Papers of John Adams, volume 21
y15
th.1796.
Your Favors of Jany 23 and
the second Instant I have received.1
I have requested Mr Joseph
Cooledge to take charge of this Letter who with his Friend Mr Saml: Parkman will
be in Philadelphia who are probably both known to you being both Gentlemen
of extensive Business here and with whom I have the Pleasure of an
Acquaintance of long standing.2
In your Letter of 23d Ulto you appeared uncertain whether it was 50[ts] of Grass Seed I intended for Dr Dexter3 and myself or 50[ts] for each; I meant only 50[ts] for both which if you be pleased to order
at a proper time I shall thank you.
You will have heared before this reaches you that Dr Jarvis after having caused a Motion to be made
in the House of Representatives to take up the Virginia Resolves which he
supported with all his Faculties, was seized at his own House after Dinner
with an apoplectic Fit. I have not seen him but I am told that he appeared
for several Days after much deranged in his Mind but he has recovered so far
451 as to begin to talk politics again
and says that the Question which was determined by a large Majority against
Mr Fisk would not have gone as it did had he
been in the House however he will not be able to attend again this
Session.
I am glad Dr: Eustis voted as
he did but he has still a strange kink in his Head about the Contradiction
between the two Articles in the Constitution. The one committing to Congress
Power to regulate Trade and that to The President and Senate to make
Treaties and altho he would not make the Motion I believe if it was made he
would encourage an Article Alteration
in the Constitution in this particular making it necessary to lay all
Treaties before the House of Representatives of the United States for
Ratification. I have endeavoured to convince him of his Error but I think
without Effect.
You will see by our Papers that Mr Sumner is proposed as a Candidate for Governor he is a Man well
respected in the Commonwealth how this will suit the various Expectants I
know not.4
I am Sir with great Respect your Humble Sr
RC (Adams Papers); internal address: “The Vice President of the
United States”; endorsed: “Dr Welsh 15 Feb.
Ansd 27 / 1796.”
See JA’s 2 Feb. letter to Welsh, and note 2, above.
Joseph Coolidge (1747–1820) and Samuel Parkman (ca.
1751–1824) were both prominent Boston merchants (
AFC
, 11:177; Harriette M. Forbes, ed.,
The Diary of Rev. Ebenezer Parkman, of
Westborough, Mass., Westborough, Mass., 1899, p. 103, 104).
Possibly Aaron Dexter, for whom see Manasseh Cutler’s 5 Feb. 1794 letter, and note 2, above.
Massachusetts voters cast their ballots for governor
and state senators on 4 April 1796. Samuel Adams, the incumbent
governor, easily defeated the Federalist candidate, Increase Sumner. The
Federalists picked up several seats in the senate, handing the party
majority power in state politics (
AFC
, 11:240).