Adams Family Correspondence, volume 14
ng
Philadelphia
I wrote to You the Day after we received the account
of the Death of Gen’ll Washington. this
Event, so important to our Country at this period, will be universally
deplored no Man ever lived, more deservedly beloved and Respected. the
praise and I May say addulation which followed his administration for
Several years, never made him forget that he was a Man, subject to the
weakness and frailty of attached to humane Nature. he never grew giddy;
but ever mantaind a Modest diffidence of his own talents; and if that
was an error, it was of the amiable and engageing kind, tho it might
lead Sometimes to a want of decisions in some great Emergencys. possesst
of power, posest of an extensive influence, he never used it but for the
benifit of his Country. witness his retirement to private Life when
Peace, closed the scenes of war; when call’d by the unanimous Suffrages
of the People to the chief Majestracy of the Nation; he acquitted
himself to the satisfaction and applause of all Good Men. when assailed
by faction, when reviled by Party, he sufferd with dignity, and Retired
from his exalted station with a Character which Malice could not wound,
nor envy tarnish— if we look through the whole tennor of his Life;
History will not produce to us a Parrallel— Heaven has seen fit to take
him from us. our mourning is Sincere, in the midst of which, we ought
not to lose Sight of the 79
Blessings we have enjoy’d and still partake of that he was spaired to us
untill he saw a successor filling his place, persueing the Same system
which he had adopted and that in times which have been equally dangerous
and Critical; it becomes not me to say more upon this Head:
I inclose to You a News paper which
contains all that has yet been done in commemoration of the late
dispensation.1
tomorrow the senate come in a Body with a sympathetic address—and on
thursday a Eulogy is to be deliverd by Genll
Lee—in the Dutch Church in this city—to which we are all invited—2
Company comeing in last Evening, I was prevented finishing my Letter. this Morning I received yours of December 15.3 it is unhappy that what is liked by one should for that very reason, be the object of aversion to an other, but when a spirit of private animosity is permitted to influence the mind, it always produces an illiberale conduct. the two B’s who are now opposed to mr Whitney, are pretty nearly upon a footing in point of talants and capacity, taking into view the comparative advantages they have had, but their influence will not be very extensive. I am sorry You had such a cold time in looking for my Gown. I shall not have occasion now for any thing but Black, untill Spring, then I shall put on half mourning I shall be glad to have it, if it can be conveniently Sent. Mrs smith wants her white, as she will after a certain period appear in white trimd with black; at Present the whole Family are in full mourning.
I hope Mrs Black has received her Cap safe. mr Wainright did not go so soon as I expected, and Betsy Howard got a Mr Whitney with whom she was acquainted to take it, it was to be left at mr Lambs—
Mrs Smith has worked You a Croun of a Cap & Band, which I request You to accept of. I will send a Border the next time I write—
we all desire to be kindly rememberd to all Friends—
Your affectionate / Sister
I send a paper containing the speech of mr Hopkins upon the trial of Peter Porcupine for defamation the Jury brought in five thousand Dollors damages and the court confirmd the verdict—4
RC (MWA:Abigail Adams Letters); addressed: “Mrs Mary Cranch / Quincy.”
The enclosure has not been found, and most of the
Philadelphia press provided extensive coverage of the mourning of George
Washington; see for example the American Daily
Advertiser, 20 Dec., which described actions by JA
and Congress and reprinted letters announcing Washington’s death on a
page bordered in black.
An address drafted by a Senate committee was
delivered to JA on 23 December. A paean to Washington’s
life, the address said, “Ancient and modern names are diminished before
him,” adding, “Washington yet lives— on earth in his spotless
example—his spirit is in heaven.” In his response of the same day,
JA thanked the Senate and wrote: “The life of our
Washington cannot suffer by a comparison with those of other countries.”
Maj. Gen. Henry “Light-Horse Harry” Lee of Virginia delivered the 26
Dec. funeral oration in Philadelphia’s German Lutheran Church,
describing the departed president as “First in war—first in peace—and
first in the hearts of his countrymen” (
Annals of
Congress
, 6th Cong., 1st sess., p. 17–19; Marshall, Papers
, 4:48–49;
Amer. State Papers,
Miscellaneous, 1:192–194).
In her letter to AA of 15 Dec., Cranch commented on the local reception of JA’s 3 Dec. speech to Congress and the settlement of Rev. Peter Whitney Jr. in Quincy. She also informed AA that she had sent gowns as requested (Adams Papers).
On 13 Dec. a libel case against William Cobbett began
in the Penn. Supreme Court. It was brought by Benjamin Rush, who sued
Cobbett for publishing material in the Philadelphia Porcupine’s Gazette, 19, 25, 26, 29 Sept.
1797, criticizing Rush’s use of bloodletting as a treatment for yellow
fever. Rush’s attorney Joseph Hopkinson argued that the attacks on his
client constituted “violent and low personal abuse.” The jury ruled in
Rush’s favor on 14 Dec. 1799, awarding him $5,000 in damages (A Report of an Action for a Libel, brought by
Dr. Benjamin Rush, against William Cobbett, Phila., 1800, p. 2,
3–20, Evans,
No. 37103; Philadelphia Constitutional
Diary, 14 Dec.).
I have the pleasure to inform you that I struck my marquée on the 19th, and took shelter in my hut, which is yet without doors to it, but much more comfortable than the tent. The last night I slept in the tent, a bottle of wine, standing on the table, froze through, but still I was not uncomfortable. It will be some time before I can have the pleasure to announce to you, that the hut is sufficiently comfortable for you and my baby. The holiday’s are coming on, and I find the workmen disposed to visit their homes at the gay season. The pleasures of that season will, however, be checked by the death of General Washington, which I see is made known in the Philadelphia paper of the 18th.
You will have a great opportunity now to notice the intrigues which this melancholy circumstance will give rise to. Now the President will be fretted, perplexed, and tormented; now the full force of party will be brought forward; and now, America shakes to her centre with convulsive throbs, wishing, yet trembling still to hear, that name declared, who is to fill the important vacant post; they scarce dare harbour a doubt, but that his successor will be eminent for his virtues, distinguished for his military abilities, and such as the embattled sons of Columbia will not blush to follow to the field of fame.1
I must acknowledge, however, for myself I fear that the President will not have it in his power to carry into effect the pure, unbiassed 81 dictates of his firm and virtuous soul. He will now find himself, like the Roman Cato, sustaining a painful prëeminence, distinguished amongst his countrymen by toils—superior toils and heavier weight of cares.2 Write to me very particularly.
* * * * * *
My love to my dear little girl. God bless you.
Yours, sincerely,
MS not found. Printed from AA2, Jour. and Corr.
, 2:162–163;
internal address: “To Mrs. Smith.”
After George Washington’s death, Alexander Hamilton
functioned as senior officer of the U.S. Army, but a commanding officer
of the army was not formally appointed until 1805 (William Gardner Bell,
Commanding Generals and Chiefs of Staff
1775–2005, Washington, D.C., 2005, p. 68; Hamilton, Papers
, 24:170–171).
Joseph Addison, Cato,
Act III, scene v, lines 21–23.