Adams Family Correspondence, volume 13
th1798
mr Black got here on thursday night. I was rejoiced to see him. it
seemd next to being at home. I yesterday received your Letter of April 29th.1 I had heard before both of Sukys’ death and my
dear little Mary’s. I felt hers the more sensibly, because she was more endeared to me
from having been more with me than either of the other Children. my Heart is grieved for
mr & Mrs smith who for this month past have seen one continued scene of affliction
from the repeated Bereavements of Friends, and Relatives.2 if any thing can effectually wean & detach
us from this world, it is the loss of those who render Life pleasent and agreable to us.
yet we are apt to cling closer to those which remain, and Even What are call’d Mrs
Thrails three warnings in her dialogue between death and Man, are insufficent too
frequently to find us ready to depart, loss of Limbs, loss of sight & loss of
Hearing—3 I recollect my Mother once
Said to me after she was Eighty four years old, I really believe
if I was now sick, I should want to get well again— so strong a principle is the
Love of Life, if it was not for the sure and certain hope of a superiour state of
existance beyond this transitory scene of Noise Bustle pain & anxiety—We should be
of all beings the most misirable— The Present state of the world exhibits in the
Revolution of France one of the most astonishing spectacles ever acted upon the stage to
scourge the Nations of the Earth. Voltair Predicted that Popery should be overturnd by
Atheism.—4 what is to be our future
Lot, and destiny, remains to be unfolded— I hope we may still Continue to be “that happy
people saved of the Lord”5 that we were
sinking into a state of Langour of Supineness of Effimanancy & Luxery is but too
evident from our Standing in need of such severe & repeated Scourging to arouse us
to a sense of danger; and to compell us to rise in defence of our Religion our Liberties
& independance. We are to day at 12 oclock to have a moveing and stricking
spectacle, no less than between 7 & 8 Hundred young Men from 18 to 23 in a Body to
present an address— upon this occasion the President puts on his uniform, and the whole
House will be thrown open to receive them. a number of Ladies will be present upon the
occasion with me. the address and replie will appear in the paper and I will send it
you—6
I was pleasd with mr Nortens choice of a Text for the Subject of
16 his Fast Sermon. Peter I see in his paper of
Saturday has been thinking upon the same subject that Man
is a very extraordinary Creature.7 when
he pleases he writes admirably, and is the greatest Scourge of the french Faction which
they have in the Country. his shafts are always tipt with wit, and his humour is such as
frequently to excite more of good than ill.
I inclose to you a number of Letters from my son’s; Some I have sent for mrs Johnson to read, who has not yet received any Letters. mrs Johnson in her last Letter writes me, that mr Johnson had invited mr Cranch to come to George Town and take an office vacant by the death of a mr Cook a Nephew of mr Johnsons. she says mr Johnson had put all his papers into mr Cranchs Hands. I hope mr Cranch will find in mr Johnson an alleviation for the loss of mr deakings. has he written you any thing upon the subject? mr Greenleaf has liberty to go out daily which he does. he may be attended by an officer, and I believe he is—but his confinement is not close as it was— I have ever been an advocate for his intentions, but it is very hard for those who are smarting under the presure of a loss of all they possesst, and that without the least beneifit derived from him, to be reduced with their Families, from affluence, to poverty and indigence, to refrain from bitter reflections, and imputations inconsistant with candour and a confidence in the integrity of his heart. I never knew untill this week, that our Friend mr Smith of Boston was a looser by him to the amount Eighteen thousand dollors— do not however mention it to mr Smith, as he never hinted the thing himself to me— What a Besom of destruction is this Spirit of Speculation?
I hope our people will proceed with the buildings as tho I was to be at Quincy the beginning of June. I regreet as the Roof is raised that the building was not continued the whole length of it, but the dr did not think of so extensive a plan, any more than I did at first, and the plan which he writes that he inclosed, to me never came to Hand— let me know how it progresses—8 have you got the Box I sent to Betsy?9 the weather has been as Hot for this fortnight past as it was last year in June. the Country looks delightfull. I ride almost every day and enjoy it. I fear we shall be detaind here much longer than I wish. I would have the building painted a stone coulour, and I hope the dr poor man if he is able will have the out side of the House painted over white as it now is, but it wants a new coat— I wish the dr would try calomil upon himself. I have a great opinion 17 18 of its efficacey. return me the Letters as soon as you have read them— Love & respects to all inquiring Friends from Your / affectionate sister
RC (MWA:Abigail Adams Letters); addressed: “Mrs Mary Cranch / Quincy.”
Vol. 12:537–541.
For the death of Mary Carter Smith, see same, 12:540. See also Descriptive List of Illustrations, No. 1, above.
Hester Lynch Salusbury Thrale Piozzi, “The Three Warnings. A Tale.”
In an entry on atheism in the Encyclopédie; ou, Dictionnaire raisonné des sciences, des arts et des métiers,
17 vols., Paris, 1751–1765, Voltaire attacked both the Roman Catholic Church and
atheism, alleging that the corruption of the former led to a rise of the latter
(Alister McGrath, The Twilight of Atheism: The Rise and Fall
of Disbelief in the Modern World, N.Y., 2006, p. 26).
Deuteronomy, 33:29.
The Philadelphia Carey’s United States’
Recorder, 8 May, reported that the day before, “the YOUNG MEN of this city … marched in a body,
attended by an immense concourse of their fellow-citizens, to the house of the
president.” A member of the delegation read an address signaling their readiness to
oppose France on the battlefield. In response, JA recalled the American
Revolution: “For a long course of years … before the birth of the eldest of you, I was
called to act with your fathers, in concerting measures, the most disagreeable and
dangerous.” The willingness of young people to do the same, he said, would reassure
all Americans. “The generous claim which you now present of sharing in the difficulty,
danger, and glory of our defence, is to me, and to your country, a sure and pleasing
pledge, that your birthrights will never be ignobly bartered or surrendered.”
Similar to Rev. Jacob Norton’s fast day sermon of 9 May, for
which see vol. 12:539, 540, the Philadelphia Porcupine’s Gazette, 5 May, printed a passage from Isaiah,
36:12–21, relating the story of Hezekiah and Sennacherib and likening it to the
current state of Franco-American relations. For JA’s fast day
proclamation, see vol. 12:xiv–xv.
For a summary of the construction at Peacefield during the summer of 1797 and spring of 1798, see same, 12:160–162, 472–473.
I am unable to find language to express my Gratitude and thankfullness to you—for your maternal Care of the Dear little orphan whose life we owe to your uncommon resolution and perseverance—1 I think if you had not taken care of it, it would have Dyed a more dreadfull death and a more melancholy death than if it been taken away with the smallpox or yellowfever— it is said them that will give a cup of cold water to a little child shall receive a reward your reward my dear friend must be great— in this instance you have feed clothed and protected a helpless infant—protected it from a ravenous Wolf clothed with the authority of a relation—and one that ought to have nourished & cherished the child for being the means of carrying its parents to that devoted city— I know not what to say of him or for him but feel thankfull we are not accountable for the 19 misconduct of our relations but the mortification of a brothers conducting in such a manner has been almost insupportable to mr Black— I know his character so well When you first found the Babe that I thought it would be ingatitude in me not to give you some Knowledge of the person you would have to deal with but had not an Idea his conduct would have proved quite so inhuman
I hope mr Black is with before this time— I should be glad if he could punish him for his faults but I fear he is not capable of reflection or mortification or he never would have conducted in the manner he has done
I rejoice the president is so abley Supported with the almost unanimous applause of the people we need not fear a few jacobins every age of the world has had some men whose happiness seemed to depend on the degree of Political Confusion the were capable of producing— I believe the jacobins are not So numerous here as the tories were in 75 and friends to goverment are much stronger I wish congress would proceed with their business—leave of their debates & rise soon I long for june I will feel provoked with them if the keep you longer— every thing looks beautifull here at the present season but the dull apperance of your house—and I may say mine altho I endevour to make it as lively as I can
I will thank you to tell mr Black I am well but a little
disappoint[ed] no letter from newyork— I hope your children there are well— [I am]
sorry to hear your Absent children had to
encounter with so much fatigue and sickness it must have been almost insupportable to
mrs Adams to be so very Sick without a female friend— and in a strange land where she
could not understand the language— our good friends mr & mrs Smith has meet
repeated strokes of affliction lately I hope the will be sanctifyed to them— please to
offer my respectfull compliments to the president & love to Louisa adieu dear
madam / and be assured of the respect and Esteem of your affectionate friend
excuse the writing I have had a poor pen and a child by me while I have been writing
RC (Adams Papers). Some loss of text where the seal was removed.
For AA’s interest in and care of Ann Hall, the orphaned niece of Moses and Esther Black, see vol. 12:index.