Adams Family Correspondence, volume 15
Since my last letter to you, I have not had the pleasure of receiving a line from you—1 I have it not yet in my power to unpack my books, and consequently not to take out and send you those belonging to you. But I have sent you a set of the Massachusetts Laws, and a copy of the translation from Bülow, by the Sylvia, Captain Seth Daggett, who has already sailed, and will probably reach Philadelphia as soon as this letter.2
I suppose you will learn from the newspapers the general result of
our election for Governor, Lieutt: Governor and Senators—
Mr: Strong will probably have a much larger majority this
year than the last, and Mr: Robbins comes in by an equal
majority as lieutt: Governor— You will see my name upon the
Suffolk list of Senators, and perhaps be a little surprized, that I suffered it to be
run. But as it was extremely doubtful and generally doubted, whether it could be carried, I did not choose either to shrink, or even to have
the appearance of shrinking from the trial.— So I did not decline— And indeed a man may
as well be busy about nothing for the public as for himself—3
Our friends here, are well.
Your’s affectionately
RC (MHi:Adams Papers, All Generations); internal address: “T. B. Adams Esqr.”
JQA’s most recent extant letter to TBA was of 3 Feb., for which see JQA to TBA, 9 Jan., note 13, above.
JQA sent TBA
The Perpetual Laws of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts,
3 vols., Boston, 1801, Shaw-Shoemaker, No. 895, and his translation of Baron Dietrich Heinrich von
Bülow’s Der Freistaat von Nordamerika in seinem neusten
zustand, 2 vols., Berlin, 1797, for which see
JQA to TBA, 9 Jan., and
note 5, above. The schooner Sylvia, Capt. Seth Daggett,
departed Boston on 15 April and arrived in Philadelphia on 24 April (Philadelphia Gazette, 24 April).
The elections for Massachusetts’ governor, lieutenant governor,
and senators took place on 5 April. Gov. Caleb Strong was reelected, receiving 30,456
votes to Elbridge Gerry’s 19,768. Edward Hutchinson Robbins was elected lieutenant
governor, defeating Maj. Gen. William Heath, 28,334 votes to 17,695. The Boston press
reported the results from early April until May, including comparisons to the previous
year’s election (vol. 9:224;
A New Nation Votes; New-England Palladium, 6, 9, 13, 16, 20, 23 April, 11 May;
Boston Columbian Centinel, 7, 10, 14, 17, 21, 24 April,
1, 5 May). For JQA’s election to the state senate, see
AA to TBA, 13
March, and note 7, above.
TBA acknowledged this letter on 19 April (Adams Papers), offering JQA congratulations on his election to the Mass. senate and noting, “The fed’s will be glad to use your name and talents, so long as they can give them a lift.”