Adams Papers

From Giuseppe Ceracchi to John Adams, 8 May 1795

From Giuseppe Ceracchi

Philadelphia 8 May 1795

Sir

The confidence i put in the persuation of the most high Caracters of this Country, which have all at once retracted from there promises of promoting the plan of a National Monument puts me in the necssity of taking the prudent stop to returne to Europe directely1

My expence having been of graet consideration, and incresed by my application in the Noble monumental plan i am in the necessity of calling for the somme of my works, which i cant give them as a donation as i had proposed to do for the said circumstances

An immoral man would say, for the same plan reason and upon the same principles of which those high-caracteristic Gentilmen have acted in withdrawing themself. for promoting the plan, as they had constantely promised.

Therfore i shall take the Liberty to draw upon you and in favour of mr George Meade the somme of 1350. Dallars price of your Medallion in Alaboster Originaly performed by me2

Reckoning upon your [discrorge] with honoring your signature i am with consideration sir / yor Most Obt Ser

Jos Ceracchi

RC (Adams Papers).

1. Artist Giuseppe (Joseph) Ceracchi twice submitted plans for a monument to commemorate the American Revolution, to no avail. He returned to Europe, where he was guillotined, for his political activities, in 1801 (Hamilton, Papers description begins The Papers of Alexander Hamilton, ed. Harold C. Syrett, Jacob E. Cooke, and others, New York, 1961–1987; 27 vols. description ends , 18:271).

2. AA donated this medallion of JA to the American Academy of Arts and Sciences. George Meade (1741–1808) was a Philadelphia merchant and land speculator (AFC description begins Adams Family Correspondence, ed. L. H. Butterfield, Marc Friedlaender, Richard Alan Ryerson, Margaret A. Hogan, Sara Martin, Hobson Woodward, and others, Cambridge, 1963– . description ends , 10:105, 383–384).

Index Entries

    You Are Looking At

    Source Project
    Adams Papers
    Title
    From Giuseppe Ceracchi to John Adams, 8 May 1795
    Author
    Ceracchi, Giuseppe
    Recipient
    Adams, John
    Date
    8 May 1795

    Reference

    Cite as
    “From Giuseppe Ceracchi to John Adams, 8 May 1795,” Founders Online, National Archives, https://founders.archives.gov/documents/Adams/06-21-02-0290. [Original source: The Adams Papers, Papers of John Adams, vol. 21, March 1791–January 1797, ed. Sara Georgini, Sara Martin, R. M. Barlow, Gwen Fries, Amanda M. Norton, and Hobson Woodward. Cambridge, MA: Harvard University Press, 2022, pp. 392–393.]

    More between these correspondents