Adams Family Correspondence, volume 10
ry12
th1794
Yours of the 26th of Jan’ry I received last evening. You talk of not rising till june. why I know not what I shall possibly do, every Farm to Man—and with hands perhaps that I am unacquainted with. a scene of Buisness quite distant from me, when my Garden & potato Yard are full enough for me to attend to. why I shall have to travell from one Farm to the other, and not bring much to pass neither I fear without a proper overseer. we shall want a Farm Horse before that time and I know not what else, but there are many things to be thought of and those in season. I cannot but hope however that you will not sit later than May, at furthest. you will attend to my request in my Letter of the 10th1 We have got two Lambs already. The Animals in the yard have all had the Mumps I believe one of them I thought we should have lost. he was so sweld in his Throat that for a week he never eat a mouthfull and could not lye down. the poor creature set up on his hind legs & slept. I cured him by having his Throat Rubd with Goose oil daily Belcher has made them a yard of about 20 foot square inclosing their House and it is full of sea weed. the black Animal never would fat and I finally lost him from the misfortune he met with Grain continues very high corn at 5 & Rye at 6/8 Hay from seven to Nine shillings.
The two Houses cannot agree upon an answer to the Govenours Speach they are quite puzzeld.2 French influence appears to be going out of fashion, and daily losing ground the Democratick Societies are dwindling down. you will read in Russels paper some admirable observations addrest to the Phyladelphia Society taken from the Minerva.3
adieu my dear Friend how can I reconcile myself to the Idea of not seeing you till june. the terrors of the fever will Haunt my imagination. you must not tarry there so long— Remember me affectionatly to all inquiring Friends— Thomas will not get his Boots this winter. poor Cheeseman was torn all to peices—& starved almost to Death— There are letters from him—
Most affec’ly yours
RC (Adams Papers); addressed by JQA: “The Vice-President of the United States / Philadelphia.”; endorsed: “Mrs A. Feb. 12. / ansd. 17. 1794.”
AA probably refers to her letter of 8 Feb., above, and her request for JA’s advice on the disposition of their various farms and the purchase of livestock. No letter from AA to JA of 10 Feb. has been found.
The members of the Mass. General Court had difficulties coming to terms on an appropriate response to Lt. Gov. Samuel Adams’ speech to the Court. The debate centered largely on whether or not to express approval of George Washington’s statements of neutrality in the response—a subject Adams had not broached in his own speech. The two houses finally agreed to a response, which was delivered to Adams on 19 February. The response began with a tribute to John Hancock and primarily reiterated the principle “that all men are born free and equal in rights.” The Court ultimately made no mention of neutrality but did include a statement “expressing our affections for that nation who assisted us in the time of our adversity, and with whom we are in alliance; and our sincere wishes that they may succeed in the defence of their country, and in the establishment of peace and good government, founded on the principles of liberty, and the rights of man.” It concluded with a promise to pay “due attention” to any proposals Adams might choose to make (Boston Columbian Centinel, 8, 22 Feb.).
On 5 Feb. the Boston Columbian Centinel reprinted a piece by “An American” that had originally appeared in the New York American Minerva, 24, 25 January. The article makes a point-by-point refutation of the recently published resolutions of the Democratic Society of Pennsylvania, strongly challenging its goals and even the very notion of popular societies and questioning its motives, while mocking its commitment to “liberty.” “An American” argues, “the strongest professions of good intentions cover the darkest designs.”
I received by the last post your favour enclosing a draft upon the branch Bank, for 100 dollars.1
The political speculations of which your fraternal feelings have formed so favourable a judgment, originated in motives at least as disinterested, as are the common sources of patriotism. That a literary reputation is an object of Ambition to the writer, it would be false and absurd to deny. That the public mind, required some light upon the subjects discussed, at the time of their appearance, I believe is true. But political ambition was not in the smallest degree concerned in the production.— If those writings have done any service, to the cause of real Liberty, and of my Country, I am amply rewarded; and if my vanity has been flattered by the approbation of my friends, it was but a momentary exultation, which immediately vanished, and left me in possession of all the humility ever allotted to me.
I know very well, that my own opinion ranks me in the scale of importance, at least as high as I deserve; that it rates my powers perhaps more than at their full value. Yet my success in the world 78 has not hitherto been such as to feed my vanity very plenteously. Though advanced almost to the age of thirty, I have no political existence, and my ideas of Liberty and Government, are so widely distant from the fashion of the day, that they are much more likely to be injurious than beneficial to my advancement. At the bar after nearly four years practice, I remain obscure and unknown; without any expectation of brilliant success, and scarcely with the Hope of obtaining with all the industry in the power of Man, and with integrity unblemished, even a decent subsistence. Surely then as far as success is the criterion of talents, I have no Reason to be vain.
From what I have last said, you will not I trust conclude that I am discontented with my present situation. My greatest fear for myself at present is, that I shall grow too easy, careless and indolent.
My profession at present gives me bread, and my business, however slowly seems gradually to improve. At our late Court of Sessions, I acted again in behalf of the Commonwealth: and again was in every instance of indictment successful.— At the Court of Common Pleas which sat at the same time, I argued three Causes to the Jury, and obtained two verdicts.2 Our Supreme Court, sits here the next week, and I shall be engaged in several Causes which are for trial; two or three of them important. So that you may conclude I am not entirely idle. I am still however upon probation and still consider all my professional employment as accidental and precarious.
We have this day a Town-meeting to consider what measures they will take to secure their carrying trade.— I shall not attend it. The measure is perfectly Jacobin, and I am afraid they will do something foolish.3 I do not like altogether the complexion of this Town’s present sentiments, and the democratical Societies, are much more dangerous than a pestilence. Parties grow warm and bitter. There must be a critical time for the present Government, and that crisis I think is fast approaching.— I will keep myself out of troubled waters as long as possible.
Present my compliments to Mrs: Wilson, and tell her that the Heart which even her charms could not unlock and expand; must have been reserved and unsocial indeed. The frost must be rigorous indeed, which is not disolved by a solstitial Sun.
The other Boston Ladies at Philadelphia, particularly the Miss Brecks’, are often present to my mind, and are very pleasing in remembrance. They cannot be admired beyond their merits And 79 whatever pleasure their presence gives to the new place of their residence, it is at least equall’d by the regret which their absence leaves in that of their former abode.
Adieu
RC (Adams Papers); addressed: “Mr: Thomas B. Adams / Philadelphia.”; endorsed: “JQA / Feby 13— 94.”
Not found.
Both the Court of General Sessions and the Court of Common Pleas met in January in Boston. JQA represented the state in at least three cases in front of the Court of General Sessions; all three were for theft, and a jury found the defendant guilty in each case. He also recorded in his Diary losing one case in the Court of Common Pleas on 22 Jan. but winning two others on 23 and 24 Jan. (D/JQA/22, APM Reel 25; Commonwealth v. Simeon Golding, Commonwealth v. Mary Legg, and Commonwealth v. Elizabeth Sigourney, all Jan. 1794, MBSufC:Office of the Chief Justice of the Municipal Court of the City of Boston).
The Boston town meeting met at Faneuil Hall on 13 Feb. and held “a candid and free discussion” on the carrying trade. The main resolution of the meeting, passed “with scarcely a dissenting Vote,” was to appoint a committee to “consider and report the State of the Trade at large, and to prepare resolutions for the Town’s consideration, respecting the effects which certain restrictions laid on the Trade of America, by European Nations have on the same, and also to report such resolutions as may have a proper influence on our representatives in Congress, to induce the passing of such Acts, as may tend to guard, protect, and regulate the American commerce in general” (Boston Columbian Centinel, 15 Feb.).