Adams Family Correspondence, volume 13
You and I, my dear Madam have trod together, through one Gloomy
scene, of war, havock and desolation; and we have Seen our Country rise superiour to
oppression, and Despotism and take its Rank among the Nations,1 presenting at this period, the only spectacle, of a Free Republic, which has not been
Revolutionized, by the Gormandizing and insatiable thirst of that power, which like the
Grave—crys Give, Give. Whilst the departed wealth, opulence and Liberty, of Batavia, the
Cruelly oppress’d Geneva, Genoa, all Itally, and the partitiond, and Barterd Venice,
with the Barbarously Sacrificed Switzerland, and Bern, Cry to us with an awefull Warning
voice, to behold their Fate, and secure ourselves, by a direct opposite Conduct to that,
which has proved fatal to them.
I would hope that the destroying Angel may not be commissioned to visit us in wrath, but that he may visit us on an errant of Love, to warn us against those contaminating principles and abominations,2 which have made all Europe one Golgotha—
133May the God of our Fathers protect us, and if we must be scourged, Remember Mercy for Us.
“you observe, That Providence has deposited a high trust in the Hands of the President, and that it is optional, with him: from the confidence reposed in him, by the people; to abuse his power, or to Continue the object for which our Country, has made such costly Sacrifices.”3
Hastening to that period, which in scripture is termed the Life of Man, having every thing at stake which can render the Remnant peacefull, or the future happy, Reputation and honour, Life Liberty, and Property. is it possible to have a wish, or desire which is not interwoven with the Present and future Prosperity, freedom and independance of united America?4 it depends upon the people to say that they will remain a free & happy Republic.
Permit me to transcribe a Sentance from an answer to an address, Presented by the inhabitants of the County of Otsego in the State of New York.
“Your reliance on the good sense fortitude, and integrity of your
fellow citizens, I trust will not deceive you. all depends
upon these virtues. if these fail us, we are lost. our constitution and administration,
all depend upon them. our Government without these aids has no power at Home, or abroad:
we have no other Principle of union, or capacity of Defence”5
In an other replie, to the People of Potts Town in (Penn) are these words.
“Your confidence, that I will not surrender the rights of the Nation, Shall not be betrayed. If the Nation were capable of such a surrender (which it is not,) some other Hand must affix the Signature to the ignominous deed”6
with these Sentiments; will my Friend Live and with these Sentiments he will like the Brave avoyer, Steigner of Bern, meet death if decreed to him—7
The stay of our Envoys in France is protracted to an allarming
degree for their personal safety—and I had almost Said for our National honour. The
decree of the directory respecting Neutrals and the declaration of Talleyrand, that we
could only Buy it off, ought to have been the signal for
the departure of our Envoys The cup of Humiliation was full, what has since happend, are
its overflowings. they have Borne it! but the indignation of their Country spurns
it.
I inclose to you the last dispatch Heaven Grant, that it may be the last
8
The testimonials in Approbation of the measures persued by the Chief Majestrate of the Union, with respect to France, which as you observe, have poured in from all quarters of the Union; are indeed an incourageing, and Gratefull reward, for his Labourious and hazardous exertions in the publick service; whilst the rising Generation, upon whom the hopes and expectations of all America is fixed, for their security, and defence are zealous, and sincere, with their profferd Lives, and fortunes. Their Fathers may be permitted to repose; having performed their Routine of active Duty, and spend the remnant of their days—in devoute Suplications for the success of their ospring.
The President directs me to reciprocate the Kind wishes of his
Friend Gen’ll Warren, and to assure him that he retains a
pleasing remembrance of the past they have acted together in the defence of the
Liberties of their common Country.
Mr and Mrs otis the Elder & junr
are both well, were with us last Evening. I most ardenly long for a visit to Quincy. the
Green feilds, and shady Groves would be a pleasing contrast to the Brick walls, &
crouded streets of Philadelphia, particuliarly so, if I could Shut out all the political
clouds which darken our horizen
with a kind remembrance to every Branch of Your Family, particuliarly the ittle Marcia / I am my dear / Madam Your Friend and Humble / servant
RC (MHi:Warren-Adams Papers); addressed: “Mrs Mercy Warren / Plimouth”; endorsed:
“A Adams / June 1798”; notation: “No. 21”
Dft dated 15 June (Adams
Papers).
In the Dft, AA continued this sentence: “and at this period it exhibits the Phenominon of the sole remaining Republic, which is not engulphd.”
In the Dft, AA instead concluded this paragraph: “which have deluged Europe in Blood and renderd it a Golgotha, may not yet have taken Root in our land, that they have been imported Scatterd transplanted and Sown so successfully as to produce Noxious plants, venomous Shoots and poisonous fruits, we have daily experience— But may our Gaurdian Genius—pluck them up and cast them forth, not only as cumberces of the Ground, but as those abominable things which his soul hateth, and May we yet be that happy Land saved of the Lord.”
Here, AA quoted from Warren’s 26 May letter to her (Adams Papers), in which Warren also noted her concern that the “fashions follies and vices” of Europe had infiltrated America, and joined AA in her criticism of abuses by the press.
In the Dft, from this point through the rest of this paragraph and the five following, AA wrote instead: “of the Brothers the children the Relative & Kindred of Him whom they have placed over them as their Head to lead & Guide them. He has told them that he would not be the Instrument to become tributary or to Surrender their Liberty to any power on Earth, and that he does not hold himself accountable to any Grand Head Sovereign Power or directory upon Earth, for those communications which he conceives it his duty to lay before the National Legislatur of his own Country.”
The authors of the Otsego County, N.Y., address, in addition to
giving their approbation of the administration’s conduct and the 135 virtues of their fellow citizens, specifically
noted their willingness to “submit with cheerfulness to any equal tax the wisdom of
our government may lay on us for the national support.” AA accurately
quoted from JA’s reply, which also claimed, “There can be no stronger
proof of patriotism” than in their submission to necessary taxation (
Patriotic
Addresses
, p. 153–156).
The Pottstown, Penn., address noted that while the people wished for peace with France, they only “desired an adjustment upon terms compatible with the honor and dignity of the United States.” It stated their confidence that JA would never abandon national rights in his interactions with France, and AA again accurately quoted JA’s answer (same, p. 225–227).
Niklaus Friedrich von Steiger (1729–1799) was the last avoyer, or chief magistrate, of the Swiss canton of Bern.
He actively opposed the French incursion into Switzerland and continued to lead the
Swiss counterrevolution from his exile in Bavaria following the proclamation of the
Helvetic Republic (John William Polidori, The Vampyre: A Tale,
and Ernestus Berchtold; or, The Modern Oedipus, ed. D. L. Macdonald and
Kathleen Scherf, Toronto, 2008, p. 79).
Enclosure not found, but see AA to Mary Smith Cranch, 19 June, and note 3, below.
I expected to have heard from you on Saturday, but no Letter came and on Wedensday but still no Letter. I was dissapointed, but knowing your many avocations I concluded it must arise from thence. I hope not from Sickness tho you wrote me you was not well. I who have more leisure, and no care of Family affairs but my order can and do devote almost every morning in writing to some Friend or other.
You will hear before this reaches you of the arrival of mr Marshall at Nyork. mr Pinckney is gone to the South of France, with a permit, for the Health of a daughter suposed in a consumption. mr Gerry stays untill he hears from our Government which as appears to me, is a very wrong step.2 The Government you will be informd received last week an other dispatch of a Letter from Talleyrand, and a very lengthy reply by our Envoys—which being in a press copy & part cypher, two copies being to be prepared of it, could not be got ready in one or two days— in the mean time Talleyrand had sent out to Bache his Letter, for to be publishd here, & without, the replie of our Envoys. this he exaltingly gave to the publick on saturday.3 it really appears a very fortunate circumstance that, our Government, should have received tho by an other conveyance the dispatches about the same time and so soon be able to counteract the villany intended by Talleyrand. it has an other good effect, that of convincing the most unbelieving—of the close connection between the Infernals of France & those in our own Bosoms, and in any other Country Bache & all his papers would have been seazd and ought to 136 be here, but congress are dilly dallying about passing a Bill enabling the President to seize suspisious persons—and their papers— we shall be favourd soon I suppose with the pamphlet written by the Clerk in Talleyrands office—4 all this however works for good, and will tend to work out our Salvation I hope. I will send the papers as soon as publishd. in the mean time I send you some pamphlets to be distributed for the publick Benifit, and Send one in my Name to mrs Webb with my compliments—5
We are all well but a servant who has been voilently attackd with an inflamitory Soar Throat, & very dangerously sick for several days. We hope he has past the worst.
the Season has not yet been uncommonly Hot. I am weary of conjectures, so shall say nothing of when it is probable Congress will rise. I believe they will decarle War against the French first.
Mr Marshalls arrival will hasten the buisness— o mr Gerry! mr Gerry, that You had but been wise enough, & resolute enough to have come too.
mrs Malony got home yesterday morning, in six days— I have not seen her, I have only heard that She is come— with a kind remembrance to all Friend yours
RC (MWA:Abigail Adams Letters); addressed: “Mrs Mary Cranch / Quincy”; endorsed
by Richard Cranch: “Letter from Mrs / A: Adams, Quincy, /
June 19th. 1798.”
AA repeated the mistake she made in the dateline of her 13 June letter to Cranch, above.
New York and Philadelphia newspapers reported John Marshall’s
arrival in New York on the ship Alexander Hamilton, Capt.
William Wise, on 17 June; Charles Cotesworth Pinckney’s removal to the south of France
for his daughter’s health; and Elbridge Gerry’s decision to remain in Paris “to wait
the determinations of our government” (New York Daily
Advertiser, 18 June; Philadelphia Carey’s United
States’ Recorder, 19 June; Williams, French Assault on American Shipping
,
p. 49).
In a message to Congress of 18 June, JA submitted a
dispatch received on 14 June from the American commissioners to France dated 3 April
and two enclosures: a letter of 18 March from Talleyrand to the commissioners and the
commissioners’ 3 April response. The letter from Talleyrand argued that French
depredations against American shipping were made in retaliation for American actions,
namely the failure to observe the 1778 Franco-American Treaty, the conclusion of the
Jay Treaty, and the hostility of the Adams administration toward France. Talleyrand
concluded that the Directory would negotiate only with Gerry, the “one of the three,
whose opinions, presumed to be more impartial, promise, in the course of the
explanations, more of that reciprocal confidence which is indispensable.” In their 3
April 1798 answer, the commissioners offered a detailed rebuttal of French charges and
reiterated the justice and necessity of American actions in maintaining its
neutrality, as well as the government’s desire to resolve their differences with
France. Talleyrand’s letter without the commissioners’ reply appeared in the
Philadelphia Aurora General Advertiser, 16 June (
Amer. State
Papers, Foreign Relations
, 2:188–199).
The Philadelphia Gazette, 18 June,
reported that a packet addressed to Benjamin Franklin Bache and bearing Talleyrand’s
seal 137 had been given to William Lee by one of
Talleyrand’s clerks to deliver. The same day, the Philadelphia Gazette of the United States reported that the letter from Talleyrand to the
commissioners was only part of what Bache had received, but they had not learned what
more the packet contained.
The enclosures have not been found but likely were Anthony
Aufrere’s The Cannibals’ Progress.