7601To John Adams from John Marshall, 22 November 1800 (Adams Papers)
The Secretary of State respectfully submits to the President, the draft of the Speech to Congress as digested finally by the heads of departments. The necessity of placing it immediately under your consideration will, he trusts, apologize for his not detaining it for the purpose of making a fair copy— MHi : Adams Papers.
7602To John Adams from Timothy Pickering, 12 December 1795 (Adams Papers)
By the direction of the President of the United States, I have the honour to present herewith—No. 1. A Statement of the present military force of the United States; No. 2. A report of the measures which have been pursued to obtain proper sites for Arsenals; & No. 3. A report of the measures which have been taken to replenish the magazines with military stores; No. 4. A report of the measures...
7603To John Adams from François Adriaan Van der Kemp, 13 December 1799 (Adams Papers)
Since I was the last time honoured with your favour, I did not presume to interrupt Your Excellency’s occupations for a moment, more So, there I had nothing to communicate your attention. The boasted proposals of an intended refutation of your Defence—which then first will be valued according its intrinsic merit—after the high Station—which you now honour—Shall be no longer an allurement to...
7604To John Adams from Timothy Pickering, 9 September 1799 (Adams Papers)
I have the honor to inclose the opinions of the attorney general and heads of departments on the petitions of John Fries and others, insurgents in Bucks and Northampton Counties in Pennsylvania; that no pardon should now be granted, nor any answer given. I am revising the draught of instructions for the envoys to France, and making the alterations which have been agreed on: I expect to...
7605To John Adams from Robert R. Livingston, 23 October 1781 (Adams Papers)
The Enclosed resolution will advise you that Congress have thought it adviseable to new model their Department of foreign Affairs, by the Appointmt. of a Secretary, thro’ whose hands the Communications with their Ministers abroad are to pass. Tho’ they did me the honor to Elect me So long Since as August last, I but lately determined to accept, and did not Enter upon Business till Two days...
7606To John Adams from William Woodfall, 12 March 1774 (Adams Papers)
As the Affairs of AMERICA are now agitating in both Houses of the English Parliament, and as it would be a matter of infinite satisfaction to those subjects of the British Crown, who are natives and residents of England, Scotland, and Ireland, to know the real state of political occurrences in America, I thought it would neither be unwelcome to the English nor American public, if a news-paper...
7607To John Adams from Timothy Pickering, 20 February 1799 (Adams Papers)
Having been more than the other gentlemen in the way of receiving information of the real Situation of Genl. Touissaint, and this appearing to be a distressed one, from the want of pay , cloathing and provisions for his troops, who thence began to be uneasy; and as this uneasiness unassuaged by any relief might endanger his authority and the peace of the Island of St. Domingo; I felt...
7608To John Adams from Pa., Citizens of Bedford County, 18 June 1798 (Adams Papers)
At a numerous meeting of the Inhabitants of the Borough and County of Bedford (Pennsylvania) at the Court house in said Borough, on the 31st day of May 1798. Hugh Barclay having been appointed Chairman, and William Reynolds Clerk of said meeting, It was unanimously resolved, That the following Address be signed by the Chairman, and attested by the Clerk; and that a Copy thereof be transmitted...
7609Charles Adams to John Adams, 19 December 1793 (Adams Papers)
I received your favour of the 16 th yesterday. I am sorry that from what I said in my last to you it should be inferred that I wished to advocate the cause of infamy or that I had partially related circumstances. All I meant by there being no evidence was that was not such evidence as would warrant a jury to find the prisoner guilty of the charge laid against him. I most earnestly request that...
7610To John Adams from Samuel Chase, 5 July 1776 (Adams Papers)
Your Letter of the 1st. conveys both pleasure and Grief. I hope eer this Time the decisive blow is struck. Oppression, Inhumanity and Perfidy have compelled Us to it. Blessed be Men who effect the Work, I envy You! How shall I transmit to posterity that I gave my assent? Cursed be the Man that ever endeavors to unite Us. I would make Peace with Britain but I would not trust her with the least...
7611To John Adams from Edmund Jenings, 3 June 1783 (Adams Papers)
I have had the very great Satisfaction of embracing M r Joshua Johnson after a long Separation, during trying & painful Times, the Sight of Him afforded me much Joy, which was not a little increased by his presenting to me your Excellencys Letters of the 18 & 21 April, having been for some time under much Uneasyness at not having had a Line from You, when I Know a fresh attack had been made on...
7612To John Adams from James McHenry, 12 April 1800 (Adams Papers)
In the hurry of copying my letter of the 2d. instant, which I had the honor of delivering to you yesterday, I find an error escaped my notice, in the 22d. page 14th. line from the top—the word four being inserted instead of the word six —which was intended. I am Sir / with the greatest respect / your most obedient / humble servant DLC : James McHenry Papers.
7613To John Adams from John McCrackan, 12 August 1797 (Adams Papers)
At the request of the widow of the late revd Elhaman Winchester I take the liberty of enclosing to you, proposals for publishing by Subscription his much admired Course of Lectures an American Edition Mr Winchester died rejoicing in his religion & in his last moments viewd his past life & professions with extatic pleasure—He leap’t from this tenement of Clay to one not made with hands with a...
7614To John Adams from Robert Montgomery, 6 November 1778 (Adams Papers)
From the Many favours and Civilitys I Received whilst I had the Honour of Paying you My Respects at Passy I am Bound in duty and Gratitude to Make you a Tender of My best Acknowledgements, which Please Accept. Since My Return to My House here about ten days Agoe I find no other Novelty than An Order from Court to the Governours of All the Sea-ports of Spain that they Shall Permit all Cruising...
7615To John Adams from Tench Coxe, 10 June 1792 (Adams Papers)
I have the honor of your letter from the Town of Quincy, of the erection of which I was not before informed: nor did I ever hear you distinguished by the title of “ Braintree ” unless the tree of knowledge may be so called. Mr Pinckney is still here. I do not know precisely when he will depart. No ship, which he likes, is to be found in Phila. or N. York destined for England. The Sidney, of...
7616Abigail 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...
7617To John Adams from Jacob Wagner, 12 July 1800 (Adams Papers)
In the occasional absence of the Secretary of State, who is in Virginia, I have received the inclosed letters from the Judge of Maryland District and other gentlemen, informing of the death of the Marshal of that District, and recommending candidates to fill the vacancy. In addition to the Judge’s intimation of the suspension, by that event, of the judicial functions, I beg leave to suggest,...
7618To John Adams from James Lovell, 12 April 1789 (Adams Papers)
Advised and even pressed, by Friends near me and at a Distance, “ to go on to New York;—to be in the Way of soliciting, counteracting ” and such kind of Measures respecting the Collectorship here, I am sure I need only say to you that my Duty lays in this County; and that the very Circumstance of quitting & neglecting it for the Purposes mentioned would be a very ill Proof of that Degree of...
7619To John Adams from Bidé de Chavagnes, 8 June 1780 (Adams Papers)
Je suis fort inquiet de votre santé, de celle de vos chers enfants de mrs. Dena et taxter, jay eu lhonneur de vous ecrire il y a plus de 15 jours pour vous en demander des nouvelles et vous prier de men donner, car j y prends l’interest le plus vif par continuation, et a moins de grandes affaires, ce seroit une grande peine pour moy de n’en point recevoir. Je me suis porté a merveilles pendant...
7620To John Adams from John Trumbull, 24 September 1800 (Adams Papers)
In my last, I asserted that Connecticut would continue firm against all efforts of the present factions. Our Freemen’s Meetings are now past; & notwithstanding evry exertion of our Jacobins, their expectations have been wholly disappointed. We are not ripe for revolutions, but are generally decisive adherents to our present governments & our antient institutions. The facts & observations...
7621To John Adams from LeRay de Chaumont, 21 March 1818 (Adams Papers)
I noticed with great disappointment in the Letters you honored me with the 12 of last month, that you had not then received the Letter which I had the pleasure to write to you at the same time that I sent you the address, which you received with so much kindness and indulgence. I could not help however feeling grateful for the Neglect of some of the Post Offices since it was the cause that...
7622To John Adams from François Adriaan Van der Kemp, 1 March 1814 (Adams Papers)
I Should have yet delay’d further to answer your favour of the 30th of Jan: accompanying Condorcet’s had I not received your Second Summons of Febr. 19. What Shall I plea in defence but, peccari Pater! and yet—if I tell you the cause—which lureth me to Sin; you will I know mitigate the punishment. Not head: ache—although I was not free from it, but, the wish to answer the desire of a few...
7623To John Adams from Jean de Neufville & Fils, 11 April 1781 (Adams Papers)
May we thank yoúr Excellency for her obliging favoúr, which brought ús the Bills accepted, that which Yoúr Excellency refers to ús; we will write to Doctr. Franklin aboút as yoúr Excellency directs, supposing it to be agreable so as to keep the parties by themselfs; We shall have again to join some gazettes to this; and for the moment we are happy to see that every thing seems to go well...
7624From Benjamin Franklin to John Adams, 16 August 1781 (Franklin Papers)
LS : Massachusetts Historical Society; AL (draft): Library of Congress; copy: Library of Congress I have the honour to inform your Excellency that I yesterday received Dispatches from Congress, refusing for the present, the Dismission I had requested, and ordering me upon an Additional Service, that of being join’d with yourself and Messrs. Jay, H. Lawrence and T. Jefferson, in Negociations...
7625To John Adams from R.H. Gardiner, 1 March 1823 (Adams Papers)
Knowing the interest which you feel in every thing relating to the improvement of the rising generation I take the liberty of inclosing to you an account of the Gardiner Lyceum recently established in this town & the inaugural address of its first principal. With the greatest / respect / I remain / Your Most obedt MHi : Adams Papers.
7626To John Adams from Stephen Sayre, 21 February 1799 (Adams Papers)
I was at your House, this morning, not to ask a favour, or to make an offer of my services: but it was my wish, had you given me a few moments audience, to have removed some improper impressions, which I know too well have, long since, been made in your mind. I can not suffer the President of the United States to continue, in the Error, that my life has been full of mistery & intrigue —I must...
7627To John Adams from William Tudor, 7 July 1776 (Adams Papers)
I am to acknowlege your Favour of the 24th. of June and to apologize for not having wrote you more than twice since I have been at York. Indeed I expected before this to have had the Pleasure of seeing You at Philadelphia. Where I have been long sollicitous to get in order to prevail on Congress to establish a new Set of Articles for the Government of their Forces, the present Regulations...
7628To John Adams from Isaac Gomez, 17 April 1820 (Adams Papers)
I was made happy in having the honour of receivg: Your polite and much esteemed favour of the 10th: Inst: in answer ing to mine on the subject of my Publication, for the high encomium you are pleased to pass on my work, accept Dr Sir my most sincere thanks as well as for the friendly & Parental manner in which You are pleased to state Your Regret at my having omitted Ciciro &c: I regret it...
7629To John Adams from Jabez Bowen, 27 July 1785 (Adams Papers)
I am Requested by John Low Esq r. a Respectable Citizen of this State to make application for the Release of his Son Richard Low, who was taken in the Year 1776, on Board a Marchant Vessell and was sent to the East Indies. in January 1784. he was on Board the Defence of Seventy Four Guns at Bombay many more of our poor Country men are in the same situation. so that I suppose that a general...
7630To John Adams from Samuel Allyne Otis, 20 April 1789 (Adams Papers)
After my most sincere congratulations upon your arrival at the present Seat of the Federal Goverment, I do myself the honor to enclose you a Copy of the Rules adopted by the Senate, A list of the members, present, a list of the members of the House, present, And a Copy of an order passed the Senate this day, which will be executed whenever your Honor shall appoint, as I presume the Committee...
7631To John Adams from Chester Wright, 2 May 1809 (Adams Papers)
An individual, obscure, & to yourself unknown, begs leave to address you. May I be permitted, Sir, to suggest, that a love for that Country, of which I, with millions of my fellow citizens, consider you the Father, is my only apology for this intrusion. I have long viewed, with grief, the unhappy division which has rent the United States into two great political parties, & well nigh armed them...
7632To John Adams from Richard Chapman, 27 June 1782 (Adams Papers)
I hope you will pardon the Liberty I have taken of Adressing my Self to you but haveing waited on Mr: Barttly Expecting Some Assistance from him, he Informd me it was not in his Line but that your Excellency was the only person to Apply too. These lines will Inform your Excellency that I was Mate of a Con tinental Packet Call’d the Active Commanded by John Hodge Esqr: from Philadelphia Bound...
7633To John Adams from John Marshall, 26 September 1800 (Adams Papers)
I inclose you a permit which as been solicited for the brig Amazon to carry several passengers to France. I am Sir with the highest respect &c / Your obedt. Servt. MHi : Adams Papers.
7634To John Adams from Hannah Adams, 21 February 1791 (Adams Papers)
Desirous to gain the patronage of so distinguished a character, with the utmost diffidence I request your acceptance of the inclosed dedication to my View of Religions. Your permission to adorn my book by prefixing your name will do me the greatest honour, I am with the highest respect, / Sir, / Your most obedient humble servant, RC ( Adams Papers ). For Adams and her dedication of View of...
7635To John Adams from Elbridge Gerry, 26 September 1799 (Adams Papers)
If an answer to the letter, which Your Excellency proposed to write to Mr Pickering on my concerns, is received, I will do myself the honor of waiting on You at any time which may best suit your convenience. Mrs Gerry unites with me in best respects to yourself & Lady, & be assured I remain, Dear Sir, with every sentiment / of attachment, Your / most obedt & very / huml Sert. MHi : Adams Papers.
7636To John Adams from Edward Livingston, 22 October 1822 (Adams Papers)
The honor of a communication from you would at all times have given me the highest gratification, but your letter of the 5th. Septr. was received with more pleasure, because I scarcely dared flatter myself that, fatigued as you must be with applications of this nature, you would have found time or inclination to favor me with your sentiments on the report. It was submitted to you solely from a...
7637To John Adams from Benjamin Rush, 20 June 1810 (Adams Papers)
Wealth, respect and friendship! from your grateful and affectionate friend. War with the “great hammer of the whole earth” to use the words of which the prophet Jeremiah applied to the king of Babylon, is now the order of the day in Philada.— MHi : Adams Papers.
7638Charles Adams to John Adams, 26 December 1792 (Adams Papers)
I am very sorry that M r Bull has been so very dilatory that I received the horses but a day or two since He I find can make good promises. I am now looking out for a purchaser and hope to find one soon The horses do not look so well as I expected they would. We have accounts from Europe of the retreat of the combined armies from France. In this event I am only able to see a state of Anarchy...
7639To John Adams from Francis Dana, 26 October 1782 (Adams Papers)
Soon after my arrival here I intimated to you that I had discovered something which I thought a clew to account for the advice given me by a certain person, and which you and I then were of opinion, was calculated to throw an obstruction in my way, and of course that I ought not to follow it. I told you I wou’d communicate it to you by the first good opportunity. None has offered till now....
7640To John Adams from Thomas Wren, 22 April 1787 (Adams Papers)
I had the honour of receiving your favour this morning, and have now to add, to the former intelligence, [. . . .] man who had sollicited Mowbray to assist in a forgery, is in custody [in] our town gaol. He went to Mowbray repeatedly on Saturday evening, & was so urgent to have some notes worked off, that he proposed their working all night, for he fixed on going to assist Mowbray, saying that...
7641To John Adams from Richard Rush, 27 March 1815 (Adams Papers)
Since writing to you this morning, I have determined upon doing a bold thing. I do not often write for the newspapers, as other duties and studies give me for the most part, as I would hope, better employment. But, a week or ten days ago, as the first small effort of industry after my recovery, I threw together some loose reflections upon our late war, which are here enclosed in three half...
7642To John Adams from Collen Williamson, 9 June 1797 (Adams Papers)
Being Informd that My petetion was sent to the commissioners for their answer to the charge laid against them, as I think it my deuty to lay before you the following circumstances, as they carry along with them, manefest testemoney of trouth, I have said that I would saved the public twenty thousand pounds, hade I been aloud to conduct the work according to my contract, pleas consider that I...
7643Abigail Adams to John Adams, 26 December 1794 (Adams Papers)
I fear you will think me tardy in not acknowledging sooner the Receipt of your Letter of the 11 th with the order upon the Bank for 600 dollors, but tho I sent to the post office & wrote to mr Hastings, I was told that the Post had brought no Letters for me. Since the establishment of a Post office in Quincy the Letters are sorted & put up for each office, so that a Letter comeing in of a...
7644To John Adams from J.B. Binon, 2 May 1820 (Adams Papers)
La derniére fois que j’eus l’honneur de vous voir, vous parutes desirer de faire quelques essais, pour etablir la difference qu’il y a entre le plâtre crû et le calciné. je viens d’en faire remettre une barrique, de ce dernier, à Mr James Foster qui a bien voulu se charger de vous la faire passer; puisse-t-il avoir les mêmes effets que dans les riches plaines du Languedoc, de la Bresse et de...
7645To John Adams from James Mease, 8 August 1816 (Adams Papers)
I contemplate publishing a collection of the letters of our late friend Dr Rush on political, religious & miscellaneous subjects; and as he long had the pleasure to enjoy your Correspondence, I will be much obliged by your favouring me with such of his letters as you may have in your possession, and which are not of a private Nature.—Having for many years had the satisfaction to partake of his...
7646To John Adams from Elbridge Gerry, 21 April 1813 (Adams Papers)
I must apologize my dear Sir, for the troublesome request which I made; & for your ready compliance with it on the 2d of April in your letter which I had the honor of receiving, I must request your acceptance of my cordial Thanks. I recollect the epoch of 1789, & that about that period I gave mortal offence to the Count Mouchet, for declaring in Congress, that the French nation was indebted to...
7647To John Adams from François Adriaan Van der Kemp, 13 August 1821 (Adams Papers)
It is a gratification, that I have it in my power, to cause you Some pleasurable emotions—by the commu ni cations, that an increase of enjoyment has fallen to our Share—although Some what moderated by our Daughter’s indisposition, which however—we have much reason to hope, that is only a passing cloud which Soon Shall pass by. Mr and mrs Busti—in returning from Batavia renewed their visit to...
7648To John Adams from John Thaxter, 29 June 1782 (Adams Papers)
You will doubtless be surprized to recieve another Letter from me dated from hence, and I fully expected to have been at the Hague several days agone when I wrote last, but the prospect of Mr. Barclay’s Company, the kindness and Attention of my Countrymen here and a daily Increase of Health and Strength have hitherto prevented. I intended returning to day in the Chariot de Poste, but I did not...
7649To John Adams from James Warren, 31 July 1775 (Adams Papers)
I had the pleasure of your favours of the 23d. Instant Yesterday. I am glad to find that you have appointed Thomas the first Brigadier this I think will satisfy both him and the Army. I have been Obliged to take pains to keep him in the Camp, he seldom talks Imprudently, and I believe has never done it on this Occasion. Spencer is a Man I have no knowledge of. He left the Camp on the first...
7650To John Adams from Charles Lee, 6 October 1799 (Adams Papers)
Hoping it will not be deemed improper in me to give my opinion before it is asked relative to the suspension of the mission to France I will take the liberty of expressing it. I have reflected on the subject a good deal and I cannot perceive any sufficient reasons for the suspension. Such a measure would exceedingly disappoint the general expectation of America and exciting the jealousy &...