towards the united States. I believe our Son will prove to be possesst of the Spirit, calld Prophesy which it has been said, was the property of his Father. in...
6836John Adams to Abigail Adams, 1 April 1796 (Adams Papers)
The Newspapers will inform you of our interminable Delays. The House have asked for Papers and the President has refused them, with Reasons and the House are about to record in their Journals their Reasons— meanwhile the Business is in suspence: and I have no clear Prospect when I shall go home. It is the general opinion of those I converse with that after they have passed the Resolutions...
6837Abigail Adams to John Adams, 4 April 1796 (Adams Papers)
I see by the papers brought by last nights Mail that the Question on Livingstones Motion was carried by a great Magority. this May truly be calld a scramble after power. what is to come next? dare they touch the Treaty with unhallowd Hands? Giles seems all at once to have fallen in Love with Checks, and rings as many changes with them, as has been asscribed to the Author of the Defence. I have...
6838John Adams to John Quincy Adams, 5 April 1796 (Adams Papers)
I have this morning received your favours of Jan. 7 and February the first with the Newspapers for which I thank you— I rec d some days ago a Letter with the Review and some other Papers. I thank you for all these Marks of your kind Attention. a few Lines from you are always acceptable as they are Information of your Health and Situation, but your long Letters are fraught with such Information...
6839John Adams to Thomas Boylston Adams, 7 April 1796 (Adams Papers)
It is a long time Since I have rec d a Letter from you and it is too long Since I have written to you. I have read your Dispatches as Chargé d’affaires at the Hague with much Satisfaction: But I find the Secretary of the Treasury is anxious to hear from You on the subject of Affairs in Holland which have more immediate Relation to his Office. The House of Representatives of U.S. are engaged in...
6840John Adams to Abigail Adams, 9 April 1796 (Adams Papers)
The H. of R. have not yet determined— The Question is to be calld up on Monday— But the opposition who now call themselves the virtuous Majority, will endeavour Still to postpone it. It is now avowed by M r Bond, the British Chargé D’affaires that the Surrender of the Posts is suspended upon the determination of the H. of R. and who could expect it would be otherwise? I have read “The...