close
John Adams to Abigail Adams
Docno: AFC05d055
Recipient: AA
Date: 1783-02-18
[dateline] Paris Feb. 18. 1783
[salute] My dearest Friend
The Peace, which Sets the rest of the World at Ease, increases, I think my Perplexities and Anxiety. I have written to Congress a Resignation, but I foresee there will not be a Speedy decision upon it, and I Shall be left in a State of Suspence that will be intolerable. Foreseeing this,1 I am determined not to wait for an Acceptance of my Resignation, but to come home without it, provided it does not arrive in a reasonable Time.
Dont think therefore of coming to Europe. If you do We Shall cross each other, and I shall arrive in America about the Same time that you may arrive in Europe.
I Shall certainly return home in the Spring. With or without Leave, Resignation accepted or not, home I will come, So you have nothing to do but wait to receive, your obl Friend
[signed] J. Adams
1. From this point on the letter repeats verbatim an entire letter of the same date which is not printed here. In fact, JA sent a third letter on this day, explaining that he was taking advantage of several opportunities to inform AA of his determination to come home. This last added a further thought: “I Shall arrange all the Affairs of the public that I have any Relation to in such a manner that nothing can Suffer, by my Absence untill another Minister shall arrive in my place” (both Adams Papers).
Cite web page as: Founding Families: Digital Editions of the Papers of the Winthrops and the Adamses, ed.C. James Taylor. Boston: Massachusetts Historical Society, 2007.
http://www.masshist.org/ff/
http://www.masshist.org/ff/