Papers of John Adams, volume 20

454 From John Adams to Mercy Otis Warren, 26 December 1790 Adams, John Warren, Mercy Otis
To Mercy Otis Warren
Madam Philadelphia Decr 26— 1790

Yesterday I had the pleasure of receiving your favour of September the 24th with an elegant copy of your poems dramatic and miscellaneous; for both which I pray you to accept my best thanks1 It is but a few days since we received three other copies addressed to me but without a letter or any other indication from whom or whence they came. As we were subscribers for the publication these might come from some Book seller who in due time will produce his account which we shall be ready with pleasure to discharge. If they came from you Madam, we are so much the more obliged and thankful to you: and shall hereafter receive from a Bookseller those for which we subscribed: all will not be too many and we shall know very well how to dispose of them with pleasure and advantage. The poems are not all of them new to me by whom some of them have been read and esteemed some years ago. However foolishly some European writers may have sported with American reputation for genius literature and science: I know not where they will find a female poet of their own to prefer to the ingenious author of these compositions. I am ignorant Madam of any foundation you may have for the distinction you make between The Vice President and Mr Adams or for an insinuation that either may have forgotten Mrs Warren is certainly indebted to the Vice President and Mr Adams in partnership for the last letter. Be pleased Madam to present my respectful regards to General Warren and all friends

With great esteem I have the honor to be / Madam your most obedient and most humble / servant

John Adams.

LbC in CA’s hand (Adams Papers); internal address: “Mrs Mercy Warren / Plymouth—”; APM Reel 115.

1.

With her brief note of 24 Sept. (Adams Papers), Warren sent a copy of her Poems, Dramatic and Miscellaneous, Boston, 1790.

To John Adams from Elkanah Watson Jr., 26 December 1790 Watson, Elkanah Jr. Adams, John
From Elkanah Watson Jr.
Sir Albany. 26th. Decer. 1790

I have unexpectedly been hon’d with a letter from your Excellency.1 The present edition of the Little performance I sent you, consists of only 350, most of which have run off beyond my expectations; some 455 of my eastern friends have advised me to secure a copy right, & prepare for a 2d. edition upon a more enlarg’d scale: should this be tho’t expedient or not any remarks you may please to furnish me, will confer a particular favour. Should I attempt a second edition I have thoughts of interspersing the work with extracts either from my Journals in America, France, the Netherlands or in England, haveing always kept a regular diary from day to day in all my perigrinations since the year 77. My tour in Holland was so limitted, & my stay there so short, that I must necessarily have been led into many inaccuracies.

In some of my general reflections particular in respect to America, I have adopted several Ideas I catch’d from you when at the Hague.

Your friendly solicitation for my wellfare claims my fervent gratitude. Altho’ my former commercial exertions in Europe terminated most fatally to my purse, & peace of mind; yet I cannot reproach myself for any misconduct or inattention; and I have the pleasing consolation of haveing Left England with honour & advantage; because I obtained my compleat discharge, in addition to an allowance of about £700—from my assignees. this Sir, with small speculations, & strict economy has enabled me to subsist my Little family with decency, without invadeing this small Stock. As I had from the begining taken a decisive part in exerting my little mite to promote the progress of the new constitution, I had form’d some hopes of obtaining under the new government a small appointment adequate to my experience on the active stage of business.

From a personal acquaintence with several members of both houses, who appeared anxious to promote my views; I was Led to cherish such hopes—but Alas! I soon found myself lost in a host of greedy applicants. You see Sir—I write with freedom and without reserve—the familiar stile of your letter, seems to warrent it, by your removeing the barrier, which places your elevated Station, from my obscurity at such an immense distance.

Respecting the Tory business, the whole matter had escaped my mind; but I recolect now to what I had perticular referencce. In the year 82 as well as 84 I spent about a month in each year in Birmingham; where resided Judge Oliver, Elisha Hutchenson, Doctr. Oliver, & many other refugees— you may recollect Sir our family connection by intermarriages—so in fact, I was upon the most familiar footing—divested of political prejudices: Your name being frequently on the carpet—the Judge in perticular seem’d fill’d with rancour & mortification— Indeed he appear’d to lay all his reverse of fortune at your 456 door, as the original & principal cause of the revolution, as well as the persecution of the tories.2

I am (with respects to Mrs. Adams family) Very respectfully / Your devouted & Oblig’d Hl. St.

Elka. Watson Jr.

RC (Adams Papers); addressed: “His Excellency John Adams Esqr. / Vice President / of the / United States / In Congress”; internal address: “His Excelly. John Adams Esqr.”; docketed by JA: “Elkanah Watson / Albany Decr / 1790.”

1.

Of 16 Dec., above.

2.

Loyalist Peter Oliver, with his son Peter Jr., fled to England during the Revolutionary War. Peter Sr.’s daughter, Elizabeth (1735–1767), married Watson’s half-brother, George (1718–1800). Boston merchant Elisha Hutchinson (1745–1824), Harvard 1762, was a son of Massachusetts’ last royal governor, Thomas Hutchinson ( Sibley’s Harvard Graduates , 8:760, 761; 15:85, 86, 264; Augustus Thorndike Perkins, A Sketch of the Life and a List of Some of the Works of John Singleton Copley, Boston, 1873, p. 126, 127).