Adams Family Correspondence, volume 8
th.89.
Mr. Duerr, as you pronounce it, and my Wife seem to think alike as to the Powers of an Ambassadress when placed as an Helpmate to the Ambassador. Mr D. had an Idea of an handsome Face Mrs. L thought only of the Good Sense of the Lady. If this is ambiguous, yr. best Friend can make it plain so far as relates to Duerr.1
As to Mrs. L I will show her to you in a Minute, just as She appeared the first Instant her Eyes were opened this Morning “Well Mr: Lovell I think as others do, you are too confident about your office;— you ought to go to New York;— One of your main Expectations has failed you already;— your Friend Portia is not going on to Congress.” Good Morning Ma'am, replied I, “I am sorry for that.”—a Pause—
Indeed, Portia, there was not so much Compliment in my Reply as a Stranger would guess there was. “I am sorry,” because I could say twenty Things to you which I would not dare to trouble your Husband with. I could talk to you about Insurgents, and the Tools of the Tools of Insurgents, down to the Successor of the Successor of your humble Servant late a Naval officer, for the Port of Boston. But really I should not have thought of this Subject if I had not heard it said Yesterday by one of the veriest of that Tribe “my Friends have spooken to Mr. Adams about me.” Curses on their 332Impudence! it makes no Odds to them whether Virtue or Vice is in Rule; they hope with good Grounds under the latter and they dare to ask Patronage of the former. In this Commonwealth, I have seen them have every Advantage. Vice triumphant, they have turned out of Place whom they would; and upon a Change in Government they held their Offices because the virtuous would not take the vicious Mode of turning any Man out who did his Duty let him have gotten into office how he might. By being the accidental but Kidney,— Deputy of Nat. Barber for 3 Months only, the present Naval Officer was preferred before John Rice who had served 3 years, with me faithfully scientifically & amiably. But I would only be understood here as remarking who ought not to have the Naval office of this Port. leaving it totally with my Betters to say who shall have it.2 The present Incumbent may have one advocate at Head Quarters if Mr. O should be chosen Clerk of the Senate.
“Scratch now for me and I will always scratch for you,” has been the perpetual Rule of that republican Electioneering Set, to which the Two in Question belonged— A caucasing-Town-Meeting Bulldog like Barber or one of a more sly least like his Successor, must have had many Promises of future Friendship from would-be Representatives Senators & Governors in this Town, who thought that the Road of Promises was the broad one to Preferment.
I am Madam, yours respectfully
RC (Adams Papers).
James Lovell and AA briefly revived their correspondence for three letters after a five-year hiatus. He also wrote to JA on this same date seeking an office in the new government (Adams Papers). For more on Lovell's unusual letter-writing style, and his correspondence with AA, see vol. 3:xxxiv–xxxv.
Lovell had been appointed naval officer for the port of Boston in July 1784, succeeding Nathaniel Barber, with John Rice serving as his deputy. Lovell remained in that position until 1787 when he was replaced by Barber. The state again named Lovell to the post later in 1789 (vol. 5:355, 357–358; Fleet's Pocket Almanack, 1785, p. 26; 1786, p. 20; 1787, p. 39; 1788, p.55;
Sibley's Harvard Graduates
, 14:45).
I have been so diligent on the Road and so much interrupted by Company at the Taverns that this is the first time I have been able to get an opportunity to write to you. We arrived at this house last night (Saturday) Shall rest here to day and go into N. York tomorrow.—1 at Hartford, the Manufacturers presented me with a Piece of 333Broadcloth, for a Suit of Cloaths. at N. Haven the Corporation presented me with the Freedom of their City.— at both these Towns the Gentlemen came out to meet us, and went out with us.—2 at Horseneck, we were met by Major Pintard, & Captain Mandeville with a Party of Horse from the State of New York, and there is to be much Parade on Monday.—3 Before this I presume, the Printers in Boston, have inserted in their Gazettes, the Debates of the House of Representatives, which are conducted with open Galleries.4
This Measure, by making the Debates public will establish the national Government, or break the Confederation. I can conceive of no medium between these Extremes.— By the Specimens that I have seen, they go on with great Spirit, in preparing the Impost, which is a favourable omen.— My Love to the Children and Duty to my Mother, &c.
RC (Adams Papers); addressed: “Mrs Adams / at Mr John Adams's / Braintree.”
First run by Dr. Ebenezer Haviland and later by his widow, Tamar, Haviland's Tavern (also known as the Square House) had been a popular stopping point on the Post Road in Rye, N.Y., since about 1770. JA had previously visited the tavern at least twice, riding to and from the Continental Congress in 1774 (Charles W. Baird, Chronicle of a Border Town: History of Rye, Westchester County, New York, 1660–1870, N.Y., 1871, p. 145–147; D&A, 2:102, 158).
On 16 April, JA passed through Hartford where “an escort of the principle gentlemen in town, the ringing of Bells, and the attention of the Mayor and Aldermen of the Corporation, marked the Federalism of the Citizens, and their high respect for that distinguished patriot and statesman” (Hartford American Mercury, 20 April).
That same day, the city of New Haven voted to give JA “all the rights Privileges and immunities of a free Citizen of the said City of New Haven” (Adams Papers). Ezra Stiles noted in his literary diary that on 17 April JA “was escorted into To by 35 or 40 Horse & phps 60 Chaises. . . . He rested in the City an Hour, when the Diploma of the Freedom of it was presented to him” (The Literary Diary of Ezra Stiles, D.D., LL.D., ed. Franklin Bowditch Dexter, 3 vols., N.Y., 1901, 3:351).
The Norwich Packet reported that “the light horse of West Chester county” escorted JA's entourage from the Connecticut line to Kingsbridge. Major Pintard was probably Lewis Pintard (1732–1818) of New Rochelle, a merchant who had assisted American prisoners in New York during the Revolution. John Mandeville was named captain of the Westchester Light Horse in 1786 and served until 1790 (Norwich Packet, 8 May;
DAB
; Hugh Hastings, comp. and ed., Military Minutes of the Council of Appointment of the State of New York, 1783–1821, 4 vols., Albany, 1901, 1:80, 178).
The Boston Herald of Freedom began printing the debates on 14 April; various other Boston newspapers soon followed suit.