in Maryland, in great distress and a little disarranged, and brought with them to Philadelphia. She is connected with families in Marblehead. I knew nothing of her. Governor Bradford says she has been some weeks in Rhode Island. I sent Mr. Law to Mr. Cabot. Mr. Brown came in yesterday. He keeps with all the horses at the Rising Sun, between the fourth and fifth milestone in the country, at Mr. John Dove's. His horses are in fine order, but I shall not be in a condition to use them this week, I fear. LETTER CCXLIX. Philadelphia, 19 June, 1795. MY DEAREST FRIEND, LAST night the Consul General, de l'Etombe, made me a visit with your kind letter of the 18th. He looks older than when I last saw him, and he is indeed a fortunate man. He gave me many details of affairs in France; a gloomy picture of the reign of terror, and a smiling one of the present reign of moderation; but he is not without inquietude on the subject of a constitution. By the turn which the debates and deliberations in the Senate took yesterday, we must sit next week, and I have now little hope of liberty till the last day of it. Some members, perhaps, wish to give time to Mr. Adet to open his budget, which, it is conjectured, may contain propositions on the part of France. The sun is terrible here as well as at New York. I beg you to be afraid of him, and keep out of his beams. I dread going out to Lansdowne to dinner at Mr. Morris's, on Sunday, according to his invitation. The news you mention from Halifax is very disagreeable. I wish that misfortune and adversity could soften the temper and humiliate the insolence of John Bull; but he is not yet sufficiently humbled. If I mistake not, it is to be the destiny of America one day to beat down his pride. But the irksome task will not soon, I hope, be forced upon us. All this is under the rose. My love to the family. J. A. LETTER CCL. [Philadelphia,] Monday morning, MY DEAREST FRIEND, I HAVE just received from the post office your letter of the 20th by Briesler, who went to carry one for you. I write by every post, i. e., by Monday's and Thursday's, which are the only ones on which mails are made up for any place beyond New York, and the only ? ones on which letters arrive here from any place beyond that city. Mrs. Adams, your new daughter, behaves prettily in her new sphere. I dined with them one day, and promised to take my lodgings with them the next time.' Mrs. Adams showed me an elegant bed, which she politely said she had made up for me. As to the details in which you say the ladies excel us, I have not patience. I, who have the patience of Job, have not patience to write letters in the style of Grandison and Lovelace. You would admire to see with what serenity and intrepidity I commonly sit and hear. Not all the froth can move my contempt, not all the sedition stir my indignation, nor all the nonsense and delirium excite my pity. If dignity consists in total insensibility, I believe my countenance has it. however, tells me he can always perceive when I don't like any thing. It must be by reasoning from what he knows to be my opinion. My countenance shows nothing, for the most part. Sometimes I believe it may be legible enough. The reflections upon peace, by Madame de Stael, are not here. B., The President and Presidentess always send their regards to you. Madame invites you to come next summer to Mount Vernon and visit the federal city. I am almost afraid to write it to you for fear it should turn your head, and give you thoughts and hopes of accepting the invitation. I told Madame la Presidente that, after the year 1800, when Congress should 1 At New York, where Mr. Adams's second son resided. sit at Washington, and that city became very great, I thought it not impossible that you and your sister Cranch might seriously entertain such a project, for the sake of making a visit to Mount Vernon as well as seeing Mrs. Cranch's grandchildren. Always write me how Mrs. Briesler and her children are. It makes the good man's countenance shine so bright when I tell him of it, that I take a great pleasure in reading these paragraphs to him. My mother I am anxious to hear of. My duty to her, and love, compliments, &c., &c., to whom you please. Always yours, J. A. LETTER CCLI. Philadelphia, 7 January, 1796. MY DEAREST FRIEND, ENCLOSED is another production of Porcupine, whose quills will stick. "And Midas now neglected stands With ass's ears and dirty hands." The President appears great in Randolph's vindication' throughout, excepting that he wavered about 1 Edmund Randolph, Secretary of State, implicated by an signing the treaty, which he ought not to have done one moment. Happy is the country to be rid of Randolph; but where shall be found good men and true to fill the offices of government? There seems to be a necessity of distributing the offices about the States in some proportion to their numbers; but, in the southern part of the Union, false politics have struck their roots so deep that it is very difficult to find gentlemen who are willing to accept of public trusts, and, at the same time, capable of discharging them. The President offered the office of state to several gentlemen who declined to Mr. Patterson, Mr. King, Mr. Henry of Virginia, Mr. Charles Cotesworth Pinckney, of South Carolina, and three others whose names I don't recollect.' He has not been able to find any one to accept the war office. The expenses of living at the seat of government are so exorbitant, so far beyond all proportion to the salaries, and the sure reward of integrity in the discharge of public functions is such obloquy, contempt, and insult, that no man of any feeling is willing to renounce his home, forsake his property and profession, for the sake of removing to Philadelphia, where he is almost sure of disgrace intercepted letter of Fauchet, the French minister, in a manner that has never been cleared up. 1 A singular proof of the moderate views of the most distinguished men of the country at this time. It does not, however, appear from the writings of Washington, that Mr. King was one of the persons applied to. Thomas Johnson, of Maryland, was. And if there were others, the application must have been informally made. |