Adams Family Correspondence, volume 9

John Adams to Abigail Adams, 27 January 1793 Adams, John Adams, Abigail

John Adams to Abigail Adams

My dearest Friend Philadelphia January 27. 1793

I was not a little Surprized, a few days ago at receiving a Letter from Dr Hutchinson as Secretary to the Philosophical society in this City certifying my Election as a Member of that Body. This Gentleman you know has been celebrated for his opposition to my 382Election as V.P. one of the Society since told me, that when I was nominated they all rose up and cryed out that I had been a Member these twenty Years.

The Truth it seems is that I was elected as long ago as 1779 but the Records for some years preceeding and following that time are not now to be found.1 The Secretary of that day has run Melancholly and Fanatic, and knows nothing of the Records if he kept any.

The Sickness of my worthy Brother Cranch, which you mention in your last has given me many a melancholly hour Since I recd it.— Although the immense Load of Care that has oppressed me for so many Years has rendered me incapable of enjoying his Conversation, as I used to in my Youth, I have ever loved him, and shall never cease to love him. I hope he will recover his health and be preserved to his Friends for many years. My Love to sister. Duty to my Mother, Love to my Brother and all Friends. Louisa I hope has conquered all her disposition to the Ague and all its crawls & Chills. My Love to her.

I am very well accommodated here for my self: but not for Company.

I Shall not get away from hence before the fifth of March, and then there will be a long unpleasant Journey before me.

But I will make up for all by Enjoyment on the Farm, during the summer. provided always that I dont get the Ague. That is not quite annihilated in its seeds. I am bilious and otherwise reminded to beware of the first hot day.

I am, with all the Ardour of / Youth yours

J. A

RC (Adams Papers); internal address: “Portia”; endorsed: “Janry 27 1793.”

Dr. James Hutchinson served as secretary of the American Philosophical Society. His letter to JA has not been found, but on 24 Jan. JA wrote to Hutchinson and Jonathan Williams thanking them “for the honor” of election to the Society (PPAmP). For discussion of JA's possible earlier election, see vol. 3:297, 299–300.

John Adams to John Quincy Adams, 27 January 1793 Adams, John Adams, John Quincy

John Adams to John Quincy Adams

My dear John Philadelphia January 27 1793

Although your modesty would not inform Us, of your commencement as a Faneuil Hall Orator, it is impossible to conceal from the Public so important an Event, when there are 500 talkative noisy Witnesses of it, and accordingly it has come to me from an Eye and Ear Witness, as I suppose, your young Friend Breck.1

383

I rejoice that you have taken the Unpopular Side of the Questions concerning Incorporation of the Town, and Dramatic Entertainments; not because I love Unpopularity or wish you to be unpopular; but because I believe the unpopular Side in these Instances to be right; and because it will Serve to keep you back in the political Career for some time and give you Leisure for study and Practice, in your Profession.

Menander I think was free enough for a Statesman, but Eccho has been full free for a Witt and a Droll.

Ere o’er the World had flown my mob-rais'd Fame And George and Britain trembled at my name; This State, then Province, pass’t with wise intent An Act Stage Plays and such Things to prevent: You'll find it, Sirs, among the Laws Sky-blue Made near that time, on brooms when Witches flew That blessed Time, when Law kept wide awake Proscrib'd the faithless, and made Quakers quake. &c Yet in an Act, have Congress Said of late That the Supreme Executive of State Shall—What a Word to Governors to Use By Men unworthy to unloose their shoes Shall! I repeat the abusive term once more That dreadful offspring of Usurping Power. &c2

When Where, Ah! Where my son will these Things end? If ever Mortal had provocation to become a Party Man, and revenge his Wrongs upon his Ennemies, in their own Way, it is I.— but for the World, I would not.— You will never see me involving Massachusetts in the Perplexities that New York is in.— The Persecution against me, set on foot in Boston by the little Passions of little Minds, is the most unprovoked, the most destitute not only of Grounds but of even Pretexts that ever happened in this World. Yet Jealousy Envy and Terror haunt their frivolous souls like Spectres. so be it— This is Punishment enough to gratify all my Resentments— I would not feel the smart of the Sting of Envy as they do for all their Popularity and for as absolute a despotism over those with whom they are popular as they possess.

Boston Seems however to be breaking out with a Distemper worse than the small Pox. Anarchical Dinners and Anarchical Elections, will be worse than the Plague.

384

There are some alarming symptoms even in Congress: but I hope the French when they begin to build will assist us. hitherto they have only pulled down.

yous affectionately

J. A.

RC (Adams Papers); internal address: “J. Q. A.”; endorsed: “My Father Jany: 27. 1793.” Tr (Adams Papers).

Samuel Breck Jr. (1771–1862), son of Samuel and Hannah Breck, had recently moved to Philadelphia from Boston to join his parents. The younger Breck had been educated in France and was pursuing a career as a merchant. JQA had attended the Boston town meeting on 21 Dec. 1792 at Faneuil Hall “to remonstrate against the anti-theatrical Statute” (J. Francis Fisher, Memoir of Samuel Breck, Phila., 1863, p. 8–10, 12–13, 17; D/JQA/18, APM Reel 21).

These lines are excerpts from Connecticut Wit Richard Alsop's satirical poem The Echo, No. IX. The piece, which first appeared in the Hartford American Mercury, 14 Jan. 1793, parodies John Hancock's opposition to theater in Massachusetts (Carl Holliday, The Wit and Humor of Colonial Days (1607–1800), Phila., 1912, p. 262, 264–265).