Adams Family Correspondence, volume 13
th1798.
O how happy should I be, were I to sit down to write you of my
dear sisters better health, but alas I cannot. She fails every day & has now grown
so weak that she is not able to wride out or even to come below stairs. She still
keeps her usual flow of spirits, & sits “like patience on a monument, smiling”
even tho in the arms of death.1 How
miserable should I be, my aunt, in seeing my dear sister thus mouldering away, did I
believe with the boasting modern philosophers, that after
death, she would be consigned, like beasts, to eternal sleep
and putrefaction. No, I firmly believe & have the strongest grounds for my
belief, which afford consolations, neither few nor small, that she dies but to live
forever—“that christianity will seat herself by her dying pillow, draw aside the
curtains of eternity, point her closing eyes to the opening gates of everlasting life
& convey her departing spirit in peace & transport to a state of perfect
evergrowing knowledge, virtue, enjoyment, usefulness & glory:”2
I wrote to you in a letter which I hope you have received, that I should not be at commencement I found no difficulty in being excused. The president was so sick that his life was despaired of for more than a week Dr. Howard presided in his place com. day.3
The resolute conduct of the Americans, will I hope, prove to France & the world, what we ought to blush & be ashamed ever to 200 have had doubted, that we are resolve’d on a continuance of our independance or death—that rather than be slaves to a foreign nation, we will all die, like Hanibal, by our hands. As for myself, I verily swear—I speak it with reverence, as being in the presence of my God— I solemnly swear, that the “impression of keen whips, I will wear as rubies, & strip myself to death as to a bed that longing I have been sick for,” ere I will writhe under the scourge of any foreign tyrant on earth.4
The excellent patriotick songs, from various parts of the US, serve to enkindle a glorious enthusiasm in every soul, in which there is a single spark of fire.5 Let me compose your songs & ballads (said a celebrated English patriot, I forget his name) & I dont care who makes your laws.6 Washingtons appointment, for I have no doubt but he will except, must electrify every bosom in his countrys cause. Under his banners, who can fight otherwise than valiantly? May the French have cause to say of our soldiers, as Tigranes the Persian exclaim’d of the Athenians, soon after the invasion of Xerxes Heavens! against whom have we come to contend? insensible to their own interest, they fight only for glory.7
I most ardently wished & fondly anticipated
8 to have seen you long before this. I felt
afraid that the extreme warm weather would make it sickly in P— that you may soon
arrive at Q with health & happiness is the fond wish of your nephew / In great
haste,
mS Shaw
your little grandsons are well
RC (Adams Papers); endorsed: “W s shaw August July / 20 1798.”
Shakespeare, Twelfth Night, Act II,
scene iv, lines 117–118.
Timothy Dwight, The Nature, and Danger,
of Infidel Philosophy, Exhibited in Two Discourses, Addressed to the Candidates for
the Baccalaureate, in Yale College, New Haven, 1798, p. 91, Evans, No. 33657.
Shaw’s letter has not been found. Rev. Joseph Willard remained
dangerously ill for the rest of the summer. In his place, the Harvard College
commencement was led by the senior clergyman of the Harvard Corporation and Willard’s
close friend, Rev. Simeon Howard (1733–1804), for whom see vol. 7:466. The governor and lieutenant governor
were escorted by cavalry to Cambridge for the ceremonies, which “were marked by that
true spirit of federalism.” After dinner, “Adams and Liberty” and “Hail Columbia” were
sung with enthusiasm (Boston Gazette, 23 July; Sidney
Willard, Memories of Youth and Manhood, 2 vols.,
Cambridge, 1855, 2:4–5, 67–68;
Sibley’s Harvard Graduates
, 14:279, 286, 288; New
York Commercial Advertiser, 23 July).
Shakespeare, Measure for Measure,
Act II, scene iv, lines 101–103.
In addition to “Hail Columbia” and “Adams and Liberty,” in the
patriotic fervor of the spring and summer of 1798 a large number of songs were written
that encouraged Americans to assert their rights against the French. These songs
included “Washington and the Constitution,” a “Harvard Patriotic Ode,” “Washington and
Independence,” “Portsmouth Federal Song,” and rewrites of “Yankee Doodle”
(Philadelphia Gazette of the United States, 14 June;
Boston Columbian Centinel, 30 June; New York Spectator, 28 201 July; Massachusetts Mercury, 31 July; Newport, R.I., Weekly Companion, 7 July; Alexandria Times, 10 July).
Andrew Fletcher, An Account of a
Conversation Concerning a Right Regulation of Governments for the Common Good of
Mankind, Edinburgh, 1704, p. 10.
John Gillies, The History of Ancient
Greece, Its Colonies, and Conquests, 2 vols., London, 1786, 1:356.
Shaw initially wrote the two italicized phrases in the reverse order but then numbered them “2” and “1” to identify his intended order.
21] 17981
As there is some Probability that Thomas Welch will Embark before I shall return to Quincy, I write from hence; I shall esteem myself peculiarly fortunate to see you again in your Native Country. a longer residence abroad in your situation, would be wholy incompatable both with your interest and future establishment in Life, as you will have to commence again in your Profession— you may also find it necessary to take an active part in defence of your Country. I should like to see you enrolld in the Grenadeer Company of this city. I send you by this opportunity what I presume he will not himself neglect too, your Friend Quincys oration deliverd upon the fourth of July. it is a very handsome performance, and does honour to him—2 I hope it will bring him forward in Political Life. I wrote you the loss he sustaind in the winter past, by the death of his Mother. Never was Parent and Child more cordially united. his marriage previous to her death to an accomplishd and amiable woman, is in some measure a compensation to him— you will learn from the Papers I send, and have forwarded allready, in the week past by way of Hamburgh, the temper and disposition of our Country, that she is approaching to very serious times, when every citizen will find it necessary to exert all his Energies to preserve, and secure the Liberty and independance of the Country. Congress have risen this week after a session of Eight Months,3 the first part of which was neither employd to their honour, or the benifit of the Country. their last deeds may be ranked amongst their best, an Alien Bill a sedition Bill, and a Bill declaring void, all our Treaties & conventions with France, are of the Number.
you who were here at the Time of the insurrection and was witness
to the apathy which for a long time possessd this City, would now be gratified to see
the Martial Spirit which exists here. all the young men of the City are training to
Arms. they have at their own expence put themselves in uniform, and are about four
hundred in 202 Number, beside a Grenadeer Company and a company of
Cavilery—4 Genll Mackpherson commands them. a Company of Artilliry is forming. Mackpherson
expects soon to have a regular Legion— for a time, they excercised every morning, now
twice a week.5 Some young Quaker have
joind them, as they say, to prevent War—
6 Many More would, if they could obtain the
consent of their Parents. the Quakers are more united in opposition to France than they
ever were in any former War— whilst this state have come forward and retreaved their
Character by active exertion, and a firm spirit, the City of Nyork manifests a coldness
and an apathy, quite astonishing, as they have all at hazard, and are in a very exposed
and defenceless situation. the Levingstone Aristocracy, their corruption & venality,
is a mill stone upon the federal part. there is as much of Jacobinism there, as in any
other state in the union, and I would hope more. even Virginna is assumeing a more
cordial & candid asspect. the Members lately Elected to Congress, are said to be six
out of ten, antifederal from Nyork7
N England behaves well. with few exceptions they have done themselves great honour at the late Session of the Legislature mr Dexter is Chosen senator to Congress in lieu of mr sedwick, resignd. it is the exchange of one good Man, for an other, but that is not always the case Freeman, will not be reelected. I wish I was as certain that Varnum would fail.8
I inclose to you the list of Nomination for the staff of our Army
you will naturally ask, where is the Col.? Gen’ll Washington
who was consulted, Named him for Adjutent General. he was nominated to the senate but
decidedly negatived, for prejudices which as an officer I think ought not to have
influenced them. it was done in a hurry, without proper inquiry, and upon the last day
of the session. thus is one of the best officers we have, rejected for Reason’s which
would have equally applied to Lee of virgina, and I Shall be glad if at the winding
up—it will not be found to apply to many others9 a Military Life I have ever considerd him as
peculiarly calculated to shine in. he has fought and bled in the service of his Country,
and I believe would have cordially done so again, if call’d to the trial— I expect it
will compleatly depress him—and tho it was done by Friends as well as foes, I cannot but
think, better information would have exculpated him from “charges which would have been
proved unfounded.[”] You know, and the world know, that in pecuniary affairs he never
conducted with the approbation of his nearest Relatives, 203 but the school of adversity is a usefull one, and tho not pleasent, her paths are
strewed with instruction.
I hunger for Letters from you. we have not any intelligence to be relied upon since the Month of April, from any quarter, Rumours only that mr Gerry had left Paris: Mrs Johnson desires me to present her Love to you. she Says that she was mortified that you did not mention her in Mrs Adams’ Letter that you was much of a favorite with her. Mrs Johnson is not fixd in the most agreeable part of Ameria. Mr Cranch has removed to George Town, and is very intimate with the Family. our Friend are all well, who survive, but we have lost many valuable ones in the year past. Dr Clark and Belknap, are of the Number who will long be rememberd and regreeted—
I am my dear son with the / tenderest affection your / Mother10
RC (Adams Papers); endorsed: “Mrs: A Adams / 20 July
1798 / 13 Septr: Recd / 14
Answd:.” Dft (Adams Papers).
The dating of this letter is based on AA’s Dft, dated 21 July, even though TBA’s reply of 14 Sept., below, dates it to 19 July. His endorsement of 20 July appears to be based on the date of AA’s letter to JQA, above, which arrived at the same time and which was also endorsed by TBA.
As part of Boston’s Fourth of July celebrations, Josiah Quincy
III gave a speech that one Boston newspaper described as “among the most masterly
productions, which the effervescence of patriotism, united to the amplest resources of
genius, ever originated in any nation, or on any epocha.” Quincy compared Great
Britain’s assault on American rights during the Revolutionary War with France’s more
recent actions, and he censured those who quietly accepted the vilification of the
government. Quincy concluded, “Above all, guard against those base, unmanly
suspicions, by which foreign and domestic enemies strive to break the anchor of
Independence, confidence between rulers and people” (Boston Columbian Centinel, 7 July; Josiah Quincy, An Oration,
Pronounced, July 4, 1798, Boston, 1798, p. 31, Evans, No. 34429).
In the Dft, this sentence ends, “some of which were spent not in gathering Lawrells. it has however been a session of Buisness 90 Acts having been past.”
In the Dft, AA added, “the Volunteers make a very respectable appearence, the Grenadeers a stately one & the Horese are admirable.”
At this point in the Dft, AA inserted, “all the young Men of Family and Wealth go into the Ranks with their fellow citizens.”
In the Dft, AA concluded this sentence, “their scruples being satisfied in this way.”
In the Dft, AA continued: “and it appears as tho they meant to invite an Enemy— it is wholy unacountable that a State so important, so much to hazard, should manifest such marks of inactivity and stupidity. the Govr at the Close of the last session just before the Election came on, declared his dissatisfaction to be so great as to tempt him to resign his Station. he was however Elected, and by a much larger Majority than before I hope N. york will rouse to a sense of its danger—”
Massachusetts elections for the 6th Congress were held on 5
November. Nathaniel Freeman Jr. did not stand for reelection; his seat was filled by
Federalist Lemuel Williams. Democratic-Republican Joseph Bradley Varnum, however,
defeated seven other candidates to be reelected in the 2d middle district, causing one
Boston newspaper to lament, “At a time like the present—the most active and spirited
men are wanted for Congress—not those who have opposed the measures of our government
for placing our foreign relations on a proper footing, without 204 proposing any plan as a substitute for what they
abuse.” Overall, the Massachusetts delegation increased its Federalist representation
by one (Boston Columbian Centinel, 3 Nov.; New Bedford,
Mass., Medley, 9 Nov.; Massachusetts Mercury, 9 Nov.; A
New Nation Votes;
Biog. Dir. Cong.
).
Enclosure not found. Henry “Light-Horse Harry” Lee, for whom see
vol. 8:293, was nominated by
JA on 18 July as a major general for the provisional army. The Senate
confirmed Lee’s appointment at the same time they rejected that of WSS
even though Lee had overextended himself in land speculation with Morris, Nicholson
& Greenleaf and was in dire financial straits in 1798. He later filed for
bankruptcy and spent time in debtors’ prison (U.S. Senate, Exec.
Jour.
, 5th Cong., special sess. no. 2, p. 292, 293;
ANB
; Charles Royster, Light-Horse Harry Lee and
the Legacy of the American Revolution, N.Y., 1981, p. 172–175).
In the Dft, AA closed the letter, “feeling much out spirits I close.”