Adams Family Correspondence, volume 15
We have not a printer in Boston who gives us any of the debates in
either house of Congress: I have seen the National intelligencer for a few weeks past. I
there read the debate which I presume was the cause of Dr Eustice writing to mr Jos Hall
the following, “You will probably have heard of the bold an independant manner in which
J Q A. voted away from his party, having gained credit with
us, it is to be expected he will proportionably lose with them”1 When I wrote You last Sunday I did not mention
this in my Letter—2 I only observed, that
[I] was sure you would as much as possible keep your mind free [fro]m party influence,
and vote as your conscience aided by your judgement should dictate, and tho upon some
occasions I might think Your Vote would have been different, it is 311
312 impossible to judge accurately, because we see not
the reasons causes which have opperated, towards
the decision— I did not however so soon expect to see dr Eustices observation verified—
You will see read in Ben Russels centinal of
Saturday the 10th an extract of a Letter from Washington to the Editor; Who the writer
is I know not, But the Letter is evidently intended to convey an Idea that you was
attaching yourself to the Majority, and with the Notes of admiration & the Lattin
quotation.3 I do not like this Stabing
in the dark Russel publishes, but takes care to omit the debate—which gave occasion to
the Motion: You will proceed in a consistant uniform tenor of conduct, regardless of the
goads & Stings you will have to encounter—
Your Brother has this moment arrived— I must quit my pen to welcome him. we are all well
Your affectionate Mother
RC (Adams Papers). Some loss of text due to the placement of the seal.
JQA’s 3 Nov. speech during the Senate debate over
funding the Louisiana Purchase was printed in the Washington, D.C., National Intelligencer, 25 Nov., and reprinted in the
Boston Gazetteer, 14 December. The response that
AA noted by Massachusetts congressman William Eustis was echoed
elsewhere. On 10 Dec. Boston lawyer Joseph Hall wrote to JQA (Adams Papers), supporting JQA’s
stance but cautioning that the Federalist stalwarts would disapprove. JQA
in his 20 Dec. reply to Hall defended his actions and declared a lack of surprise at
the criticism: “When I accepted the station I hold, it was not with the expectation of
giving satisfaction at all times to all my constituents.— I expected to be often
censured & from various & opposite quarters” (MHi:Misc. Bound Coll.).
AA to JQA, 3 Dec., above.
The Boston Columbian Centinel, 10
Dec., printed an anonymous letter criticizing JQA’s actions in the
Louisiana debate and inaccurately predicting that he would join Democratic-Republicans
in voting for the 12th Amendment. The article included an extract from Virgil, Aeneid, Book II, lines 6 and 8. JQA soon
learned that the writer was Massachusetts representative William Stedman, for which
see William Smith Shaw to
JQA, 7 Jan. 1804, and note 1, below.