Adams Family Correspondence, volume 8
th.89.
Mr. Duerr, as you pronounce
it, and my Wife seem to think alike as to the Powers of an Ambassadress when placed as
an Helpmate to the Ambassador. Mr D. had an Idea of an
handsome Face Mrs. L thought only of the Good Sense of the
Lady. If this is ambiguous, yr.
best Friend can make it plain so far as relates to Duerr.1
As to Mrs. L I will show her to you in a Minute, just as
She appeared the first Instant her Eyes were opened this Morning “Well Mr: Lovell I think as others do, you are too confident about
your office;— you ought to go to New York;— One of your main Expectations has failed you
already;— your Friend Portia is not going on to Congress.”
Good Morning Ma'am, replied I, “I am sorry for that.”—a
Pause—
Indeed, Portia, there was not so much Compliment in my Reply as a Stranger would guess
there was. “I am sorry,” because I could say twenty Things to you which I would not dare to trouble your Husband with. I could talk to you about Insurgents, and the Tools of the Tools of
Insurgents, down to the Successor of the Successor of your
humble Servant late a Naval officer, for the Port of Boston. But really I should not
have thought of this Subject if I had not heard it said Yesterday by one of the veriest
of that Tribe “my Friends have spooken to Mr. Adams about me.” Curses on
their 332Impudence! it makes no Odds to them whether Virtue
or Vice is in Rule; they hope with good Grounds under the
latter and they dare to ask Patronage of the former. In
this Commonwealth, I have seen them have every Advantage. Vice triumphant, they have
turned out of Place whom they would; and upon a Change in Government they held their
Offices because the virtuous would not take the vicious
Mode of turning any Man out who did his Duty let him have
gotten into office how he might. By being the accidental but Kidney,— Deputy of Nat. Barber for 3 Months only,
the present Naval Officer was preferred before John Rice who had served 3 years, with me faithfully scientifically & amiably. But I
would only be understood here as remarking who ought not to
have the Naval office of this Port. leaving it totally with my Betters to say who shall
have it.2 The present Incumbent may have one advocate at Head
Quarters if Mr. O should be chosen Clerk of the Senate.
“Scratch now for me and I will always scratch for you,” has been the perpetual Rule of that republican Electioneering Set, to which the Two in Question
belonged— A caucasing-Town-Meeting Bulldog like Barber or one of a more sly least like
his Successor, must have had many Promises of future
Friendship from would-be Representatives Senators & Governors in this Town, who
thought that the Road of Promises was the broad one to Preferment.
I am Madam, yours respectfully
RC (Adams Papers).
James Lovell and AA briefly revived their correspondence for three letters after a five-year hiatus. He also wrote to JA on this same date seeking an office in the new government (Adams Papers). For more on Lovell's unusual letter-writing style, and his correspondence with AA, see vol. 3:xxxiv–xxxv.
Lovell had been appointed naval officer for the port of Boston in July 1784,
succeeding Nathaniel Barber, with John Rice serving as his deputy. Lovell remained in
that position until 1787 when he was replaced by Barber. The state again named Lovell
to the post later in 1789 (vol. 5:355, 357–358; Fleet's Pocket Almanack, 1785, p. 26; 1786, p. 20; 1787, p.
39; 1788, p.55;
Sibley's Harvard Graduates
, 14:45).
I have been so diligent on the Road and so much interrupted by Company at the Taverns that this is the first time I have been able to get an opportunity to write to you. We arrived at this house last night (Saturday) Shall rest here to day and go into N. York tomorrow.—1 at Hartford, the Manufacturers presented me with a Piece of 333Broadcloth, for a Suit of Cloaths. at N. Haven the Corporation presented me with the Freedom of their City.— at both these Towns the Gentlemen came out to meet us, and went out with us.—2 at Horseneck, we were met by Major Pintard, & Captain Mandeville with a Party of Horse from the State of New York, and there is to be much Parade on Monday.—3 Before this I presume, the Printers in Boston, have inserted in their Gazettes, the Debates of the House of Representatives, which are conducted with open Galleries.4
This Measure, by making the Debates public will establish the national Government, or break the Confederation. I can conceive of no medium between these Extremes.— By the Specimens that I have seen, they go on with great Spirit, in preparing the Impost, which is a favourable omen.— My Love to the Children and Duty to my Mother, &c.
RC (Adams Papers); addressed: “Mrs
Adams / at Mr John Adams's / Braintree.”
First run by Dr. Ebenezer
Haviland and later by his widow, Tamar, Haviland's Tavern (also known as the Square
House) had been a popular stopping point on the Post Road in Rye, N.Y., since about
1770. JA had previously visited the tavern at least twice, riding to and
from the Continental Congress in 1774 (Charles W. Baird, Chronicle of a Border Town: History of Rye, Westchester County, New York,
1660–1870, N.Y., 1871, p. 145–147; D&A, 2:102, 158).
On 16 April, JA passed through Hartford where “an escort of the
principle gentlemen in town, the ringing of Bells, and the attention of the Mayor and
Aldermen of the Corporation, marked the Federalism of the Citizens, and their high
respect for that distinguished patriot and statesman” (Hartford American Mercury, 20 April).
That same day, the city of New Haven voted to give JA “all the rights
Privileges and immunities of a free Citizen of the said City of New Haven” (Adams Papers). Ezra Stiles noted in his
literary diary that on 17 April JA “was escorted into To by 35 or 40
Horse & phps 60 Chaises. . . . He rested in the City an Hour, when the Diploma of
the Freedom of it was presented to him” (The Literary Diary of
Ezra Stiles, D.D., LL.D., ed. Franklin Bowditch Dexter, 3 vols., N.Y., 1901,
3:351).
The Norwich Packet reported that “the light horse of
West Chester county” escorted JA's entourage from the Connecticut line to
Kingsbridge. Major Pintard was probably Lewis Pintard (1732–1818) of New Rochelle, a
merchant who had assisted American prisoners in New York during the Revolution. John
Mandeville was named captain of the Westchester Light Horse in 1786 and served until
1790 (Norwich Packet, 8 May;
DAB
; Hugh Hastings, comp. and
ed., Military Minutes of the Council of Appointment of the
State of New York, 1783–1821, 4 vols., Albany, 1901, 1:80, 178).
The Boston Herald of Freedom began printing the debates
on 14 April; various other Boston newspapers soon followed suit.