Richmond enquirer. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1815-1867, 1822-01-19

stlt'ltion TO this time, have received frequent
tokens OF It's confidence, which can never be
oohterateu from my memory, and claiming all
my gratitude. For every individual member
OF the body, feel all the respect due to his
public character and there is not one mem
Der towards whom entertain sentiment
DINER than that of regard and esteem If,
therefore, the principle upon which | have
omitted To pay them first visits of firm, should
ultimately fail of meeting their appreciation,
IL VIII be serious cause of regret TO me but
at all events, hope they will impute it TO any
other cause than intentional dsrespect to them
tn Ike this occasion of observing, that, with
my appreciation and advice,my wife has acted
upon the same principle with regard to the la
dies connected with the members of the Sc
nate and House of Representatives, who have
visited this place during the sessions of Con
gress, that have pursued i'm relation TO the
members themselves. She has paid no first
visits TO ladies with whom she had not the adj
vantage of being acquainted. She has receiy-
ed with pleasure, aud returned, the visits of
all ladies who have called upon her, whether
connected with members of Congress or o.
therwise. She has visited her friends on the
usual footing OF private citizens, without pre-
tensions 10 claim, and without being sensible
oil any obligation topay, any first visit. She
compliment to the ladies of members of Con-
gress, had it been proper, in her opinion, to
contne 1t to them. But she was aware that
many other ladies, equally strangers to her.
ana, though not immediately allied to mem
bers oil Congress, of character and standing in
society equally respectable, occasionally came
To spend some time in the city ; and knowing
it 10 be impossible that she SHOULD visit them
all, she declined the inyidious task of discri-
mlnatng whom she should and whom she
should not first visit. II, in observing this rule,
she has deviated from the practice of some
other ladies, In situations similar to her own
! she has conformed to that which she constant
~ observed when she was herself the wife of
Senator at the seat of government. She
then always called upon the ladies of the
Heads uf Departments when she came TO
Washington, and always understood it To be
the common practice. She lays no claim, how
| ever, To tile same attention from any other la
dy and, having no pretension TO visits of eti-
| quette herself, thinks herself amenable to none
from others. She has invited to her house,
without waiting for formal visits, every lady
of Il member of Congress, to whom she had
not reason 10 believe such an invitation would
be unwe!come and while feeling II as a favor
from those who have accepted her invitations,
| she has only regretted the more rigorous ETH
queue Vi tiose VINO nave declined, Inasmuch
as 1t bereit her of the happiness which she
would have derived from Il more successful
cultivation of their acquaintance She would
regret still more the error which should, in "a
ny instance, attribute her conduct to "a preten-
sion ofany kind on her part, or to disregard
of what is due from her to Others
have thought this candid explanation OF
the motives of ny conduct particularly due
to those members of the Senate who, it has
been intlmated TO me, have thought there was
something exceptonable in it. | submit it to
| your indulgence and TO their candor, with the
sincere and earnest assurance of my perfect
respect lorsyourself and for them.
JOHN QUINCY ADAMS.