Adams Family Correspondence, volume 13
th1798
Saturday April 21st, I received yours
of the 9th. I wrote to you the 1st of April in answer to yours of March 20th,
which before this you must have received, and shall always esteem my letters of
inestimable value, so long as they purchase yours. The excellent pamphlet you sent me
I thank you. The sentiment it contains—the spirit with which it is written prove to
me, that the author possesses American blood enough to
feel, and American emphasis enough to pronounce
the insults of a rapacious, bloody and tyrannical nation. His observations on imigration were to
me pecularly pleasing, and interesting because I believe the grand cause of all our
present difficulties may be traced to this source—to so many hordes of Foreigners imigrating to America.1 I believe the English government will not
allow any alien to be capable of receiving any office whatever. We shall not I am
afraid continue long independent as citizens and as a nation, unless we speedily enact some such law. Let us no
longer pray, that America may be become an asylum to all nations, but let us encourage
[. . .] own men & cultivate our simple manners. Let us, like the silk worm, weave
the web From our own bowels, & leaving Europeans, their manufactures, fashions and
vices to themselves, pursue our own true interest.
With or before this the President will receive the adress of the collegians. As soon as it was drawn up 170 immediately signed it as fast as we could write our names. There are about 190 students belonging to college.— the greater part who did not sign it were out of town.2 Although the address to the President is expressed in the strongest possible terms, still “words do but wrong, the gratitude we owe him.”3 We know his firmness and independance.
We anxiously wait For an answer5
Please to write soon.
45I have written this letter in a great hurry, Please to excuse its errors &c. & believe my hand to be the agent of my heart, when I subscribe myself, your ever affectionate nephew
mS Shaw.
When does congress rise?
I have opened my letter, my dear aunt, to tell you of what I cannot bear to write, & what I still hope is not true, that Dr. Welsh is shut up.
RC (Adams Papers); addressed: “Mrs. Abigail Adams / Philadelphia”; endorsed: “William Shaw 20 / May—” Some loss of text where the seal was removed.
For AA’s letters to Shaw of 20 March and 9 April and
Shaw’s letter of 2 April, see vol. 12:456–457, 476–478,
480. With her letter of 9
April, AA sent Shaw Joseph Hopkinson’s What Is
Our Situation? And What Our Prospects?, Phila., 1798, Evans, No. 33904, in which the author claimed that
the “antagonists” to the federal government met with “few proselytes in this country”
but instead found “recruits on the annual supplies of imported patriots,” watching
“eagerly from the wharves for the gangs of discontented and factious emigrants that
flock in from all parts of the world, and catch them eagerly to their fraternal
embraces” (p. 25–26). See also vol. 12:486.
Harvard College students in their address to JA
pledged to fight for their country against France: “Our lives are our only property;
and we were not the sons of those who sealed our liberties with their blood, if we
would not defend with these lives that soil, which now affords a peaceful grave to the
mouldering bones of our forefathers” (
Patriotic Addresses
,
p. 102–103).
Thomas Otway, The Orphan; or, The Unhappy
Marriage, A Tragedy, Act II, scene i, line 89.
Charles Symmons, Inez, a Tragedy,
London, 1796, p. 95.
JA’s 25 May reply to the Harvard address praised the
college and the “accuracy, perspicuity, and beauty” of the students’ words. He also
called upon them to preserve themselves from disgrace and concluded, “Your youthful
blood has boiled, and it ought to boil. You need not, however, be discouraged. If your
cause should require defence in arms, your country will have armies and navies, in
which you may secure your own honor, and advance the power, prosperity, and glory of
your contemporaries and posterity” (Massachusetts
Mercury, 5 June;
Patriotic Addresses
, p. 104–105).
I received by way of Providence last week Your kind Letter of the 11th sent by Mrs Barret, together with the sermon for which accept my thanks.1 if mr & Mrs Barret had come to Philadelphia, it would have given me pleasure to have noticed them, as it does all of my Friends & acquaintance, or those who are introduced to me by others.
I take this opportunity by mr spear to send you two or three
Coppies of the last dispatches from our Envoys. the next time mr Russel receives a
Letter like that which he has now publishd from mr Bourn; he would do well to take
advise before he publishes it. mr Bourns 46 Letter I conceive to
relate only to the intercourse which our Commissioners had in Feb’ry with X & Y—and mr Gerrys with Tallyrand, for we have Letters from mr
Murrey to the 30 March, which contain no such intelligence, or give the least reason to
suppose mr Bourn Letter well founded.2
Such a publication at this time only distracts the publick mind, unnerves the Hands of
some who are ready to catch at straws, and puts a Temporary stop to the whole buisness
of Government. our best negotiaters are the Voices of the People as expresst in their
numerous addresses, and our Armed ships. I hope my Friends who are at a distance will
not be allarmed at the Bug bear stories they hear, from hence I believe there is not any
danger at present. I do not apprehend any. the Vigilence of the Citizens is awake; &
the Voluntary Choirs who are now enrolling themselves, will keep sedition in Awe. Two
Month ago, with as many threats, I should have really thought danger was to be
apprehended, but when the Youth of our Country, exhibit such a spirit as they have in
the various Capitals, the Arm of Government will feel strong— could you procure for me
sir, the oration Which mr J.Q Adams deliverd on the 4th of
July, & send me by the next post, You would oblige me.3
I long for the period when Congress will rise. our season here is uncommonly dry. the Grain & grass suffer much. yesterday we had Green peas—
My Love to Mrs Smith & the Children I hope she has recoverd her tranquility of mind and that her Health is better. both of you should go from home as much as you can. I experienced the benifit last year of being obliged to make exertions— yet the pained mind will return to the source of its affliction. Time and reflection must be had, before nature can be conquered. how much more wretched must the deciples of Paine be, who look not beyond this Life for comfort & consolation. what believer would relinquish his hold, for a Phantom, for a nothing?
Love to Cousin Betsy— believe me my dear sir your affectionate & sympathizing / Friend
RC (MHi:Smith-Carter Family Papers); addressed: “William Smith Esqr / Boston.”
Not found.
For the publication of Sylvanus Bourne’s letters to Benjamin Russell and Bourne’s subsequent objection, see JQA to AA, 25 July, and note 13, below.
JQA, An Oration Pronounced
July 4th, 1793, Boston, 1793, Evans, No. 25076. See also vol. 9:432–433.