1To John Adams from Rufus King, 4 December 1785 (Adams Papers)
I had the honor to write to you under date of the second of November, at which time the congress of the last year was at the point of seperation to make way for their successors— states sufficient to form a new Congress did not assemble until the 23 d. ult, when they proceeded to the choice of a President, and M r. Hancock, although absent, was elected— whether he will accept the Appointment...
2To John Adams from Timothy Dwight, [ca. 8-12 December 1785] (Adams Papers)
This letter accompanies to you the Conquest of Canaan. It is the wish of the writer, that this poem may be published in England. For the accomplishment of this design, he becomes a suitor to your Excellency, for such assistance as may be necessary. As an apology for this application, he could allege, that it was recommended to him by Col Wadsworth, who indeed offered him a letter of...
3To John Adams from John Trumbull, 8 December 1785 (Adams Papers)
I must apologize for delaying to acknowlege the honour of your letter of the 28 th. of April which I received by the hand of your Son. I had the pleasure of an hour’s interview with him, & from the proofs he gave in that time of his native genius, his literary improvements, & his just observations on the various parts of Europe, thro’ which he has travelled, I could not but regret that I had...
4To John Adams from Thomas Jefferson, 10 December 1785 (Adams Papers)
On the arrival of mr̃ Boylston I carried him to the Marquis de la Fayette, and received from him communications of his object. this was to get a remission of the duties on his cargo of oil, & he was willing to propose a future contract. I proposed however to the Marquis, when we were alone, that instead of wasting our efforts on individual applications, we had better take it up on general...
5To John Adams from Rufus King, 10 December 1785 (Adams Papers)
M r. Hancock has accepted as President of Congress and will be here in a few days; Seven States have been represented for a few days only since November commenced— Six states only are now represented, I inclose a list of the Names of the Delegates— A Bill passed the house of representatives of massachusetts during their autumn Session, repealing all the Laws preventing the Return or Residence...
6To John Adams from Joel Barlow, 12 December 1785 (Adams Papers)
My friend M r Trumbull has done me the honour to mention my name to you in a letter which is herewith enclosed. The Poem which he mentions is likewise forwarded thro’ the hands of Col—Humphrey to Doct Price with an assgnment of the Copy Right. I have requested the Doctor to use his discretion in procuring an impression & disposing of the copy-Right. Out of the first impression I wish to have...
7To John Adams from Richard Henry Lee, 12 December 1785 (Adams Papers)
My Presedential year being ended I had left New York for this place (from which and from my family I had been thirteen months absent) before the Letters which you did me the honor to write me on the twenty six of August, the six and seventh of September came to hand; which has preventd me from shewing the Civilities to M r Storer and M r Wingrove that I should otherwise have taken pleasure in...
8To John Adams from Christian Lotter, 16 December 1785 (Adams Papers)
It is with the greatest reluctance, most honor ble: Sir! that Your continuing Silence, forces me to incumber You again, to weary Your patience, with Sollicitations of which Your Excellency knows too well, that they ought to be granted, because it is Salary, made by Your own agreement, and for which I have Served. Your Excellency will be graciously pleased, to consider that it is too hard to be...
9To John Adams from Benjamin Goodhue, 20 December 1785 (Adams Papers)
Having an acquaintance with your good brother M r. Cranch, from being a fellow member of the same Legislative body; at his request and from the Assurance which he has given me, that a letter from one of whom you have no Kind of Knowledge, where the views of the Writer are painted to the general good, would meet a Kind reception; I have taken this liberty of sending you inclosed the present...
10To John Adams from John Jebb, 20 December 1785 (Adams Papers)
I have been prevented from paying my respects to you hitherto by the feeble State I have been in for some time— I am now still further prevented by an operation on my leg.— but I cannot help referring you to a publication intitled observations on a late publication intituled Thoughts on executive Justice printed for Cadell in the Strand & Faulder in New-Bond street—which must please you— if...
11To John Adams from Cotton Tufts, 21 December 1785 (Adams Papers)
Your Favour of Sep t. 9 t I rec d. and Your Present of Neckar for which I return You Thanks and am much gratified with Your Sentiments on the Whale Oil Fishery, to this Branch of Business, the General Court have given Encouragement as You will find by a Bill sent you by M r Cranch— Every Day more and more convinces me, that the commerical Restraints of Great Britain, so far as they respect...
12To John Adams from Samuel Austin, 23 December 1785 (Adams Papers)
I am now to advise you, that John Rowe Esq r. Cap t. Patridge Cap t. Dashwood & myself have applied to our General Court, for their aid and assistance, to recover our money of Gen l. How, for goods taken from us the 11 th. March 1776. our cases being Similar, altho’ in some instances, altogether different from many other persons, who as well, as we, have lost their goods by the Kings troops,...
13To John Adams from Wilhem & Jan Willink and Nicolaas & Jacob van Staphorst, 23 December 1785 (Adams Papers)
We have before ús Your Excell s. most Esteemed favour of the 13 h. Inst t. , and have taken Duely Notice of the Acceptances made by Yoúr Excell y. to Whom all honoúr Will be done by Mess s. Puller. We observe What yoúr Excell y. is pleased to Say aboút the Credit of £1000 St g. in favoúr of M r. Jefferson, of Which We made mention in Our last letter, Mess s. Van den Yver freres & C
14To John Adams from Thomas Jefferson, 27 December 1785 (Adams Papers)
Your favors of the 13 th. & 20 th. were put into my hands today. this will be delivered you by mr̃ Dalrymple, secretary to the legation of mr̃ Craufurd. I do not know whether you were acquainted with him here. he is a young man of learning & candor, and exhibits a phaenomenon I never before met with, that is, a republican born on the North side of the Tweed. You have been consulted in the case...
15To John Adams from Stephen Higginson, 30 December 1785 (Adams Papers)
Your obliging Letter by Callahan I received, and thank you for the information it contained. The picture you give me of the British-Cabinet, is no less humiliating and dangerous to them, than it is just— every circumstance that has come to our knowledge proves the description to be true; and so very corrupt have the leading men in that nation become, there is very little chance of their...
16To John Adams from Charles Storer, 30 December 1785 (Adams Papers)
I made a mistake in my other letter respecting the Medical Society— ’Twas you who settled the Correspondance between the Society of Medicine at Paris & our Medical Society here— I well remember the notes that passed on the occasion between you & Mons r: Vicq d’Azir, perpetual Secretary— Our medical Society were extremely pleased at what you had done for them, & wrote them, (immediately on your...
17To John Adams from John Jay, 2 January 1786 (Adams Papers)
I have the Honor of transmitting to you herewith enclosed a Copy of a Letter of the 21 st: December from M r: Temple to me, which I laid before Congress. They have been pleased to direct that you communicate it to His Britannic Majesty— That you inform him, that the Complaint stated in it, being in general Terms, and unsupported by any particular Facts, or Evidence, they do not think it...
18To John Adams from John Paul Jones, 7 January 1786 (Adams Papers)
On the 8 th. of October last M r. Jefferson wrote me a Letter approving of a proposition I had made to him that I should deputize D r. Bancroft to sollicit the Court of Denmark, through the Danish Minister at London, for the Compensation due for the Prizes made by the Squadron I commanded in Europe and given up to the British by the Danish Government, in the year 1779 in the Port of Bergen in...
19To John Adams from the Comte de Sarsfield, 8 January 1786 (Adams Papers)
Depuis mon Arrivée icy Jay etè occupé Comme vous Savez qu’on l’est toujours apres une longue Absence. Je commence a me reconnoitre un peu Et Je profite du premier moment pour vous dire que votre Serviteur Se porte fort bien, a passé la mer en 3 heures et demie, a fait Entrer Sa Voiture heureusement sans payer de droits parce quil est arrivé a Calais avant que l’ordonnance commençât a...
20To John Adams from the Marquis de Lafayette, 9 January 1786 (Adams Papers)
I present You with my New Year Good Wishes so far as to conform ourselves to the European Calendar; for altho’ my Sentiments for You are the same Every Day. Yet dont I think it right in us to mention any Day as the beginning of the Year but the blessed 4 th. of July. M r. Barret’s Business is coming on pretty well; he has made a Six Years Contract with M r. Sangraine for the Sum of four...
21To John Adams from Richard Cranch, 11 January 1786 (Adams Papers)
M r. John Jenks, the Bearer, has this moment inform’d me that he shall sail for London this Day in Cap t. Lyde. As he has been so long connected with our most valuable Friend Doct r Tufts, and is knowing to so many of our Friends and Relations, I think it must be a Pleasure to you and you Family to see him in London. He comes, as I am inform’d, in behalf of some Merchants in Salem to transact...
22To John Adams from James Bowdoin, 12 January 1786 (Adams Papers)
I am honored by your Excellency’s Letter of the 2 d. of Sept. by M r. Storer. The navigation Act of Massachusetts having been found to militate with the french treaty of commerce, & to exclude our fish from the Levant by excluding the subjects of the italian & other states coming with their Vessels for it, when our own in attempting to carry it to them would be intercepted by the Algerines, it...
23To John Adams from Thomas Jefferson, 12 January 1786 (Adams Papers)
You were here the last year when the interest due to the French officers was paid to them, and were sensible of the good effect it had on the credit & honor of the U.S. a second year’s interest is become due. they have presented their demands. there is not money here to pay them, the pittance remaining in mr̃ Grand’s hands being only sufficient to pay current expences three months longer. the...
24To John Adams from Edward Church, 14 January 1786 (Adams Papers)
Notwithstanding the deep wound which one branch of our fishery had rec’d by an act of the british parliament, We were not without hope, while we had a free and an uninterrupted Commerce with the Mediterranean, and it’s neighbouring ports, that we might still be able not only to employ, but increase the number of our fishermen, and from our local advantages, it is not an extravagant Idea to...
25To John Adams from Granville Sharp, 21 January 1786 (Adams Papers)
The Books which I had the honour to request your Excellency’s acceptance of, (viz t. My—Grandfathers Works) are but this moment returned from my Bookbinder, or I should have fulfilled my promise sooner. I had an opportunity of making some Enquiries concerning the Reports which I mentioned to your Excellency about the supposed backwardness of Government to permit the Bishops to consecrate...
26To John Adams from Tristram Dalton, 23 January 1786 (Adams Papers)
Under the 18 th of last October I did myself the honor and pleasure of addressing you, com̃itting the Letter to the Care of Doctor Gordon, who since tells me that He put the same into a safe Channel of Conveyance— I hope you received it in due time—as I therein acknowledged the Satisfaction given to me and my family, by your good & worthy Son, who had passed a day with us—and was the bearer of...
27To John Adams from Philip Mazzei, 23 January 1786 (Adams Papers)
I have just been honored with your Excellency’s favor of 15 ult o. , & am extremely obliged to you for your discussions on the several topics therein mentioned. As to News-papers, I beg leave to transcribe for your perusal the conclusion of a paragraph, which Marquis de la Fayette, to contradict a false assertion in which he had been named, sent to several Gazeteers in various parts of Europe,...
28To John Adams from the Comte de Sarsfield, 26 January 1786 (Adams Papers)
Je ne comptois pas avoir lhonneur de vous ecrire aussi tot après avoir recu une lettre de vous, Je ne veux pas mettre dans notre Correspondance une vivacité qui puisse Vous Etre incommode; n’ayez aucune inquietude, Je Serai mesuré et Je commencerois des aujourdhuy Sans une diable d’expression de Massachusets’ bay que Je n’entens point. C’est celle de Rider of Hobby Horses. Expliquez la moy...
29To John Adams from Nathaniel Barrett, 29 January 1786 (Adams Papers)
I have delayed for some Time writing to your Excellency, being desirous of compleating some g. of Importance.— I have now the pleasure of informing you, that I have contracted in my own Name, & in behalf of others in America, for Oil to the Am t of 400,000 Livres per annum, for 6 years, at a price which I think will answer, I have the Guarrantee of Mess Le Couteulx, for accepting 1/3 bills on...
30To John Adams from C. W. F. Dumas, 31 January 1786 (Adams Papers)
J’ai reçu la Lettre Ministerielle de N. York que V. E. a eu la bonté de m’acheminer. Je suis sensible com̃e je le dois à la part tout-à-fait obligeante que Vous daignez y prendre; & j’ai l’honneur de vous en transmettre ci-joint copie du contenu, ainsi que ma reponse à la dite Lettre, qu’après avoir lue V. E. voudra bien avoir la bonté de fermer & faire acheminer. V. E. verra le recours que je...