Adams Family Correspondence, volume 15
I should have answered your kind letter of the 13th. a day or two sooner, but for company which has fallen in,
and call’d me away just at the time I devoted to the purpose of writing— Mr: & Mrs:
380 Greenleaf of Cambridge, Charlotte Welsh, and her
brother William, who has just returned from India, and Mr:
Isaac Smith, and his Sister, who are here at this time—1 And yesterday, a tea-party of fifteen or twenty
ladies— All this enlivens Solitude, but will not compensate me for the deprivation even
of that imperfect substitute for your company, which I find in writing to you.
I know not whether it will be possible here to procure Madame de
Staal’s book; if we can I shall certainly read it, as will doubtless my mother— I shall
take not a little satisfaction in reading it, were it only for the continual remembrance
as I go along that you have been reading the same pages— As to Madame de Staal’s
opinions upon the subject of divorce, and the marriage vow, they are such as might be
expected from her history and her character— After having sacrificed all decency as well
as all Virtue in her own conduct, it is natural enough to find her torturing her
ingenuity to give Infamy itself a wash of plausibility—2 It is one of the wise discoveries of the french
Revolutionists that the marriage vow is absurd, because it promises love for life; which say they is promising, what is not within our
own power— I remember that when the Great regenerating French National Convention pass’d
their Law, to make divorce, just as easy as marriage, this was the decisive and
triumphant argument with them—3 Yet the
very same men, who could not promise to love any thing for
life, unanimously took within a week afterwards an Oath of eternal hatred to Monarchy— They could vow to hate, but not to Love— Their objection however is
not true—Honest and Virtuous minds can promise to Love for
Life, and can perform the promise— Thousands and thousands of examples prove it— But
when the heart has long been wallowing in the kennels of corruption, it infects the
understanding, and prevails upon it to make Common Cause.
I have been amusing my leisure with the writings of a frenchwoman of another age, and a different character— I mean with the letters of Madame de Sevigné; of which I had read some volumes heretofore— She lived at a time, when the morals of high life, at the Court of France, were not very rigorous, but her own conduct was always exemplary— Her letters are full of wit, and playfulness, but they are at the same time replete with honourable sentiments; with pleasing description, with characters sketch’d at a glance; with infinite variety of anecdotes, made to entertain by the manner in which they are told; even when of the most inconsiderable nature in themselves—4
I am very glad you have got over the task of weaning your infant; 381 and believe you could not have had a better time for it— I suppose that by this time you are almost at Midsummer in Washington; and have strawberries and pease in abundance— The season here has advanced very rapidly, since the Spring opened— The blossoms are just dropping from the Apple-trees— The lilacs in our front-yard are in full blow.
I am my dearest Louisa, whatever Madame de Staal, or the french haters may say, for life, most affectionately yours.
RC (Adams
Papers); endorsed: “J. Q Adams Esqr. / Recd. June 2d.” Tr
(Adams Papers).
That is, John and Lucy Cranch Greenleaf; Charlotte Welsh and her
half-brother William (b. 1784), who appears to have been a mariner and later a ship’s
captain; and Isaac Smith Jr. and Elizabeth Smith, who were cousins of AA
(vol. 7:203;
JQA to AA, 29 July 1811,
Adams Papers; Boston Repertory, 23 Nov. 1810).
Although never divorced, Madame de Staël and her husband, Erik
Magnus, Baron Staël von Holstein, lived largely separate lives. Madame de Staël’s
extramarital relationships, as JQA implied, provided fodder for her
enemies and speculation about the fathers of her children (vol. 11:83;
DNB
).
The French Legislative Assembly legalized divorce in France on 20
Sept. 1792 (Bosher, French Rev.
, p. 255).
Marie de Rabutin-Chantal, Marquise de Sévigné (1626–1696),
achieved fame during her lifetime for her lively epistolary writings, the first
collection of which was printed in 1726. Several subsequent editions of her letters
were published throughout the eighteenth and early nineteenth centuries, and
JQA’s library at MQA
includes a French edition, Lettres de Madame de Sévigné à sa
fille et à ses amis, Paris, 1812 (Hoefer, Nouv. biog. générale
; Lettres de Madame Rabutin-Chantal, Marquise de Sevigné, à Madame
la Comtesse de Grignan, sa fille, 2 vols., The Hague, 1726; Catalog of the Stone Library).
th.1804
I recieved your very kind favors of the 14th
20th &. 24th. on
Friday & Saturday & Should certainly not have delayed answering them so long
had I not been prevented by a severe attack of the Spasms attended with a considerable
degree of Fever which have tormented me these three days1 I am pretty well to day and certainly am should not complain as though the Spasms were
very violent they were not attended with the faintings which used to weaken me so much
and it is the first attack I have had since my residence in Washington—
I have not heard how the affair of the runaway Slave has ended
but Mrs. Mason told Mama that Mr. Madisson had threaten’d to arrest Mr. Suttle
who had the Slave arrested he is agent to the Lady to whom the Slave belongs our
Neighbours are preparing for a journey to the eastward—
Mr. J. T. Mason is very much
disappointed his Uncle Mr. Barnes instead of leaving the
property to him has left it to his Son (should he ever have one) if not to the Son of
Stephen T. Mason and so on in case of failure to his Sister son who is the youngest of
the family J. T. Mason is to have the management of the estate and sixteen hundred
Dollars a year upon which he has set up his coach and four and rides about quite in
stile it is said the will aught to be put aside This Uncle was a very exentric
character a Batchelor a votary of Bachus &c. who was become a most disgusting
object in appearance although one of the most gentlemanly sensible men in this part of
the Country he has left all his slaves their freedom in three years provided they
behave well this fortune may prove a source of real grief to Mrs. Mason I think.2 They lost a
Son &. Daughter twins about two years since—
Mr. Pichon &. his Lady have been
in Baltimore the last fortnight they returned yesterday it is reported that he is
recalled &. in great disgrace with the first Consul owing to a letter of Jeromes
to his Brother relating a conversation he had with Mr. P.
in which he says P. spoke very disrespectfully of some part of the
first Consuls
conduct this conversation is said to have taken place before his marriage I suppose
Jerome has done this to punish him for the opposition he made to his marriage &.
possibly to please his wife3 I shall be
extremely sorry if this is true as in all probability it will blight all his prospects
of a public situation in future and he has been so many years devoted to this line it
will be difficult for him to adopt any other they are charming people and have my
sincere good wishes go where they will I am told the gentleman is arrived in New York
who is to take his place—Emperors
George is very well grows very tall and is so intolerably
mischevous I hardly know what to do he destroys all Mrs.
Hellens chickens drives the ducks to death gets down to the Wharf &. plays such
pranks I am obliged to keep a person constantly running after him I am obliged to make
him fear me he laughs at every body else and nobody can
do any thing with him in fact he is one of the finest children I ever saw but much too
clever or wise for his age— John looks very well & grows very handsome but is so
excessively passionate I am almost afraid to wash him of a morning he is about two
great double teeth which have teazed him very much the last two or three days he is
one of the greatest mimicks you ever saw he will not touch a drop of Milk in any shape
and I am sometimes obliged to give him a bon[e I] know you do not approve of this and
it is very 383 much again[st] my inclination but cracker and
water alone is not sufficiently nourish[ing] I enter into these particulars because I
am sure they must be interesting and because I wish you to know how I go on in your
absence—
Adieu my most beloved friend perhaps in time you will learn to
read my heart more correctly than you do at present I meant not to make conditions in my letter but to act solely for the
future as you thought fit however painful a separation must ever be to me your
interest alone must be my consideration and every thing else must give way. remember
me affectionately to your family I am very sorry that your Brother is still
necessitated to postpone his “favorite wishes” if he ever intends to settle4 it is now full time think of every thing
expressive of affection and yet you will barely scarcely do justice to the sentiment of
tenderness with which you inspire your / most affectionate wife
Mr. Steward has purchaced a lot and
is going to build immediately he intends to bring his family and reside here entirely
he has finished almost all his pictures two for Mrs. Merry
2 for Mr. Merry and onather for Mr Thornton I walked there a few days since but he was not at home and I only
saw those in the outer room he leaves this place in five weeks to go to the
Eastward—5
The Vessel is not yet arrived with the things I sent your trunks
to Alexandria a few ten days since Mr Green has promissed to send forward them as soon as possible I will thank you to send me some money
if convenient I cannot guess who the Young Lady is unless it is Miss Morton6 Mama begs you will send the enclosed letter to
Shaw with a request that he will send it by the first Vessel7 the family are all very well
RC (Adams
Papers); addressed: “John Q. Adams Esqr.”;
endorsed: “Louisa— 29. May. 1804. / 9. June Recd: / 10.
Ansd:." Some loss of text where the seal was
removed.
That is, JQA to LCA, 14 and 20 May, the latter of which is above. In his letter of 14 May, JQA noted that he was sending a toy drum for GWA along with items LCA had previously requested. He commented on the family’s health and that his joy in the coming summer was tempered by their separation. He also reported learning of Mary Jefferson Eppes’ death and AA’s reaction to the news (Adams Papers).
Richard Barnes (b. 1744), a merchant of Leonardtown, Md., died on
29 April. In a will drafted in 1800, Barnes designated that the majority of his estate
transfer to his nephew John Thomson Mason, who married Elizabeth Beltzhoover
(1781–1836) in 1797. A later, revised will changed the terms generally as
LCA outlined. John Thomson Mason’s male heir would inherit the estate
as long as he changed his surname to Barnes. Otherwise the inheritance would pass to
the sons of other relatives, including Mason’s brother Stevens Thomson Mason or his
sister, Anne Thomson Mason Chichester (1769–1817), all 384 with the same condition of changing their name to
Barnes. John Thomson Mason was named executor of the estate with an annuity of $1,600
and oversight and use of Barnes’ two properties, in Leonardtown, Md., and Washington,
D.C. LCA’s information was also correct regarding the manumission of
Barnes’ enslaved population, although they were also expected to adopt his surname
(Early Colonial Settlers of Southern Maryland and Virginia’s Northern Neck Counties,
www.colonial-settlers-md-va.us; Washington, D.C., National
Intelligencer, 2 May 1804; Alexandria Gazette, 7
July 1836).
The tension between Jerome Bonaparte and Louis André Pichon
likely stemmed from the French chargé d’affaires’ reminder, on learning of Bonaparte’s
intention to marry Elizabeth Patterson, that a 27 March 1803 French law required a
mother’s consent for an underage marriage to occur. In response, Bonaparte initially
delayed his nuptials but then married at the end of 1803 without Pichon’s knowledge.
The following spring, the Baltimore Telegraphe and Daily
Advertiser, 24 March 1804, reported Pichon’s immediate recall. The U.S. press
widely reprinted the news, including some reports that further claimed a replacement
had been appointed or had arrived in the United States. This information was refuted,
beginning with the Washington, D.C., National
Intelligencer, 25 April (Schom, Napoleon Bonaparte
, p. 384–385; Philadelphia American Daily Advertiser, 29 March; Maryland Herald, 3 April; Boston Columbian Centinel, 4 April; Columbian Museum and
Savannah Advertiser [Ga.], 11 April; Philadelphia Aurora General Advertiser, 20 April).
LCA was quoting from JQA’s letter of 9 May, for which see her 20 May letter to JQA , and note 1, above.
Dolley Payne Todd Madison similarly commented on Gilbert Stuart’s
activities, writing of his purchase of a “square to build a ‘Temple’” but also that
for two years the artist had voiced his intention to leave Washington, D.C., for
Boston. Stuart’s strained finances did not allow for the property purchase. In
addition to his portraits of Anthony and Elizabeth Death Leathes Merry, the artist
painted one of Edward Thornton, the British chargé d’affaires (Madison to Anna Payne
Cutts, 1804,
Dolley
Madison Digital Edition
; Charles Merrill Mount, “Gilbert Stuart in
Washington: With a Catalogue of His Portraits Painted between December 1803 and July
1805,” Columbia Hist. Soc., Records
, 48:85, 123, 127 [1971–1972]).
Margaret Morton (1772–1859) was the older sister of Eliza Susan
Morton Quincy and lived with her sister and Josiah Quincy III from 1800 to 1809. In
1815 she married David Ritzemer Bogert of New York (Memoir of
the Life of Eliza S. M. Quincy, Boston, 1861, p. 17, 265, 266).
Enclosure not found, but see JQA to LCA, 17 June 1804, and note 2, below.