Adams Family Correspondence, volume 10
I received yesterday yours of th 14 & 171 I am happy to learn that you are well, and hope the Senate will not be obliged to sit longer than tomorrow. I saw mr Jay last Evening. by the manner of his Speaking I thought he did not expect they would get up so soon. the Antis know not how to contain themselves, at the Secrecy of the Senate. they wish to be clamouring the whole time, and stand with their mouths open ready to sit up the Halloo. we see by the report of Merlin in the Name of the committe of publick Safety, this day publishd in the Gazzet, the declaration of the Essential principals of 457 social order, as they are called, every article of which, is to guard against the domination of self created Societies, and incendary publications.2
I rejoice with you in the late receipt of intelligence from our dear Sons— Mrs smith has letters to the 16 of April & Charles to the 9th.3 I would hope you may have some too. I presume the Secreatary of state has dispatches. they give a pleasing account of their Health & of their personal Safety and tranquility. the letters are excellent as usual. you will So soon see them that it is needless to make any extracts from them—
I am glad you wrote me about the Medallion. I did not chuse to ask you. I knew the Subject gave you pain. I think however that you had better see Mead, & shew him the Letter to bar any future Demand.4 General Gates desires his respects to you & says you must go out to Rose Hill & go over his Farm one day before you return home. I presume you will only stop here one day.5 present my kind regards to mrs Washington. I should be happy to see her. John is better I think as Mrs Washington did that it was a Worm Ague— adieu in hopes of seeing you the beginning of the week. I am as ever yours &c
RC (Adams Papers); endorsed: “Mrs A. June 19 / ansd 23. 1795.”
In his letter to AA of 17 June, JA described the Senate debate over the treaty as temperate and likely to continue for another week. He also informed AA that JQA’s dispatches had yet to be presented to the Senate and that he had read Gov. Samuel Adams’ speech and found it generally satisfactory (Adams Papers).
On 12 April Philippe Antoine Merlin de Douai, a member of the Committee of Public Safety, presented France’s National Convention with a list of twelve principles designed to maintain social order in the republic. The first article declared, “The sovereign people of France, are the collection of the ci[ti]zens from all the Departments, without distinction of condition, profession or fortune. Any section or fraction of the people, any condition or profession, any society, assembly or mob, are not the French people.” The report further proclaimed the right of the government to forcibly suppress such assemblies and prosecute the organizers. Translations of Merlin’s declaration, reprinted from Paris newspapers, appeared in the New York press from 19 June (New York Argus, 19, 20 June).
JQA to AA2, 15 April, and likely JQA to CA, 16 April, both above.
In his
letter to AA of 16 June, JA reported Giuseppe Ceracchi’s recent departure for Hamburg and also that the sculptor had attempted to solicit exorbitant fees from some of his other subjects, including the president. Ceracchi made a similar request to JA on 8 May seeking $250, which he asked to be remitted to the Philadelphia merchant George Meade (both Adams Papers). Meade was apparently acting as Ceracchi’s agent and was designated in the sculptor’s requests for payment to Thomas Jefferson and James Madison (
DAB;
Jefferson, Papers,
28:347–349; Madison, Papers, Congressional Series,
16:5, 7).
For Rose Hill Farm, the estate of Gen. Horatio Gates, see vol. 9:408.