Adams Family Correspondence, volume 10
I have a letter from your brother Thomas, dated London, 19th October; and the Secretary of State has one from John of the 22d. They had a good passage, and were in good health. They intended to go to Holland on the 29th.
Enclosed is a copy of a letter from me to Mr. Jay, dated at the Hague, August the 13th, 1782, which probably put him first upon insisting on a new commission from Great Britain, before he would treat, expressly authorizing Mr. Oswald to treat with the Ministers of the United States of America. Put this copy with those that I sent you before.1 Col. Smith, if he thinks fit, may show this in confidence to Mr. Webster, Mr. McCormic, and Judge Hobart, if he will.2
Charles and I smoke our segars and look over old letter books, in great comfort together. He talks of leaving me next Thursday.
I wish you good health and a daughter, and the blessing of Heaven on the mother and all her children.
MS not found. Printed from AA2, Jour. and Corr.,
2:138.
In this letter, JA reiterated his opinion that negotiations for peace should not commence until American independence was recognized. That it was a shared belief is evident by John Jay’s 1 Sept. 1782 response, in which he informed JA that he formally stipulated such recognition to the British commissioners (JA, Papers
, 13:236, 238–239, 412–413).
John Sloss Hobart (1738–1805), Yale 1757, was born in Fairfield, Conn., but settled in Huntington, N.Y. After serving in the provincial congress from 1775 to 1777, he was elected to the state supreme court in May 1777, where he served until his election to the U.S. Senate in Jan. 1798. After only four months in the Senate, JA appointed Hobart a federal judge for New York, a position he held until his death (
DAB
).
1795]
I recd your favour of the 9th. Yesterday.1 The Weather is now extream Cold. The River is frozen and a snow covers the Ground. If the Season is as sharp and at the Same time so fine with you, it will present a good Opportunity to cross the Mill Pond.
It was judicious Advice and a prudent determination to cutt your Wood this Winter from the Mountain: and I hope you will pursue your Plan of preparing a sufficient Store for the Year.
I am “gallant” enough to think the time tedious, till I can begin my Journey home, and I shall think it all the Way tedious till I get home: But I am afraid I have flattered myself prematurely with the pleasing hope of Seeing you by the 19th of February. There is so general and so great Expectation of important Matter for the senate from Mr Jay, before the 4th of March, that, I have some doubts whether I ought not to Stay, though my own Opinion is not Sanguine that We shall have any Dispatches so soon.
What is to be the Fortune of General Knox, I know not. I am anxious about him and his Family. He has been raised to an Elevation, for which neither Nature, nor Education ever intended him. Fortune alone has been his Patron— His Family has been worse calculated for his situation than himself— He has been a laborious and I doubt not a faithful servant of the Public, and it would be melancholly to see him unfortunate in his old Age. I wish his Lands may prove a source of Abundance to him and his Family.
Hamilton will do better. He is younger and has more Œconomy. It is Said he refuses all public Employment and goes resolutely to the Bar at New York. He refuses to Stand Candidate for Governor.
Mr Morris has resigned. Mr Izard has resigned: and I dont know
355
but all the best Men will resign.2 The Government will fall for Want of Men to hold it up.
Charles drank Tea with Col Hamilton last Evening and dines with him to Day. He returns to N. York on Thursday. He sends his Duty. Our Mrs Smith is well but not abed as yet.
Cold as it is, my heart is as warm as ever towards her whom I commit A Dieu
RC (Adams Papers); endorsed: “Janry 20 1795.”
One of AA’s two letters of 9 Jan. is above; for the second, see AA to JA, 16 Jan., and note 4, above.
Robert Morris of Pennsylvania retired from the U.S. Senate after serving since 1789 (
Biog. Dir. Cong.
).