Adams Family Correspondence, volume 13

Abigail Adams to William Smith, 19 June 1798 Adams, Abigail Smith, William
Abigail Adams to William Smith
Dear sir Philadelphia June 19th 1798

I received yours of the 11th 1 I think Thomas Welch should take his degree at College before he goes. I hope to be in Boston in July. if any Vessel should be going to Hamburgh, it would be best for him to embark for that port. I sincerely regreet that you have had an other vessel captured. Captain Brooks is destined to it, it should seem, from his having so often sufferd, but the President says to all those who are loosers—Gentleman I am clear from blame.2 would you have attended to my advise at the summer session, many many millions of Property, would have been saved to the citizens of America. Can you tell me Sir what has become of the answer to the address from the Students of Harvered College— I have not seen it publishd in any paper.3 mr Malcom lost the cover which containd the Names of the Committe who inclosed it. it could only be recollected that Thomas Welch was one, and that was the reason why the direction was not to all three of the Committe. it was addrest to Thomas Welch as one of them & sent three weeks ago I believe—

It seems Talleyrand is in close communication with his Friend Bache. he was furnishd with Talleyrands Letter, I presume at the same time that dispatches arrived to Government, but there are 70 pages of a Letter in replie from our Envoys, all in Letter press & scarcly legible. two Copies of this must always be made out to lie before the two Houses at the same time, and a translation of the Letter. this necessarily took up much longer time and Bache caught at the opportunity, and sent out his hand Bills on saturday by the thousand. it is a misirable perfermance & the old story over & over again with additional insolence. poor Gerry! will be a sacrifice to his Credulity I fear, but he can do nothing but wait. he says he shall consider himself as a cypher and without any power to act, but he should not stay. that artfull apostate, knows that by detaining him, he shall keep up a party here—and continue divissions amongst us—

I hope you will put your Castle in a proper state of defence—and have your militia well Armd. the vice President goes off on 138 wedensday— Langdon is returnd tho he askd leave for the remainder of the Session— Parker talks of Resigning. pray do not Send that Wretch Dearbourn. this country suffers beyond calculation, by such members—4

Send us Ames or Dexter in lieu of mr Sedwick, or Parsons— we have Birds enough here already, and some of the Bat kind, mongrels, neither one thing or an other. Send no Man who cannot stand fire and fight too if necessary—no half way people in such times as these. We want Martyrs.

I will send you the dispatches as soon as thy are out in the mean time I send you some pamphles to distribute.5 I wish every Member of Your House had one. be sure you give them to Jacobins—if they will read them

With a kind and affectionate / Remembrance to all Friends / I am your &C

A A—

I thought to have written only ten lines but my pen runs—

RC (MHi:Smith-Carter Family Papers); addressed: “Mr William Smith Esqr / Boston”; endorsed: “Philaa. 19. June 98 / A Adams.”

1.

The letter from Smith to AA of 11 June has not been found, but in his letter of 15 June, Smith reported that Massachusetts had ceded Castle Island to the United States and commented on progress in outfitting the frigate Constitution (Adams Papers).

2.

The capture of the American Eagle, Capt. Samuel Brooks, owned by Smith, was reported by the Massachusetts Mercury, 15 June. The ship was taken to Île de Ré, and Brooks was not able to return to the United States until Jan. 1800. Brooks was previously captured when another Smith-owned vessel, the Mercury, was taken by the French in 1796 (Williams, French Assault on American Shipping , p. 123, 244; Baltimore Federal Gazette, 20 Jan. 1800; Massachusetts Mercury, 6 Dec. 1796).

3.

JA’s answer to the address of Harvard students was published in the Massachusetts Mercury, 5 June 1798.

4.

Thomas Jefferson planned to leave Philadelphia on 20 June but delayed his departure after receiving news of John Marshall’s arrival in New York. On 26 June he requested leave from the Senate for the remainder of the session and left Philadelphia the following day, arriving at Monticello on 3 July. John Langdon’s request for leave was not recorded, but he participated in Senate votes from 13 June until 11 July. Isaac Parker (1768–1830), a lawyer and Federalist representative from the district of Maine, served only one term, declining to stand for reelection. He was succeeded by Silas Lee (Jefferson, Papers , 30:416–417, 435, 450; Annals of Congress , 5th Cong., 2d sess., p. 578, 591, 606–607; Biog. Dir. Cong. ; Massachusetts Mercury, 20 Nov.).

5.

Enclosures not found.

Abigail Adams to Elizabeth Smith Shaw Peabody, 22 June 1798 Adams, Abigail Peabody, Elizabeth Smith Shaw
Abigail Adams to Elizabeth Smith Shaw Peabody
my dear sister Philadelphia June 22 1798

I received last week your very excellent Letter1 whatever you write is always precious to me. No one better knows how to touch every feeling of the humane Heart. I can allow for your long silence, tho I 139 wish it were not imposed upon you, by your numerous cares; and unavoidable avocations. the anxiety which you feel for the Health of a Beloved child, whom I pray God to restore to Health,2 and preserve to you, is I well know more exhausting to the spirits, and wearisome to the Body—than labour— my Heart sympathizes with you. what ever scenes you may be call’d to pass through, may you be sustaind and supported by that Being in whom we trust, satisfied that however greivious his dispensations, they are wise and just, and we will strive to adore the Hand that “strikes our comforts dead.”3

I am anxious to hear frequently tho it be only by a few lines. cousin Betsy must write to her Sister

Our Country my dear sister is in Jeopardy I see no prospect of remaining at Peace— I hope if the sword must be drawn, that we shall have union amongst ourselves— Mr Gerrys remaining in France embarresses our Government. I believe he acts from the purest motives,4 and have not the Least fear that his integrity will be brought into Question, but his judgment in Staying was wrong, very wrong.

Mr Marshal whose arrival you will have learnt, says that the directory have been deceived with respect to the People of this Country. not from any regard to our Rights and Liberties would they have restraind their Hands but from Interest. as they want our trade, they would have acted a different part, but swolen with Pride at their victories, imperious haughty, and vindictive, they hold us in too much contempt to retraet from a single demand which they have made, or receed a single step.5 the pomp expence and parade which the directory assume and exact, is much greater than that, of any Crownd Head—and more oppressive to the people ten fold than the Court of Verssails ever was.

This is there Republick, this there Liberty and Equality! a military despotism— the New Members are all of the Party call’d Terrorist—. What has America to expect, but to weild her own Arms and prepare to defend herself—

The President you may easily Suppose has a very arduous task, nor is it probable that it will be lighter he has had an accumulation of Buisness in replying to the numerous addresses which have kept him at his pen three Hours in a day, upon an average for 5 or 6 weeks past. he has more than 30 at this moment unanswerd. tho a gratefull and pleasing employment as it assures him of the approbation confidence and satisfaction of the people in his conduct and administration, it has been a weight of Buisness added to 6 hours more which is every day devoted to other investigations, and 140 attentions which the publick calls for— he is really worn down. I never saw him so thin. Yet his Spirits are good, and his courage fortitude unshaken— he frequently breaths out a sigh for the purer air of Braintree, and the tranquil shades of Quincy6 It has become oppressively Hot, and this Evening is to be my last drawing Room for the season. You were misinformd. the President was not insulted on the Fast-day it was in the state House Gardens the Mobility7 met, and there they had their contest which terminated by sending half a dozen to Prison. there had been some incendary Letters, and some threats, which allarmd the Citizens and put them on their Gaurd. the light Horse were held in readiness and turnd out.8 they placed a Gaurd before our door where some hundreds of citizens assembled, but not for assault, but protection. I was not allarmd, but at Eleven went to Bed and slept quite easy, when the whole city appeard quiet, tho I believe few went into their Beds—9

I know not my dear sister when I Shall be at Quincy. my Boys will suffer for want of summer cloathing. I inclose to you 20 dollors, relying upon you to have what is necessary made for them.10 I see no charge for washing in your Bill. I insist that you receive pay for it

I hear Mrs Allen is in a decline. it may only be a change of Life. she should be bled— alass what Changes since I left Quincy not quite Nine Months? I number with the dead, the Aged, the Friends and Companions of my own standing [. . .] as well as youth and childhood. the Change of circumstances too, which has involved those I loved, and esteemed most tenderly in distress and difficultys, is not the least painfull reflection I have upon the vissitudes of human Life—

How often do those Words occur to me, “this Lifes a dream, an empty show.”11 tell cousin Betsy I will write to her soon. you can scarcly believe how much writing I have to do—

I hope mr Blodget deliverd my Letter to you and the Books for the Children. I had a Letter from mrs smith this week she was well.12 Caroline better. she longs to see her children I have this moment received a Letter from William, your son—13 may he as he promisses, live to be a comfert to you— my kind Love to my dear B Q s— tell her to keep up her spirits. to cousin Betsy my abbe William & John the affection / of their and your

A Adams.

RC (DLC:Shaw Family Papers); addressed: “Mrs Elizabeth Peabody / Atkinson.” Dft (Adams Papers). Some loss of text due to discoloration of the paper.

1.

Peabody to AA, 15 May, above.

2.

In the Dft, AA added: “I know your feeling are sufficiently alive. I will not add to them by any observations of mine.

141 3.

Isaac Watts, Hymns and Spiritual Songs, in Three Books, Book I, Hymn 5, line 20.

4.

In the Dft, AA completed this paragraph: “it is much to be regreeted that the three Gentlemen did not leave France together.”

5.

In the Dft, AA added: “and Talleyrand has had the craft to retain mr Gerry for no other purpose than to Oblige us to pay them a Loan as they call it, for which we should never get a single soue.”

6.

In the Dft, AA added: “it will be but a very short respit, should we be indulged for a few weeks to leave the Seat of Government.”

7.

In the Dft, instead of “Mobility,” AA used “sans cullots.”

8.

In the Dft, AA added: “and be sure they made a formidable appearence before this House, but they were for the protection of the President had any insult been offerd him, but there was not.”

9.

In the Dft, AA added: “the temper & disposition of the people as a Body, is in favour of their Government as the Hundreds of Addresses from the Province of Maine to North Carolina bear witness—”

10.

In the Dft, AA added: “Linnen I presume they have Sufficient.”

11.

Isaac Watts, Psalms of David Imitated in the Language of the New Testament, Psalm XVII, Long Metre, line 13.

12.

See AA to Peabody, 2 June, above. No letters from AA2 in this period have been found.

13.

In his 10 June letter to AA, William Smith Shaw reviewed John Robison’s Proofs of a Conspiracy and expressed a desire that Congress do more for the defense of the country (Adams Papers).