Adams Family Correspondence, volume 10
Last Night the Consul General De la Tombe made me a Visit with your kind Letter of the 18th.
He looks older than When I last saw him and he is indeed a fortunate Man: He gave me many details of affairs in France: a gloomy Picture of the Reign of Terror and a Smiling one of the present Reign of Moderation: but he is not without Inquietude on the subject of a Constitution.
By the Turn which the Debates and Deliberations in senate took Yesterday, We must Sitt next Week and I have now little hope of Liberty till the last day of it. Some Members, perhaps wish to give time to Mr Adet to open his Budget, which it is conjectured may contain Propositions on the Part of France.1
The Sun is terrible here as well as at N. Y. I beg you to be afraid of him and keep out of his Beams. I dread going out to Lansdowne to dinner at Mr Morris’s on sunday according to his invitation.
The News you mention from Hallifax is very disagreable. I wish that Misfortune and Adversity could Soften the Temper and humiliate the Insolence of John Bull: but he is not yet sufficiently humbled. If I mistake not it is to be the Destiny of America one day to beat down her Pride— But the Irksome task will not soon, I hope be forced upon Us.— All this is under the Rose.
My Love to the Family.
RC (Adams Papers); internal address: “Mrs A”; endorsed: “June 19 1795”; docketed: “J A.”
During its special session, the Senate neither received nor considered a communication from the newly arrived French minister Pierre Auguste Adet (
Annals of Congress,
3rd Cong., special sess., p. 853–868).
I received yesterday two Letters from each of our Sons at the Hague, who were very well and in good Spirits on the 25th of April:1 but the Letters contain So much Information, that I have been obliged to lend them to The Secretary of the Treasury: I shall inclose them to you however on Monday
All the next Week will be taken up, I Suppose in further 459 Investigations of the Subject before Senate, and indeed I should be very glad to be ensured that the Decision will be as early as Saturday. If it should be earlier I shall be agreably disappointed. I shall take my Departure as soon as the Business is done, and I hope you will be ready to join me at New York on our Way home without further loss of time.
The Day is at hand when Governor Jay is to take the Reins in New York: may his Administration by easy to himself and happy for the People
That a violent Temper and a weak head should have Said He would combat every Article, is not improbable.
affectionately & ardently yours
RC (Adams Papers); internal address: “Mrs A.”
JQA to JA, 1 April, in which JQA described the growing ideological divide between some of the old Dutch Patriots, with whom JA was familiar, and the new Patriots, for whom “the principles are changed, and the sacred Love of Universal Liberty is the only motive which inspires the actors upon the scene.” JQA also reported on the problems of the Dutch Navy and the weakened Dutch economy, which resulted in open commerce to Dutch ports including grains admitted without duty. He concluded his letter with remarks on French politics and the rumored peace between France and Prussia (Adams Papers).
In addition to this letter, JA may have been referring to JQA’s letter to AA of 25 April, above. The letters from TBA have not been found, although TBA recorded writing letters to America on 11 and 24 April (M/TBA/2, APM Reel 282).