Adams Family Correspondence, volume 14
th:1800
With the most timid respect do I address Mrs: Adams on a subject so interesting to me that
I tremble while I write from a doubt of the propriety of the step, however
solicitude for an affectionate Husband and our young family outweighs my
scuples and prompts me to the measure. I must therefore rely upon the noble
generosity of a character I have known and revered from my infancy, to
pardon any impropriety there may be in requesting she will honor me so much
as to aid with her influence an application which Mr. Lee has made to the President of the United States for the
Consulate of Bourdeaux. Letters of recommendation which have been deposited
in the Office of the Secretary of State for upwards of two Years, will show
he has some pretensions— they are testimonials from some a number of our worthiest Patriots
which procured at the time they were lodged there such encouragement from
Mr Pickering as induced Mr. Lee to wait the event of the pending
negotiation with France.1 the
prospect of the favorable termination of the Mission has brought forward
other and new Candidates it is from the Apprehension that the length of time
which has elapsed since Mr Lee’s application may
have in a degree effaced the impression made in his favor by the
recommendation of his friends, with a hint we have received that should he
be thought of the Arts of the Hamiltonian faction (a Member of which has
lately been elected Senator from this State) will be used to prevent his
Nomination, in order to assist some favorites of their own;2 has induced me to endeavor to
obtain by this Method that which has become of much importance to the 488 future comfort of our family, and has
for two Years past been the sole Object of our pursuit.—
Should our great and good President find it indispensible
otherwise to dispose of the Consulate of Bourdeaux by the honour of Mrs. Adams patronage this fact will be so fully
evinced as greatly to Mitigate the pain of the disappointment.
Requesting Mrs. Adams will
have the goodness to suffer me to plead a Mothers anxiety as an apology for
thus intruding on her time—I have the honour to be with the most profound
respect her most devoted Servant
RC (Adams Papers).
Susanna Palfrey Lee (1767–1822) was the wife of
William Lee, and their children were Susan Palfrey (b. 1795) and Mary
Elizabeth (b. 1799). The Lees lived in Europe from 1796 to 1798, and on
their return to the United States William sought a consular appointment
at Bordeaux. Elbridge Gerry wrote letters to JA of 17 March
1798 and 16 Dec. 1799 (both Adams Papers), endorsing William as “a real patriot; but not
a patriotic Zealot.” On 14 Nov. 1800 William wrote to John Marshall to
renew his request for the post, and on 18 Feb. 1801 JA
nominated him instead as commercial agent at Marseilles. The Senate
confirmed the appointment six days later; however, William remained
focused on Bordeaux, seeking President Thomas Jefferson’s support and
ultimately receiving a nomination as a commercial agent to the French
port. The Senate confirmed the appointment on 26 Jan. 1802, and William
served in the post until 1816 (vol. 13:102; William Lee, comp., John Leigh of Agawam (Ipswich) Massachusetts
1634–1671 and His Descendants of the Name, Albany, N.Y., 1888,
p. 258–259; A Yankee Jeffersonian: Selections
from the Diary and Letters of William Lee of Massachusetts Written
from 1796 to 1840, ed. Mary Lee Mann, Cambridge, 1958, p. 2,
53, 54, 299; Marshall, Papers
, 6:505; U.S. Senate, Exec. Jour.
, 6th Cong., 2d sess.,
p. 381, 384, 385; Jefferson, Papers
, 33:226).
On 14 Nov. 1800 Jonathan Mason Jr., for whom see vol.
8:375, was
selected by the Mass. General Court to fill the Senate vacancy created
by Benjamin Goodhue’s resignation. He took his seat on 19 Dec. and
served until 1803 (Boston Independent
Chronicle, 13–17 Nov. 1800;
Biog. Dir.
Cong.
; U.S. Senate, Jour.
, 6th Cong., 2d sess., p. 113).