Adams Family Correspondence, volume 13

Abigail Adams to John Adams, 13 January 1799 Adams, Abigail Adams, John

Abigail Adams to John Adams

Sunday Eve’ng Quincy Jan’ry 13 1799 My Dearest Friend

Yesterday in high stile with his Carriage and four, His Honor the Lieut Govenour made me a visit. this is the first notice I have received of his Gaurdianship. he desired I would inform the President that he had been here, as he had promised him that he would take care of me. I told him I should certainly comply with his request; the seeing me for the first Time, since the loss of Mrs Gill, renewed his sorrow, and he could scarcly converse upon any other subject he 352 seems to have buried with her, his pleasures and his comforts, for he said the 25 years which he lived with her, he never knew an interruption of their domestic happiness, as it respected each other.1

I received your Letter of the 5th inclosing the Letter from Thomas, which corresponds with what I wrote, you; capt Jenkings told mr smith; I cannot help feeling still anxious for him, and shall, untill I hear of his arrival. if the senate scrutinize every Character with as much rigour as they have done Col W S. S. I should suppose that some of the Gen’lls of the army would not pass mustur, but I Imagine it is the political, and not the Moral Character which is such a stumbling Block— I would however as soon trust col s—h as Gen’ll Hamilton. I have not any Confidence in the honour, integrity or Patriotism of any Man, who does not believe that, thou shalt not commit Adultery, is a possitive ~~command~~ Prohibition of God thou shalt not covet thy Neighbours wife, is an other, and yet I have been credibly informd, that the Audacious publication of that Man, has only renderd him more bold, and hardned in iniquity—2 it only requires a temptation sufficiently powerfull to Ambition, to lead from the path of political Rectitude; it is a strange way of Reasoning I would not upon any consideration do a publick wrong or injury, but I can be guilty of breaking the most solemn private engagement, and that to one whom I am bound by affection, and by Honor, to protect, to Love and Respect. I can disgrace and stigmatize my Lawfull ospring, and feel neither shame or compunction, but I would not betray a public trust. I cannot see that I commit any breach of Charity in this comment;

I read all the public papers and am glad to find Congress so buisy. some men prate too much and it is too evident, that it is to be admired. they answer their end for I admire at them. I think I never saw Gallitin so netled and so off his gaurd before. as to Nicholas he seems to have brought with him, all the Malignity of Giles, and the spight of Tailor—

I hope I am not too censorious, yet upon looking over my Letter, I begin to suspect that I have given myself a pretty free latitude. I believe I had better close before I attack any other. assureing you that I am in full Charity with all Good men, and that I am your truly affectionate

Abigail Adams

RC (Adams Papers); addressed by Louisa Catharine Smith: “The President of the United / States / Philadelphia”; endorsed: “Mrs A / Jan. 13. 1799.”

In a 16 June 1798 letter thanking AA for her condolences on the death of his wife, Rebecca Boylston Gill, Lt. Gov. Moses Gill similarly described his grief: “The lenient hand of 353 time has as yet been insufficient to assuage my Grief … and I sorrow most of all that I shall see her Face no more” (Adams Papers).

Alexander Hamilton’s Observations on Certain Documents Contained in No. V & VI of “The History of the United States For the Year 1796,” in Which the Charge of Speculation Against Alexander Hamilton, Late Secretary of the Treasury, is Fully Refuted, Phila., 1797, Evans, No. 32222, for which see vol. 12:344–346.

John Adams to Abigail Adams, 13 January 1799 Adams, John Adams, Abigail

John Adams to Abigail Adams

My Dearest Friend Phyladelphia Jan. 13. 1799

I thank God, it is now in my power to give you the pleasure you desired of receiving from me a chearful Letter. This Moment they brought me from the Post Office a Letter from our dear Thomas dated the 12 informing me of his Arrival at New York. He will come on to Phyladelphia and only laments that he cannot have the pleasure of embracing both his Parents at once. His Passage has not been uncommonly long tho the Weather must have been turbulent enough. From the bottom of my heart I rejoice at this happy Event, which has dissipated a gloom which hung over and surrounded me. Both the N. York News papers announce his arrival in a pleasing Style, for which I give them credit.1 You must be patient and not be too much in Haste to embrace him. He must stay with me, sometime. We will write you all our Plans and Speculations. We have had a thaw and long rains for many days which must have injured the Roads so that I cannot foresee when he will arrive but I hope it will be soon enough to dance at the Ball, which will be on Wednesday night the 16th. 2

At a time when I am necessarily deprived of the Company of all the rest of my Family I consider this Arrival as a Choice Blessing and a great Consolation.

You will have recd a Letter from him no doubt before this will reach you,—think of Us and rejoice with Us.

I dont wonder that Mr Cranch is disposed to see his Interpretation of the Prophecies confirmed. The twelve hundred and thirteenth or fourteenth Year of the Hegira approches near the End of the 1260 days— Less than half a Century has Mahomet to be believed a Prophet, according to Mr Cranch.3 But I have not time. Yours / with unabated Affection

J. A

RC (Adams Papers); internal address: “Mrs A”; endorsed: “J A Jan’ry 13 / 1799.”

The New-York Gazette and the New York Daily Advertiser, 12 Jan., reported TBA’s arrival; the latter added, “We give him a cordial welcome to his native shores, and we congratulate our country on the return of one of her most promising Sons.”

354 2.

A ball in honor of JA was held on 16 Jan. at the New Theatre in Philadelphia. The theater was elaborately decorated for the occasion, with a temporary floor built over the orchestra pit to accommodate several hundred attendees. Upon JA’s arrival the band played the “President’s March,” and toasts were offered to “the Government and its supporters,” to the city of Philadelphia, and to the military, among others (Philadelphia Gazette, 17 Jan.; Philadelphia Gazette of the United States, 17 Jan.).

In a 4 Jan. letter to JA (Adams Papers), AA wrote that Richard Cranch’s “whole system is about to be fullfilld in Spight of Pater Wests predictions.” Rev. Samuel West believed that biblical prophecies pointed to the end of the pope’s reign in 1813. However, others calculated that the end of 1,260 years of rule by the Roman Catholic Church would occur at the end of the eighteenth century, and they believed that view was vindicated by the French victory over Rome and the exile of Pope Pius VI in Feb. 1798. JA was also referencing the Islamic year of 1213 and the belief that Islam would also fall in its 1,260th year (Sprague, Annals Amer. Pulpit , 8:43; Michael Lienesch, “The Role of Political Millennialism in Early American Nationalism,” Western Political Quarterly, 36:446–452 [Sept. 1983]; Cambridge Modern Hist. , 8:637–638; George Stanley Faber, A Dissertation on the Prophecies … Relative to the Great Period of 1260 Years, 2 vols., London, 1806, 1:iii–iv).