Papers of John Adams, volume 19
th.1788.
Last Sum̃er I wrote you acknowleding the Receipt of the Abbe Mably’s Pamphlet, and your Letter accompanying it.1 On the 19th. Inst. I received the two Volumes of your Letters in a most neat & elegant Edition, thro’ the Hands of Mr Andrew Craige of New York.2 I am greatly honored by these repeated Testimonials of your Excellencys Friendship. These last Volumes shew a more thorough Investigation upon the Policies of antient & modern States, than has I believe ever been made before. It is with Pleasure that I observe your leading Ideas have given the Complexion to the Constitution of the State of the Massachusetts formerly, and now lately to the new improved Polity of the federal Constitution, already adopted by six States of the Union; and which I hope will be finally adopted by all the States. For altho’ a perfect System of Policy may not yet be investigated, and if investigated could perhps not be introduced to general Reception without some unhappy Alterations; yet we have to rejoyce that Liberty & public Right are so well established, and an efficacious Government & competent unfrustrable Revenue, for the public Purposes of the Union, are so well secured & provided for as we find in the new federal Constitution. I do not hear that Hampshire Convention, now sittg, hath come to a Decision. But we have good Informn that they will adopt it. N York & Pensylva have delayed. But we believe will finally accede. Be pleased to accept my Thanks for your kind & most acceptable Present. I have the honor to be / Sir, / Your most obedt Servt
RC (Adams Papers); internal address: “His Excelly Dr Adams.”
See Stiles’ letter of 10 March 1787, above, which he completed on 25 April. JA likely sent the Abbé de Mably’s Observations sur le gouvernement et les loix des Etats Unis d’Amérique, Amsterdam, 1784.
Dr. Andrew Craigie (1743–1819), of Boston, served as apothecary general of the Continental Army during the Revolutionary War and then relocated his practice to New York City. Craigie likely acquired a copy of JA’s
Defence of the Const.
thanks to Daniel Parker, for whom see James Lovell’s 12 April 1789 letter, and note 3, below (
AFC
, 8:392;
ANB
).
I received this day a letter from mr̃s Adams of the 26th. ult. informing me you would set out on the 29th. for the Hague.1 our
282
affairs at Amsterdam press on my mind like a mountain. I have no information to go on but that of the Willincks & VanStaphorsts, & according to that something seems necessary to be done. I am so anxious to confer with you on this, & to see you & them together, & get some effectual arrangement made in time that I determine to meet you at the Hague. I will set out the moment some repairs are made to my carriage. it is promised me at 3. oclock tomorrow; but probably they will make it night, & that I may not set out till Tuesday morning. in that case I shall be at the Hague Friday night.2 in the meantime you will perhaps have made all your bows there. I am sensible how irksome this must be to you in the moment of your departure. but it is a great interest of the U.S. which is at stake and I am sure you will sacrifice to that your feelings & your interest. I hope to shake you by the hand within 24. hours after you receive this, and in the mean time am with much esteem & respect Dear Sir / Your affectionate friend & humble servt
FC (DLC:Jefferson Papers); internal address: “H.E. mr̃ Adams.”
AA wrote to Jefferson on 21 and 26 Feb., enclosing reimbursement for fabric and other household goods that he had purchased for her in Paris. Anxiously awaiting JA’s formal letter of recall from Congress, AA anticipated “retiring to our own little Farm feeding my poultry & improveing my Garden,” rather than remaining “at the court of Saint Jame’s where I seldom meet with Characters So innofensive as my Hens & chickings, or minds so well improved as my Garden” (
AFC
, 8:236, 238). For Jefferson’s reaction to the Adamses’ departure, see Descriptive List of Illustrations, No. 5, above.
Jefferson departed Paris on 4 March and reached The Hague five days later, where he met with JA and the loan consortium to contract a fourth Dutch loan on [13 March], below. After settling his accounts and some of JA’s expenses in Amsterdam, Jefferson embarked on a scenic tour of Holland and the Rhine Valley. Visiting Utrecht, Cologne, Frankfurt, Strasbourg, and Épernay, Jefferson sampled wines, assessed agricultural methods, and composed a memorandum of “hints” to Americans traveling in Europe. He returned to Paris on 23 April (
Jefferson’s Memorandum Books
, 1:696–699, 704; Jefferson, Papers
, 13:8–36, 264–276).