Adams Family Correspondence, volume 9
This day I recd yours of the 2d.— I have recd all the Votes from all the States. it is known that Georgia voted with N.C. V. and N.Y. and Kentucky voted for Jefferson.
There is no other Newspaper circulated in the back Country of the Southern States than Freneau's National Gazette, which is employed with great Industry to poison the Minds of the People. The Fœderal Court has again had a Sitting in Virginia and by reason of Mr Jays Scikness the great Cause is again continued, which serves to keep up the Rage in that State, and N. C. which is its Eccho.1
If you hire the Man you mention, you should know beforehand what kind of skill and Experience he has in farming as well as his Integrity and good disposition. I shall leave it however to you.— Twenty Six Pounds are too high. 24 are enough: but if you cannot get one for less We must give 26.
I expect e’er long to hear that Pain is Split and pliced for an Aristocrat: perhaps roasted or broild or fryed. He is too lean to make a good Pye, but he is now in company with a Number, who are admirably qualified and disposed to feed upon each other.
The foolish Vote of the constituting Assembly in favour of a Rotation and excluding themselves from being re-elected has cost every Man of Weight and Talents among them his Life or his Country and his fortune. all are murdered banished and confiscated. Danton Robertspiere, Marat &c are Furies.2 Dragons Teeth have been sown in France and come up Monsters.
The Army has behaved better and the People seem to be zealous: but if they have not some system by which they can be united, what is to be expected?
We have our Robertspierres and Marats whose wills are good to do mischief but the Flesh is weak. They cannot yet persuade the People to follow them.
If the national Assembly can Subdue the mutinous Rabble at Paris as well as Dumourier has driven the Prussians, they may be free and do something, but what I know not.
tenderly yours
RC (Adams Papers); internal address: “Portia.”; endorsed: “Janry 14 1793.”
The Circuit Court for the District of Virginia sat between 23 Nov. and 6 Dec. 1792, but the only justice to attend was William Cushing. The court met again in Virginia 379between 22 May and 8 June 1793, with John Jay and James Iredell in attendance, at which time they considered “the great Cause,” the case of Ware v. Hylton. One of more than 200 suits filed by British creditors seeking to recover debts from Virginia citizens, Ware v. Hylton raised questions about the strength of the contract clause of the Constitution (Art. 1, sec. 10) and the supremacy clause (Art. 6). It was ultimately decided in favor of the British creditors in 1796 (
Doc. Hist. Supreme Court
, 2:338–339, 380, 539).
When the French Constituent Assembly was replaced by the Legislative Assembly on 30 Sept. 1791, the dissolving assembly—at the suggestion of Robespierre—voted that its members would be prohibited from serving in the new congress. This made it impossible for prominent conservatives to continue to serve and cleared the way for radicals to dominate the government. After the National Convention in turn replaced the Legislative Assembly in Sept. 1792, Robespierre and fellow radicals Danton and Marat were active members (François Furet and Mona Ozouf, A Critical Dictionary of the French Revolution, transl. Arthur Goldhammer, Cambridge, 1989, p. 530; Stanley Loomis, Paris in the Terror, June 1793 – July 1794, Phila., 1964, p. 49, 73, 93).
ry22 1792 [
1793]
I received your kind favours of Ja’nry 8 & 9th and on saturday a Letter from our daughter1 I have been in Town for a few days—for the first time I chose not to come till all the Bustle of Election was past Election for a Representitive has taken place since I came here. Honestus's Friends and emisaries have been indefatigable in procuring votes for him, and their success has been Such that he stands highest upon the list, and tho it is presumed that their will not be a Choice, he & dr Holten will be the Candidates.2 dr Jarvis is sitting up for Federal senator in the Room of mr strong.3 Speculation is the popular Topick when a man is to be crushd, and that is the crime of which mr strong is said to be guilty, and tho I presume it is quite groundless, yet it will answer a Party purpose an other Idle story is that mr Pitt has resignd,4 and that the President of the u s is going to resign in March, as tho there could be any connextion between the resignation of the first minister of state in England and the chief majestrate here, nor can I devine the policy of the Report unless it is meant for a stock jobbing purpose, yet there are persons here stupid enough to swallow such reports. you will see by the papers the whole Town of B—— laid under a tax of 3 dollors pr head which they dare not refuse, even those who in their hearts dislike the Festival and will join in it no further than to pay the money: the Civick Feast of the Cits, pushd down their Throats for fear of being stiled Aristocrats.5 Such is the infectious spirit, of the Times—
Mr B—— is here.6 I saw him at the assembly, where he was very social. there were some compliments paid to him, which tho in the Character of this Town, belongd not to a private citizen—such as 380waiting the dances for him for more than an hour and finally being obliged to begin without him, as he did not make his appearence till near Nine oclock dinning at five oclock to conform to his hour, &c one compliment however he has received not so much to his taste, a W—— for Arerages of old martinec affairs—
do you suppose that Congress will meet after their dissolution on the 3d of March? I fear you will have as dissagreeable a time Home as you had when you went. Love to mrs otis her Friends here are all well— my Health is better than it has been. I have not had any return of a Fever for two Months. I cannot say as much for two years before
my Love to Thomas I will write to him next week when I return to Quincy
Yours most affectionatly
RC (Adams Papers); endorsed: “Portia / Jan. 22. 1793.”
On 8 Jan., JA wrote to AA with yet more commentary on the recent elections. In particular, he related various anecdotes being relayed in the South about his relationship with George Washington, commenting, “There is no End of the Fictions and Falshoods which were propagated and not contradicted in those remote States.” JA also told two stories of individuals’ criticizing his
Defence of the Const. without actually having read it. He cynically noted that “These Anecdotes show the real Genius of this enlightened Age. Such is a great part of the Light, which We boast of So much” (Adams Papers).
The letter from AA2 may have been of 13 Sept. 1792, above.
Dr. Samuel Holten (or Holton) was elected to Congress; Benjamin Austin Jr. was not (
Biog. Dir. Cong.
).
Charles Jarvis failed in his election attempt; Caleb Strong and George Cabot remained senators from Massachusetts for the 3d Congress (same).
The rumor was false; William Pitt remained prime minister until Feb. 1801.
For the civic feast, see
AA to JA, 1 Feb. 1793, and note 1, below. Tickets to the event cost three dollars each and were advertised several times in Boston newspapers (William Parker Cutler and Julia Perkins Cutler, Life, Journals and Correspondence of Rev. Manasseh Cutler, LL.D., 2 vols., Cincinnati, 1888, 1:489; Columbian Centinel, 19 Jan.; Boston Gazette, 21 Jan.).
Possibly Samuel Breck Sr.