1From John Adams to Nathaniel Barrett, 2 December 1785 (Adams Papers)
Last Night I received your Letter of Nov. 29. inclosing another written at sea give me Leave to Congratulate you, on your fortunate Escape from the Dangers of Shipwreck. I am indeed no stranger to the Marquiss’s exertions in the affair of the Oil, and it may not be improper to mention to you, the Particulars of the Rise and Progress of them. One day at dinner I beleive at his House or mine, He...
2From John Adams to the Marquis of Carmarthen, 2 December 1785 (Adams Papers)
I have received with a great deal of Pleasure, the Letter, which your Lordship did me, the honour to write me, on the thirtieth of last Month. I will take the earliest Opportunity, My Lord, to communicate M r Ansteys Appointment to the members of Congress, and to recommend him to their Protection and Countenance in the Execution of the Business with which he is charged. And if your Lordship or...
3From John Adams to John Jay, 2 December 1785 (Adams Papers)
Inclosed are Copies of private Letters, which have passed between Lord Carmarthen and me relative to the Appointment of M r Anstey. The End of this Appointment, is to prevent Impositions upon the Commissioners, in ascertaining the Claims of the Loyalists. M r. Anstey will have Occasion for Copies of publick Records, to which I suppose there can be no Objection in any State, and as his friendly...
4From John Adams to George Chapman, 3 December 1785 (Adams Papers)
I received in due Season your Letter of the 20. July, with a Copy of your Treatise on Education. As I was much engaged at that time, I was not able to read it, but M rs Adams, who read it carefully through, admired it so much, that she took the first Opportunity to send it to a worthy Clergy man in America, M r shaw of Haverhill, who is much concerned in the Education of Youth. There is no...
5From John Adams to John Jay, 3 December 1785 (Adams Papers)
I am anxious to convey to you, if I can, in as strong a light as that in which I, See, myself, the Impossibility of our, doing any Thing Satisfactory, with this Nation, especially under this Ministry, that the states may neither neglect nor delay any measure, which they would judge necessary or expedient upon the Certainty, that England will not alter her Conduct. in order to this I must be...
6From John Adams to John Jay, 3 December 1785 (Adams Papers)
There is a Gentleman at Lisbon, who went and established himself there, as I believe partly with a View to the Consulate. He is of a very respectable Family and Connection, who have indeed Sacrificed themselves in the Cause of their Country. He is a Nephew of the famous Otis and a Son of Major General Warren. The Gentleman himself whose name is Winslow Warren, is ingenious and active, and I...
7To 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...
8From John Adams to John Jay, 6 December 1785 (Adams Papers)
If the Facts, which I have had the Honour to state to you in my preceeding Letters, are credited, I think it will appear, that the Connections of these Kingdoms with foreign Powers, every Idea of the Ballance of Europe; the Dominions of Great Britain in Asia And America, and all the Interests Considerations of Posterity, are Sacrificed, to a momentary Tranquility and Credit. From which...
9To 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...
10To 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...
11From John Adams to John Jay, 9 December 1785 (Adams Papers)
I went to Court Yesterday Morning, if not in despair, with very faint hopes of ever receiving an Answer to any Letter or Memorial of mine to the British Ministry.— I went early, but found three of the foreign Ministers before me. The Rule is to admit them to his Lordship in the order in which they arrive. in my Turn I was Shewn into his Lordships Appartement received very politely as usual,...
12From John Adams to Elizabeth Brown, 10 December 1785 (Adams Papers)
I have this moment received your favour of the 8 th of this month, inclosed a Letter from your unkle Warren of the 30 th of August which is returned to you here inclosed. I sent off your former Letter with my first dispatches to New York, there not being any Vessell at that time bound to Boston.— you ask my advice Madame, and I hold myself bound by every obligation to give it you according to...
13To 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...
14To 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...
15From John Adams to Richard Cranch, 12 December 1785 (Adams Papers)
I am much obliged to you for your judicious Letter of Oct r. 15. you have described the Causes of the present Evil with Accuracy, and the Cure is equally obvious. I mean a partial Cure— as far as the difficulty arises from Property having been thrown by the Course of the War into Hands, unable to hold it, there is no remedy but time & the Course of Law, in this respect, the present times...
16From John Adams to James Warren, 12 December 1785 (Adams Papers)
Your Favour of October 6. I rec d but Yesterday.— I had before written very fully to M r Jay, a recommendation of your son to be Consull at Lisbon, and desired him to communicate it to the Members of Congress. I will write also to M r Jefferson, and wish very heartily that he may be appointed. He is a modest and ingenious Man, and independently of the Merits of his Family, which are equal to...
17From John Adams to Mercy Otis Warren, 12 December 1785 (Adams Papers)
I am much obliged to you for your Letter and refer you to General Warren for what respects your son.— You suppose my present situation to be eligible and I confess it.— I have it in my Power here to enjoy the Society of Persons of great Worth, and if I please of high Rank, and if our publick Affairs here went well, I should not desire a better situation. but they do not. A Lady, who was born...
18To 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...
19To 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...
20From John Adams to Elbridge Gerry, 13 December 1785 (Adams Papers)
It was but last Week that I received your Letter of the 14 th. of July.— With regard to the Money borrowed by me, and applid to the discharge of M r Morris’s Draughts, My Bankers in Amsterdam have as they inform me, transmitted their Accounts both to the Board of Treasury and M r Barclay.— By them it will appear that Several Millions of Livres I mean were remitted to Le Couteulx at Paris, and...
21From John Adams to Thomas Jefferson, 13 December 1785 (Adams Papers)
I have received a Letter from my Friend General Warren of Milton Hill near Boston, acquainting me, that Congress have it in Contemplation to appoint their Ministers Consuls General, or rather to give them Authority to appoint Consuls, and that you are to have the nomination of that Officer for Lisbon. that his son Winslow Warren, went Sometime ago And Settled at Lisbon, partly upon Some...
22From John Adams to the Marquis de Lafayette, 13 December 1785 (Adams Papers)
I have received your favour of the 30 th. Ult o. and thank you for the extract enclosed— The Commerce of new England will follow their oil, wherever it may go and therefore I think it good Policy, in the Controller General to take of the duty— But there is another object of Importance I mean the sperma Cæti Chandles— Will you be so good as to inform me whether these are prohibited in france?...
23From John Adams to Wilhem & Jan Willink and Nicolaas & Jacob van Staphorst, 13 December 1785 (Adams Papers)
I have now to acquaint you that on the 29 Nov r. I accepted a Bill of M r. Tho s. Barclay. N o. 6. (by mistake I suppose it ought to be Number 8) for 200 £ s t dated Paris 24 Nov r. 1785 at usance first of the sett in favour of M r. Grand This 13 th. Day of Dec r. I have accepted Two Bills of 200 £ s
24From John Adams to John Jay, 15 December 1785 (Adams Papers)
There are mysterious Movements, of various kinds, that ought to be observed and reflected on, although We cannot draw any certain Conclusions from them. General Faucett, is often at the Levee, not indeed, on Wednesdays, nor at the Drawing Room on Thursdays, on which occasions the Foreign Ministers attend, but on Frydays, when there are no Strangers, and when only the Ministers of State, and...
25From John Adams to Philip Mazzei, 15 December 1785 (Adams Papers)
In your favour of Oct r. 29, You inform me that The Marquis has observed in Germany, that the Lies which are Spread to our disadvantage, must be injurious to our national honour, if We neglect to contradict them.— When I came first to Europe now approaching to Eight Years ago, my Indignation was roused, at the Shameless Falshoods which were continually propagated, and I took a great deal of...
26To 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...
27From John Adams to Thomas Jefferson, 20 December 1785 (Adams Papers)
M r Barretts Arrival at Paris, is a lucky Event, and his appointment by the Merchants in Boston a judicious Step; but I am not So clear in the Choice he makes of L’Orient to reside in.— Paris, or even Havre, Seems to me a better Situation. Paris in preference to all others.— If Boylstone would Act in concert with him, his Capital, would be equal to every Thing which relates to the Business:...
28To 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...
29To 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...
30To 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...
31From John Adams to Rufus King, 23 December 1785 (Adams Papers)
I am much obliged to you for your kind Letter of the 2 d. of November, and hope that a Correspondence So agreably begun may be prosecuted, to the Benefit of the Country We have the Honour to serve. Although I may be not personally known to you, the Character uniformly given of your Talents, Application, and publick Spirit, leave me no room to doubt, that I Shall derive much necessary...
32To 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,...
33To 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
34From John Adams to Nathaniel Barrett, 24 December 1785 (Adams Papers)
I am happy to learn, by your favour of the 10 th. that your prospects are satisfactory to yourself and promising for the publick You may depend upon every Personal and official exertion of M r. Jefferson, and the marquis will take a pleasure and a Pride in assisting you, both by his Knowledge of the Language, the Usages and the Characters in the Nation, by his powerful and numerous...
35From John Adams to Richard Henry Lee, 24 December 1785 (Adams Papers)
I am honoured with your Letter of 23. oct r. and I must confess to you, that the situation I am in is the most pleasant in many respects, that I have ever been in, on this side the ocean. But still there is something wanting, which is quite essential: I mean a more benevolent spirit in the Nation towards the United States— a more honest disposition too is wanting— I even wish that my Candour...
36To 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...
37From John Adams to Philip Mazzei, 29 December 1785 (Adams Papers)
I have found in the Remembrancer of the Year 1775, page 309, that a Petition was presented to his Majesty on Wednesday the 11 th. of September, from the City of Bristol by M r Burke, one of the Representatives of that City, in which are the following Words. “We owe a Testimony of Justice to your Colonies, which is, that in the midst of the present distractions, We have received many...
38To 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...
39To 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...
40To 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...
41From John Adams to John Jay, 4 January 1786 (Adams Papers)
I have only time to acquaint you, that since my last there have been some Appearances of an Intention in Ministry to take up American Affairs Lord Carmarthen and M r Pitt have certainly had Conferences with Committees of Merchants who have represented to them the Necessity of arrangements with the United states, upon Terms which will give Satisfaction. Nevertheless I have no Confidence in this...
42From John Adams to John Jay, 4 January 1786 (Adams Papers)
A day or two after the receipt of your Letter of Nov r. 1 st. & that of President Lee. which came with it I wrote to the archbishop of Canterbury, by Col o. Smith, for an Hour when I might have the Honour to pay my Respects to his Grace—And was answerd very politely that he would be glad to have the Honour of seeing me, next day, between Eleven & twelve, accordingly I went Yesterday & was very...
43To 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...
44To 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...
45To 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...
46From John Adams to Wilhem & Jan Willink and Nicolaas & Jacob van Staphorst, 10 January 1786 (Adams Papers)
I am honoured with your Letter of the 23 d of Dec r. and remember very well my giving the Credit for a 1000 £— It was to pay for swords medals &c for officers, which Coll. Humphries had orders from Congress & their Financier to have made— I informed you of it at the same time— I only gave the power to M r. Jefferson to draw for the money as Humphry might want it, in order to multiply the...
47To 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...
48To 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...
49To 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...
50To 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...