Adams Family Correspondence, volume 10
br23. 1794
I received yours of Novbr. 9th 11th 12 & 14th.1 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 evil, tis Lawfull to employ the devil.”2
Where is mr Strong?3 if I did not see some Good Mens Names amongst the absent, I should suppose that it was a concerted measure amongst the Antifeds to prevent Congress from proceeding to Buisness. they testify their Chagrine by [th]eir disinclination to attend. tis said Burr, is Electionering. I hope the next accounts will bring us News of a Senate & the Presidents Speach, which is impatiently lookd for.
Clinton I presume did not marry his daughter to Genett to obtain popularity. I should suppose it would be an injury to him.
269Mr Cranch writes his Mother how highly he was gratified by his visit with you to the President. I am grieved for him. his loss in cloaths is considerable, but his Books were of much more value and concequence to him.4 Mr Daltons projects at his time of Life allways appeard wild to me. to be the first in a village, is, preferable to the second in Rome and, is one of the first Maxims in the Catalogue of Ambition5 this Principal Rears the Morris Palace, which in splendor is to out shine the Bingham House, and the Gallery of pretty fashions will find employment for the Ladies, but not till the Two Young Ladies come forth as Models—for to be first, is the Charm!
as your Friend is not endowd with the Means, tho you have sometimes chargd her with the inclination of following a Lead, she can at least boast that she is contented with what is allotted her, and would rather aim at the Character given by Solomen, by rising whilst it is yet Night, and giving meat to her Household & a portion to her Maidens—6
The Buisness performd since I wrote last, is that of carting 30 load of Manure upon the Hill getting up some sea weed for Banking houses—and finishing Splitting Hills upon this place— Thanksgiving Day & a visit To Abington by the two shaws, has broken the week— 70 load of Sea weed have been spread upon the clover & orchard. the meddow shall be attended to, if there is time after Splitting Hills at the other place.
I have not made any use of the order. the Time draws nigh when you can transmit me what I have occasion for if Savil calls before—I will borrow of the dr my Tennants quarters will be up in december. be so good as to tell Brisler to send me a couple of Barrels flower. 9 dollors is the price here as to Rye flower, I will wait till Spring it may fall then but I question it. not a Bushel of Rye has been at market for some weeks I am told by people who want. 9 shillings pr Bushel was the last price— Mr Cranch Says if you will subscribe for Fennos papers for him, as post Master, they shall come to me free of postage—
present me affectionatly to all inquiring Friends—and be assured I am as ever / Your
RC (Adams Papers); addressed: “To / The Vice President of The / United States / Philadelphia”; endorsed: “Mrs Adams Nov 23. / ansd Decr. 2. 1794.” Some loss of text where the seal was removed.
No letter from JA to AA of the 12th has been found; she possibly refers to his letter of 13 Nov. (Adams Papers), a brief note in which JA commented on general news of John Jay’s mission in Britain and JA’s own social activities. The other letters are above.
Matthew Prior, “Hans Carvel,” lines 69–70.
Caleb Strong first attended the Senate on 28 Nov. (
Annals of Congress,
3d Cong., 2d sess., p. 797).
William Cranch reported to his mother on 12 Nov. that “The Disappointment I have met with in losing all my books, papers, and the trunk of cloaths I sent from Haverhill, is very great, and is not a very good out-set.” The ship on which he had placed them first ran aground at the entrance to the Chesapeake, then caught fire, destroying all of its contents (MHi:Christopher P. Cranch Papers, Box 1).
Tristram Dalton, after visiting Washington, D.C., in May 1794, decided to sell his lands in New England and invest heavily in lumber for building homes and real estate in Washington. He lost most of his personal property in the same shipwreck that destroyed William Cranch’s possessions (see note 4, above), and his investments ultimately failed, leaving him in poverty in Georgetown, D.C., by the late 1790s (
Sibley’s Harvard Graduates,
13:577).
Proverbs, 31:15.
It is a common Observation of Old People, that as they advance in Life time appears to run off faster, and the Years grow shorter. I cannot, I am Sure, Say the Same of the time which has passed of late. I took Possession of this Chamber on the 8th. of this Month, and the time has seemed at least as long to me as any fifteen days of my whole Life. tedious days! and lonesome nights! I am weary of Ye!
Inclosed is the Address of the Senate, and the Presidents Reply.1 You will be pleased with both, but wry faces and shril Voices enough will be Seen & heard in the House, the Cities, and in some Places in the Country.
What do you make of the Intelligence from France? They seem to be weary of Clubbs, but as yet unable to do without them. The Explosion of their Powder Works and Men, seems as desperate as dreadful.—2 dreadful, Awful, Revenge, I expect will be practiced in a thousand Ways: and as Revenge excites Revenge, when will it Stop! They Seem at present to be unable to confine their friends Ennemies, or to set them at Liberty. Sin and Death seem to have deserted the Place where Milton saw them and taken their Abode in Paris.
I did not expect any Letter from you last Week, because of your Visit to Haverhill: and I was not disappointed. but If I should not receive one this Week I shall be mortified.
The Spirit in the two houses, has hitherto appeared well disposed to support the Government: but whether the House will venture to censure a great Number of their Constituents, so freely as the President and Senate have done I know not. Mr Madison & Mr
271
Scott upon the Committee would not admit the Clause into their Report: and whether The House will insert it is not yet certain.3
An Army of 15,000 militia so easily raised from 4 states only to go upon such an Enterprize, ought to be a terrible Phænomenon to antifœderal Citizens as well as to insolent Britains. If our old stepmother continues to provoke Us, till our Patience is exhausted, she will Soon see Mischief to her Dominions in America. But they will cost Us infinitely more than they are worth.
Adieu
RC (Adams Papers); endorsed: “Novbr 23.”
On 22 Nov. the Senate delivered its response to George Washington’s address to Congress. The Senate expressed its “affectionate approbation” for the measures Washington had used to suppress “the licentious and open resistance to the laws in the Western counties of Pennsylvania” and “the wisdom and decision with which you arrayed the militia, to execute the public will.” Washington, in turn, thanked the Senate for its “zealous and steadfast co-operation … in the maintenance of Government” (
Annals of Congress,
3d Cong., 2d sess., p. 794–796). The enclosure has not been found but was presumably the Philadelphia Gazette, 22 Nov., the only newspaper to have printed these items by this date.
On 31 Aug. (An. II, 14 fructidor) an explosion took place at France’s main gunpowder factory in Grenelle. The explosion killed hundreds of workers and was apparently so violent that it shattered windows for miles around. Prior to this incident, the Grenelle factory, which had developed a new method for manufacturing powder, turned out some 30,000 pounds a day (Philadelphia Gazette, 13 Nov.;
Cambridge Modern Hist.,
8:433).
Thomas Scott (1739–1796), a lawyer from western Pennsylvania, served in Congress from 1789 to 1791 and again from 1793 to 1795 (
Biog. Dir. Cong.
). He and James Madison were both on the committee to draft a response to Washington’s address, for which see
JA to AA, 1 Dec., and note 1, below.