Adams Family Correspondence, volume 12
I inclose a Letter to cousin Betsy who has been very frank with me upon the subject of her approaching connection. I hope they will live to enjoy mutual happiness—1
I believe I have been deficient in not mentioning to you that mr Greenleaf was liberated from Prison on saturday week. I have not seen him. mr Malcomb was present at Court and heard the examination. he returnd quite charmed with mr Greenleafs manners and deportment, tho not so with the counsel against him, who he said used mr Greenleaf in a very ungenteel manner but still mr G——f did not forget what belongd to himself—by which means he obtaind many advocates—2
I know my dear sister you will rejoice that I can hear from my Children publickly, that is officially, tho I have not received any Private Letters. mr King writes that he has put on board a vessel bound to Liverpool Letters from mr Adams to his Family. that vessel I presume waits to sail under the convoy granted The secretary of state has received by the British packet duplicates of Letters from mr Adams at Berlin dated 6 december—in which he writes that he was received by the New King of Prussia on the 5th of december, that the King had waved the common ussage with respect to him, considering the distance of the united states, and received him. upon presenting his Credentials, he assured the King that he had no doubt that new ones would be sent him, and that he doubted not he should be warranted by his Government in assureing him of the interest the united stats take in his welfare and prosperity, and that he should but fulfill their wishes by reiterating to him the Sentiments of Friendship and good will which he had in Charge to express to his Royal Father and Predecessor—, to which his Majesty answerd, that he was much gratified by the mark of attention which the united states had shown to the Government, and wished to assure him of his recipriocal good will, and good wishes for their happiness and prosperity. That the similarity of the commercial interests of the two Countries renderd the connection between them important, and might be productive of mutual benifit. on the same Evening mr Adams had an Audience of the Queen mother—
This is rather different from the treatment which our Envoys meet with from the 5 Kings in France— The publick opinion is changeing here very fast, and the people begin to see who have been their firm unshaken Friends, steady to their interests and defenders of their Rights and Liberties. the Merchants of this city have had a meeting to prepare an address of thanks to the President for his firm and steady conduct as it respects their interests.3 I am told that the French Cockade so frequent in the streets here, is not now to be seen, and the Common People say if J——n had been our President, and Madison & Burr our Negotiaters we should all have been sold to the French—4 it is evident that the whole dependance of the French is the devision amongst ourselves. their making such a Noise & pretending to be very wroth at the Presidents speech, is designd only to effect a Change in the chief Majestracy. they dare not openly avow it, but the declaration that all vessels should be subject to capture which had passports on board signd, with the Presidents Signature is one amongst the many personal insults offerd—5 but they have sprung a mine now which will blow them up. they have discoverd a greedy appetite to swallow us all up, to make us like the Hollanders, to cut us up like a capon, and deal us out like true Gamesters—
I sent and bought Kings Pantheon as soon as I found myself foild in my recollection6
I shall write to your son tomorrow; I have not heard lately from him7
I dont care whether Mrs Pope puts me down any butter, if she will only let me have fresh when I come home. I could never find any body who would take the pains which she does, and make so good Butter in the heat of summer.
My Love to mrs Norton & Greenleaf. to each I have sent a simplicity cap— Respects to mr Cranch & Mrs Welch from your truly affectionate / Sister
RC (MWA:Abigail Adams Letters); addressed: “Mrs Mary Cranch / Quincy.”
Not found.
James Greenleaf was not released from debtors’ prison until August; see
AA’s letter to Cranch, [1] Feb., note 7, above.
A group of Philadelphia merchants, traders, and underwriters met at the City Coffee House on 11 and 12 April and agreed to express to JA “their determination to support the measures of our government.” On 17 April they waited on JA, presenting an address bearing 500 signatures and noting that they would “always unite in opposing the attempts of any foreign nation to diminish our rights as an independent people.” The group further assured JA, “We are prepared to meet any state of suffering to which our commerce may be exposed” and “shall give our sincere and firm support to the measures which may be adopted for the general welfare” (Philadelphia Gazette, 13 April;
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Philadelphia Gazette of the United States, 18 April).
Contained within the published dispatches were comments from Jean Hottinguer, “Mr. X,” of 3 Nov. 1797 stating “that intelligence had been received from the United States, that if Colonel Burr and Mr. Madison had constituted the mission, the differences between the two nations would have been accommodated before this time” (Philadelphia Gazette, 9 April 1798).
The Philadelphia Porcupine’s Gazette, 24 March, reported that the French Directory proposed that “as John Adams
was in the pay of England, all vessels, having his name on their papers, should be condemned as good prize.” With JA “stigmatized as a base wretch” and “a subsidized traitor” by the French, the article wondered if there could be “a drop of American blood, that does not tingle with indignation at the insult!”
William King, An Historical Account of the Heathen Gods and Heroes, Necessary for the Understanding of the Ancient Poets, London, 1772.
In her letter to William Cranch of 13 April, AA noted several recent deaths in Quincy and Boston and erroneously reported Greenleaf’s liberation from debtors’ prison. She also forwarded copies of the envoys’ dispatches and instructions (private owner, 2006).
13 April 1798]
in Porcupines paper of last Evening I read a Letter Said to be Written by Mr Findley to his Friends in the Western Country.1
Is it to be wonderd at that the people are disunited in sentiment When such grose Misrepresentation are made them respecting the Veiws and designs of the Government, and its Representitives? it is rather a subject of surprize that So little Effect is produced by them.
I hope that Letter will not be permitted to pass Without a due comment & refutation for Such a texture of lies and falshood are woven into it, as none honest Man but a Knave could fabricate.
it cannot have escaped your notice sir, that a part of the French System is to render as much as possible the Chief Majestrate unpopular With the People by asscribing to him views and designs as foreign to his Heart and mind as honesty and truth are to the Heart and mind of mr Findley for to effect this purpose their Emisaries here have Seizd With avidity the Removal as one object to accomplish their designs the appointment of Mr Adams to Berlin, which tho no promotion of him by his Father either of Rank or Emolument, has given to his Enemies an opportunity a plausible pretence to deceive by misrepresentation the appointment tho made With the purest intentions, has not met With the approbation of mr Adams himself, as you will see by a Letter Which I inclose to you from him in perfect confidence, Which I received last November.2 Mr Findley “asserts that before ever the President met Congress he appointed his own Son Plenipotentiary to Prussia” the journals of Senate Will prove this falshood. Congress met the 15 of May, and the
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Nomination Was the last of June, I think, but the Journals will shew the exact time. he also asserts that he has had an outfit every Year Since his first appointment, one to Holland, one to Lisbon and one to Portugal. not having Scrupled to assert this untruth in the true stile of his oration, he adds 18 thousand dollars more advanced for out fit and first years Sallery—in order to accumulate the sum by his statement. The inclosed Letter will show the falshood of the assertion which I presume may be proved to demonstration from the Secretary of the Treasury & Secretary of States office—
So cautious has mr Adams been in Pecuniary matters, that he says in a Letter of 24 June 1797
“You will find from my correspondence With the Secretary of state that I did not conceive myself at Liberty to accept the customary present of a Medal & chain Which Was offerd me at taking leave, and that tho urged to request the permission of Congress, I shall not do it”3
The inclosed Letter you will be kind enough to return to me When you see me, and excuse the trouble I give you. the integrity and honour of an absent son is precious to me. he has it not in his power to defend himself
I am sir With Sentiment / of Confidence and Esteem / Your Humble / Servant
a Life Wholy devoted to the service of his Country, Without one Wish or Idea of accumulating Property will leave to the President of the united states and his family a bare compentancy the remainder of his Life
Dft (Adams Papers); docketed: “A. A.” Filmed at [1798].
The Philadelphia Porcupine’s Gazette, 12 April, printed a 21 Feb. letter attributed to William Findley and directed to one of his constituents in western Pennsylvania, in which Findley claimed that republicanism within the current administration was “pronounced to be a Leprosy, the greatest evil that can befal a people” and that some “who figure in our public councils declare that the restoration of royalty and its appendages would the greatest good that would happen to France.” Findley further reported that while JA may have news from the envoys, “secrecy has been the order of the day, and we have no official information of foreign correspondence.” He also castigated JA’s diplomatic appointments—including the barbs lobbed at JQA described by AA in this letter— and believed the House of Representatives was within its rights to limit appropriations for foreign offices.
AA likely enclosed JQA’s letter to her of 29 July 1797, above.
JQA to JA, 29 June (Adams Papers).
Harper replied to AA on [13] April 1798 that “it was not my purpose to let Mr. Findleys letter pass without personal & public animadversion. My share in his slanders is small; but were it larger, it would give me more uneasiness. Not so when my friends are abused; friends too, who either from their station, absence, or other circumstances, are prevented from defending themselves” (Adams Papers). That same day he announced
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to the House of Representatives his intention to submit a motion to reprimand Findley “for the most vile and unfounded slanders … contained in a letter which I have read in the public prints of this city” and targeting “members of this House, and of the Government.” Harper had not presented the motion when Findley obtained leave for the remainder of the session on 14 May (
Annals of Congress
, 5th Cong., 2d sess., p. 1415, 1701).