Adams Family Correspondence, volume 15
Once more is the correspondence on the part of my best friend,
brought up from all arrears; as I received since my last your two letters, of the 16th: and 23d: ulto: both together— I hope we shall on neither side be in
arrears again, as I still hold the purpose of leaving this place; at latest a fortnight
from to-morrow— It will give me great pleasure to meet you at Baltimore; but I cannot
precisely say when I shall arrive at that place, as it depends upon the length of time I
may be detained at New-York
Your letters and paper for Mrs:
Whitcomb were immediately delivered—that is within two days after I received them—1 She afterwards told me that there was no
lace of the kind for which you had written to be purchased— But I was in Boston again
last Thursday, when she told me there was now such lace to be got, arrived since her
former inquiries, and she proposed to send you a pattern to ascertain whether it would
suit you— As this however might prevent your receiving it for the whole winter, I told
her it would be best to presume upon your approbation, and get it at once— Accordingly I
hope to bring it with me.
You are joking, when you insist upon an influence over me as powerful as that of J. Dennie— But the comparison struck me the more oddly, because not ten days ago, I received a letter from Dennie, the only one I ever had from him; in which he urges me to the same thing which is the subject of your request, and calls for my contributions to his Journal, which have long been intermitted— I have put him off with an excuse amply sufficient; but I cannot do the same with you—2 The true excuse, would be the last you would admit
I was yesterday at Mr: Quincy’s and
dined with him— Mr: Gardner the clergyman, and Mr: Nicholls, an Englishman, whom I believe you have never
seen, were there—3 Miss Morton did not
make her appearance— They intend soon returning into Boston; though Mrs: Quincy says she would prefer a longer stay in the
Country.
They are here busy with the subject of electioneering— The 5th: of next month is the day fixed for choosing Electors of
President and Vice-President, and also Members of the House of Representatives for the
next Congress— I think it probable Quincy will again be set up against Dr: Eustis, and if so, will in all probability be carried— 447 The news papers will shew you that my brother is
held up as the candidate for this County; but that is to little purpose—4 The politics of this part of the Country, are so
totally adverse to all federalism, that there is no prospect, nor even chance of success
for the present election— I think however that in the State of Massachusetts at large,
the federalists are gaining ground, as by the late elections in New Hampshire and
Connecticut it is certain they are in those States.— On the other hand, in the Southern
States they are apparently dwindling away to nothing at-all— Mr: Lowndes and Mr: Huger both decline re-election—
Purviance has done the same, and from all that part of the Country, at the next
Congress, not a single voice of murmur will be heard against the prevailing order of
things.5
My poor Mother is again very ill— Confined great part of the time to her bed. She is this day somewhat better than yesterday, but I am in great concern for her.
I inclose you some profiles in return for those you sent me in the
Summer. I suppose you will know them; and perhaps be disappointed not to find among them
one, which would have interested you, more than all—I mean
my own— The reason is that Mr: Peale, who took them with the
physionotrace, came out here last Thursday for that purpose, and just on that day, it
happened that I was in Boston, and my brother was attending the Supreme Court of the
State at Dedham.— So that he and I lost the chance of having the outline of our empty
skulls exhibited for the amusement of our friends.— While Peale was here he took among
the rest a profile from Houdon’s Bust of General Washington; and it is the most accurate
and resembling profile of the Original that I have ever seen— But he left only one of
them; so that I cannot send it to you.6
I am very happy to hear of Mr: Merry’s
recovery, which I hope will soon be complete— We have been in expectation of seeing Mr: Moore in this Quarter, but his excursions have hitherto
been to the British Provinces, and the last we heard of him was in the Port-Folio, as at
Niagara— Many of his Poems have been continually published in that paper— All pleasing,
and some really beautiful— There is in particular a Tale of Wonder, call’d “the Ring”—in
one of the last Numbers, which would make a great figure in Lewis’s collection.7
Enclosed is a $50 bill.
RC (Adams Papers).
Not found.
Joseph Dennie Jr. wrote to JQA on 17 Sept.,
requesting more writings for the Port Folio and asking
whether he authorized the London edition of his Silesia letters, for which see
JQA to LCA, 23
Sept., and note 4, above. 448
JQA’s response to Dennie has not been found.
Josiah Quincy III’s dinner guests included Rev. John Sylvester
John Gardiner of Boston’s Trinity Church and Francis Nichols (ca. 1758–1839), of
Yorkshire, England, who recently immigrated to Philadelphia. JQA met
Nichols while traveling through Philadelphia in Oct. 1803. Nichols spent the next
three decades as a bookseller in Philadelphia and Boston (vol. 10:298;
D/JQA/27, 16 Oct. 1803, 6 Oct. 1804, 24 March 1805, APM Reel 30; Boston Repertory, 28 Sept. 1804; Philadelphia National
Gazette, 13 July 1839).
On 5 Nov. 1804 Massachusetts voters elected nineteen electors for
the forthcoming presidential election. All were Democratic-Republicans, lending heavy
support to Thomas Jefferson. In the congressional races, Democratic-Republican Dr.
William Eustis lost his Suffolk District seat in the House of Representatives to
Federalist Josiah Quincy III. TBA was put forward on the Federalist
ticket to represent the Norfolk District in the House but lost to
Democratic-Republican Ebenezer Seaver (A New
Nation Votes; Boston Columbian Centinel, 6 Oct.
1804).
The Boston Repertory, 28 Sept.,
claimed that New Hampshire and Connecticut were “rapidly returning to their high
predilection for the Federal, as the only rational, safe and honest cause.”
Conversely, the Federalists lost five of six contested southern seats in the House of
Representatives and fielded no candidates in forty other races. Federalists Thomas
Lowndes (1766–1843) and Benjamin Huger of South Carolina and Samuel Dinsmore Purviance
(1774–1806) of North Carolina all departed the House with the closing of the 8th
Congress (James H. Broussard, The Southern Federalists,
1800–1816, Baton Rouge, La., 1978, p. 83, 86;
Biog. Dir. Cong.
).
The profiles by Philadelphia artist Raphaelle Peale have not been
found. Peale (1774–1825) was a son of the painter Charles Willson Peale. He advertised
in the Boston Commercial Gazette, 13, 20 Sept., that he
would soon visit Massachusetts and would take commissions for physiognotrace
portraits, which allowed him to create “from 4 to 32 Profiles at one sitting” and were
“more accurate than can be executed by the hand of the most eminent artist in
existence.”
French sculptor Jean Antoine Houdon (1741–1828) visited Mount
Vernon in Oct. 1785 to execute a terra-cotta bust and life mask of George Washington
that he subsequently used to create a statue of the first president for the Virginia
state capitol. Numerous copies of the bust were made, one of which is in the
collections at MQA (JA, Papers
,
17:xi–xii, 223;
ANB
; Oliver, Portraits of JA and
AA
, p. 129–131, 251; Jared Sparks, The Writings of
George Washington, 12 vols., Boston, 1833–1839, 1:422–423; Wilhelmina S.
Harris, Furnishings Report of the Old House, The Adams
National Historic Site, Quincy, Massachusetts, 10 vols., Quincy, 1966–1974,
2:267, 277).
After Thomas Moore visited Washington, D.C., in June, for which
see
LCA to
JQA, 10 June 1804, and note 1, above, the Irish poet spent the
summer in Canada before departing Nova Scotia for England in October. Twenty poems by
Moore were published in the Port Folio between 14 July
and 6 Oct., including “The Ring” in the Port Folio, 4:303
(22 Sept.), which had a similar tone to British novelist and writer Matthew Gregory
Lewis’ Gothic romance The Monk (vol. 14:289; Port Folio, 4:223 [14 July], 4:240 [28 July], 4:256 [12 Aug.], 4:264 [18
Aug.], 4:287 [8 Sept.], 4:311, 312 [29 Sept.], 4:320 [6 Oct.]; D. M. R. Bentley, “Near
the Rapids: Thomas Moore in Canada,” in Romantic Poetry,
ed. Angela Esterhammer, Phila., 2002, p. 355;
ANB
).
br.7
th1804
More fortunate than yourself my beloved friend I last night
received your very kind though somewhat too philosophical
letter1 when we are distant and a
beloved & suffering object is not constantly before our eyes imploring for relief we
find it impossible to afford it is easy to advise, reason has full power to act and we
are not 449 exposed to those dreadful alarms excited by every
change & produced by excessive tenderness. I would it were possible fore me to reap
advantage from your advice but you know I cannot yet my beloved friend should it please
the Almighty to inflict on us so severe a punishment to that God in whom I put my whole
trust I look for strength and support and he will in his great mercy enable me to bear
such a dreadful calamity with fortitude and resignation
My Dear Sister is safe in her Bed and has a fine large Boy it was Born yesterday morning after an illness of ten hours2 poor Nancy was in so delicate a state of health we were apprehensive it might terminate unhappily either to herself or child but she is now as well as can be expected and I make no doubt will soon regain her strength for the little Gentleman he is as strong as George was and three times as large—
Mr. Hellen requests Mr. Shaw or yourself will purchace a cask of the best Sherry
wine and send it on by the first Vessel for which Mr. H says
you may draw on him at sight or he will pay you here the Alert was advertized to sail
three weeks since and there is a Vessel called the Hope that trades between George Town
and Boston3 I know you are not fond of
trouble and your constant residence at Quincy prevents your learning of frequent
opportunities Mr. Hellen has been uniformly polite and
affectionate to me and mine
during my residence here I therefore make it my particular request that you will attend
to this commission I know little of the world but it appears to me that to pass our
lives in comfort it is necessary to reflect that we are not the only beings in it and
that attentions which are in themselves trifling sometimes prove of more consequence
than might be expected in the acquirement of friends.
I am very solicitous about a letter I enclosed to you for Mrs. Whitcomb and I sent her a couple of letters by the Post
which I wish you to mention to her—4
Adieu my best & most esteemed friend the time approaches fast which will reunite us yet I cannot help feeling some degree of terror lest some unforeseen circumstance should occur to delay your return and prevent my enjoying the extreme felicity of clasping you to a heart devoted entirely to you
P.S. Mr. Hellen has purchaced the
horse for me at fifty three Dollars
RC (Adams
Papers); addressed: “John Q Adams Esqr.”;
endorsed: “Louisa— 7 Octr: 1804. / 16. Octr: recd: / 21. Octr: Ansd—from New-York.”
JQA to LCA, 30 Sept., above.
Ann Johnson Hellen gave birth to a son named Walter (d. 1806) ( JQA to LCA, 19 Dec. 1806, Adams Papers).
The schooner Hope, Capt. R.
Hamilton, offered freight service from Boston to Alexandria, Va., Washington, and
Georgetown, D.C. (Boston Commercial Gazette, 27 Aug.
1804).
Not found.