Adams Family Correspondence, volume 13
th1798 Sunday Evening
’Though I have been writing a very long letter, to my wild,
random, laughter loving Walter and have made it very late, still I want to thank my
aunt for her letter of Dec 20th received yesterday
morning, before I sleep.1
Logan is chosen Representative for this State by a very large
majority. It so happened that the day, L took his seat, a new carpet was placed on the
floor of the house. The Aurora, the morning after said that the Legislature of
Pensylvania were so pleased with his late conduct and wishing to show him every
possible attention and respect, ordered a new carpet to be placed on the floor.2 What will the directory say when they
hear that L has returned and chosen Repe. of his state.
Instead of being hung and quartered, as he ought to have been, he returns home and is
honored with a seat in the Legislature of Pensylvania. L’s inteferance is not new Fox
in 1791 or ’2 did the same. Charles Fox sent a Mr. Adair, as his representative and
with his cypher, to St Petersburgh, there to frustrate the objects, for which the
minister from the crown, was authorized to treat. He succceeded in his design and the
rascal did actually frustrate the kings minister, in some of the objects of his
negociation.3 But this mode of
proceedinge will never do for this country. If we allow the principle, if cabinet
factions abroad, are to be connected with popular factions here, I see nothing but the
constitution and government, must fly to pieces, like a glass bottle.
The president has received a letter from Lyons son, begging that his father may be liberated, signed by upwards of two hundred men.4
The Aurora says, the president has appointed his one son, a foreign minister, another his
Secretary and even his wifes nephew to be his own private
Secretary!!!5
Good night / With affection I am your nephew
I have been writing so long that my fingers ache & my pens are very bad— I am almost sleep, as you will see by my letter.
I have not received a single letter from my mother as yet. I have written to her.
RC (Adams Papers); endorsed: “W s shaw 30 / 1798 / december.”
Arthur Maynard Walter (1780–1807), Columbia A.M. 1799, was one of
Shaw’s closest friends. They attended Harvard together, though Walter did not graduate
because he refused to perform at commencement. In 1805 Shaw and Walter were among the
founders of Boston’s Anthology Society, which was formally incorporated and renamed
the Boston Athenæum in 1807 (Katherine Wolff, Culture Club:
The Curious History of the Boston Athenaeum, Amherst, Mass., 2009, p. xvii;
Josiah Quincy, The History of the Boston Athenæum, with
Biographical Notes of Its Deceased Founders, Cambridge, 1851, p. 13–19; Officers and Graduates of Columbia University, Originally the
College of the Province of New York Known as King’s College, General Catalogue,
1754–1900, N.Y., 1900, p. 107).
Philadelphia Aurora General
Advertiser, 27 Dec. 1798.
In mid-1791 during the Russo-Turkish War (1787–1792), British
opposition leader Charles James Fox was suspected of dispatching Robert Adair to St.
Petersburg in an attempt to foil the diplomatic objectives of William Pitt and his
specially appointed envoy, William Fawkener (Jeremy Black, British Foreign Policy in an Age of Revolutions, 1783–1793, Cambridge, Eng
1994, p. 324–325;
DNB
).
This letter from James Lyon (1776–1824) to JA has
not been found. On 5 Oct. 1798 Matthew Lyon was the first person indicted under the
Sedition Act. On 9 Oct. he was sentenced to four months in jail and fined $1,000 for
criticizing JA’s presidency and publishing and promoting “scandalous and
seditious writing, or libel,” including Joel Barlow’s 4 March letter to Abraham
Baldwin. During the senior Lyon’s imprisonment, however, he published essays defending
his political stance, and these garnered him widespread support among
Democratic-Republicans as a symbol of political martyrdom. He was subsequently
reelected to Congress in December and was released from prison on 9 Feb. 1799 (Jefferson, Papers
, 32:261–262; Smith, Freedom’s Fetters
, p. 221–246; Aleine
Austin, Matthew Lyon: “New Man” of the Democratic Revolution,
1749–1822, University Park, Penn., 1981, p. 110;
ANB
).
Shaw accurately quoted the Philadelphia Aurora General Advertiser, 27 Dec. 1798, which alleged that there was
considerable nepotism within the U.S. government. The newspaper similarly criticized
cabinet members James McHenry, Oliver Wolcott Jr., and Timothy Pickering.
br31 1798
I cannot give you any account of Thomas I have sought for him by capt Jenkins. the Barbara which saild at the same time was a better vessel, well armd. mr smith thought it probable he would prefer her, as she was for Boston. I joind him in the same opinion, and was not a little distresst in the storm on saturday Evening to hear that she had been cast away on saturday morning near Salem, but at the same time I was assured no lives were lost. on sunday mor’g I sent to Town to be satisfied whether he came in the ship, but find that he did not. the vessel run upon the Rocks, but was soon off, with little damage. I know not how to account for his not comeing, in either of these vessels, unless he has taken his passage in some one for Philadelphia supposing it would save him a winters journey by Land, and that he should sooner meet his Parents. mr Smith writes me that there were several good armd vessels for the southward ready to sail at the same time, these were there.1 I cannot help feeling a daily anxiety upon his account
335I am greatly pleasd with the address of the Legislature of Pensilvanna; it received as it deserved a Good answer. the notice taken in it of the inteference of individuals, in what the constitution alone places with the executive Authority, was quite unexpected; I thought it belongd to the National Representitives to have noticed it, and regreeted that they should feel so trameld, as to omit it. their answer is however calld the best, which any House have deliverd since the first establishment of the Constitution.2 the Jacobins certainly expected a recommendation from the President of a Declaration of War with France, and a closer union with great Britain, at least I judge so from the tennor of Chronical pecices—3 Logans Election in the Legislature will give the Jacobins a triumph, but I believe Mulingburgh would not have been a better choice— Logan seems more fool than Knave— it is thought the V P. stays away from very bad motives. I am told he is considered here as the Head of the opposition, to Government both in the old dominion and Kentucky. He is certainly acting a part, that he will find hard to justify;4
Dr Tufts informd me last week that Mott Vesey had offerd him that small peice of Land adjoing you, of 4 acres, for the moderate sum of 500 dollors— would you Chuse to Buy it? it will be put up at Auction if you do not take it. I heard Major Millar say, that John Newcomb, had offerd Mrs Vesey 400 for it. How rich our Quincy people are? If it should be sold at Auction, you will please to say whether you would have it bid for, and to what amount.5
The weather is fine to day can you get time to walk, or to Ride?
I am with the / tenderest affection / ever yours
RC (Adams Papers); addressed: “President of the United / states / Philadelphia”;
endorsed: “Mrs A. / Dec. 31. 98.”
Not found.
The Penn. house of representatives’ address and JA’s
reply, for which see William Smith
Shaw to AA, 20 Dec., and note 5, above, were printed in the Boston Russell’s Gazette, 31 December.
Throughout December the Boston Independent Chronicle printed essays on Franco-American relations. In addition
to the piece by Democritus, for which see AA to Shaw, 23 Dec., and note 3, above, in the
issue of 6–10 Dec., a satirical letter by “Benedict Arnold” alleged that an
Anglo-American war against France would “connect closely America with the
mother-Country” and “Once more will the British flag grace the shores of Columbia.” In
the issue of 20–24 Dec., however, Benjamin Austin Jr. writing as Honestus argued that
the United States was moving toward “that path for
reconciliation,” and in that of 27–31 Dec. he added that “the pen of an ambassador, rather than the sword of a warrior, should bring the controversy to an
happy issue.”
The Boston Russell’s Gazette, 24
Dec., identified Thomas Jefferson as the author of the Kentucky Resolutions and
claimed that John Breckinridge had traveled to Virginia and returned to Kentucky with,
“ready penned, the nine resolutions,” and asking: “Can we now be surprised at the
opposition and industry of Jefferson, Gallatin, Logan, the Braken ridges of the
mountain, and their numberless dupes, who have all their promised reward.”
Mottram Veasey (1761–1825), the son of Ebenezer and Mary Miller
Veasey, was a town clerk in Quincy (Sprague, Braintree Families
). See also JA to AA, 10 Jan. 1799, and AA to JA, 27 Feb., both below.