Title: From Louisa Catherine Johnson Adams to George Washington Adams, 20 March 1825
From: Adams, Louisa Catherine Johnson
To: Adams, George Washington

					Washington 20. March 1825

				As I know you will be very anxious to hear from me my Dear George I hasten to write merely to inform you that my health though still very weak is much better and I am able to ride out—No change has yet taken place in our establishment and we have all the trouble of our removal still in anticipation but my chief concern is the disposal of our house which I fear will be attended with much difficulty.—My eyes are so weak I cannot prolong my epistle and as I have nothing to say you will not lose by its brevity—love to Charles from your affecte / Mother

					L C Adams


Title: From Peter Force to John Adams, 21 March 1825
From: Force, Peter
To: Adams, John

					Sir,
					Monday. March 21. 1825

				I have been requested by a gentleman, whom I am desirous of serving, to call upon the President. Not knowing, however, whether it would be convenient to him, or better for me, to do so, without first making the inquiry, I take the liberty of asking of you the favour to inform me, if I can have an interview with the President, on the subject of this request; and if so, what time would be the most convenient to himVery Respy

					Peter Force


Title: From John Adams to William Cranch, 22 March 1825
From: Adams, John
To: Cranch, William

Dear Sir
Quincy March 22—1825

I thank you for your kind congratulation of the Feby. 17—which you have fortified with so many strong reasons, none of which I can I contradict, or wish to refute; I have great reason to believe that the public opinion has changed with respect to me, since the year 98—great numbers have since been convinced that I saved this Country from a ruinous Foreign and Civil war, and some of them acknowledge it, candidly and frankly—
Your friends here are all well—and My family send you kind Salutation to which I add those of your affectionate / friend & Uncle
John Adams


Title: To John Adams from Ward Nicholas Boylston, 28 March 1825
From: Boylston, Ward Nicholas
To: Adams, John

					My ever Dear Cousin
					Hermitage Roxbury 28’ March 1825

				Your kind letter just rec’d is a Cordial to my spirits, in the lengthend days of my confinement to a sick room since the 22d of last January, without any exercise but that of patience, under pain and debility, or even a Rocking Chair to give releif—I am now convalesing, tho’ at one time I apprehended from the attack being similar, I was soon to follow Govr Eustis & Gen Brooks—& a multitude of Septuagenaries who has pass’d away with it—under all this I was roused to energies by the Decission of Congress in favour of my Dear Friend Mr Adams to the presidential  caucus, and immediately dispatchd a messenger with Letters to Princeton, to have the arrangements made, which you have heard mentiond in the public papers my requests were promptly put into operation, all other Engagmt given up, and every inhabitant, either with his axe shovel,  or , Turnd out with a spirit of Union never witness’d on any occasion before.—No Difficulties unconquerable to them, tho they appeard to the Inhabitants of the neighbouring towns insurmountable.Such was the ardour display’d by about 15 men who continued on the mountain all night without Shelter—to be in readiness at the dawning light of the 4th. to give the salute of as many Guns as were letters in the name of the man it was intended to honour, from a piece of Iron ordinance (a nine pounder) which had been Drawn from Rutland, where it had been left by the British Troops, that were part of Burgoyne’s army, who were detaind in that place,—Their Zeal however had like to have cost them too much, from over chargeing the Cannon with 4 1/2 pounds of powder, and ramming it down with all the wadding they could get, even wth one of their woollen frocks—the explosion was so violent as to carry the Gun from its bed more than a Rod; happily in a Direction where no one was standing—they said the effect was such that the mountain shook for a second or two like an Earthquake—At Sunset 200 of the most active of the men assembled on the mountain and lighted the pile of Wood & combustibles, wch. the Industry of 4 days had been collecting & puting into form nearly 20 feet high, and when  Blaze the cheif Engineer of the work, proclaim’d, that the mountain hereafter was to be called and known by the Name of Mount Adams, and the occasion on which it took that name—which I shall enter in the Town’s Books, and county Registry as commerativeYou say, I have given an elevation to your name it never had before, that may be true in one instance, but under any other, who could have done more for giveing perpetuity to it than you only & son—of which my doings are but faint emblems—tho I may have caused a mountain to shake & smoke, and offered my Burnt offering on its apex, and made the little Hills on every side to rejoice with the light of it, and the fatlings of my States &c have contributed to a day of more union, mirth, and festivity than were ever known at that place yet all these things pass for what they are, but tokens of my personal attachment to you & him—The Name will be imperishable without them—It is a source of gratitude from me that I have been spared to see this acme of my wishes.I hope soon to be able to say to you more than I have now strength to write, as my present attitude is both inconvenient & painful under my complaint—a stricture in my breast.—In this mean Mrs Boylston desires her affectionate respects to you, and unites with me in kind regards to Judge and Mrs Adams and the Ladies of your family fireside / And am ever my Dear Cousin / affectionately yours—

					Ward Nichs Boylston


Title: From John Adams to Louisa Catherine Johnson Adams, 30 March 1825
From: Adams, John
To: Adams, Louisa Catherine Johnson

my Dear Daughter
Quincy March 30th. 1825

Your journal which has become a necessary of life to me has failed me for a long time, but I must excuse it because it is too severe a tax upon you, and I hope and presume that George is too deeply absorbed in the studies of his profession to be able to spare time to copy your records. We are here in a news-paper flurry of flickenings for Governour and they will associate your Husband with Mr. Otis as two friends like Theseus and Perithous—it is true that Mr. A. has been & I believe still is the best friend to Mr. O—he ever had but he never gave countenance to the eccentricities in politics of Mr. O—No. not for a moment. Cato sometimes stood a Candidate for offices and failed, but Rome and not Cato was disgraced by the failure. Mr. A. I presume will make no bargains and give no pledges. He will be free or nothing. He will be “suaviter in modo fortiter in re,” A point in which his Father too often failed. His character stands at present on too high an elevation to be injured by the result of any election—though but a very small part of his merit is known to America or to any other people—I look forward to the month of August with some gleams of hope of seeing you all once more—but if I should be disappointed, the will of eternal wisdom be done.
George might give me some account of the talents and eloquence of some of the great lawyers at the bar of the supreme court and the most conspicuous speakers in Congress but I would not wish him to borrow two much time from his books—. We have much snow on the ground—And more threatened on this 30th. March—We are all well, and unite in respects compliments and love, with your / affectionate Father

John Adamsby proxy—


Title: From John Quincy Adams to George Washington Adams, 30 March 1825
From: Adams, John Quincy
To: Adams, George Washington

					My dear Son.
					Washington 30. March 1825

				I have this day drawn upon you, at sight, for ten thousand Dollars, in favour of Richard Smith, Cashier of the United States Branch Bank or Order—I drew for the whole sum, because I cannot comprehend, how you should want five hundred dollars, to supply any claims upon you, on my account, while you are in the receipt of all the rents due not only on the first of January last, but on the first of April, which comes before you can receive this Letter. And because I wish emphatically to give you to understand my dislike of the practice of applying capital, to the payment of current expenses—A practice of which I was sorry to learn that you had already given one example, in your own affairs, when you was last here. 	I shall expect your explanation, with your account for the quarter now expiring.
Your affectionate father.

					J. Q. Adams


Title: From John Quincy Adams to George Washington Adams, 30 March 1825
From: Adams, John Quincy
To: Adams, George Washington

				N. 14
					My dear Son.
					Washington 30. March 1825

				I have this day drawn upon you, at sight, for ten thousand Dollars, in favour of Richard Smith, Cashier of the United States Branch Bank or Order—I drew for the whole sum, because I cannot comprehend, how you should want five hundred dollars, to supply any claims upon you, on my account, while you are in the receipt of all the rents due not only on the first of January last, but on the first of April, which comes before you can receive this Letter—And because I wish emphatically to give you to understand my dislike of the practice of applying capital, to the payment of current expenses—A practice of which I was sorry to learn that you had already given one example, in your own affairs, when you was last here.I shall expect your explanation, with your account for the quarter now expiring.Your affectionate father.

					J. Q. Adams


Title: From Louisa Catherine Johnson Adams to Charles Francis Adams, 20 April 1825
From: Adams, Louisa Catherine Johnson
To: Adams, Charles Francis

Washington 20th. April 1825

The perpetual trouble and occupation we have found in getting into our new residence has prevented my writing to you my dear Charles and even now I have no subject on which to occupy your attention—
The situation in which we found the House made it necessary to furnish almost entirely anew a large portion of the apartments and the whole time of John and my self has been engrossed in superintending and changing the arrangements for the residence of my family—
Much disappointment has been occasioned by to most of us in the disposition of the rooms more especially as there are but two South Bed Chambers on the upper Floor the greater part of them being appropriated to your Father—John has possession of a North Chamber and sitting room and there are three at present unappropriated on the same side. Johnson is at present here and has the use of one of them—It is and has been ever since I first saw the House a matter of wonder to me how a Lady of so much delicacy as Mrs. Monroe could endure to live in a house in which I declare from what I saw she had not the comforts of any private mechanic’s family and I believe it would be difficult to find such an assortment of rags and rubbish even in an Alms House as was exhibited to the Publick after their departure—
The state of things was such that knowing the impression on the publick mind concerning the general splendour of the Mansion I thought it best to throw open the House and by admitting the people to see it in its real state correct the absurd and preposterous notions which had gone abroad by giving them the opportunity to judge for themselves—Some people pretend I have done wrong but as we are pretty much in the situation of the Man and his Wife in the Fable I do not care at all who likes or who dislikes. I respect my Marters the Sovereign People with great sincerity but I am not so much alarmed at the idea of going out at the end of four years as to desire to make any sacrifice of actual comfort for the sake of prolonging my sojourn in this would be magnificent habitation which after all like every thing else in this desolate City is but an half finished Barn—
As the Wind blows a gale the Windows in Johns room where I am now writing make such a distracting noise my head aches fit to split and I am obliged to close my Letter with a wish that you had seen our splendid misery which on the subject so than you should have done simple justice to your subject of Internal improvement which certainly would have inspired you to do it ample justice—
Present my best love to your Grandfather and all the family when you see them and believe me as ever your affectionate Mother

L.C. Adams.


Title: From Mary Y. Pearson to Louisa Catherine Johnson Adams, 25 April 1825
From: Pearson, Mary Y.
To: Adams, Louisa Catherine Johnson

Near Trenton—April 25th. 1825

You will no doubt my dear Mrs. Adams, be much surprised at receiving a letter from one of whom you have seen and known so little as myself; but the kind, and I may almost say affectionate manner that you have always shown towards me in our occasional meetings at Mr. Hopkinson’s, has emboldened me to sue for a favour which perhaps I should not otherwise have thought of—
My brother has been for some time solicitous of obtaining the situation of purser in the Navy, and has been highly reccommended to the Secretary both for capacity and integrity, by several members of Congress who are friends of my father; I regret that there are none now at Washington personally acquainted with Edward, such as Dr. Holcomb Mr. McIlvaine, and many others equally respectable that I could name, besides our mutual friend Mr. Hopkinson; from whom you might learn that he is a young man, who, with good parts and great perseverance, has made great exertions to get along in the world, but his efforts have been unavailing, and he is at present entirely without any occupation, and from my father’s pecuniary embarrassments he is unable even to give him a home. As frequent vacancies occur, if, consistent with your ideas of propriety, you could prevail upon the President to speak in his favour to Mr. Southard, who I have reason to believe is already predisposed in his favour, and who would undoubtedly regard a request from such a source, you would confer an obligation which I should ever remember with the warmest gratitude—
I sincerely hope I shall not forfeit your esteem by this application, as indelicate or presuming too much upon my slight acquaintance with you; such an effort would distress and mortify me very much, and I feel diffident what course to pursue; but I throw myself upon your generosity, and hope you will excuse what might be deemed a liberty, but for the anxiety I feel for my brother—
Papa joins in respects to yourself and Miss Helen—
I remain with esteem & affection / Sincerely yours

Mary Y. Pearson.


Title: From Louisa Catherine Johnson Adams to George Washington Adams, 1 May 1825
From: Adams, Louisa Catherine Johnson
To: Adams, George Washington

					Washington 1st. May 1825

				The frequent and violent attacks of sickness which assail me my Dear George render me a wretched correspondent as the few days of comparative health which I enjoy are attended with a degree of debility which incapacitates me from any exertion of thought or rather of sedentary occupation without reproducing disagreeable sensations in my head and eyes.—We perceive with much delight an entire change in the stile of your Letters resulting we hope from a better state of health and spirits—If no lovely Lass has yet inflicted a wound upon your heart or your imagination the time will I at dare say soon arrive when you will be in the midst of all the ardours of a belle Passion or what nine times out of ten would be  a better designation a Folle Passion and soaring into the regions of Poetry and fiction while Idolising a shadow of your own creating—The fleeting moments of enjoyment thus passed, are indeed moments of extatic bliss; but alas, when you come to realize that state in human life, which our fancy has delineated as so extatic; we suffer in proportion to the delusion pictured by a too highly wrought imagination, and wander evermore in the paths of mortification and discontent, in consequence of our disappointment; as the sad and every day realities of life point out to us, in language which we cannot  understand that the fault is our own, and can only be cured by exertions depending entirely on ourselves—You will smile my Dear Son and say my Mother is a fine theoretical preacher, but miserable in practise—and it is too true. but as age steals on me with all its chilly apathy, I look back with astonishment at the things which have caused me so much trouble in life, and learn with sorrow that a too sensitive mind erroniously indulged, has been in a great measure the cause of my distress, and has, and does even to this day embitters the happiness of those who surround me—Let this prove a warning my Son to you—for life is so full of thorns, and they spring up so constantly and unavoidably in our path it is very unnecessary to take the smallest pains to inflict them on ourselves.If John Welsh has got any colour of the same silk as the pattern enclosed that would suit a light Green Paper I should be glad to take 150 Yds—Perhaps I might be able to find some in Boston do you enquire and let me know and at what price?—as soon as possible—God Bless you ever prays your affectte. Mother

					L C Adams

					Your Father says he will not go to Boston—because he can not go incog.—


Title: From George Washington Adams to Louisa Catherine Johnson Adams, 6 May 1825
From: Adams, George Washington
To: Adams, Louisa Catherine Johnson

5.
My beloved Mother.
Boston 6th. May 1825.

Your letter of the 1st. instant has affected me deeply: it was received this morning and afforded me more real pleasure perhaps than any you have ever addressed to me. Your style in writing is known to be that of the most animated conversation but in this instance it seems to obliterate the ideas of time and distance and to bring me near to you not in the mood of mortified affection and extinguished expectation, but in that of gratified feeling arising from a sensible confidence imparted by a superior. You laugh good humouredly at the "folie" of my affections yet acknowledge "qu’il-y-a du charme avec affections du cœur." You smile at their illusion yet confess that it is "enivrante." A romantic disposition cultivated by admiration of the finest delineations of passion which have excited at once the wonder and the love of mankind, by the warmest, most passionate pictures of the most ardent poets, has been refined till it constitutes the primary element of my character: but external impressions acting upon this spring awaken my own feelings without much reference to the moving power, and they deprive me of that cautious judgment which selects with skilful accuracy and thereby ensures the durability of happiness.  Repeated disapointments in different purposes have tinged this disposition with what is called philosophy although my vanity does not yet admit the propriety of this application of the terms: of late I incline to sneer at every thing convinced most feelingly that "one by one, by turns, some grand mistake / Casts off its bright skin yearly, like the snake."
I am happier, my spirits are more regular, more continued, more equable than for some years they have been; but I have lost all faith in others, I cannot know the pleasure of credulity. My affections now flow only in one current; toward you, and John and Charles: yet here there is no expectation: nothing to hope or fear from either. Kindness settled and immutable is natural to our condition: circumstances may indeed destroy it but this idea is too painful, we believe too improbable, for anticipation. What then is the consequence? I look upon the world and feel that life has not realized my expectations: that few are to be trusted and fewer to be loved: that interest is the guiding principle of all: that restrictions encircle men on all sides: that opinion is an invisible but incessant persecutor; and that faults stand out in prominent relief while excellences are rejected or denied. And must a man then "file his mind" to individual selfish interest: repel those impulses which when successful confessedly exalt the character, and raise it to an higher and more honourable eminence than nature has alloted to the aggregate of beings: destroy the feelings which are the real aliment of benevolence and replace them by the cold calculations of suspicion and distrust.! and all for what? for personal applause; for dissimulation the instrument of success; the key to admiration. "Praise is as often ill bestowed as blame, and even when bestowed it has no other real value than the mere expression. Voltaire said of Beaumarchais "Sa vie fut un proces." The individual characterized the species. Grandfather in the Cunningham correspondence applied to himself the verses of Lord Lyttleton on the grand Condé and is not the application striking? his very virtues injured him with men: his generosity of nature was armed against him.
The heart sickens when it owns the fidelity of this portrait: it seeks in the beautiful fictions of eloquence and poetry the real glory which life does not exhibit, the strong affection which life will not exhibit, the true benevolence which life cannot possess. If there be pain in "a too sensitive mind" there is also pleasure. It enjoys as richly its peculiar treasures as it suffers deeply its appointed sorrows: and I have always thought that imagination, which was formed in early youth and developed by the delight I took in the wild fancies of Arabian tales, a blessing rather than a curse. but life is supposed to begin to wane at twenty five and the effervescence of youthful blood to be diminished from that time; this imagination must therefore be repressed and life regarded as it is.  What mine may be it is impossible to tell. that I must form an artificial character or be forever nobody, is clear, and if your letter has called forth my real feelings you will excuse their energy. My correspondence with you shall not be interrupted by any voluntary act of mine but will generally show the inclination of my mind to laugh at all which passes round me. Men are the puppets of a show box, each in turn trying to pull the wires which impel the others to "fantastic tricks," and I a petty puppet like the rest. I am satisfied that this is a foolish letter but cannot measure what I write to you, and if I ask you not to let others see it, it is in the hope that your affection will pardon the absurd enthusiasm of your son.

George Washington Adams.


Title: From John Quincy Adams to Ward Nicholas Boylston, 10 May 1825
From: Adams, John Quincy
To: Boylston, Ward Nicholas

					My dear Sir
					Washington 10 May 1825—

				Your kind letter of the 15th. of March has remained too long on file unanswered. That of the 7th. of the same month had been also duly received by Mrs. Adams. From the friendly interest which you have so long taken in our welfare, I was fully convinced that the result of the election would be gratifying to you; & in the sympathizing sentiments of my friends, I have always taken far more delight than in the mere attainment of the prize of worldly ambition. Your familiarity with the Holy scriptures suggested to you on this occasion a text, which I hope will long be inapplicable to your condition. There is one which has very frequently & earnestly  presented itself to my remembrance. “Let not him that girdeth on his harness boast himself as he  that putteth it off—The enclosure in your letter of an Extract of one written by your friend Dr. Nicholls indicates the extensiveness of his observations, and generally the sagacity of his foresight. When you write to him I pray you to offer him my respectful remembrance.On my next visit to Boston I shall very cheerfully comply with your request of sitting to Mr Stewart; but am uncertain whether I shall find it practicable the present year. Mrs. Adams, grateful for your kind recollection, joins me in the tender of our best regards to Mrs. Boylston & yourself & in the hope that the fine summer air of the Mountain will entirely restore your healthI am dear Sir, ever affectionately Yours—


Title: From John Quincy Adams to Thomas Welsh, 6 June 1825
From: Adams, John Quincy
To: Welsh, Thomas

					My dear Sir.
					Washington 6. June 1825

				We have just learnt the afflicting dispensation which has befallen you, and while forwarding the enclosed Letter to your daughter I cannot forbear adding the assurance of the deep sympathy which I feel with you on this melancholy occasion—May you, and all your children, be comforted under this bereavement with all the consolations, that earth can afford, or Heaven bestow—Prays / Your affectionate friend

					John Quincy Adams.


Title: To John Adams from Josiah, III Quincy, 7 June 1825
From: Quincy, Josiah, III
To: Adams, John

					my dear Sir
					Boston 7. June 1825

				John W. Boott Esq. of this city being desirous, with his friend Mr M Cale, of Philadelphia, to pay his respects to you and has requested me to give him that opportunity.He is one of our most respectable citizens and I shall be happy to enable him to enjoy the gratification of the interview he wishesVery respectfully / Yrs

					Josiah Quincy


Title: From William Duer to Louisa Catherine Johnson Adams, 8 June 1825
From: Duer, William
To: Adams, Louisa Catherine Johnson

Madam,
Greenbush N.Y. June 8th. 1825.

Presuming upon an acquaintance it was my happiness to form, many years ago, and upon the experience it afforded me of your affability and kindness, I venture, after this lapse of time, and the changes it has produced, to obtrude myself on your recollection, and to solicit your aid in submitting to the consideration of the President, a statement, which nothing but a sense of duty to those who are dependent upon me, could induce me to make, and which I fear, even that motive, will hardly excuse.
I have not the honour to be sufficiently known to the President to take the liberty of addressing him directly—and on a subject like that on which I am about to enter, I feel a repugnance to approach him in the ordinary channels of political communication, or even through the medium of a common friend. I trust therefore I shall be forgiven for adopting the only mode of gaining his attention that seems left to my choice.
Having subsequently to my marriage, & shortly after I had last the pleasure of paying my respects to you, removed from the city of New York to my native County on the North River, I became actively engaged in politics and was in one course sent to the State Legislature. By the favour of my constituents I was continued as their representative for several years in succession, until the interference of my public duties with my professional pursuits, compelled me to decline another re-election.
From the independent course I had endeavored to maintain, I never rendered myself acceptable to the mere leaders & zealots of party—most certainly not to the friends of Mr. Clinton, or the abettors of the Hartford Convention—and upon their united opposition to Mr. Kings reelection to the senate of the United States, I was forced as his friend and advocate into an open rupture with that description of politicians. Their combined forces were eventually defeated, and upon the change of power that ensued, I was appointed by Governor Yates one of the Circuit Judges of the State. This office, which I still hold, was neither solicited nor coveted on my part but I was induced to accept it from the prospect of succeeding Mr. Sanford as Chancellor, he being at that time designated by public sentiments as the successor of Mr. King.
The new change and organization of parties which have since taken place will probably defeat this arrangement—or if Mr Sanford should ever be elected to the Senate by the next Legislature—it is infinitely more improbable that I should be appointed Chancellor. But to this disappointment I am the better reconciled, as I was myself, instrumental in producing it, and as an  alteration in my private circumstances has rendered the accomplishment of my former wishes, a matter of comparative indifference to me. From the commencement of the presidential contest as it was called, to its termination—I was the open and zealous if not the efficient supporter of Mr. Adams; and in order to obtain for him the Electors of this State I was with many other of his  adherents drawn into co-operation with individuals to whom on other occasions we had been opposed—and especially with the  personal party of Mr. Clinton—who though they prefered General Jackson as President, had nevertheless a common interest with the friends of Mr. Adams, in the  exclusion of the caucus Candidate. The effect however of this cooperation was not merely to secure a large majority of the Electors for Mr Adams, but at the same time to transfer the power and patronage of our local government to those who was politically hostile to the most prominent amongst his friends, and thus to exclude them for a time at least from influence and promotion in their own State. The hazard of such a result was foreseen and voluntarily incurred—in order to obtain the  greater objects that were at stake—and as it respects myself I should under other circumstances have silently acquiesced in its consequences. My exertions in what I conceived to be the cause of the Country—if not important were at least disinterested. They were neither prompted by  personal considerations of preference, or stimulated by the expectation of reward—and if I rendered any service entitling me to the notice of the President—my claim must rest where I know he would place it—upon the motives & principles by which I was actuated—and was upon the naked fact of my having supported him.
At the period referred to, I had no ambitious views, but such as sooner or later might have been realized under the State government. The mere  emolument of office was a secondary consideration with me—and but for private occurrences which have intervened—you Madam would never have been troubled with the knowledge of my hopes,  or of their disappointment. But from being recently deprived of a large proportion of Mrs. Duer’s income from her father’s estate by the conduct of her Trustee—I find myself with a numerous family suddenly thrown upon my own resources—which alone are insufficient for the maintenance and education of my children. The practice which I resigned on accepting my present office has passed into other hands—and it would be difficult if not impossible to rejoin it—and I am further deterred from resuming my profession by the dread of relinquishing the small certainty which my salary affords to me, and by the ill success which has hitherto attended every individual in this State who has left the bench to return to the bar. In this situation, I have given up an establishment in Albany & by removing to a country residence in its vicinity—endeavoured to reduce my expences within my income—If I find this practicable I shall have little to regret, except the loss to my children and especially to my daughters who are fast growing up, of those advantages of education and society to which they have hitherto been accustomed, as well as of others more essential to their happiness. I am therefore anxious to exchange my present office for one less conspicuous & honorable perhaps—but more lucrative, and the rumours of the intended resignation of the Post Master at New York has induced me now to intrude upon you, in the hope that through your benevolent interference Madam it is possible for me to obtain it.
The place in question is in many respects peculiarly desirable to me. It would afford at once an adequate  provision for my family and enable us to rejoin our  nearest relatives & numerous connections in the City from whom we have been many years separated. Should however the  report I have heard prove to be unfounded— or  should there exist  insuperable obstacles to the  gratification of my wish to be appointed to the vacancy there—may now or hereafter be other stations at the disposal of the government which might be equally acceptable—and on any such occasion I should be happy if my name might be brought to the recollection of the President. If it be not yielding too far to the  delusions of vanity & self interest, I believe I may  safely affirm that my  nomination to any office under the general government compatible with my qualifications would be favourable received by the  numerous & respectable  portion of the people of this State with whom I acted at the last election. That  portion of the Republican party who adhered to Mr. Crawford are now anxious for conciliation with those of us  from whom on that occasion they were separated—& would not object to it—whilst the leading federalists—particularly in the City of New York are many of them  amongst my warmest personal friends. The only party whose jealousy it might excite are the immediate formal adherents of Governor Clinton—but even these would hardly venture openly to disapprove of it after the  cooperation of my friends in that course of measures which if successful for our purposes— secured the recent election of their Chief.
As to the  nature & extent of my qualifications for public employment I must beg leave to refer if inquiry becomes necessary to Judge Thompson—General Van Rensselaer—Mr. Van Buren—and Mr. G. C Verplank of this state as gentlemen whose opinions from their public stations are likely to have weight with the government & are  with convenience accessible to the President—My character & reputation are also known to Mr. Wirt the Attorney General, Mr. Webster of Massachusetts—Mr. Archer of Virginia & Mr. Livingston of Louisiana &c. and in the absence of Mr. King, on whose friendship I should have every reliance, correct information of his estimate of me would be afforded by his Son Mr. C. King of New York. There are besides some persons at Washington to whom I have been known since you have heard any account of me & from whom for your private satisfaction, some particulars might be very speedily & incidentally obtained. The names of those who occur to me are Mr. Calvert of Madensburgh Mrs. Tayloe Junr. (late Miss Dickenson) & Mrs. Decatur—with whom I become acquainted some years ago, at my friend’s of one neighbor’s Mr. P. J. Schuyler’s—formerly in Congress from  this state.
And now Madam after reviewing what I have written, I am almost tempted to withhold it. Were I to yield to the suggestions of pride or to scruples as to delicacy—I should undoubtedly suppress it—But I have other  to listen to—apprehensions less dubious to consult, and I feel myself impelled at some hazard of propriety, to throw myself upon your candour—and to beg that if you cannot accede to my request, you will pardon it’s presumption.
I have the honor to be / With great respect & esteem / Madam / Your obedient Servant

W. A. Duer.


Title: From John Adams to Peter Force, 10 June 1825
From: Adams, John
To: Force, Peter

					Mr Force
					Washington 10 June 1825—

				I recieved the enclosed extract this morning from the North. The Source from whence it comes is as Mr DeGrand would say “first rate.” Dr. Waterhouse is a well known  character in Massachusetts and so staunch a Republican that any thing concerning him would be gratifying to that party—Concerning the truth of the suggestion I know nothing. Whether true or false however this indirect notice of the Dr himself would be gratifying to many of your Northern Readers—and in either case would be of no injury to any one. It is a mere rumour and as such I send it you to do what you please with it—Burn this—Yrs &c

					J. Adams—


Title: From John Quincy Adams to Alexander Bryan Johnson, 11 June 1825
From: Adams, John Quincy
To: Johnson, Alexander Bryan

					Dear Sir
					Washington 11. June 1825

				I regret much that an usage, which has been uniformly observed since the existence of our Government, interdicts me the pleasure which I should take in complying with your request to furnish a Letter of Introduction, for Mr Greig to some person in London.Praying to be remembered affectionately to my Niece, I remain / Dear Sir, your friend and humble Servt

					J. Q. Adams.


Title: From John Adams to Peter Force, 17 June 1825
From: Adams, John
To: Force, Peter

					Mr Force
					Tuesday Afternoon—Post 17 June 1825

				The Dr. handed me this morning Mr Websters address delivered at Bunker’s Hill, upon condition that I would give you a slight notice of it. Among other avocations I have only found time to draw up the enclosed which I have scarcely reviewed—Do as you please with it—Yrs &c—

					J. Adams Jr.


Title: From Louisa Catherine Johnson Adams to Johnson Hellen, 19 June 1825
From: Adams, Louisa Catherine Johnson
To: Hellen, Johnson

					Washington 19 June 1825

				Your Sister informs me my dear Thomas that you are preparing to enter College in the Month of August next and the information give me so much pleasure I write to tell you how much I am gratified as it convinces me that you have been industrious and laudably ambitious to perfect your advantages in the completion of your education.There is but little passing among us that can afford topics of interest to divert a few minutes—We are all half dead with the heat which absolutely destroys every thing like energy of thought or act and leaves us like floating logs upon a glassy stream only impelled to action by a transient current which moves by a force independent of ourselves.Your brother left us yesterday to go to the White Sulphur Springs in Virginia and I am very sorry to say his health and spirits seem to be equal sufferers and I look forward with much anxiety to the effect which the waters may produce as I still hope the complaint may not be so radically seated as to be really dangerous. He is very much reduced by his constant sufferings and a too rigid diet.Mary is very well—Present my best respects to Dr. Abbot as also to Govr Gilmer and family to whom I am grateful for their kindness to you and be assured of the affection of your Aunt

					L. C. Adams.


Title: From John Adams to William Smith Shaw, 20 June 1825
From: Adams, John
To: Shaw, William Smith

My dear Nephew
Montezillo June 20th. 1825

Dr Jarvis with great truth and propriety observes that “the Religion of the Indians has not be scrutinized as it should be.” Nor has the Religion of any other nation, from Jarah the Chaldean to the Kingdoms of Whidahh and Ashantu been Sufficiently investigated. Who knows any thing of the religion of the wild negroes in Africa, but the informal cruelty of their sacrifices? It is probable that the Religion of the Universe for many thousands of years was astrological: and We know Somewhat too much of the uses which were made of it by magicians and Jugglers in all ages. Dr Jarvis has assigned some good causes of the too general inattention to the religion of the indians. But those causes do not apply to the negroes. We have thousands if not millions of them domesticated with Us. We might examine them. But who asks them a question? or who studies their languages.? They have probably as great a variety of tongues as the indians. Nations who have neither Records nor histories nor letters, have fables and traditions and dogmas which have meanings or Allusions worth Searching if they can be found. Why are not Bibles translated into negro and Sent to the gold coast?
My learned ingenious eloquent and amiable friend and next door neighbour when I lived in the white house in brattle sqare, Dr Samuel Cooper, had a negro fellow named Glasgow, who seemed as harmless and almost as mindless as an idiot. Nevertheless his master endeavoured to instruct him in the Christian religion. He began by reading and explaing the history in Genesis of the fall of man. Glasgow listened with great Attention and astonishment for a long time: but at last he broke Silence. “Master! We have a different account of this matter in my country.” Aye indeed what is that Account? “We say that in the beginning, the lot of the World was put upon a race between a dog and a toad. If the dog came out first, the World was to be good and happy. If the toad, all was to be wicked and sorrowfull. Every body rejoiced. Surely the dog would winn. But when they started the dog had ran a great Way before the toad, had hopped a rod. But about half Way the evil Spirit threw a bone before the dog who turned aside to gnaw it, while the toad hopped on and got out first.” Dr Cooper has repeatedly related this Anecdote to me.
Is not this the history of the loss of Paradice translated into Negro? There is the same dulness of Understanding the same imbecility of Virtue against Appetite in the dog that there was in Eve and Adam. The same ruin to the World though ascribed to chance not to fault. The same personification of Evil in the temptor. It is as rational an Attempt to Account for the Origin of Evil as that of the great Frederic, Soames Jennings or Dr Edwards. Secret things belong not to Us.
I doubt not that many curious things might be pumped out of the Negroes if any pains were taken.
I am your affectionate Uncle
John Adams


Title: From George Washington Adams to Louisa Catherine Johnson Adams, 20 June 1825
From: Adams, George Washington
To: Adams, Louisa Catherine Johnson

					My dear Mother.
					Boston 20th. June 1825.

				Let me express to you my gratitude for your last note on reading which I had a foretaste of the suffering I should have undergone had the dreadful rumour you mentioned preceded it. I most heartily thank God that my Father was saved to you, to his children, to his country. The idea of his loss is too terrible to think of and at the time when your note arrived; not having recovered a calm tone of mind, and still under the excitement of the great festival which had taken place here the day before it was with the deepest emotion I felt that your note had spared me from the most cruel fears. I thought it prudent to mention it to nobody at Quincy but Cousin Louisa, requesting of her should any thing of the kind be said to tell all that my Father was not injured but not otherwise to speak of it. Grandfather is very well: delighted with Governor Barbour, and full of the spirit of seventy five. Miss Pleasonton is here but she is not quite yet accustomed to our people and appears to me not very much pleased with Boston. She talks rapturously of New York and likes the journey very well. I asked her if she had seen Mr Allston, to which she answered no, but she had heard of his works! This however it will not do to tell though I cannot help writing it to you. Do you wish to have that piece of silk sent on or will it better stay till you come? Delusive hope. Governour Barbour thinks it will be difficult for Father to come and it is vain to expect you. The family here are pretty well Charles is fat and flourishing tout comme votre fils ainé

					George Washington Adams


Title: From William Cranch to John Quincy Adams, 21 June 1825
From: Cranch, William
To: Adams, John Quincy

					Dr Sir,
					Alexandria 21st. June 1825

				Mr. Thomas Grafton Addiron junr. having a wish to be employed in the public service has requested a letter of introduction to you. I have not the pleasure of a personal acquaintance with Mr. Addiron, but am assured from a very respectable source “that he is a very correct young man in his moral character;” his family connections are highly respectable.With great respect, I am, / Dr. Sir, your obedt. servt.

					W. Cranch—


Title: To John Adams from Josiah, III Quincy, 22 June 1825
From: Quincy, Josiah, III
To: Adams, John

					my dear Sir
					Boston. 22. June. 1825.

				The Baron de Syon will have the honor of presenting you this letter. He has been travelling from the Western States as one of the family of Genl. La Fayette, who is desirous that he should have an opportunity of paying his respects to you, personally; he being a gentleman for whom Genl. La Fayette expressed a great affection.To gratify both Baron de Syon and La Fayette I have taken the liberty to give him this introduction.Very respectfully / Yr hl. St

					Josiah Quincy


Title: From Thomas Baker Johnson to John Quincy Adams, 23 June 1825
From: Johnson, Thomas Baker
To: Adams, John Quincy

					Thursday June 23. 1825

				Mr. Johnson presents his respectful Complimts. to Mr. Adams, & encloses for Mr. Adams perusal two letters received by him this morn’g from New Orleans recommending certain gentlemen therein named for the places of Naval Officer & Inspector of the Customs of that Port, which have recently become vacant by the death & resignation of the late incumbents. Of their suitableness for the offices in question as also of that of Messrs. Le Prieur & Herrod, already understood by Mr. Adams to be applicants Mr. J. entertains no doubts: but he inclines to the opinion that the first should be bestowed on a Creole on the ground of their not having shared hitherto with the Americans in an equal participation of Office. Under this conviction it appears to Mr. J. that Mr. Le Prieur’s would be an acceptable appointmt. in Louisa. To Mr. Inskeep equally meritorious & qualified as Mr. Le Prieur, there attaches a claim if it may be so construed, which no one can better appreciate than Mr. Adams, that of being the sole support of a very numerous & a very Selfless family.Should Mr. Adams selections for the above office fall on either of the persons recommended by Mr. J. it would be a gratification to him to be permitted to announce to the successful Candidate his good fortune by a short anticipation of the intelligence to be forwarded, from the proper Departmt.


Title: From John Adams to William Smith Shaw, 26 June 1825
From: Adams, John
To: Shaw, William Smith

My dear Nephew
Montezillo June 26th. 1825

Dr Jarvis with great truth and propriety observes that “the Religion of the Indians has not been Scrutinized as it Should be.” Nor has the Religion of any other nation, from Jonah the Chaldean to the Kingdoms of Whidah and Ashantee been Sufficiently invigorated. Who knows any thing of the religion of the wild negroes in Africa, but the infernal cruelty of their Sacrifices? It is probable that the Religion of the Universe for many thousands of years was astrological: and We know Somewhat too much of the Uses which were made of it by magicians and Jugglers in all ages. Dr Jarvis has assigned Some good causes of the too general inattention to the religion of the indians. But those causes do not apply to the negroes. We have thousands if not millions of them domesticated with Us. We might examine them. But who asks them a question? Or who Studies their languages? They have probably as great a variety of tongues as the indians. Nations who have neither Records nor histories nor letters, have fables and traditions and dogmas which have meanings or , worth Searching if they can be found, Why are not Bibles translated into negro and Sent to the gold coast?
My learned ingenious eloquent and amiable friend and next door neighbour when I lived in the white house in braver Square, Dr Samuel Cooper, had a negro fellow named Glasgow, who Seemed as harmless and almost as mindless as an idiot. Nevertheless his master endeavored to instruct him in the Christian religion. He began by reading and explaing the history in Genesis of the fall of man. Glasgow listened with great Attention and astonishment for a long time: but at last he broke Silence. "Master! We have a different account of this matter in my country." Aye indeed what is that account? "We Say that in the beginning, the lot of the world was put upon a race between a dog and a toad. If the dog came out first, the world was to be good and happy. If the toad, all was to be wicked and Sorrowfull. Every body rejoiced. Surely the dog would winn. But when they Started the dog had ran a great Way before the toad had hopped a rod. But about half Way the evil Spirit threw a bone before the dog who turned aside to gnaw it, while the toad hopped on and got out first."  Dr Cooper has repeatedly related this Annecdote to me.
Is not this the history of the loss of Paradise translated into Negro?
There is the Same dulness of Understanding the Same imbecillity of Virtue against Appetite in the dog that there was in Eve and Adam. The Same ruin to the World though ascribed to chance not to fault. The Same personification of Evil in the temptor. It is as rational an attempt to Account for the origin of Evil as that of the great Frederick, Soames Jennings or Dr Edwards. Secret things belong not to Us.
I doubt not that many curious things might be pumped out of the Negroes if any pains were taken.
I am your affectionate Uncle

John Adams


Title: From John A. Shaw to Thomas Boylston Adams, 27 June 1825
From: Shaw, John A.
To: Adams, Thomas Boylston

					Sir
					Thomaston June 27th 1825

				I wish you would have the goodness to speak to your Brother concerning my tending the Light on Owlshead in Thomaston as it is near don & as I live near By & can tend it cheaper than any other Person if you will attend to this you will, Obb / Yours With Respect.

					John A Shaw

					NB if your Brother is not at Quincy I wish you would Wright him


Title: To John Adams from Ward Nicholas Boylston, 28 June 1825
From: Boylston, Ward Nicholas
To: Adams, John

					My Dear Cousin
					Princeton June 28th 1825

				It seems an age to me, since we parted, and have not since had any accounts from those who have visited me here what has been the state of your health since that period, the best evidence I have rec’d has been thro the medium of the public News papers, in one of wch. is given the toast you sent the charitable masonic association Dinner given to Gen. LaFayette. If I can draw an Inference from the Beauty & sublimity of that sentiment, it is, that the Fountain from wch. it has Issued, the corporeal System  have renovated beyond what was anticipated when we parted—I cannot believe it otherwise, & cherish the hope that we shall both be spared to meet once more, at Quincy—my own health, held this expectation in considerable doubt before I left Roxbury, but the change of air, & yeilding to, & watching the changes of weather, by change of cloathing, &c, useing moderate exercise, & in addition to all a carefull & watchfull kind Rib, I can say I have been for the last month in better Health, than I have experienced for 9 months before—I wish it were possible for you to partake in the benefits of this mountain air, I am confident you would recover your strength so far as to use your limbs, I had so far lost the use of mine that only a walk once to & fro’ on the Piazza, I found I had done all my feeble knees would allow me to perform for the day—but now I am able to walk for 3/4th of an hour without feeling any great degree of fatigue, & can ride 20 to 25 miles, without producing that degree of lassitude wch. I did two months ago from riding 8 miles—I attend daily to the Bussiness of the Farm when the weather will permit, & I hope from the promising prospects of it, your Farm holds out the same expectations of abundant harvests Grass, & Grain of every kind, here & about us, looks well & bids fair for an early harvest, at least  10 days to a fortnight earlier than usual.When you heard last From Washington I hope the accounts were favorable as to the Health of the President & Mrs Adams & family, do they give you any hopes of seeing them this season, if they do, I shall put in my claim for the promise they have made me.I Beg you would let me be favor’d with a line from you—a certain Widow Lady in Boston, boasts of, & shews a very polite Letter you wrote her, in reply for to one she addressed to, you,—Since the Wachusett has been changed to mount Adams, it has been visited by greater numbers than I ever knew so early in the season, that it may be said the tribes go up, and not in small parties from the vicinity, but more than one hundred went up in one day from the distance of 20 to 30 miles Round; & more or less every fair day since. Esto perpetua will be your name here, since will do my endeavors to make it—Mrs Boylston whose health for some time past has not been so good as I have wished it, tho’ now convalesing desires her kindest & affectionate Respects to you, & Joins in our Regards to Judge & Mrs Adams Mrs. Clarke, Miss Smith, & the young Ladies of the family and am with fervent wishes for your Health & Happiness. Your faithfull & affectionate / Cousin

					Ward Nichs Boylston

					PS—My son & Daughter desire their respects—my two Grandsons are at an academy at Lancaster & we heard yesterday were very well—


Title: From John Quincy Adams to Leonard Bowker, 29 June 1825
From: Adams, John Quincy,Adams, Louisa Catherine Johnson
To: Bowker, Leonard

					June 29, 1825

				Know all men by these presents, that I John Quincy Adams of Boston in the County of Suffolk and Commonwealth of Massachusetts, now abiding at Washington in the District of Columbia, for an in consideration of the sum of three hundred dollars paid me by Leonard Bowker of Salem in the County of Orleans and State of Vermont, the receipt whereof I do hereby acknowledge, have given, granted, and do hereby bargain, sett, and Quit-claim, to him the said Leonard Bowker, his heirs and Assigns for ever, all my right, title, interest and Estate in and to one whole right or share of Land, in the said Town of Salem, granted by the General Assembly of the said State at their Sessions in October A.D 1780, to Colonel Jacob Davis and by Associates; and which was conveyed to me by Jonas Comins, as one of said associates by deed bearing date the twentieth day of April AD Seventeen hundred and eighty two, and recorded in the Clerks Office of Orange County in said State Liber 6 page 139. To Have & to Hold, the said Right as share of Land, with all the privileges and appurtenances  thereto belonging to him the said Leonard Bowker by heirs and Assigns, to his and their own use for ever. And I do hereby promise to defend the said Right or Share of Land from all Claims of any persons claiming by, for or under me. In witness whereof I, the said John Quincy Adams have hereunto set my hand and Seal, at Washington in the District of Columbia this twenty ninth day of June, in the year of our Lord one thousand eight Hundred and twenty five. And Louisa Catherine, wife of the said John Quincy Adams, in token of her relinquishment of Dower or thirds in the premises, signs and seals these presents on the day and year above written.

					John Quincy AdamsLouisa Catherine Adams


Title: From Louisa Catherine Johnson Adams to Charles Francis Adams, 10 July 1825
From: Adams, Louisa Catherine Johnson
To: Adams, Charles Francis

					Washington 10 July 1825.

				As I am afraid you will hardly recieve my Letter in time I hasten to tell you that if you have no part assigned to you you must come on directly so as to be here on Wednesday Week when Genl La Fayette is to pay us a visit and I want you to assist me in doing the honours of the House—Give my love to all and tell George to send the Silk by you to your affectionate Mother

					L. C. Adams.


Title: From Louisa Catherine Johnson Adams to George Washington Adams, 14 July 1825
From: Adams, Louisa Catherine Johnson
To: Adams, George Washington

					Washington 14 July 1825

				We have been suffering so much from intense heat this Summer my dear George it has been impossible for me to attend to any thing like a regular correspondence and indeed our lives pass in such ar a routine of invariable sameness there is not wherewithal to furnish an anecdote for a Letter or a line to interest a reader—I yesterday received a melancholy Letter from Mr. Pope announcing the hopeless state of poor Florida and hourly expect to hear of her dissolution—If truth can be gathered from the cry of the multitude she was lovely and promised fair to be an ornament to society and was just entering that period of life when the loss will be most deeply felt by her doating father who seems sinking under the calamity which so heavily threatens him.—The loss I sustained was comparatively less severe but the pangs I endured and the convo convulsive shudder which rends my heart even at this hour when I think of my irretrievable bereavement teach me to pity the anguish of parents under the same affliction and assure me that in religion alone can the balm be found for wounds so deep so impossible to cure. God for wise purposes inflicts these real and acute sufferings that we may learn how light and trivial are those merely worldly trials which often cause us so much misery and which are mostly produced by our own follies or by the vices of those who surround us and on whom we must necessarily in some measure depend. In the one case it is the hand of God which humbles us in the dust to prove to us our nothingness and to recal our wandering thoughts to him and to his works in the other it is the vexation incident to the Earth born pride & vanity of the mere worldling originating and ending in selfishness which absorbs all the better feelings infused by the Christian System which yields abundant comfort even in the severest trials—Mr George Graham was married last week to Miss Jane Watson and immediately after the ceremony settled on her fifteen thousand Dollars he has two or three Children by a former Wife—Capt Houston is going to be married to a Miss Truxton in the fall and Capt Gardner to Miss Goldsborough. This is all the news excepting that it is said that the british Chargé is no longer allowed to be so intimate at the Col’s as formerly and that he is soon to leave the Country—As our Shells are out I must get you to send us some more by the earliest opportunity. We are to be honoured with the company of the Nation’s Guest the last of the Month and I hope Charles will get here to help me do the honoursYours Ever

					L. C. A.


Title: From John Quincy Adams to Charles Francis Adams, 17 July 1825
From: Adams, John Quincy
To: Adams, Charles Francis

					My dear Son.
					Washington 17 July 1825

				Your Letter of the 2d. Instt. has remained some days unanswered, more from a repugnance in me to think at all upon the subject, than from any other cause.If as you say, you have destroyed the prospect of having any part assigned to you for Commencement, I agree with you in the opinion that it will be most comfortable for you, to be as far distant from Cambridge, on that day as you can—Under other circumstances, the expense which might have accrued in hospitality to your friends and mine, would most cheerfully have been born by me—But I consent that you should apply to President Kirkland for leave of absence, and that you should immediately come on here—With regard to your profession, I wish you to form your own determination I am not disposed to choose one for you, but for your own sake, rather than mine wish you to fix upon one for yourself.You will apply to your brother George for money to bear your expenses on your journey hither. Say, 75 Dollars—In the intense heat of the Season, while traveling Southward, be careful to expose yourself as little as possible to the affects of the Sun, and to avoid over fatigue—I am, your affectionate father

					John Quincy Adams


Title: From George Washington Adams to Louisa Catherine Johnson Adams, 19 July 1825
From: Adams, George Washington
To: Adams, Louisa Catherine Johnson

				7.
					My dear Mother.
					Boston 19th. July 1825.

				Ever since the middle of the last month we have been in such a succession of events and interruptions that the time has slipped away with out a moments reflection on the interval between this letter and my last. On the 15th. of June General La Fayette came and his arrival was the signal for dinners parties and shows. You ask for a description of the 17th. of June. It has not been attempted hitherto because it produced in me too lively a feeling of disappointment. Talk not of the great “for the bird of the air shall carry the matter.” but this oration or Address of Mr Websters has certainly not increased his reputation and has shown as certainly the limit of his eloquence. The scene was imposing; the spot consecrated by deep and touching recollections but the ardour of feeling was damped by the coldness of its recital and the spell of memory broken by present splendour. It was to me a day of disappointment and it only lessened my admiration of the Orator. But the 4th. of July offered a compensation. It was simply and feelingly celebrated: the Oration by Mr Sprague was received with delight acknowledged loudly because strongly roused: and it in my opinion was worthy of the day and of the man. Mr Sprague is capable of great poetry and if he will attempt it will do honour to his country and to himself; he knows how to labour poetry, an art which few of our writers understand the Iliad; the Aneid the Vision; the Jerusalem delivered, the Orlando, the Lusiad, the Paradise Lost were not works of a day or a year and I am convinced that a truly great poem is the offspring of an arduous, industrious and devoted Life. That Sprague may aim at such high honour is my earnest hope for I believe him able to obtain it. The preparation of my Accounts for my Father and the tremendous heat which has succeeded it must be my excuse for neglect in writing since the 4th. but I will confess that the regularity of my correspondence has been checked by the impossibility of mutual attention of which John complains: since my return he has written me but one letter and Charles says the same. Thus then knowing nothing of your lives but from the papers and the weekly information communicated at Quincy, it is taken for granted that silence does not indicate declining affection and that the superabundance of occupation prevents epistolary intercourse. Grandfather has borne this heat better than any of us. The overflow of company troubles him somewhat but it is on the whole advantageous. Uncle Adams has been suffering for the past fortnight from Rheumatism and fever but is recovering slowly. The others are well. Charles leaves College today. He has gone through happily not finding rebellion in his way, more fortunate than his brothers, and well approved. I shall part with him with regret. We have seen each other often and always with pleasure. Alone of my immediate family not bless’d with business and not well acquainted with the world I shall go on as usual sometimes happy at others in the blues but in all situations / most affectionately your son

					George Washington Adams.


Title: From Louisa Catherine Johnson Adams to George Washington Adams, 23 July 1825
From: Adams, Louisa Catherine Johnson
To: Adams, George Washington

					Washington 23 July 1826.

				Your Letter is this moment put into my hands my beloved Son, and I hasten to answer it, apologizing at the same time for a neglect which has been caused entirely by the dull sameness of our lives, and the utter impossibility of finding any subject on which to write.I guessed what your silence meant on the subject of my Letter, for I had like yourself cried out, what a falling off is here! Are we not however often wrong in our admeasurement of talent? and do we not frequently elevate our standard beyond the powers of man? Is there a single instance in which a writer has sustained his great and entire reputation to the end of life? unless indeed his productions have been very limitted, and he has fortunately mistrusted his own powers—See the really colossal genius of Byron, was he not full of inequalities—The Concord business does not please me either. It is I think a failure and I am tempted to believe, that that is a genius doomed to sink from its high standard, by the desperate plunge it is about to make in an unbeaten track too narrow yet too lofty; a career too difficult for a mind full of vain conceits, elegant but unsubstantial—We have been much delighted with the poetic beauty, the richness and fire of some of the extracts from the 4th July oration; as a whole I can form no opinion of it, but the theme is too much hacknied even for the Muses Seat, and Sung by Apolo himself it would pall upon the appetite and produce ennui—added to which the genious Genius of the Country has been so heavily laden with offerings to the Guest of the Nation, we need six Months of sound sleep at least to renovate it, ere it can recover its native strength.The heat is overwhelming, and we look like son so many half starved Rats, not knowing which way to turn in search of repose—Poor John has so much business to attend to, he is wasted to a shadow, and I believe poor fellow the very sight of a writing table inspires him with horror; but you will be still more astonished when I assert, that your father is in the same predicament—The greatest cause of uneasiness which I at present suffer, is your Fathers passion for Swimming; which keeps me in hourly terror of some horrible calamity—The day before yesterday poor old Mr Shoemaker was drowned. He is said to have been one of the best Swimmers in the Country God preserve us all my Dear Son from this  distress prays your most affectionate Mother

					L. C. Adams


Title: From John Adams to Peter Force, 2 August 1825
From: Adams, John
To: Force, Peter

2 August 1825—Tuesday—

General Lafayette arrived in this City yesterday afternoon and agreeably to the Presidents invitation took up his quarters at the Presidents House—We understand that he will recieve the visits from one to three oclock this day—
Mr Force.
Gen Lafayette is desirous that notice should be given of his intention to recieve visits tomorrow & I know of no better method of spreading the information than by requesting an insertion of the Above in your paper—
Yrs &c

J. Adams Junr.


Title: To John Adams from Charles Francis Adams, 8 August 1825
From: Adams, Charles Francis
To: Adams, John

					My dear Grandfather—
					Washington—August 8th: 1825.

				One week has passed already since my arrival here and to us by no means a quiet one. General La Fayette arrived two days after me and has since engrossed almost all our attention. Dinner has succeeded to dinner and party to party, although the weather has been warm constantly. We now enjoy a few days of quiet as my Father and John have accompanied the General and suite and will not return for some days, the weather although warm has not been unpleasant, and I have yet found none of the overpowering heat which I was led to expect, this is probably owing to our advantageous situation and large rooms which enable us to obtain the air when it can be had scarcely any where else. The languor pervading the southern cities however shows itself very much here, and scarce  any body will work who can live without  and those who must, economize it most extremely. In travelling onward, I thought I could perceive a gradual change, particularly when starting from the “busy hum of men” in the great city of New York to the silent and in all appearance almost deserted Philadelphia. A few men and women were sitting at their doors, looking the images of languor and some of the men smoking cigars to pass away the time. This habit of smoking is more perceived as you come on, and in Baltimore appeared almost universal. It is one of the greatest indications of laziness and I required nothing more to prove the truth  of my assertion.The city is at present full of naval officers present on account of the trials now going on here. Porter’s is just finished but the opinion concerning it will not be known for some time, the public appear to have taken a favourable inclination to him, which will probably be an occasion for some great eccentric action in him should the decision be against him. He has undoubtedly been a worthy officer and in consequence I hope he will come out with success flying colours—I have not read the papers or an account of the trial and have therefore made up no opinion—Stewart is to be tried immediately and after him two or three others; Some remedy I think ought to be provided for the frequency of courts of this description, or else some regular way of trial should be adopted which should be less slow and expensive—Our officers are constantly getting into trouble, so that the Navy in case of a War will probably fall a sacrifice to the mean jealousies of its commanders—Some law should be established to define their rank when acting together & to call them to strict and immediate account for disobedience of orders, in case the inferior became restive.I can scarcely be called settled yet in my new habitation as long as the General’s son is in possession of my proper room and as I am dependent upon John for most of my comforts. My mind too has scarcely become settled enough to write very coherently—You will consequently make allowances—The family are quite well, I found my mother much better than I expected but she can not bear the least fatigue.Give my love to all the members of your family / and believe your ever dutiful & affectionate Grandson

					Charles—


Title: From Louisa Catherine Johnson Adams to George Washington Adams, 13 August 1825
From: Adams, Louisa Catherine Johnson
To: Adams, George Washington

Washington 13 August 1825

We suffer too much from the heat my Dear George not to make allowance for your purisse but I am very glad to see that at least it does not affect your spirits or that the lovely brides (for brides you know must always be lovely old or young) have not produced a marrying mania and set you to seek too hartily for that which neither time nor care can ensure in its perfection—In the selection you may make there are a number of essentials to be considered and one perhaps not the least that you have a whimsical Mother to satisfy in regard to connection which is almost the only point in which she will interfere—Situated as your family now are this is a requisite and one which can never be overlooked without leading to misown the experience of which has been severely felt and must of necessity be avoided in future I could not help smiling to observe that although you mentioned the brides you gave me no insight into whom or what they might be but most certainly their flame must have been fully equal to the noon tide heat of our burning atmosphere to have induced them to enter the happy state of Matrimony at such a Season I hope the chill of autumn will not too rappidly quench their fever and that the highly philosophical or the niave bride may not be nipt by one of your untimely frosts ere the seeds have of happiness have garmed with fair prospects of a successful maturity—
The General has left us for a fortnight and we are once more at large for we have been as crowded as pigs in a pen ever since he honoured us with his company—having but seven bed room’s one of which contains three servants—
During his visit we have been overburthened with company of a ceremonious kind and I assure you it is quite a relief to have a few days rest our thermometer has never exceeded 95 but even with that degree we have been sufficiently preserved to give as a prospect of keeping well throughout the winter—
Washington never looked so badly as it does this Summer as there is not a vestige of grass and every thing is desolate—The Cattle wander about looking piteously as in the Months of February and  ribbed garments appear to be the order of the day from friend Mr. Hook dined with us yesterday the day before yesterday and I saw but little to admire in him except his profound silence—Mr Wingate however made up for this deficiency and after dinner our good General was so eloquent that I was half inclined to adopt your Cambridge fashion and ask him if he would let nobody speak but himself—dont be shocked for you know all subjects are made light by such a light mind as your Mothers—

L. C. Adams

remember me to Hariet who knows but that some of us may take a trip to Boston—But mum!—not a word—Oh Van Tromp! God bless Van Tromp! How characteristic!!!


Title: From John Adams to Charles Francis Adams, 17 August 1825
From: Adams, John
To: Adams, Charles Francis

my dear Grand Son Charles.
Quincy August 17th. 1825

I thank you for a very pleasant letter, and I supplicate a continuance of them—I have given up the hopes of seeing the family, or any part of it this Year—but when the Marquis is gone I hope to have letters from your Brother, John, and yourself, which will help to keep up my old spirits a little longer, my heart & wishes and Prayers are with you forever—We have nothing to tell you here but what you have heard. our Quincy has lost much of its Society, and much more are crumbling off the Stage—but we were not born to live eternally here, we contracted debts with nature many years ago and we must pay them sooner or later—
My love to Father & Mother and to your Brother John—I advise him, and you to become horsemen, to ride on horse back, to be able to mount your horses and ride off fifty or sixty miles a day. the effeminate youths of this Country will want to be good horse-men equerries you must not think of going to sleep—the times will require activity & agility as well as mind, remember that Mr. Jeffersons Horse has been his Physician all his Life and protracted him to this great age, as well as your Grand Father—
God Bless you, and keep you an immaculate Character / from your affectionate Grand Father
John Adams


Title: From John Quincy Adams to George Washington Adams, 18 August 1825
From: Adams, John Quincy
To: Adams, George Washington

				N. 10.
					My dear Son.
					Washington 18. August 1825

				Thomas J. Hellan is to be offered as a Candidate for admission at Harvard University this year—I wish you to give him all the assistance which he may need for that purpose, and to consider him as under your parental, or brotherly care—You will be one of his bondsmen and request my brother to be the other—You will attend to the payment of his quarterly bills, and other necessary expenses, keeping exact accounts of the same, and in all respects relating to his Education be unto him as a father.I am still expecting the list of your books, which very early in the course of last month you wrote me you would send me “the next week.”  I hope you have been so much occupied with the Books themselves, or with profitable business, that the delay has been unavoidable. I should write you at least once every week, if my time were at my own disposal, and I often, very often think how agreeable it would be to me to receive a Letter from you, though I might seldom be able to answer it—Your affectionate father

					J. Q. Adams.


Title: From Alexander Bryan Johnson to John Quincy Adams, 21 August 1825
From: Johnson, Alexander Bryan
To: Adams, John Quincy

					Sir
					Utica, August 21. 1825

				With a reluctance, commensurate with the liberty which I am taking, I am constrained, by obligations of friendship, to trespass one moment on your timeThe death of Judge Skinner, of the Northern District Court of New York, has lately been announced; & among the competitors, for the vacant office, is Nathan Williams Esqr. of this village. Mr. Williams is one of the circuit Judges of our State,—an office of nearly equal emolument & dignity with the one in question. Mr. Williams is about 50 years of age. He has employed his time in active professional duties; & he is confessedly qualified to fill with dignity & usefulness, the station to which he aspires.There is no man whose life is more unsullied, & whose integrity, & invariable rectitude are more undisputed. He has repeatedly, been a member of the State Legislature; & he was a conspicuous delegate in the convention, that framed our new constitution. He represented, in congress, our county District, when you were in the Senate; & thus possibly possesses the honor of your personal recollection. He was a volunteer, on the frontier, in the darkest period of the last war; & during its whole continuance, a zealous, & beneficial supporter of government. What persons & merits may compete with him, for the present office, I know not; but I am satisfied you will pardon me for presenting, in behalf of a highly esteemed friend & nieghbour, a narration which his enemies, (if he has any,) will admit to be correct.With the greatest respect, / I am Sir, / Your greatly obliged, / & very hemble St.

					A. B. Johnson


Title: From Louisa Catherine Johnson Adams to George Washington Adams, 22 August 1825
From: Adams, Louisa Catherine Johnson
To: Adams, George Washington

					Washington 22 August 1825

				I am very sorry to learn from your Letter to Charles my dear George that you had hurt your eye. I have certainly been suffering from sympathy for I never had such an inflamation in my eyes before in my life—We are again expecting the good General to take up his abode with us until his departure for France which I confess I shall hail with joy—I admire the old gentleman but no admiration can stand family discomfort and it is impossible to have him here without producing this effect in a great degree more especially as we are obliged to turn out of our beds to make room for him and his suite—He however is so pleased with his accomodations that he is very much inclined to stay with us and has already expressed a wish to delay the Vessel until the 10th. not a very delightful prospect for your brothers—John is to accompany him to the Vessel which is to take him up at Hampton-roadsAs we keep open house you may suppose the expense is very heavy our establishment always consisting of 16 servants is obliged to be enlarged to twenty and it has the bad effect to accustom us to a style superior to that which the Salary admits—Already we begin to have apprehensions concerning our expenses and we have the long Session of Congress in our viewWashington is certainly beginning to encrease for the demand of Houses is such that they cannot be found in the place—The Minister from the Netherlands is much distressed for a mansion and there is some talk of his going to reside in PhiladelphiaMr Vaughn has arrived but when he was presented I declined seeing him having received no orders for I am determined to keep myself in the back ground on all occasions as I observe a great sensitiveness on this subject—Mr Shaaff and Miss Forsyth were married last week the father I presume could not remain inflexible—and the happy lovers are blessed for a little month and then I suppose as usual will wish they were unloosed from the iron chain of matrimony—Our young Ladies are going this morning to pay their respects and congratulations—Mr Clay has just arrived and only heard of the death of his daughter a few miles before he got to the City—I have not seen him—Mr & Mrs. Rush are  elegant very courteous and attentive—We are all tolerably well John much better but these Georgia affairs seem to hang on your fathers spirits and are likely to prevent his visit to the North this Season as well as that of your affectionate Mother

					L. C. Adams


Title: From Louisa Catherine Johnson Adams to George Washington Adams, 4 September 1825
From: Adams, Louisa Catherine Johnson
To: Adams, George Washington

					Washington 4 Septbr. 1825

				As you know me to be an Amateur of the horrible incidents of  human Tragedy if my Dear George you will not be surprized at receiving some lines written by me on a melancholy event which recently took place in the City—The Actors were in a middling class of society and the circumstance has died away like the poor miserable victims of passion with out eliciting a remark excepting from the levity of some unprincipled puppy in Rinds paper who  has some common place jest upon dieing for love—My idea is altogether different as I believe her death was caused by the dread of sinking deeper into vice and the shame of returning to her friends in her already degraded state—The poor creature an Irish Girl respectably connected She was seduced by Kinchy with whom she lived in the capacity of housekeeper and in the constant hope that he would marry her when to the poor Girls utter horror and consternation he married a very pretty young girl after this woman had made her first attempt to destroy herself by drinking Laudanum—By timely aid she was saved but on the night of the Wedding she took a large dose of Quick Silver and died in dreadful agonies.—I saw her remains borne to the Grave without a friend perhaps without a pitying tear to mourn her dreadful fate and my whole soul shuddered at the idea of his revelling in all the enjoyments of life while she was gone to give her last account with the dire crime of suicide upon her head—I am no poet and the lines I know are very bad but I have endeavoured to portray the effect of strong passion and hopeless despair—You might write something better—It has only offered itself to me as the occupation of a few vacant hours passed in consequence of sickness in my chamber and a vacant mind catches at straws—I have represented her in a state of insanity with partial gleams of reason—Nobody has seen them as I am always ashamed of these efforts—The Suicide.The Night was drear, all Nature hush’dIn sombrous silence clad,The breeze low moaning gently rush’dIn whisper’d murm’ring sadThe Clock toll’d twelve! each hollow strokePeal’d forth its lengthen’d sound,Mary; to death’s last struggle wokeHalf frantic gazed around—“Am I then doom’d! she wildly cried,Illusive hopes no more return,He revels with his lovely brideWhile I a wretch am left to mourn—Forlorn, deserted, lost, beguil’d,In anguish must I weep?Become alas sad, misery’s childThro’ sorrows path’s to creep?“Can nought assuage keen mem’ry’s pangs?Why throbs my panting breast?Distraction! loose thy gory fangsOh leave my soul at rest—Ye hellish fiends avaunt, forbearNor goad me to the crime.What? must I then my Soul forswearAnd sink to endless time?She siezed the Cup and madly quaff’dWith frenzy’s shriek of joyThe fatal foul lethean draughtFull poisen’d to destroy.The liquid fire like lightning flewThe with’ring blast assails each partCold shiv’rings rack, and deaths chill dewSteals imperceptibly the heartThe parching thirst, excrusiate painSieze on the chaos of the brainTill nature spent exhausted liesPants, roll’s in agony, and dies!!!Poor hapless Maid! in passions strifeHadst thou no soothing guide?Did not the Christian’s hope in lifeTeach thee where to confide?Tis God ne’er fails us in our needHe soothes our greatest painIn thought, in act, in word, in deedWe never  seek in vain—The tear drop that bedews her graveWill insense pure ariseTo him whose arm alone can saveEnthron’d above the Skies.The verse if such it can be called you will observe is very unequal but I have thought it more suitable to the story as expressive of en that derangement of mind and that strength of despair which is beyond the reach of rules—You have so many pleasant correspondents that there is no need of my giving you any news I shall therefore only assure you of the constant affection of your Mother

					L C Adams


Title: To John Adams from Charles Francis Adams, 4 September 1825
From: Adams, Charles Francis
To: Adams, John

					My dear Grandfather.
					Washington September 4th. 1825.

				It was an unexpected pleasure which I received in your letter of the 17th. of last month, as I had not calculated upon your making such an exertion merely for me. If by writing I can do aught to amuse you a moment I shall think that I am well repaid but my vanity was not so great as to desire an answer, however gratified I may have been at receiving one.The General La Fayette is near on his last visit to us—On Friday he had an evening drawing room and next week there will be a good deal of parade upon his leaving us, Tuesday being his birth day, my father gives a great dinner, which will be a formal, disagreable, dull affair and Wednesday a grand procession in taking leave. This is not so agreable to me, who have the family antipathy to fuss. This has induced me to decline a polite invitation from the Secretary of the Navy to go down to the Brandywine which my brother has accepted. And it is the cessation of this which makes me look to the General’s departure with so much pleasure.I am very willing to follow your good advice with respect to riding on horseback. But I have a most invincible fondness for my neck as it is, and not as it might be if I tried the horses of this district—My father is anxious to obtain a well broken, easy horse for himself but it is doubtful whether such there is and as to John’s taste which has filled our stables it materially differs from mine or my father’s. If I could once obtain a sight however of a good animal nothing would gratify me more than riding in this way. At Cambridge during the Spring, I acquired a great taste for it.Commencement I presume is pretty quietly over and my Class has broken it’s connection with the old and venerable institution. I wish them well, but do not regret my absence in the least. Thetruth  and  senseof one of those scenes was always sickening to me and my ties were not strong enough to make me feel the seperation—I presume I have obtained my Degree and now Cambridge remains in my memory only as a thing that was. My new amatines in the law are just announced and obtain more of my attention than many of my College studies. In this age of utility, I have been led most namely to question what is useful in early studies and to seperate what I should study from what was not necessary. Perhaps I was wrong but this was what directed me at Cambridge and what directs me now. Judgement is not to be passed for years.The family are well, with the exception of my Mother who has been indisposed but has become better, they still talk of a visit to the North, but I can say nothing decisive on the subject. I shall keep bachelor’s hall if they do go, with becoming dignity, and if not I shall be rejoiced to have them at home—Thus you see if you gain, I lose and so I am bound to be in the contrary side as far as my influence goes. but if I had any I would willingly use it to obtain what would afford you pleasure—I remain etc /  Your dutiful & affectionate Grandson

					Charles—


Title: From Marie-Joseph-Paul-Yves-Roch-Gilbert du Motier, marquis de Lafayette to Mary Catherine Hellen Adams, 6 September 1825
From: Lafayette, Marie-Joseph-Paul-Yves-Roch-Gilbert du Motier, marquis de
To: Adams, Mary Catherine Hellen

					Washington September 6th 1825

				On this Sad time of My departure I find a Consolation, My dear Miss Hellen, in Expressing the Grateful Sense I Shall ever Retain of Your kindness to Me, and the Affectionate Wishes for Your Happiness, Which an old friend Entering His 69th Year most Cordially Offers

					Lafayette—


Title: From Louisa Catherine Johnson Adams to George Washington Adams, 11 September 1825
From: Adams, Louisa Catherine Johnson
To: Adams, George Washington

					Washington 11 Septbr. 1825

				You will be quite worn out my dear George with my would be poetic effusions; but as I told you in my last I know that the événemens de tout les jours are so well and so constantly sent to you by your brother, I have nothing left but to send you the singular scraps of my folly elicited occasionally by unlooked for circumstancesOn the departure of General Lafayette from our own house I felt prompted to express my parting wishes in his own language and I scrawled some lines full of errors of grammer and  orthography which however your father thought worthy of correction and which were received with much indulgence not as an act of merit but as a wish to please—I believe I am very unlike most people for although I was half pleased with my performance at first I now feel quite ashamed of the offeringLes Adieux de Madame Adamsau General LafayetteTu va partir, t’a société chérieNous est ravi, helas! c’est pour toujours;Mais de retour dans ta belle patrieOu les plaisirs renaissent tout les joursNe nous oublié pas.Quand arrivé au sein de ta familleLe bonheur meme s’exprime par la voix,Autour de toi la douce affection brille,Dans ton Chateau au centre de les boisNe nous oublié pas
				Que le bonheur soit ton heureux partageToute une Nation à su te révérer;Que tes Enfans soit fiers de l’heritageDu nom superbe que tu leur va laisserEt ne nous oublie pas.
				Dors doucement, bercé dans ta viellesseJouis toujours du calme de la vie,Loin de ce monde enchanté par l’yvresse,Ah. que ton ame par notre amour suivieNe nous oublié pas.The last line of the last verse is your fathers all the others are my own as you will readily percieve— its a great secret I mention to you that there is some talk of a journey to Boston in the course of a week but at present there is nothing decided excepting that if Elizabeth goes on she must come back again to your affectionate Mother
					L C Adams.


Title: From John Adams to Ward Nicholas Boylston, 22 September 1825
From: Adams, John
To: Boylston, Ward Nicholas

my dear Cousin
Quincy Sept 22—1825

I am suffering under a bitter repentance in neglecting to write & thank you for your last kind letter & for the valuable present of Cider whose only fault is that too good I am obliged to mix more than half water with it—
I begin to look forward with great delight to the prospect of your return to Roxbury with Mrs Boylston, hoping that you both will come and see me before I go hence, to be seen here no more—The old men in this Town go off very fast this year—and lately two, one of whom was 90—and the other 93.—we have lately lost younger and agreeable neighbours—Mr. & Mrs. Apthorp, and my old Neighbour Cap. Beale and his Daughter—
I hope your lofty Mountains are more salubrious—Edmund Quincy was kind enough to tell me he had made you a visit lately, and although you had been unwell he informed me that you were then pritty well—
If I knew what more to say to you, I would give you a longer letter, but my means of filling a letter are as poor and faint as my health—
There is a mighty fuss & noise about J. Q. A. comeing to see me but I have no foundation for it—The nations quest is half way to Europe at this time for what I know and may he have pleasant gales all the way—
my kind regards to Mrs. Boylston—
I am and ever shall be, your / most affectionate / and obliged friend

John Adams


Title: From Ward Nicholas Boylston to John Quincy Adams, 4 October 1825
From: Boylston, Ward Nicholas
To: Adams, John Quincy

					My ever Dear Friend
					Princeton Octr. 4th 1825

				You can hardly conceive the dissappointment and regret I felt from the Information I rec’d from my beloved Friend your Father of the 22d Ultimo, that he had no expectation of your being able to leave Washington this season,—two days after my despondency was dispel’d by the Public prints announcing your arrival at Philadelphia on your route to Quincy, in this however there was great alloy at hearing my Dear Mrs Adams was so much Indisposed as to be obliged to call in Medical aid, and you was obliged to leave her there  under the care of her Physicians. a Letter of the 29th from Mr G W A has releived that on  anxiety by assureing me that she was so far convalescent as to be able to continue her journey and was expected, under the escort of his Brother Mr J A in a few days—I most ardently wish it was in my power to leave this place to meet there, but my days are mearly spent & with its concometant Infirmities will not permit me to make any sudden movement, I have only to dwell for the present on the Solitary hope that you & Mrs Adams & your Sons may be able to Indulge us with a visit here on your return to Washington. There shall be no difficulties in the way to obstruct your Conveyance to any point you may direct your Route to that place, my carriage for yourselves and attendant traveling Waggon to convey your Baggage &c shall be at your disposal, if it be possible for you to make this Deviation from your direct Course, which at most cant exceed two days journey—I wish you could grant me this favour, as perhaps at my age I have less expectation of ever enjoying the Happiness that both Mrs Bolyston & myself crave of your indulgence—I wish also I could be favor’d with a line to say on what day we may expect the pleasure of seeing you—A Letter I rec’d yesterday from Mr I P Davis inform’d me he had had an opportunity of seeing you at Mr Quincys in company with Mr Stuart, & that you had consented to set to  him for your full Length portrait four days this week, for which you cannot conceave half the pleasure it convey’d to me, or the obligations I owe you for this condescension to my long and fervent pititions for this object of my wishes, and do hope that Mr S will go on with diligent and unremitting labour to finish it before the end of the year—I shall Lament him as the evil spirit did Saul, and employ the energies of Mr I P Davis who has great influence with him to get it out of his hands into mine with as few past offs as possible—In the future disposition of it with that of my beloved Friend your Fathers, I shall consult you if I live to see Yours compleatedInclosed is an English News paper, I found among others sent me, which perhaps has not fallen under your reading, containing your own & General Jackson’s characters contrasted, by the British Editors on the arrival of the news of your Election to the Presidency—I beg you to assure your Dr. Father that I will answer his kind Letter by next post, also will reply to Mr G W A’s at same timeWith the anxious hope of soon seeing you & Mrs Adams with Mr J Adams & likewise  Mr G W A if his Bussiness will allow him to make the excursion, also Mr C A, if he is with you—In the Interim Mrs Boylston requests her respectfull & kindest remembrances to you and unites with me in the most affectionate regards to Mrs Adams, also to the Ex President and the junior branches of your family—With our respects to Judge & Mrs Adams & family / I am / my ever kind Friend /  your ever obliged and / affectionate relative

					Ward Nichs Bolyston


Title: From John Quincy Adams to Ward Nicholas Boylston, 9 October 1825
From: Adams, John Quincy
To: Boylston, Ward Nicholas

					My dear Sir.
					Boston 11. September 1823

				Mindful of the  very kind invitation of Mrs Boylston and of yourself, and of our own earnest inclination and promise, Mrs Adams and I propose to visit you at Princeton the next week—we hope to reach your house on Friday the 19th. and to pass the Sunday with you—The only intreaty which I permit myself to make of you, is that you will receive us as children of your own family, to the exclusion of all Notice of us, other than of the many friends, who from this quarter avail themselves in like manner of your friendly hospitality—I regret that my father’s infirm state, will prevent him from going with us.I am faithfully and affectionately yours

					John Quincy Adams


Title: From Charles Francis Adams to Louisa Catherine Johnson Adams, 13 October 1825
From: Adams, Charles Francis
To: Adams, Louisa Catherine Johnson

					My dear Mother.
					Washington October 13th: 1825.

				You will by this time (I hope), have obtained some days of rest after the fatigue of your journey. I have been extremely afraid of the effect of it upon you before you started but am in hopes now that the change once obtained will be of some service. How long you will remain under the present circumstances, I am unable to guess but I should scarcely imagine that a sudden return however desirable to us would be of any advantage to you. Remain until you feel perfectly confident of your strength to return.My life has been exactly what I expected, a very pleasant one, I am one of those people who believe that employment is the sovereign remedy for all evils and accordingly pursue it, so much indeed that I have only seen Mary two or three times and been to my Uncles’ once or twice each. Johnson is now with me, after his defeat, which he bears with considerable fortitude; I am mere convinced than ever that active employment is the only and proper remedy for him as his health has certainly improved in spite of the drinking Whisky with the Sovereign people, a shocking annoyance to him, you know. We have been much amused within two days by the unexpected marriage of Miss Anne Sewall. After having been on the brink of matrimony  with Mr Plater as you know, he backed out to use a genteel expression,  upon the announcement of a settlement which was to secure her forty thousand (she undoubtedly has as much) to herself, she decamped one day from Mrs Freeman’s, to Mrs Stone’s, and in a day or two became a Mrs Stone. It appears that she was very indifferent as to the husband’s name or quality but by no means so to the man. This has furnished matter for the whole town to talk about very luckily happening, to relieve our conversation which was running as low as the Tiber during this dry weather.The house appears to be the great show and crowds of people come here to wonder. I found myself in such danger of becoming nothing more than an explaining puppet, that I was obliged to intimate pretty strongly that I was not to be called in, and that Mr John Freeman otherwise called among us John–Porter, was to be my acting substitute. The bricklayers and upholsterers have been provoking me also for some days past, but order is gradually returning, to remain I hope for sometime, as I do most  vehemently dislike such anarchy and chaos even when it produces more beauty.We all go along admirably here, notwithstanding, Dr Huntt is almost in despair and to drive off the unusual quantity of time in his hands, is more attentive than ever to the ladies. I regret exceedingly however to be obliged to announce  a dreadful fright we had last week. Booth was thought to have been going into a rapid decline, a galloping consumption, and William came to me  almost in despair about him. I thought I perceived a hectic flush about his eyes and was in terrible grief. He has of late considerably recovered however and is very busily employed in his usual occupation.I regret to say that your house still remains empty. I have had only two applications and they did not offer to take it. One of them politely offered to occupy it for two months without charge and I politely said Good bye. Mary attends Houston’s wedding which happens next week. She is still at Mrs Ramsay’s as Aunt Frye has lost almost all her domestic establishment at once. Joshua Boyd is here waiting orders. He comes and plays billiards with me sometimes. He is anxious to see you. The family are well.Johnson says he misses you very much, I am afraid he feels more dull here than he will confess. I am necessarily so much separated from him during the day. We all wish to see the family together again and to see you again safely established in your comfortable quarters, and this is most ardently the desire of your dutiful & affectionate Son
					Charles.


Title: From Edward Everett to George Washington Adams, 17 October 1825
From: Everett, Edward
To: Adams, George Washington

					Dear Sir,
					Oct 17th. 1825

				I will thank you to Send Me by the bearer the diplomas of the American Academy of Arts & Sciences of which We Spoke at Mr Lloyd’s. If they do Not happen to be in Your Keeping may I trouble You to let me know when I shall send for them.Your friend & Servant

					Edward Everett