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Browsing: Adams Family Correspondence, Volume 2
Docno: ADMS-04-02-02-0298
Recipient: Lovell, James
Date: 1777-12-15
Abigail Adams to James Lovell
[dateline] [Braintree, ca. 15 December 1777]
[salute] Dear Sir
Your Letters arrived in the absence of Mr. Adams who is gone as far as Portsmouth,
little thinking of your plot against him.1
O Sir you who are possessd of Sensibility, and a tender Heart, how could you contrive
to rob me of all my happiness?
I can forgive Mr. Geary because he is a Stranger to domestick felicity and knows no
tenderer attachment than that which he feel[s] for his Country, tho I think the Stoickism which every Batchelor discovers ought
to be attributed to him as a fault.
He may retort upon me and ask if in such an Instance as this he is not the happier
Man of the two, for tho destitute of the highest felicity in life he is not exposed
to the keen pangs which attend a Seperation from our dear connexions. This is reasoning
like a Batchelor still.
Desire him from me to make trial of a different Situation and then tell me his Sentiments.
But you Sir I can hardly be reconciled to you, you who so lately { 371 } experienced what it was to be restored to your family after a painfull absence from
it, and then in a few weeks torn from it by a call from your Country. You disinterestedly
obeyed the Summons. But how could you so soon forget your sufferings and place your
Friend in a more painfull situation considering the Risk and hazard of a foreign voyage.
I pittied the conflict I saw in your mind, and tho a Stranger to your worthy partner
sympathized with her and thought it cruel in your Friends to insist upon such a Sacrifice.
I know Sir by this appointment you mean the publick good, or you would not thus call
upon me to sacrifice my tranquility and happiness.
The deputing my Friend upon so important an Embassy is a gratefull proof to me of
the esteem of his Country. Tho I would not wish him to be less deserving I am sometimes
almost selfish enough to wish his abilities confind to private life, and the more
so for that wish is according with his own inclinations.
I have often experienced the want of his aid and assistance in the last 3 years of
his absence and that Demand increases as our little ones grow up 3 of whom are sons
and at this time of life stand most in need of the joint force of his example and
precepts.
And can I Sir consent to be seperated from him whom my Heart esteems above all earthly
things, and for an unlimited time? My life will be one continued scene of anxiety
and apprehension, and must I cheerfully comply with the Demand of my Country?
I know you think I ought, or you [would]2 not have been accessary to the Call.
I have improved this absence to bring my mind to bear the Event with fortitude and
resignation, tho I own it has been at the expence both of food and rest.
I beg your Excuse Sir for writing thus freely, it has been a relief to my mind to
drop some of my sorrows through my pen, which had your Friend been present would have
been poured only into his bosome.
Accept my sincere wishes for your welfare and happiness and Rank among the Number
of your Friend[s], Your Humble Servant,
[signed] AA
Dft (Adams Papers); undated; at head of text in JQA's hand: “to James Lovell,” to which CFA added: “1778.”
1.
“I am charged by all those who are truly anxious here for the best prosperity of our
affairs in France to press your acceptance of the Commission which has this day been
voted you. The great sacrifices which you have made of private { 372 } happiness has encouraged them to hope you will undertake this new business. As one
I hope that you will not allow the consideration of your partial defect in the Language
to weigh any thing, when you surmount others of a different nature. Doctor Franklin's
Age allarms us. We want one man of inflexible Integrity on that Embassy. . . . You
see I am ripe in hope about your acceptance, however your dear amiable Partner may
be tempted to condemn my Persuasions of you to distance yourself from her farther
than Baltimore or York Town. [¶] Great as Brother Geary's hurry is he threatens to take his Pen in hand because I
am not enough urgent with you; he feels all the Callosity of a Bachelor. I am but
too ready to pardon his hard heartedness on this occasion where the eminent Interest
of my Country is pleaded in excuse for him.” (James Lovell to JA, undated, but undoubtedly written on 28 Nov. 1777, Adams Papers.)
On 28 Nov. Henry Laurens, recently elected John Hancock's successor as president of
the Continental Congress, wrote JA enclosing “an extract from the Minutes of Congress” in Charles Thomson's hand (letter
and enclosure in Adams Papers), as follows:
[dateline] “In Congress Novr. 28. 1777
“Congress proceeded to the election of a commissioner at the court of France in the
room of S. Deane esqr. and the ballots being taken
“John Adams esqr. was elected
Extract from the minutes
[signed] Charles Thomson secy”
Though the Journal is, as usual, uninformative, it is known that the nomination of
JA was made by Elbridge Gerry, who told Congress that he had sounded out JA on the subject before the latter left York. In a letter to JA of 29 Sept. 1779 (Adams Papers; printed in JA's Works, 9:491–496), Gerry told JA some of the story behind the nomination and the vote, which was between JA and Robert R. Livingston, who had been nominated by the New York delegates. By marking
a copy of the Journals for 1777, called Volume III, just printed by Dunlap in Philadelphia, Gerry signified
to JA who had voted for him (and by implication who had not). This marked copy is among
JA's books in the Boston Public Library (shelfmark 200.1, vol. 3; see p. 547 therein).
CFA recorded Gerry's tabulation of the vote in a note in JA's Works, 9:492. See also note 3 on JA to AA, 15 Dec., below.
2. This word editorially supplied.
Docno: ADMS-04-02-02-0299
Recipient: Roberdeau, Daniel
Date: 1777-12-15
Abigail Adams to Daniel Roberdeau
[dateline] [Braintree, ca. 15 December 1777]
[salute] Dear Sir
Your obliging favour came to hand yesterday in the absence of my dearest Friend, and
as he will not I fear reach home before tis too late to write by the post, or this
conveyance, I have venturd to take up the pen least you should accuse him of neglect
or inattention.1
I have been the more readily induced to write as it gives me an opportunity of acknowledging
with gratitude the many civilities which Mr. Adams assures me he received from you
and your worthy Sisters whilst he was an inmate in your family.
Be pleased Sir to acquaint them that I shall ever retain a gratefull Sence of their
kindness.
The fresh instance of your regard to my worthy partner, and the honour conferd upon
him by the important Embassy to which you have deputed him, together with the Sympathy
you discover for his { 373 } domestick happiness demands my warmest acknowledgments, tho I feel that the distinction
given him by his Country must be at the expence of my present tranquility and happiness.
Taught both by his precept and example to sacrifice every private view to the publick
good, ought I to say that I fear he will not be able to withstand the solicitations
of his Friends upon this occassion, tho his partial knowledg of the Language will
be an objection with him.
O Sir you who know as my dear Mr. Adams has informd me by melancholy experience, what
it is to be seperated from one of the worthyest of women, and the dearest connexion
in life, will forgive me when I say this is the hardest conflict I ever endured.
Danger and hazard, fear and anxiety will ever be uppermost in my mind, tho I have
made use of his absence to prepare my mind for what I apprehend must take place least
I should unnecessaryly embarras him.
I could easily su[r] mount the Dangers of the Sea and every other impediment, provided his tenderness
would suffer me to accompany him.
At present he knows nothing of the appointment as the Presidents and all other Letters
have come to my hand in his absence.
I shall endeavour as much as posible to leave him free to act <for himself> as he thinks best.
My most respectfull regards to Mrs. Climer and Roberdeau whom Mr. Adams always speaks
of with the affection of a Brother. Love to Miss Nancy and the other little folks
whose Names I have forgot. I must beg your Excuse for troubling you with this Epistle,
and ask leave to subscribe myself your obliged Friend,
[signed] AA
Dft (Adams Papers); undated; at head of text in CFA's hand: “Jany. 1778.”
1.
“Your domestick views of happiness was not consulted on this occasion, but the necessity
of your Country for your Talents, which being devoted to her service, I expect a chearful
acquiescence with a call so honorable, which I doubt not will prove a lasting honor
to you and your Connections as well as a blessing to these States. . . . I wish you
had improved the opportunity when here of studying the French language, which our
friend Mr. Garry is now doing. I would advise your taking french books with you and
a french Companion, and if an Opportunity does not immediately present from Boston
a trip to the West Indies and a passage in a french vessel to Paris would be of considerable
advantage” (Roberdeau to JA, “York Town,” Penna., 28 Nov. 1777, 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, 2017.
http://www.masshist.org/apde2/
http://www.masshist.org/apde2/