5 Dec. 1812
Original paper slip text:5 Dec. 1812.
Quincy
Original paper slip text:Quincy
Unable to lookup name for quincy.4 p.
- Offered for sale in July 2024 by Heritage Auctions.- MKM, GKF 11/10/25
- ALS offered for sale, Item # 33354, Gallery of History. Las Vegas, July 1993.
- ALS offered for sale by Sotheby Parke Bernet, Sale #4179, Nov. 14, 1978 (from P. D. Sang Foundation).
- ALs sold, Parke-Bernet, Sale No. 2235, lot. 1, 3 Dec. 1963.
- 1. ADAMS, JOHN. A.L.s., 3 pp., 4to; Quincy, 5 Dec. 1812. To his son-in-law, Col. William S. Smith, then standing for Congress. With integral address leaf, franked. Small defect; inlaid. (Plumley)
- He writes that it is of little use to "ruminate upon" past blunders of the Revolution or later unless we learn from those experiences. "There are some truths in which every American Citizen ought by this time to agree: one of which is, that we ought from hence-forward forever, at all hazards and at any expense, to erect and maintain an irresistable Superiority of Naval Power upon all the Lakes and Water Communications: Unless both Nations will stipulate that neither shall have a single cannon afloat upon any of them. Another is that we ought to direct our most strenuous efforts . . . to the Establishment and Maintenance of a naval Power sufficient to protect our commerce, our Atlantic Frontier and the Mississippi River."
- After some political commentary, he hopes for the success of American commanders "but my palsied Nerves quake for fear." Whoever is elected, Madison or Clinton, deserves to be pitied. However, he sees a dishonorable peace with England as disastrous and probably involving us in a war with France. In the current confusion, he has little to recommend but prayer.
- In a curious postscript he alludes to the "imposing countenance" of an unnamed individual. "There is, they say, an intrepidity of Face, and a magick in the Eye of some serpents, which fascinates birds . . . I have seen it in one Instance, where you hint that you have seen it. If you ever saw Silas Deane you must have seen it in great perfection."
- Information transferred from multiple blue slips now deleted. ER 12/08/2015
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