Adams Family Correspondence, volume 14
This will be delivered to you, by our friend, Mrs. Smith, who will pass you, on her way to New-York; she is determined to call, and ask you how you are.
Since I wrote you last, some changes have taken place.1 The Secretary of war has resigned, and General Marshal, is nominated in his place.2 I fear, however, that he will not be prevailed upon to accept the appointment; such times are approaching for our country, as require the skill, knowledge, experience, and industry of all who regard peace and harmony, order, and regular government as blessings worth preserving, to be upon their guard, and to defend themselves, and their country against the machinations which are formed to destroy its tranquillity and prosperity. We see a spirit of usurpation, of domination, of corruption, taking hold of various parties throughout the United States, the most important struggle to change the administration. The federal phalanx ought to unite, and form like Milton’s angels, an impenetrable shield, around their government.3 As it respects myself, I am but one of the great family; and though I can expect but a few years more of existence, I should like to pass those without intestine broils and commotions, and see a fair prospect of leaving to posterity the blessings of peace and freedom, laws and government. My sentiments are for you alone: you know how the world would judge them, selfish and interested; experience may teach them to their sorrow, that I have not judged amiss.
Mr. Johnson left me on Thursday. The nomination passed with the casting vote of the Vice-President; and Mr. Johnson is Supervisor of the Stamp Office. The Vice-President behaved very honourable upon the occasion: he said Mr. Johnson he knew, and believed him well qualified for the office; but if he had not known him, he should have considered the President’s nomination a sufficient reason for his vote.
Congress expect to rise to-morrow night; they will hurry through if they can. I hope to leave here on Friday next. I have a very good coachman; but wanting another, I meet with some difficulty; for the President must have a man well calculated to manage four horses in hand; as he will be more exposed than I shall, as he is almost 230 persuaded, to make a short excursion to Washington, before he returns to the eastward.4 I set out with no gentleman in my escort, and must leave Richard, too, for the President. I shall feel a little queer at first; but must try it. I will write you, when I shall be at Brunswick; and request the Col. to send me an aid as far as there, to conduct me to you.
My best respects to the Col., love to Caroline. From your truly / Affectionate,
MS not found. Printed from AA2, Jour. and Corr.
, 2:176–178.
AA to AA2, 4 May, above. AA also wrote to Mary Smith Cranch, on 16 May (NNPM:Misc. American Presidents), commenting on “some important changes in the Cabinet” and reporting her travel plans.
On 5 May JA confronted James McHenry
about his political maneuvering on behalf of Alexander Hamilton,
prompting McHenry to tender his resignation as secretary of war
effective 1 June, which JA accepted on 7 May. On 31 May
McHenry sent JA a transcript of their conversation, in
which he recalled that JA claimed, “Hamilton is an
intriguant—the greatest intriguant in the World—a man devoid of every
moral principle—a Bastard, and as much a foreigner as Gallatin.” On 2
June McHenry sent Hamilton the transcript, requesting that it be neither
copied nor retained. In his response of 6 June, Hamilton wrote of
JA, “The man is more mad than I ever thought him and I
shall soon be led to say as wicked as he is mad.” Hamilton later used
the transcript in writing his 24 Oct. pamphlet, Letter from Alexander Hamilton, Concerning the Public Conduct and
Character of John Adams, for which see
AA to Cranch, 10
Nov., and note 2, below. No reply by JA to McHenry
has been found, but in a draft rebuttal to Hamilton’s pamphlet dated
[1800–1801?] (Adams
Papers), JA mentioned Hamilton’s use of “a long
Conversation between the President and secretary of War” and posed the
rhetorical query, “How did Mr Hamilton hear
of any private Conversation between the President and one of his
Ministers.”
JA initially nominated John Marshall on
7 May 1800 to replace McHenry, but after Timothy Pickering’s dismissal
as secretary of state, for which see
TBA to JQA, 11
May, and note 7, below, JA instead nominated
Marshall to replace Pickering. He then nominated Samuel Dexter as
secretary of war, and Dexter was confirmed by the Senate on 13 May (vol.
10:51; Hamilton, Papers
, 24:550–565, 573; McHenry
to JA, 6 May, Adams Papers; JA to McHenry, 7 May,
LbC, APM Reel 120; U.S. Senate, Exec. Jour.
, 6th Cong., 1st sess., p. 352, 353,
354).
Milton, Paradise Lost,
Book VI, lines 398–400.
JA and William Smith Shaw departed
Philadelphia for Washington, D.C., on 27 May, and after stopping in
Georgetown, D.C., arrived there on 4 June. They remained in the federal
city until departing for Quincy on 14 June, arriving at Peacefield on 3
July (Shaw to
AA, 1, 8 June;
AA to TBA, 12
July, all below; Baltimore Federal
Gazette, 5 June; Georgetown Centinel of
Liberty, 17 June).
AA2 replied to AA on 13
May, reporting that she and WSS would meet AA
as she neared Scotch Plains, N.J., and escort her into the Union Brigade
camp. She also commented on McHenry’s resignation and discussed the
impending disbanding of the provisional army (AA2, Jour. and
Corr.
, 2:178–180).