Papers of John Adams, volume 20

401 From John Adams to Henry Marchant, 25 July 1790 Adams, John Marchant, Henry

To Henry Marchant

Dear Sir New York 25 of July —90

I have recd your favour of the 19th— I presume your answer to Mr Jefferson will be sufficient: but If you write to the President, it will do no harm— Your letter to the President came to me after your appointment, so that I have never delivered nor mentioned it to any one; and shall keep it and all that came with it till your farther orders.— It is best it should not now be conveyed to the President, as it is become unnecessary.1

I thank you my dear Sir for your friendly politeness. I shall certainly never pass New Port without seeing you and your family, I hope in prosperity. I should have written you before but for a cause which makes it difficult to write now, an inflamation in my eyes.2 He will not be less friendly to you, if you should ever hear of poor old blind

John Adams.

LbC in CA’s hand (Adams Papers); internal address: “Hon Hen Marchant / New Port.”; APM Reel 115.

Soliciting the post of Rhode Island district judge, Marchant wrote to JA on 7 June (Adams Papers) and enclosed a letter of the same date for JA to forward to the president. Two weeks later, Marchant sent JA several letters of recommendation supporting his application (Washington, Papers, Presidential Series , 5:488–490; from Marchant, 16 July 1789, and note 1, above).

Owing to ill health, JA’s letter writing lapsed noticeably after 11 June 1790, resuming on 15 July.

To John Adams from Elbridge Gerry, 26 July 1790 Gerry, Elbridge Adams, John

From Elbridge Gerry

My dear sir New York 26 July 1790

As you were so obliging on saturday last as to inform me of your design to recommend my brother Samuel Russel Gerry to the office of collector for the port of Marblehead, I think it necessary to inform you that of all the candidates, he is the only one who has received any appointment under the State & he has received three offices commissary, naval officer, & collector of excise.1 in the two former he gave great satisfaction to the inhabitants of the town as well as to the State, & his reputation was so fair with the General court, as that a member of the Committee for liquidating accounts informed me, whenever Mr Gerry’s accounts were presented, they were so fair & so well vouched as to require but a few moments examination. his popularity in the town is manifest by the voluntary petition of the merchants & traders to elect him, directed to the 402 President of the U.S. thus much I am in justice bound to say for him, he is a man of strict honor & integrity & assiduous in his undertakings. he has been very unfortunate by the war & has a large family to maintain, but I will not trouble you further being my dear sir yours with every sentiment / of esteem & respect

E Gerry

RC (Adams Papers); internal address: “The Vice-President of the U States.”

Marblehead, Mass., merchant Samuel Russel Gerry (1750–1807) was one of Elbridge Gerry’s younger brothers. The elder Gerry enclosed a petition, not found, supporting his brother’s bid for the collectorship and signed by 57 local merchants. George Washington nominated Samuel for the office on 2 Aug., and the Senate confirmed his appointment the next day. Samuel’s poor record keeping plunged him into debt, and he lost his post in 1801 (Washington, Papers, Presidential Series , 6:124–125).