Adams Family Correspondence, volume 14

Abigail Adams to William Smith, 22 November 1799 Adams, Abigail Smith, William
Abigail Adams to William Smith
dear sir Philadelphia Nov’br the 22. 1799

Least you should not see many of the curiosities produced in the Aurora; I shall now and then inclose You a choice morsal; in this, 54 which I now forward you you will find a Letter, said to have been written by a Mr Crammond of this city, to Mr Parish the former Consul at Hamburgh and printed in a Paris Paper. Mr Crammond is a respectable English Merchant of this city, but by no means a politician, not a creature any way acquainted with him suspects him of being the writer. He says that he has not written a Letter of any kind for three years past, to Mr Parish—and that the whole is a forgery—the impudent comments of Duane are also a pack of Lies. no misunderstanding has ever taken place between the President and the British Minister—it is even suspected by some whether the french paper it self is not the production of that the Aurora office; but if not, the Letter must have been forged by some of their Tools.1 I also inclose You a part of Browns paper which contains the true statement of Robbins’s case, about which the Democrats make such a clamour—if it has not been printed in Boston, the printers I think ought to do it.2

if our Northern Members are not all here, upon the Day when a clerk is to be Chosen, it is feard that Beckly will get in again, as a great struggle will be made for him.3 You will see also that the batteries are opening upon mr Sedwick.4 in short no people are so unwearied as the evil Doers— our goverment is such an uphill Machine that it requires no common force, to support it against all the underminers— so Many of its Friends have local and personal views and interests to serve, that they rather pass by, with a wish that it may stand, than lend their aid to strengthen it—

I pray you to remember me affectionatly to all our Friends and Relatives, and be assured that I am at all times / your Friend

A A

RC (MHi:Smith-Townsend Family Papers); endorsed: “Philaa. 22. Novr 99. / Mrs. Adams.”

1.

The Philadelphia Aurora General Advertiser, 21 Nov., featured an item it claimed to be a reprint of a Paris publication of an intercepted letter from Philadelphia merchant William Cramond (ca. 1755–1843) to John Parish (1742–1829), who had served as U.S. consul at Hamburg from 1793 to 1796. The letter alleged that Timothy Pickering sought to impair relations between JA and the British minister to the United States, Sir Robert Liston. Aurora printer William Duane commented on the letter, claiming that a “serious and real” dispute between JA and Liston already existed. In the same issue, Duane printed a 20 Nov. 1799 letter from Cramond denying authorship and calling the letter a forgery. Duane reprinted the intercepted letter, an English translation, and a second letter from Cramond in the Aurora General Advertiser, 25 Nov. (Philadelphia North American, 26 Oct. 1843; Washington, Papers, Presidential Series , 16:589).

2.

Andrew Brown Jr.’s Philadelphia Gazette, 21 Nov., summarized the Jonathan Robbins affair.

3.

John Beckley of Virginia, who served as 55 the clerk of the House of Representatives from 1789 to 1797, failed to unseat his successor, Jonathan W. Condy of Pennsylvania, who was reelected on 2 Dec. 1799 by a vote of 47 to 39. Beckley would reassume the post from 1801 to 1807 (Jeffery A. Jenkins and Charles Stewart III, Fighting for the Speakership: The House and the Rise of Party Government, Princeton, N.J., 2013, p. 370–371).

4.

Federalists Theodore Sedgwick of Massachusetts and John Rutledge Jr. of South Carolina were under consideration as Speaker of the House. The Philadelphia Aurora General Advertiser, 12 and 21 Nov. 1799, opposed Sedgwick’s election. Despite receiving moderate Federalist support, Rutledge conceded after three caucuses and encouraged his colleagues to vote for Sedgwick, who was elected on 2 Dec. (Patrick J. Furlong, “John Rutledge, Jr., and the Election of a Speaker of the House in 1799,” WMQ , 24:435 [July 1967]).

Abigail Adams to Cotton Tufts, 22 November 1799 Adams, Abigail Tufts, Cotton
Abigail Adams to Cotton Tufts
Dear sir Philadelphia Novbr 22 1799

I received Yesterday Your favour of Novbr 8th and thank You for the information containd in it.

The weather has been uncommonly fine through the whole of this Month; I wish You had used Your own judgment respecting the putting up the frame this Winter. I had not any expectation of its being so early ready, or of the winters being so mild, but it is now so far advanced that it may be best to defer it untill early in March, and the carpenters as they proposed can make windows doors &c so as to get every thing in readiness

I wish You to pay Fowle, so that he shall be no looser, even tho the Labour should amount to 10 or 15 dollors more than was agreed for—1 God forbid that I should grind the face of the poor—2 the cellar will be large enough, I think it was best to proceed safely—

If the weather keeps off, and mr Porter can get up some sea weed, it would be very agreable.

I expect when Congress meet there will be warm work. a Clerk of the House and a speaker are to be Chosen. there will be a great struggle to get in Beckly again, and unless our northern Members are here by the first Day, it will be effected. the southern are already comeing. a more voilent Jacobin does not exist than Beckly but the Election of McKean has raised them so Much that they think to carry all before them— the conduct of G Britain towards our Commerce gives us great reason to complain and puts weapons into the hands of the Jacobins. yet strange to tell, no official complaint of any Merchant, has ever been presented to the President; or any officer of the Government, which leaves Room to believe, that many of the captures which have been made, would not bear an Examination; they serve to make, and keep up a Clamour; but our Merchants, 56 will Many of them cover any property, and trade with any Nation where there is a prospect of gain— I believe fully with mr Tufts, that they Britains are sufficiently Jealous of our increasing prosperity; and that they do not wish to see our quarrel Setled with France: they are as Proud, as they are powerfull. I am told that at the Southward, they pretend to believe the President strongly attached to the British— this falshood is propogated to answer Political purposes— I wish there next President may be as Independant of foreign attachments. to do Justice to all is the Rule; and to be partial to none—

I wrote to you and inclosed three hundred dollors, which I hope You have received.3

My kind regards to mrs Tufts and all other Friends from your affectionate

A Adams—

RC (Adams Papers); addressed by Louisa Catharine Smith: “Dr. Tufts / Weymouth / Massachusetts”; endorsed: “Mrs. Abigl Adams / Nov. 22. red Dec. 2d. / 1799–”; notation: “18.”

1.

Probably Quincy shoemaker Jacob Fowles (Sprague, Braintree Families ).

2.

Isaiah, 3:15.

3.

In addition to enclosing $300 in her 13 Nov. letter to Tufts, AA reported on her travels to Philadelphia and requested an update on construction work at Peacefield (MQHi).