1To John Adams from Matthew Lyon, 4 March 1801 (Adams Papers)
Four years ago this day you became President of the United States, and I a Representative of the People in Congress; this day has brought us once more on a level, the acquaintance we have had together entitles me to the Liberty I take, when you are about to depart for Quincey, (by and with the concent and advice of the good people of the United States) to bid you a hearty farewell; this...
2To John Adams from Thomas Jefferson, 8 March 1801 (Adams Papers)
Th. Jefferson presents his respects to Mr. Adams and incloses him a letter which came to his hands last night; on reading what is written within the cover, he concluded it to be a private letter, and without opening a single paper within it he folded it up & now has the honor to inclose it to Mr Adams, with the homage of his high consideration and respect. MHi : Adams Papers.
3To John Adams from Jonathan Williams, 9 March 1801 (Adams Papers)
It was with great regret that I found myself dissappointed in my attempt to pay my gratefull respects to you this morning.—Conceiving that the bad weather, and worse Roads, would have rendered your arrival before to day impossible, I remained in the Country in full confidence of meeting you either to day or tomorrow. I beg you to be assured, Sir, that in your Retirement from public Life, my...
4To John Adams from Christopher Gadsden, 11 March 1801 (Adams Papers)
For five or six Years past at least, very rarely have I been seen from home (or wish’d to be) excepting at Church or Funerals, but my Duty to my Country & to our old Standbys tho’ now in my 78th, compell’d me in our late Election to take up my feeble pen again, at least to shew my good Will & Inclination, & tho’ many able Hands were not wanting, yet sorry am I to say, all our Efforts fail’d...
5To John Adams from Isaac Story, 20 March 1801 (Adams Papers)
The man, who loves his country, will venerate those, who have contributed to her glory and prosperity; and, as Republics are sometimes found wanting in gratitude, it becomes each individual, unless he would involve himself in the general obloquy, to express personally the sentiments of his heart. Unfortunately for America, that time has arrived. Being but a young man, I dare not trust language...
6From John Adams to Samuel Dexter, 23 March 1801 (Adams Papers)
I left Washington on the 4th & arrived at Stony field on the 18, having trotted the bogs five hundred miles. I found about an hundred loads of sea weed in my barn yard, & recollecting Horaces “Et genus et virtus nisi cum re vilior alga est” I thought I had made a good exchange, if Ulysses is an orthodox authority in this case, which I dont believe, of honors & virtues, for manure. I have more...
7From John Adams to Thomas Jefferson, 24 March 1801 (Adams Papers)
I have recd your favour of March 8 with the Letter inclosed, for which I thank you. Inclosed is a Letter to one of your Domesticks Joseph Dougherty. Had you read the Papers inclosed they might have given you a moment of Melancholly or at least of Sympathy with a mourning Father. They relate wholly to the Funeral of a son who was once the delight of my Eyes and a darling of my heart, cutt off...
8To John Adams from Samuel Phillips, 25 March 1801 (Adams Papers)
The Legislature of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts at their late Session, appointed the President of their Senate & the Speaker of their House of Representatives, to present to you a respectful address which they prepared they prepared for the purpose, upon your return to your native State. The execution of this commission has been unfortunately delayed, by reason of Mr. Phillips’ ill...
9From John Adams to Samuel Phillips, 25 March 1801 (Adams Papers)
I have received the Letter you did me the honor to write me, this morning, and shall be very happy to receive you tomorrow at twelve O Clock, according to your proposal. With great respect and Sincere / Esteem I have the honor to be, Gentlemen, / your most obedient and very / humble servant MWiW .
10To John Adams from Isaiah Thomas, 25 March 1801 (Adams Papers)
I have taken the liberty to enclose you a few numbers of our weekly Spy, being from March 4, which is the commencement of the Volume.—Should they afford you any amusement, I shall be happy to continue sending them to you, and shall be amply rewarded in so doing.—With Sentiments of Esteem, I subscribe myself, your most obedient & / very huml Servt— MHi : Adams Papers.
11From John Adams to Massachusetts Legislature, 26 March 1801 (Adams Papers)
The very respectful, affectionate, and obliging address, which has been presented to me by the President of the Senate and Speaker of the House of Representatives, by your order, has awakened all my sensibility, and demands my most grateful acknowledgments. As the various testimonials of the approbation and affection of my fellow-citizens of Massachusetts, which have been indulged to me from...
12To John Adams from Oliver Wolcott, Jr., 28 March 1801 (Adams Papers)
I embrace the earliest opportunity which I have been able to improve, since your arrival at Quincy, to express my sincere acknowledgements for the distinguished proof which I have rec’d. of your confidence, in being appointed a Judge of the second Circuit of the United States. My friends have communicated to me the circumstances which attended this appointment, by which I learn with the...
13To John Adams from Benjamin Lincoln, 30 March 1801 (Adams Papers)
The extreme bad traveling for some time past has prevented my calling and paying to you the debt of my most dutiful Gratitude While I sympathise with my country in the loss which they have sustained by the events of the late election it is some consolation that you will suffer less by the change than any other of your fellow citizens in the Union. Some few of them may be ingrateful for your...
14From John Adams to Benjamin Stoddert, 31 March 1801 (Adams Papers)
On the evening of the 18, a few minutes after my Arrival at this place commenced a violent Equinoxtial Gale of Wind, accompanied with a flood of rain, from the North East, which has continued with very Short intervals to this day and confined me to my house. This is So old fashioned a storm that I begin to hope that nature is returning to her old good nature and good humour and is substituting...
15From John Adams to Isaiah Thomas, Jr., 31 March 1801 (Adams Papers)
I have received your favour of the 25th., with the numbers of the Massachusetts Spy inclosed, and I thank you for your civility in Sending them. I am much pleased with their Appearance, and the Sentiments which predominate in them. You will Say this is natural enough, because they are in general conformable to my own and certainly favorable and friendly if not partial to me. Your offer to...
16To John Adams from William Bayly, 31 March 1801 (Adams Papers)
I hope you will not Deem this Letter Impertinent or Improper,—I was a Justice of the peace for P G County and I am told by a Gentleman of Veracity who saw it, that I was in the Nomination in the List made out by you, but in the Publication in the News papers after you Left this, I was Left out all together,— I shall be thankful if you will be good Enough to Inform me how this happened and...
17To John Adams from Samuel Dexter, 4 April 1801 (Adams Papers)
Your obliging favor of 23d. ult. is just recieved; it was truly welcome as it gave me the first information of your safe arrival, & as the manner of it proved that you were in good health & spirits. Pardon me for differing from you in opinion when you say that you have exchanged honor & virtues for manure. I take the last article to be accumulative;—tho’ they aggregate may be formed of as form...
18From John Adams to Marie-Joseph-Paul-Yves-Roch-Gilbert du Motier, marquis de Lafayette, 6 April 1801 (Adams Papers)
I have received from Mr Pichon, your favour of the 10th. of January, and, while I feel my obligations to you for your kind Remembrance of me, I very heartily rejoice with you, in your return to your native Country. The new Superintendant of the commercial relations between France and the United States, will, I presume be very well received here, and the better by most men for the part he acted...
19From John Adams to Oliver Wolcott, Jr., 6 April 1801 (Adams Papers)
I have received your favor of the 28 of March and read it with much pleasure The information you have received from your Friends, concerning the Circumstances of your nomination to be a Judge of the Second Circuit of the United States, is very correct. I have never allowed myself to Speak much of the Gratitude due from the Public to Individuals for past services. But I have always wished that...
20To John Adams from Bernard Hubley, Jr., 9 April 1801 (Adams Papers)
The Affectionate Attachment, I ever had for you, has induced me, to take a liberty, which I pray, may meet your abrobation;—My Dear Wife, was safely delivered of a Son, on Sunday, the Twenty fifth January last; on Sunday last, Fifth April, (being Easter day) he was Babtized, and Named John Adams, he is a fine Babe; should Providence permit him to live, to become a Man; the Wish and Prayers of...
21From John Adams to Christopher Gadsden, 16 April 1801 (Adams Papers)
I have received your favor of the 11th. of March and, with a pleasure far exceeding all my powers of Expression perceive that your friendly Sentiments for me are as kind and indulgent as they were six and twenty years ago. I read with the Same Satisfaction your publication last fall, and with a tenderness which was almost too much for my Sensibility. While Wythe and Pendleton and McKean and...
22From John Adams to Louis André Pichon, 16 April 1801 (Adams Papers)
I have received your favour of the 19th of March, and thank you for your care of the Letter which you inclosed from my Friend La Fayette. The inclosed Lett Answer from me to him I pray you to transmit to him with your dispatches. I congratulate you on your Arrival in this country and I wish you much honor and pleasure in your public and private Intercourse with our Government and Citizens. I...
23To John Adams from John Murray Forbes, 25 April 1801 (Adams Papers)
On my return to this Country permit me to take the earliest opportunity to express to you the warm sense of grateful obligation which I feel for your attention to my Wishes & those of my friends, in the nomination of me to the Commercial Agency of the U. S. at Havre de Grace in France—This place promises to an American House even greater Commercial advantages than that of Bordeaux which I had,...
24From John Adams to Bernard Hubley, Jr., 10 May 1801 (Adams Papers)
I duly received your favor of April 9 & am much gratified with that affectionate attachment, which you express for me. The mode you have adopted to mark your regard is very flattering. All that I can say to you upon this occasion is, God bless the brave boy to whom you have given the name of MHi : Adams Family Papers, Letterbooks.
25From John Adams to Louis André Pichon, 10 May 1801 (Adams Papers)
I have received the letter you did me the honor to write me on the 20th of April and in answer to the enquiry in it, I have the pleasure to inform you, that on the 16 of April I answered your former favor, acknowledging the receipt of it with the letter inclosed from my friend La Fayette. In this letter I inclosed an answer to that illustrious but unfortunate gentleman and requested the favor...
26From John Adams to Eliphalet Fitch, 12 May 1801 (Adams Papers)
In writing to you, on the present Occasion, I have to express my Concern that I am disappointed in the Intention of paying my Respects to you and Mrs. Adams at Quincy, during the ensuing Summer.—The Gentleman, Whom I had appointed my Attorney in Jamaica, writes me that he has been very ill, and will be under the Necessity to take a Voyage to Europe for the Recovery of his Health; and thinks my...
27To John Adams from Benjamin Stoddert, 18 May 1801 (Adams Papers)
I have been for sometime past honored with your letter from Quincy, which afforded great gratification to my feelings, because it convinced me, you thought of me, & was not indifferent to my reputation. My first wish is to Act my part in life, with propriety & honor—my second, that minds like yours, should think I do so Act it. The attack made upon me in the wretched paper of Lyon, which no...
28To John Adams from Joseph Willard, 13 June 1801 (Adams Papers)
It is the unanimous request of the Corporation of Harvard college, that you would honor the College with your company on the next Commencement day. I hope, Sir, that you will accept the invitation. Your presence will give great pleasure to all, and to none more than to him who begs leave to subscribe, / with Sentiments of the highest respect, / Sir, / your most humble, / and most obedient...
29To John Adams from Hary Grant, 20 June 1801 (Adams Papers)
I did myself the Honor to send You from London some time Ago the Pictures Raphel through my friend Mr Harper. I Now take the Liberty to send You by the Portsmouth from Havre de Grace Under the Care of Capt. Izard of South Carolina a Bust of Our Ever revierd Washington Executed by Monsr: Pudon which I flatter my self will be Acceptable to You— I have been from my Consulate in Scotland some...
30To John Adams from François Adriaan Van der Kemp, 20 June 1801 (Adams Papers)
Long Since I Should have acquitted me of my duty in congratulating you with your Safe arrival at your beloved Quincÿ, but the apprehension of interrupting your contentment—the onlÿ reward for all—your Services and Sacrifices—during a long meritorious life, if you could disregard the applauses of enlightened Europe—persuaded me to postpone it a while. Tho in the medden of your friends—in the...