Adams Papers Digital Edition

Adams Family Correspondence, volume 10

Abigail Adams to John Quincy Adams

Abigail Adams to Thomas Boylston Adams
John Adams to Abigail Adams, 10 February 1795 Adams, John Adams, Abigail
John Adams to Abigail Adams
My dearest Friend Phil. Feb. 10. 1795

I was not disappointed Yesterday, for the Post brought me your Letter of January. and I was relieved from an heavy Burthen of 376 anxiety On Account of Nabby by a Letter from Charles assuring me that she was much better and thought to be out of Danger.1 Your Gratitude for the kind Protection of Providence to your Family is as natural as it is pious. Few Families have oftener been at hazard, and fewer still have been so uniformly blessed with Protection, safety and Success. To look back and recollect the Adventures of myself and my Wife and Daughter and sons, I see a kind of Romance, which, a little Embellished with Fiction or Exageration or only poetical ornament, would equal any Thing in the Days of Chivalry or Knight Errantry.

Your Farmers Register is very Satisfactory. It is a great deal of Work to take Care of such stocks of Cattle and a great Quantity of other service cannot be expected of Joy & shaw, who have no Boys. I hope, Our shaw makes James and Prince assist him. I am sure they ought.

The inclosed Slip will shew you that Poor Jay has a fiery ordeal to go through—2 His Treaty dont arrive and I will not wait for it beyond the fourth of March— When I negotiated Treaties I sent Copies by five ships—or rather five Originals for I had so many executed.

I am very much afraid of this Treaty, but this is in Confidence.

with never ceasing Affection / Adieu

RC (Adams Papers); endorsed: “Febry 10 1795.”

 1.

AA to JA, [post 28] Jan., above.

 2.

Enclosure not found but possibly from the Philadelphia Aurora General Advertiser, which between 6 and 10 Feb. published several comments regarding the treaty, most of which condemned it. On 6 Feb. one writer stated, “the treaty does not deserve a day of thanksgiving; for it appears that America has lost more than she has gained by it.” On 9 Feb. another contributor claimed that a treaty with Great Britain was “impracticable,” and the following day John Jay’s diplomatic mission was called “unconstitutional.”