Adams Family Correspondence, volume 12

Hannah Quincy Lincoln Storer to Abigail Adams, 24 April 1797 Storer, Hannah Quincy Lincoln Adams, Abigail

Hannah Quincy Lincoln Storer to Abigail Adams

Boston April 24th.— 1797

I feel as if I were My worthy friend, Compel’d to write a few lines to you in this uncommon hour of distressing events that await you. Tho’ what you wished with respect to one of the deceased has happen’d—Yet Not the less affecting I am sure— Your Mind I think Must be freed from a Charge that Seem’d to dewell heavy upon you— when I last had the Satisfaction of Seeing You— at this Moment the World Seems dyeing around you—and as the following lines aptly speak My sentiments upon the Melancholy Accation—I hope to be excused from transcribing them.—

“Come friendship, with thy Sweetly-pleaseing power Teach Me to calm My dear lov’d Stella’s breast. Shed thy kind influence o’er the gloomy hour, And Sooth her every anxious care to rest. Tell her that providence, immensely kind, Through all events its guardian care extends; Nor can a real grief oppress her Mind But ev’n that grief unerring wisdom Sends. Oft, when imaginary woes oppress, A dark cloud rises, and we shrink with fear, Perhaps that very cloud is Meant to bless, And Shed rich comfort on the Coming Year The ways of providence, how kind! how wise! From Seeming ills what real good is born! Nor can the heart its blessings learn to prize That gay and thoughtless, Never knew to Mourn. 90 O May My Stella raise her wishes high! With warm devotion May her bosom glow! Pant for unmingled bliss beyond the Sky And thankful own the gifts enjoy’d below![”]1

To the Amiable Louisa and her friends I wish every consolation in this hour of their Afflection, And with a Sympathetic heart petition that these light Afflections May Yeild them a far More exceeding and an eternal weight of Glory.

I hope My good friend has e’er this heard of the restored health of the President. and that amidest her present troubles, his want of health is Not to be added—

Tho’ our Social Circle here cannot be compleat without You My dear friend, Yet you have the warmest wishes of your friends that you May Soon join the partner of your joys and Sorrows, and by the Mutual exchange of each reap pleasures that cannot be procured while seprate.

Here Suffer Me to add, (however painful the Idea that I May Never See either of you again) My constant wishes will attend you through the Thorny Path—and flowery way, that each May as you ever have done—exhibit a pure example in every Situation worthy to be imitated by all that May be call’d to the like conspicuou[. . . .]

And Now dear Madam be asured [that] My best friend, with My Children, join me in offers of every Sentiment proper to be transmitted to the friends we So Much esteem.

And believe me as ever / Your Attached

Hannah Storer

P S The Young Ladies desire love to Miss Smith—2

RC (Adams Papers); addressed: “Mrs A Adams. / Quincy”; internal address: “Mrs. Adams—”; endorsed: “Mrs Storer 24th / April 1797.” Some loss of text where the seal was removed.

Anne Steele, “To Silvia,” Miscellaneous Pieces, in Verse and Prose, by Theodosia, Bristol, Eng., 1780, p. 97–98.

That is, Storer’s daughters—Hannah, Anna, and Susan—for whom see vol. 8:286.

Joshua Johnson to John Quincy Adams, 25 April 1797 Johnson, Joshua Adams, John Quincy

Joshua Johnson to John Quincy Adams

My Dear Sir London 25 April 1797.

I thank you for your obliging Letter of the 31st Ultimo1 I do not know that I should have replied to it before the 5th. of next Month had not my Daughter receved a late Letter from you & in which you inform her that the Letters you had recived from America had 91 determined you to proceed to Lisbon as soon as possible but that you was diserous of takeing London in your way,2 I need not tell you that I should be glad to see you on many Accounts, one amongst the rest is to shew you that I have arrainged all my old concerns & am now nearly ready to return to the Country that gave me Birth, with a hope of Settling my Family comfortably & then ending the remainder of my Days, prudence will in this, direct that I arrange my Worldy matters by Will & if I should be deprived of seeing you before I quit this Country I shall take the liberty to nominate you; my Son; & Nephew my Executors, being confident that you will exert your self to protect, the Fortunes & Morals of all my Children & under your advice & Instruction my Nephew will be enabled to Collect & arrange all my Merchantile affairs & which must produce a large Sum, to be divided amongst my Family, but I will refrain from saying any thing more to you at present on this gloomy Subject3

You mention your intentions of ingageing a Vessell to take you to Lisbon, that you intended to arrange with the Captain to touch in some Port & then wait for you until you could come to London & Join my Daughter whom you intend to take with you, as her Father I am anxious to see her happy & united to the Man, I am shure will make her so; & one whom I esteem, I would therefore do anything in my power to promote your intentions & was not the Schooner Mary rather two small to take you to Lisbon, I would send her immedeatly to Rotterdam & their wait your conveniency in comeing over, this Vessell is about 50 Tons Built in Virginia is fitted up for Passengers & remarkably handsome I wish that I could have known your intentions sooner,4 I certainly would have indeavored to accomodate you, I expect the Holland by the Fifteenth of next Month,5 she may be order’d to Rotterdam or Amsterdam if so she will afford you a good conveyance to London where I want her to take me & my Family out to Amica & from this I think you may always meet with Vessells bound to Lisbon, I however wish by the return of Post to hear from you & know your determenatin.

Your Successor I find is expected every Day, it is more than probable that he may come home in the Holland— It is said here that the Emperor has made his Peace, is it so, & if it is, what effect will it have on this & our Country,6 I am afraid & very much afraid that it will make the Directory very imperious & Insolent to us— I have the pleasure to inform you that Mrs. Johnson & the Ladies are all well, they unite in their most Affectionate good wishes to you & I am— / Dear Sir / Your truly Affecte. Friend

Joshua Johnson 92

RC (Adams Papers); addressed: “[. . . .]s Esqr. / [Minister Res]ident from the / [U. S.] A. / Hague”; endorsed: “J. Johnson. / 25. April 1797. / 10. May. do: recd: / 12. do: Ansd:.” Some loss of text due to a torn manuscript.

JQA to Johnson, 31 March, LbC, APM Reel 130.

See JQA to LCA, 13 April, above.

A copy of Johnson’s will has not been found for this period, although for JQA’s receipt of it, see his letter to Johnson of 11 Oct., below. In Johnson’s final will, dated 1801, JQA was named as an executor along with Thomas Baker Johnson and Joshua Johnson’s nephew and son-in-law, Walter Hellen (LCA, D&A , 1:18, 167).

The Mary did not carry JQA from Rotterdam but remained in London. On 17 July 1797 JQA and LCA visited the schooner, which he described as “a vessel belonging to Mr: Johnson, and which he has offered to carry us to Lisbon.— We had a pleasant time, and the vessel is a very good one; but I am turned away from the Lisbon course” (D/JQA/24, APM Reel 27).

The ship Holland arrived at Eastbourne, England, during the first week of June. The vessel also traveled to Amsterdam, and in September it returned to the United States with the Johnson family aboard, arriving at Georgetown, D.C., on 25 Nov. (London Lloyd’s List, 6, 13 June, 12 Sept.; LCA, D&A , 1:51).

Unofficial reports of the preliminary peace agreement between France and Austria were published in the London General Evening Post, 22–25 April, and the London Chronicle of the same date. For the official report in the London press, see LCA to JQA, 3 May, and note 2, below.