Adams Family Correspondence, volume 8
th:1787.
If it should be convenient to you, I would be obliged to you for a supply of money. I endeavour to avoid all expences, but such as are really necessary; yet I am not only exhausted, but somewhat in 209debt.— I can scarcely tell how the money goes, but I have an account of all my expences, which assures me that none has been lost.
Your brother informs me that it will be more convenient for him to take an order for what I am indebted to him, and therefore I have not paid him. He has also some money for you, which he has offered me, and if I should take it the amount of the order will, I imagine be about £.7.
I am not in immediate want of a supply from you, especially if I should take the additional sum from your brother. but for the sake of having money at hand, I should be glad to receive it as soon as you can make it perfectly convenient to send.
Respectfully your's
RC (Adams Papers); addressed: “Honble: Cotton Tufts Esqr: / Weymouth.”; endorsed:
“John Adams Jun / Decr 9. 1787”; notation: “To be left
with the / other letter.”
r.18. 1787.
The System of Government reported by the late Continental Convention has afforded much
Matter for Pens and Tongues— The Friends & opposers of it are distinguished by the
Party names of Federalists & Antifederalists— These Names I suspect will continue as
long as Whig & Tory— which of the Parties will carry their Point, is difficult to
say— Many of the Advocates for the Constitution are enthusiastic open & severe in
their Attacks upon all that oppose it, those on the other Side act more secretly, but
with great Success— A prevailing Sense of present Weakness & Danger for want of an
efficient Government together with the Fear of having one that shall be the Result of
Force, will probably reconcile many to this, who would otherwise be decidedly against
it— The Choice of Delegates (for our State Convention) in the County of Suffolk &
Essex so far as they have proceeded, has in general fallen on the most respectable
Characters The Town of Braintree, has done itself Honour in the Choice of Bror Cranch & the Revd. Mr Wibirt— also there are some of the first Characters from
other Parts of the Country— Newyork is said to be opposed to this Plan—and have not as
yet called a Convention— Pensylvania is said to have met & adopted it—1 The Determination of all the States will not
probably be had in a less Term than a Year till which Time We must wait with
Patience—
In a former Letter I informed You of the Death of our worthy Uncle— I am exceedingly
grieved to find that his Estate is in Danger of being represented Insolvent, in
Consequence of the Deprciation of our public Securities— To the House of Champion &
Dickenson he was indebted & made Remittances during the War to the amount of £10 or
11000, (Scarce any other Merchant made Remittances during that Time) he sent to Europe
Two Vessells, which had they not been taken, would have discharged his whole Debt now
amounting to £6, or, 7000 Sterlg— discouraged in his
attempts he vested this Money in public Securities for the purpose of answering that
Debt whenever Peace should arrive— Was that Debt to be paid in the public Notes left on
Hand—at nominal Value—there would still remain on hand some Estate to be divided among
the Children but if the Demand be made in Specie only—the whole real Estate must be
sold— other Debts against the Estate are but small— Forty years Business he carried on
with that House—and to such an Amount—as they must have made an Estate from it—and I
hope they will have goodness enough to make a reasonable Composition, since like an
honest Man He did the best that lay in his Power to secure their Interest—
The Town of Boston entertained an high Esteem of the deceased and as a Mark of their
Respect, have chosen his Son William as his Successor in the office of Overseer of the
Poor. for a Time before his Fathers Death, He married to a Daughter of Mr Nathl Carter. of Newbury Port,
to the great Delight of his Connections— Our Cousin Isaac not long since was appointed
Librarian to our University— Mr. Otis is gone (a Member of
Congress) to New York— His Wife last week brought him a Daughter—
At Weymouth We have ordained a Mr Norton and are I think
happy in our Choice— Hingham has settled a Mr. Ware.
Scituate a Mr. Dawes in the Parish formerly Revd. Mr. Grovernors, Pembroke Mr. Whitman as a Colleague with Revd. Mr. Smith. Titicut (part of Bridgewater) Mr. Gurney, in the Room of Revd.
Mr Reid decd.
2 all in the Space of Two Months— what Think you?
Are't We growing Good Folks in this part of the Country?—
Your Children were all well, last Week & your other Connections Wishing you all Happiness & a safe return to America
I am yours respectfully
P.S. Would it not be best to send a Collection of Seeds for your Garden by some of the Spring Vessells, such as Peas—Beans—Cabbage &c— I wish to hear from you by the first Conveyance.3
211Dec. 27
Delaware & Jersey States as well as Philadelphia have acceeded to the proposed
Plan of Government—4 I should have been
highly gratified to have received Mr. Adams Sentiments
upon it previous to our Deccision, but as our State Convention will meet on the Second
Wednesday of January next, I must be deprived of that Happiness—till at a more distant
Period— I confess I feel more than commonly anxious, for although I have seen my
Country trampling down Law & Government & sporting with Right & Justice
& have wished for a Government adequate to our Necessities. Yet I should be
exceeding sorry to see any other than a Government of Laws— Is the present Plan well
calculated to produce a Government of Laws? Does it not favour too much of Aristocracy
for future Freedom Quiet & Duration? Does it provide for an adequate
Representation? Is the Executive sufficiently independent? Are the Powers properly
defined & sufficiently explicit? Are the Three Powers duly balanced? Where is the
Bill of Rights or is it unnecessary? These are Questions which I hope My Friend will
one Day do me the Pleasure to resolve, versed in the Knowledge & Study of
Government— His Advice reasonings & Council would weigh to much— I Wish him to
write me what the Situation of Europe is with Respect to War, for although we abound
with News, yet We have but very little that can be relied on— Youll be pleased to
inform Mr. Adams, that I drew an order on him in favour of
Mr. Elworthy for £100 Sterlg
dated the 26th. Inst—
RC (Adams Papers); addressed: “Mrs.
Abigail Adams / Grovesnor Square / London”; internal address: “Mrs. Abigail Adams”; endorsed: “C. Tufts / December 18 1787.”
The Pennsylvania ratifying
convention met from 20 Nov. to 15 December. On 12 Dec., it voted by a margin of 46 to
23 to ratify the Constitution (
Doc. Hist. Ratif. Const.
, 4:xxi).
Rev. Ebenezer Grosvenor
(1738/39–1788), Yale 1759, had been Scituate's minister from 1763 to 1780. After a
period apparently without a settled minister, Scituate called Rev. Ebenezer Dawes
(1756–1791), Harvard 1785, who was ordained there in Nov. 1787; he served until his
death (Weis, Colonial Clergy of N.E.; Church Manual . . . of
the First (Trinitarian Congregational) Church of Christ in Scituate, Mass., Boston, 1844, p. 6;
Harvard
Quinquennial Cat.
).
Rev. Thomas Smith (1706/7–1788), Harvard 1725, served as Pembroke's minister from
1754 until his death in July 1788. Rev. Kilborn Whitman (1765–1835) was ordained at
Pembroke in Dec. 1787 and became Smith's successor (Weis, Colonial Clergy of N.E.
;
H. W. Litchfield, The First Church in Pembroke 1708–1908,
Pembroke, Mass., 1908, n.p.).
Rev. Solomon Reed (1719–1785), Harvard 1739, served as the minister of the Titicut
Separatist Parish, which lay part in Bridgewater and part in Middleborough, Mass.,
from 1756 until his death. Rev. David Gurney (1759–1815), Harvard 1785, succeeded him
in Sept. 1787 (Weis, Colonial Clergy of N.E.; Sibley's Harvard
Graduates, 10:400;
Harvard Quinquennial Cat.
; S. Hopkins Emery, The
212
History of the Church of
North Middleborough, Middleborough, Mass., 1876, p. 35–36).
This paragraph was written sideways in the margin.
On 7 Dec., the Delaware
ratifying convention approved the Constitution by a vote of 30 to 0 after meeting for
only five days. The New Jersey convention convened on 11 Dec. and met until 20 Dec.,
ratifying the Constitution on 18 Dec. by a vote of 38 to 0 (
Doc. Hist. Ratif. Const.
,
4:xxi).