31Abigail Adams to John Adams, 18 April 1794 (Adams Papers)
Your Letter of April 5 th an 7 th reachd me last Evening, and they fill me with more apprehensions of a War than any thing I have before hear’d. the body of the people are decidedly against War, and if a War is madly or foolishly precipitated upon us, without the union of the people, we shall neither find Men or Money to prosecute it, and the Government will be Cursed and abused for all the...
32Abigail Adams to John Adams, 19 April 1794 (Adams Papers)
A memorable day in our Annals, which is all I shall say of politicks here. the season is very variable from hot to cold & cold to Hot, and much too dry; it has not raind since my poor furniture had such a share of it. the Trees just begin to Bud, and the ground to put on some little verdure. Faxon moved off two days ago and shaw removed in. we are getting things arranged as well as we can. I...
33Abigail Adams to John Adams, 25 April 1794 (Adams Papers)
I last Evening received your of the 15 th and our son the Remittance, which he went directly to pay but mr smith Says the Sum is this currency, whereas mr Brisler expressly wrote me that it was Philadelphia currency and after nameing the sum in pounds, was so particular as to calculate the sum in Dollers. Captain Eames has saild for Philadelphia so that mr smith must wait unless he will credit...
34Abigail Adams Smith to John Adams, 29 April 1794 (Adams Papers)
Your letter of the 21st of March, has lain by me some time. * * * * The prospect of a war alarms me much; many persons express their apprehensions respecting the safety of this town in particular— supposing that in case of a war, it would be of great consequence for the British to have possession of it, and presuming they will attempt to invade it; but I hope they will find other objects...
35Abigail Adams to John Adams, 3 May 1794 (Adams Papers)
I received your two kind Letters of April 19 th & 22 d I was much gratified by the appointment of mr Jay as Envoy extrodanary. I know not how the President could have made a more judicious choice, but there are Some evil spirits who would fault the measure of heaven & quarrel with the Angle Gabrial were he sent even to declare Peace on Earth, and good will to Men. the Jacobine clubs who watch...
36Thomas Boylston Adams to John Adams, 3 May 1794 (Adams Papers)
The return of some Gentlemen of the Philadelphia Bar gives me an opportunity of droping you a few lines; The Court has been engaged in many important trials, & contrary to their expectations are obliged to meet this day— M r: Ingersoll however intends making part of the Journey, to Lancaster this afternoon; To prevent an interference of the Court of Com Pleas & the Supreme Court in Lancaster...
37Thomas Boylston Adams to John Adams, 5 May 1794 (Adams Papers)
In our Journey from West Chester to this place we lodged at Strasburg, a German Village 9 miles the other side of Lancaster; I had little opportunity of viewing the town, as we arrived at dusk & started at 5 oClock the next morning; the lands about it are valuable & well cultivated, the Houses are many of them built with logs, with a Cement of gravel mortar to fill up the chincks— the people...
38Charles Adams to John Adams, 9 May 1794 (Adams Papers)
Suppose that for a few moments we should indulge in the regions of fancy and imagine a nation about to form into civil society Suppose their fundamental law to be that no member of the community should possess more land than he could actually cultivate Suppose them determined to be an agrest people without commerce without communication with foreigners. Could not thier exist in such a...
39Abigail Adams to John Adams, 10 May 1794 (Adams Papers)
I received your’s of April 27 th & 30th together with the Pamphlets last Evening. two of them from the spirit they breathe denote their origin to be of southern extract. they are a counter part with the attacks upon the Secretary made last year in the House. I have ever thought with respect to that Man, “beware of that spair Cassius—” this might be done consistant with prudence, and without...
40Abigail Adams to John Adams, 11 May 1794 (Adams Papers)
This day has been our May meeting and without clubs or even Drunkeness, tho we have little purity to boast of in that respect, our Election has been calmly carried, & your Brother chosen. it seems the Name is in high estimation, as the Prophet Sam ll. find himself not only first but second, being Elected by the people both Govenour & Liut Govenour which I believe is the first instance of the...
41Thomas Boylston Adams to John Adams, 14 May 1794 (Adams Papers)
Your letter of the 10 has come to hand; I arrived at Lancaster a few hours before it; of course you favor of a prior date is yet to be received. I have requested the Post Master of York Town to forward it here when it reaches that places— As to the Letter’s you speak of I am at a loss what request to make concerning them— The business of Newcombe cannot be advanced till I return; if you will...
42Thomas Boylston Adams to John Adams, 20 May 1794 (Adams Papers)
I was a little disappointed in not finding a letter for me in the Post Office of this place upon my arrival here yesterday— The arrangement, of the Posts is rather inconvenient in all the towns I have yet visited where there is any— In West Chester there is none, in York & Lancaster there is but one Mail Pr Week, as also in this place— the Mail arrived here yesterday from Philadelphia &...
43Abigail Adams to John Adams, 23 May 1794 (Adams Papers)
I last evening received yours of the 12 th and 15. the weather for several Days past has been extreem Hot, and as to the drougth it is much sharper than last year we have not had half an inch of rain for two Months & Scarcly a sprinkle for more than a month. neither corn or potatoes can get up, & the few things in the garden wilt like july. I am most discouraged at Farming. I have however...
44Abigail Adams to John Adams, 24 May 1794 (Adams Papers)
Yours of the 17 th came this day to me I do not know to what to ascribe the failure of my letters unless our son forgot to put them into the post office. I wrote you twice upon the very week of which you complain; & tho I have not faild writing to you once a week ever since you left me, I have not very often written twice, but some Buisness that week occurd which I wanted your opinion of. That...
45John Quincy Adams to John Adams, 26 May 1794 (Adams Papers)
M r: Dorr obtained a passage in the vessel with M r: Jay, and M r: Jones, had an opportunity to go from Newport, so that they had no occasion to make the application to Congress, in behalf of which I requested your favour. I drew another petition some time since, for the manufacturers of snuff and tobacco in this Town, making representations against the tax proposed upon those articles. I know...
46Abigail Adams to John Adams, 27 May 1794 (Adams Papers)
Thanks to the Father of the Rain, and the Bountifull dispencer of the dews of Heaven, who has plentifully waterd the dry and thirsty Earth. the Fields recover their verdure, and the little Hills rejoice. the drooping vine rears its head and the witherd flower Blooms anew. Indeed my dearest Friend it would rejoice your Heart to behold the change made in the appearene of all Nature, after one of...
47Thomas Boylston Adams to John Adams, 3 June 1794 (Adams Papers)
I arrived in Philad a: on Sunday Morn g & was not a little disappointed at finding you had taken your departure only the Day before; I hastened my return from Reading, that I might reach Philad a: before you left it. My Journey has been as pleasant as I co[uld] wish, & I have returned not a little prejudiced in favor of the State of Pennsylvania. If my conject[ures] are well founded, it will...
48John Quincy Adams to John Adams, 10 July 1794 (Adams Papers)
I arrived here last Evening, and this morning paid my Respects to the Secretary of State, who introduced me to the President.— I find that it is their wish that I should be as expeditious in my departure as possible. I told the Secretary, that the state of my own affairs would render my return to Boston previous to my departure, extremely eligible to [my]self. He enquired whether it would be...
49Thomas Boylston Adams to John Adams, 14 July 1794 (Adams Papers)
Your kind Letter by my Brother was delivered a few days since; as the proposal it contains is of very considerable importance, I have taken time to consider it before I returned an answer. As you have been good enough to leave it in my option whether to adopt the plan, or not, I shall express my sentiments with the freedom which your indulgence seems to authorize. I am sensible that a young...
50John Quincy Adams to John Adams, 18 July 1794 (Adams Papers)
Since my arrival here, I have employed all the Time, that I have been able to spare, from the more important business of visits and dinners, in the Office of the Secretary of State, and have gone through six large folio volumes containing your dispatches to Congress while you were in Europe. They can have but little relation to the business upon which I am about to proceed; but they have...
51John Quincy Adams to John Adams, 27 July 1794 (Adams Papers)
I expected to have been on my way to Boston before this; but M r: Hamilton is gone into the Country, and I cannot be supplied with my instructions untill he returns. He has been expected every hour these four days, and it is very possible that four days hence he may still be hourly expected. In the mean while I am here lolling away my time, and sweating away my person, with nothing to do, and...
52Samuel A. Otis to John Adams, 16 October 1794 (Adams Papers)
Agreeable to intimation I have been enquiring for accommodations for you but to no purpose unless you should like rooms in Francis’s house. It is not easy to know exactly what will be agreeable to our friends tho we may sometimes please ourselves— I have gone so far however as to engage with Francis on condition you like & wish for your immediate answer— Francis’s house is in 4 th Street near...
53Thomas Boylston Adams to John Adams, 19 October 1794 (Adams Papers)
I embrace the earliest opportunity to acquaint you of our safe & happy arrival at this place after a Passage of 28 days. I scarcely conceive it possible at any Season of the year to have a more delightful Voyage; we got soundings on the 21 st: day after our departure, and arrived at Deal on the 28 th: in London the 29 th: exactly four weeks from the day of Embarkment at Boston. With a fast...
54Samuel A. Otis to John Adams, 28 October 1794 (Adams Papers)
I wrote you soon after my arrival that I had engaged you lodgings at Franciss Hotel, Two rooms first floor, for 20 dollars, but not having your answer shall relinquish them—And for two reasons— 1 st The place is two public—you must dine with a large Company and not the most respectable part of Congress; in short you must lodge at a tavern and at a dear rate— 2 d I have got you two rooms on the...
55Thomas Boylston Adams to John Adams, 2 November 1794 (Adams Papers)
By the Ship John, Capt n. Duer I gave you information of our safe arrival at London, and I now embrace the earliest opportunity of acquainting you that on the evening of the 31 st of October we reached the place of our destination. We left London on the evening of the 28 th. and reached Harwitch the next day at noon; about 5 oClock we got under Sail on board a Packett for Helvoetsluys with a...
56Abigail Adams to John Adams, 4 November 1794 (Adams Papers)
This is the first fair morning we have had since you left me. you must have had an unpleasent journey Sunday the afternoon was pleasent, but Monday & twesday very rainy. I was anxious to learn how the Election went in Boston and sent to inquire last Evening of mr Black if he had heard from Town, and to my great Satisfaction learnt that mr Ames was chosen there; by what majority I did not hear....
57Abigail Adams to John Adams, 10 November 1794 (Adams Papers)
I hope you are agreably lodgd and that your Company will be to your mind. I rejoice in the ReElection of mr Ames, and mr Smith of Carolina. tis Said mr Freeman is chosen for Barnstable a clasmate of our Son JQA, a Lawyer, a worthy Sensible Man as I have heard. for this district mr Reed I hear is chosen. I do not however approve of Clergymen becomeing politicians. you may mak a Chaplin of him....
58Abigail Adams to John Adams, 19 November 1794 (Adams Papers)
I received by Saturdays post Yours of Nov br 8 th , and was happy to find that you had got well to Philadelphia, and that there was a fair prospect of Peace on all sides. I was fearfull that they would make a senate before you reachd Philadelphia. Butlers conduct is much like the Man, unsteady and wavering. the Democrats have found a spirit in the Body of the people too enlightned, & too...
59Abigail Adams to John Adams, 23 November 1794 (Adams Papers)
I received yours of Nov br. 9 th 11 th 12 & 14 th . you are made easy respecting the Election of mr Ames tho I believe that many of the Electors would not bear a strict scrutiny any more than Jarvis’s Party. I fear that in one sense evil was done, that good might come of it. there was no other way of Parrying the stroke, but making use of similar weapons and as Hudibrass has it, “to Combat...
60Joseph Cranch to John Adams, 27 November 1794 (Adams Papers)
I will not add to my offence by troubling you with a long apology for this intrusion on your Valuable time— Suffice it to Say,—that encoraged by the Condesending manner in which you listen’d to my small affairs (interesting however to me in the extreem) I am embolden’d to beg your interest with the General in my behalf, so far as you can do it consistant with your princeples of Propriety — a...