Adams Family Correspondence, volume 12
I thank you for your Letter of the 15th of Novbr. before this I hope you have receiv’d another Letter from me but I shall be very cautious what I Say if tis liable to be inspected by the President without your leave he thought he must Say Something I suppose make his
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peace with me for taking Such libertys. I do not remember what I writ but I believe no treason.
I am glad mrs Smith has heard from the Colln. I thought he could not have neglected her in such a manner. I believe her Boys are well but I have not heard a word since the Letter you receiv’d only by mr & mrs Smith I wonder Sister has not written to mrs Smith I will write to her about it—
d
Thus far I had written when Mrs Bond came in to make me a visit of a few days. So that I had only time to send you a few lines last week
I have deliver’d your message to mr. Whitman & he returns his very best respects to the President & you with his thanks for your approbation & wishes, & assures you that they have great weight with him: but Still the coldness of mr & mrs Black with the distance of Deacon webb tho they all promise to be very friendly to him will prevent his acceptance of our offer. mr Cranch would have him venture I think he would be very happy here. but he is too nice mr & mrs Black are obstinate mrs Spear admires the man but her Husband does not like him because he Studies law mrs webb has given him her vote & the People in general warmly advocate his Settling1 he din’d with Captain Beal a thanksgiving day & has been in town ever Since: din’d, with Capn. Adams yesterday but mr Black has not taken the least notice of him—yet he says to mr Cranch—I will be very Friendly to mr whitman if he Settles here— mr w will Send his answer tomorrow but it will be in the negative— I am certain Mr Black will be Sorry for his behavior. he Should have Told mr whitman his objections & convers’d upon the Subject mr W gave him Several openings but he wav’d it— there will be warm work at the next town meeting— mr W is too good a Preacher to be lost. so, another difficulty in mr Ws mind is, there does not appear to be Spot of ground for him to Build a House on which would be handy to the meeting house. a Single man he says might take time to accomidate himself but he must have a place to put his Family in— I hope we Shall get fix’d Soon or we Shall split all to peices
What a wretched peice of business was the Slip of paper you inclos’d it cannot hurt the President—but Shews there Spite their gall & venom— there was Something very affecting in the old mans address— I dare Say he went away as much gratified by the obliging 316 manner he was receiv’d tis a wonder if he does not come again & bring his wife to see madam— I hope you invited him— The Presidents Speech is much admir’d but I think it contains a gloomy picture— I was glad to hear of your Sons welfair will you remember my Love to them when you write & offer my congratulations to your eldest upon his marriage— I have had a Letter from mrs Cranch within a day or two She is much better & the children quite well but She was oblig’d to wean her baby my Letters to her had more affect upon her than her medcine mr & mrs Norton & their little ones are well mrs Greenleaf has a Boil gathering under her arm tis very troublesome She is otherways well— Cousen Eliza Sends her duty to you & desires you would not bespeak the cap yet as she fears it will be out of fashon before She shall want it— the Swain has not had any business at mr Marshes Since he brought her from Boston about a month Since Parson Montague has waited upon her this evening to see her mother—2 Sister is nicely
your affairs go on well at your house I des[ign] to go there again soon & see that all is Safe I hope you w[ill be] able to return earley in the spring / to your affectionate Sister
RC (Adams Papers); addressed by Richard Cranch: “Mrs: Adams. / the President’s Lady / Philadelphia.”; endorsed: “mrs Cranch / Novbr 29th / 1797.” Some loss of text where the seal was removed.
That is, Abigail Marsh Spear (1756–1812), who married Lt. Seth Spear on 15 May 1788, and Nancy Nash Webb (1751–1835), who married Deacon Jonathan Webb (1752–1826), a tanner who held several town offices, on 27 Feb. 1775. The Webbs resided on Hancock Street in Quincy (Sprague, Braintree Families
).
Rev. William Montague (1757–1833), Dartmouth 1784, was the rector of Christ Church in Quincy from 1793 to 1799 (Carlos Slafter, “The Schools and Teachers of Dedham,” Dedham Historical Register, 4:99–100 [July 1893]).
I have the pleasure of informing you and Mrs Adams of the safe arrival of mr Johnson and Family in George Town on the 25 of November, after a passage of 60 Days. I heard from mr Cranch that the Family were all well. I had written to him previous to their arrival to give me immediate notice of it, and I yesterday had the Satisfaction of writing to mrs Johnson to congratulate her upon her arrival in America, as I now do both you and my dear Daughter, for when I wrote last to you both; I was under very serious concern for their safety tho I dared not to express it to you.1
317I wrote to you last week by way of Hamburgh, and inclosed to you the speech at the opening of the Present Session of Congress.2 I now send you the answer of the senate and House. heitherto there has appeard a disposition to moderation Cander and uninimity. I sincerely hope they will have but one object before them, the ultimate Good of the Country. I sent you last week by way of Hamburgh a mess medly of News papers, from different parts of the union, that you might see the politicks of them collectively there were two or three Virgina papers which containd a Series of Numbers under the signature of Aristidas. these have been published in the Washington Gazzet. I have learnt from a correspondent there, that the supposed Author, is a Doctor Brown, Brother of the senator of that name from Kentucky. he has lately returnd from Edinburgh where he received a medical Education. he establishd himself in the city of Washington, and became the founder of a Jacobinical club, at the Head of which was placed, a dr Cuningham by Birth an Irishman and a Roman Catholic, but excommunicated for infidelity, and now openly atheestical but a Justice of Peace, and a Distiller of Whisky—a man possesst of some talents with a smattering of learning. the rest of the club were composed Chiefly of Foreigeners of no Education. in this hopefull Society, publick measures were discusst and from this fountain, and Similar ones, have issued most of the foul streams which have polluted our Country, from Men of no Principles, no Religion, and no Country. Brown finding his sentiments not Congenial to the taste of the inhabitants of Washington, removed to Kentucky as a Soil more congenial to them. the design of these publications is to decry the Government of the united states, and to recommend one similar to the French constitution, with a directory. fortunately for America, the French are not Stationary enough in their Political career, for to recommend their Government to Americans. The Age of frenzy I hope is passed, and giving place to the Age of Reason, and cool reflection. I have been thus minute in this History that you might know who are made use of, to spread the Principles of anarchy and confusion amongst us. this city abounds in such Characters. here is the focus, yet with all their exertions, there cause grows into disrepute, and is daily weakning. should we be forced into a war, which God forbid, parties would again assume a face of voilence
My Love to Thomas. I do not forget him tho I have not written to him by these two last conveyences— I am most sincerely and / affectionatly yours &c.
RC (Adams Papers); endorsed by TBA: “Mrs: A Adams / 2 December 1797 / 12 Jany Recd 1798. / 19 Do Answd:.” Tr (Adams Papers).
For AA’s request for immediate notification of the Johnsons’ arrival, see her letter to William Cranch, 15 Nov., above. Cranch reported the Johnsons’ arrival and his subsequent introduction to them in his letter to AA of 26 Nov., in which he also returned letters AA had sent to him (Adams Papers). AA’s letter to Catherine Nuth Johnson has not been found; there are no extant letters from Johnson to AA.
AA to JQA, 23 Nov., above.