Papers of John Adams, volume 21
a.
I have just received your letter of the 29th ulto. enquiring
about your son Thos. B. Adams at the Hague. On
the day of the date of your letter I recd. one
from him dated the 28th of May, from which be
pleased to receive the following extract, containing all the information I
can give in answer to your enquiries excepting that the latest letter from
your eldest son is dated the 22d. of June in
which he says nothing of his brother; whence you may hope that he had
recovered his health.1
Extract from T.B.A’s letter of May 28th. 96.
“For the interruption which has taken place in my correspondence, since the commencement of March, I can only offer as an apology, the derangement in my health, occasioned by repeated attacks with disorders incident to this climate. The season indeed, has been more than usually unhealthy, and the multiciplicity of diseases through the Spring is attributed to the remarkable mildness of the winter.”
On the same 29th of August I
recd. the letter of June 22d. from your son J.Q.A. with others dated the
4th 11th & 16th of the same month. In that of June 4th he says “On the
28th ulto. I
left London, and came over in a small Prussian vessel to Rotterdam. On the
31st I arrived at this place.” In the same letter he says—“my brother has
regularly supplied, as far as the state of his health has permitted, 509 the information which in England I
could not transmit, nor obtain, of the general progress of affairs in this
country.”2
I hope by the same conveyance which brought me those letters, you will have received some that may dispel all your apprehensions.
You will wonder that your son J.Q.A. should have remained
so long in London: His letter of June 22d
accounts for it: He wanted money to enable him to leave London: the ten
thousand dollars given here to Mr. Randolph on
the 14th of Augt. 1795, were destined to defray
the expences of your son’s mission to London. After his resignation, as soon
as he returned from his journey to Rhode Island, I sent the chief Clerk to
enquire what had been done with that money. He assured the Clerk that he had
remitted every dollar; and that he would send him the letters which
accompanied the remittance. The letters have not been sent to this office;
nor has any banker or foreign correspondent ever advised me of the receipt
of any part of the 10,000$ and your son’s letter now convinces me that Mr. R. never made the remittance.— On the 21st of
May Mr. Pinckney received from me a remittance
of £5000. sterling, out of which your son was supplied.
After your eldest son’s appointment for Portugal, there
was some difficulty in providing a successor at the Hague; & it was not
thought improper to leave the place vacant.3 It was also judged best that
Colo. Humphreys should close the Algerine
business before he should leave Portugal. Letters were therefore sent to
both, informing of their new appointments, but desiring them to remain where
they were for further advice.4 The Algerine business is unhappily yet in suspense; and no further advice
has been transmitted to either in respect to their future proceeding. As
soon as any thing shall be decided, I will do myself the pleasure to inform
you. The intelligence with which the letters of your younger son have been
written, show that the affairs of the U. States in the Netherlands might
very well be committed to his direction: but I do not know what are the
President’s intentions on the subject.
With sincere respect / I am dear sir / your obt. servt.
RC (Adams Papers); internal address: “The Honble. John Adams / Vice President of / the
UStates.”
Neither JA’s letter of 29 Aug. nor
TBA’s of 28 May has been found. In his 22 June letter,
JQA reported to Pickering on his financial situation in
Europe and mentioned the difficulty in obtaining accurate and timely
news of American affairs (LbC, APM Reel 129; JQA, Writings
,
1:481–491, 508).
Pickering referred to JQA’s dispatches
of 4, 11, 16, and 22 June. JQA apologized for the
infrequent reports sent by TBA, who acted as charge
d’affaires in his brother’s absence from The Hague, crediting it to
TBA’s ill health. 510
JQA summarized Dutch political news and French military
progress, and assessed prospects for peace in Europe
(LbC’s, APM
Reel 129; JQA, Writings
, 1:489–490, 508).
On 28 May George Washington nominated
JQA as U.S. minister plenipotentiary to Portugal, and
the Senate confirmed the appointment two days later. A frustrating delay
ensued, as JQA awaited instructions from Pickering that did
not arrive until 9 April 1797. By then, his diplomatic assignment was
changed to similar duties at Berlin, and thus JQA never
filled this post (U.S.
Senate, Exec. Jour.
, 4th Cong.,
1st sess., p. 212, 213;
AFC
, 11:307).
Col. David Humphreys, readying for a new mission to
Spain, prepared to turn over his post as U.S. minister to Portugal to
JQA (
AFC
, 11:307).
r.19. 1796.
The President set out early this morning for Mount Vernon; and soon after, his address to the people of the United States appeared in Claypoole’s news-paper. Of this public declaration, that he will not be a candidate for the office of President, at the ensuing election, I supposed it would be grateful to you to receive the earliest advice.1 The sentiments he has expressed on the occasion may be imagined to be interesting: the news-paper is inclosed.
With sincere respect & esteem / I am, dear sir, /
your obt. servant
RC (Adams Papers); internal address: “The Honble. John Adams.”
George Washington’s Farewell Address, mainly authored
by James Madison and Alexander Hamilton, first appeared in the
Philadelphia American Daily Advertiser, 19
September. The first president used the opportunity to bolster American
neutrality, laud the Jay Treaty and Pinckney’s Treaty, condemn the rise
of political partisanship, and endorse regional strengths in agriculture
and industry. In closing, Washington reflected on his long public
service and forthcoming retirement: “I anticipate with pleasing
expectation that retreat, in which I promise myself to realize, without
alloy, the sweet enjoyment of partaking, in the midst of my fellow
Citizens, the benign influence of good Laws under a free Government—the
ever favourite object of my heart, and the happy reward, as I trust, of
our mutual cares, labours and dangers” (Washington, Papers,
Presidential Series
, 20:697–722).
Washington’s resignation, which crowns that Excellent war with glorÿ, opens the career for my worthy and much respected friend, to bestow new obligations upon his Country-men, if they are wise enough to take hold of this favourable opportunity. can your Excel̃l—without compromitting yourself—procure your old friend a place among the Electors in this State— you know to whom he shall paÿ the tribute, which every American owes to Your meritorious character.
511Permit me to assure you, that / I am / with the highest
veneration / your Excel̃l: most ob: St. / and
obliged frend:
RC (Adams Papers).