Mount Vernon, April 29 1788

Sir: Your favor of the 28th of February came regularly to hand. The conduct of New Hampshire respecting the proposed government, was a matter of surprise in this, and I believe in every other part of the United States; for her local situation, unconnected with other circumstances, was supposed to be a sufficient inducement to the people of that state to adopt a general government which promises more energy and security than the one under which we have hitherto lived; and especially as it holds out advantages to the smaller states equal, at least, to their most sanguine expectations. Circumstanced as your

convention was, an adjournment was certainly prudent, but it happened very mal-apropos for this state, because the current information from that quarter would have justified the expectation of an unanimity in the convention, whereas an account so opposite to every former one having arrived at the very time when the Elections were carrying on here, gave an opportunity to the opponents of the proposed constitution to hold up to the people an idea of its not having been so generally approved of in other states as they had been taught to believe, and of consequence prepared them to receive active impressions, unfriendly to the government, and tending to influence their votes in favor of anti-federal characters. However I do not yet despair of its adoption here, notwithstanding the unjust and uncandid representations which have been made by the opponents to influence the minds of the people and prejudice them against it.

The Honble. John Langdon.

With great esteem and regard

I am sir, Yr most obed. hble. servt

Go Washington

Sir:

Mount Vernon July 20th 1788

I had the satisfaction to receive regularly your favor of the 21st ulto. announcing the adoption of the Federal government by the Convention of New Hampshire. You will already have been informed, through the ordinary channels of communication, that the same event took effect in this state a few days afterwards. And I am happy to say, that so far as I have been able to learn, a spirit of harmony and acquiescence obtained among the large and respectable minority in as great a degree as could possibly have been expected. If we may calculate upon rectitude in the views and prudence in the conduct of the leading characters throughout the state, accompanied by industry and honesty in the ways of the people, we may assuredly anticipate a new era and, perhaps, we shall not deceive ourselves by expecting a more happy one than hath before appeared on this checquered scene of existence. But we ought not to be too sanguine, or to expect that we shall be entirely exempted from the ills which fall to the lot of humanity. With congratulations to your excellency on your elevation to the Chief Magistracy of your state, and with sentiments of consideration and respect, I remain,

Sir, your Excellency's

most obed. hbl. ser

Go Washington

His Excellency John Langdon Esqr.

John Langdon, as will be observed, was chosen governor of New Hampshire in 1788, and in all his subsequent public life was usually spoken of as Governor Langdon. His correspondence with the great men of his time embraces letters from nearly all those best known to history, many of which are exceedingly novel and interesting. Langdon was a Jeffersonian in politics, but he does not appear to have alienated his friends through his differing opinions. On one occasion, he took Hamilton home with him in his carriage, and as the horses dashed along he turned and said, "Sir,

Sir,"

you are riding with one of your staunchest political enemies." replied Secretary Hamilton, throwing his hat to the floor of the carriage, Among the letters to which reference has been

I see an honest man." made are the following:

Dear Sir :

New York June 16. 1795

Will you allow me the liberty of introducing to your civilities Mr. De Liancourt and the Gentleman who accompanies him, Mr. Guillemand, a young Englishman who is mentioned to me as a man of sense information and worth. I take it for granted you made Mr. De Liancourt's acquaintance at Philadelphia and that you know his character.

Your politeness and hospitality are destined to be taxed. I will make no apology for doing it in this instance; but knowing how much you are exposed I shall be as discreet as possible in my intrusions

Permit me to recommend to your civilities General Waltersloff, Governor of the Island of St Croix; a Gentleman of real merit, possessing all the requisites to render an acquaintance with him valuable. He is accompanied by my particular friend Doctor Stevens. They are upon an excursion through the Northern States.

With esteem and regard I have the honor to be D. Sir

John Langdon Esq.

Portsmouth.

Your Obed. Servt

A Hamilton

Some illustrative and entertaining reminiscences appear in some letters written by Ex-President John Adams to Langdon, in 1812, from which the following extracts are made :

Dear Sir:

Quincy Feb. 27th, 1812

Though I have read with regret, the account of your declining a re-election as governor of New Hampshire, I am not surprised at it, nor can you be censured for it. Men who have run so long a career in public Life as yours, ought to be permitted to retire, when their deliberate judgement requires it. . . I will now state candidly all I can recollect or ever could recollect of the conversation that was alluded to by yourself and Mr. John Taylor of Virginia.

A President is imprisoned: he is shackled; he is gagged: he cannot say a word in Print, in his own defence: if he does the cry instantly resounds through the world, that he is ambitious, that he is avaricious, that he is seeking popularity; that his principles are mean and selfish: his motives are his own glory. . . . I was always at my Post at the hour of adjournment of the senate. You was the most punctual of the senators, and

John Taylor met us oftener at the hour than any other member. Taylor was an eternal talker. The greatest Talker I ever knew excepting I name George the third; and he had much more order, fire and fluency than his majesty. We were all frank and social enough. Taylor's perpetual Topick was the French Revolution. There was no end to his enthu siastic admiration of the French Revolution; nor his panegyricks of the principal characters, then predominating. . . . He admired almost to adoration the constitution under which Robspierre and Barrere then acted.

Here I ventured to put in a word now and then. I said "that constitution cannot last. It cannot hold France together." "Why! What alteration is necessary?" asked Taylor. "A more permanent executive and senate will be indispensable" said I. "What, hereditary?" he asked. "Hereditary, or at least for life" said I. "I do not believe it,” said Taylor. "Nor I neither," said Langdon. I replied, "Gentlemen you and I too, shall live to see you alter, and acknowledge the alterations of your opinions." "What," said Taylor, with a quickness and vivacity which convinced me that he was upon the Catch, "and our own Constitution too?" I was piqued at this insolence, this sophistry, this Jesuitism, and answered him "Yes" and turned upon my heel and went away. He and Tench Cox laid their heads together to publish to the world, that I had declared my opinion for an hereditary executive and senate in the United States, than which nothing was farther from the truth. When I said "Yes" I meant only that he would alter his opinion of our Constitution, to which he was supposed to be hostile; at least it was believed that he was very uneasy under it, and disconnected with it.

Had I known when you were in Boston, I should either have called upon you, or at least sent a request to see you at Quincy with the best wishes for every Felicity to you and yours, I remain, your

His excellency John Langdon

Friend and Servant

John Adams

of Portsmouth, N. H.

John Langdon was thirty-eight years of age when he married, but his bride, Miss Elizabeth Sherburne, was only sweet sixteen. It proved, however, a very happy match. The lady was connected with some of New England's best families, was amiable and lovely, with highly cultivated tastes and great maturity and force of character. Langdon's New Hampshire home, over which she presided with queenly dignity, became henceforward the seat of the most generous hospitalities. Coming to New York with her husband in 1789, Mrs. Langdon soon became a favorite in the select circle about the President and Mrs. Washington. She is mentioned in history as at the celebrated ball given in honor of Washington the week following his inauguration; and also among the leading ladies who paid their respects to Mrs. Washington immediately on her arrival in New York. The next day Mr. and Mrs. Langdon dined at the President's table en famille. One of the priceless relics of that period, a little later on, is an original dinner invitation-card of Washington's, which has been handed

along through the generations, and is now tenderly preserved by Mr. John Erving, through whose generous permission it is given in fac-simile to our readers. In this connection it is of historic interest to note that, while Mr. Erving is the great-grandson of John Langdon, the wife of Mr. Erving is the great-granddaughter of Judge William Patterson, senator to the first congress from New Jersey, and the granddaughter of Stephen Van Rensselaer the patroon, who was also present at the inauguration of Washington a hundred years ago. Thus the children of Mr. and Mrs. Erving are trebly associated, as it were, with the sublime event about to be commemorated. Some of the rich and surpassingly beautiful dresses of Mrs. John Langdon, worn

The Prefident of the United States and M. Washington, request the Pleasure of Mr and Mrs Langdon's

on

Company to Dine, on thurs day next at: 4 & Clock. 1st Feb 4 1793.

An answer is requested.

by her at the entertainments in Washington's honor in 1789, are extant in possession of the family of another great-grandson, the Rev. Alfred L. Elwyn, of Philadelphia.

General Philip Schuyler and Rufus King entered the senate shortly after, not prior to, the inauguration of Washington. Schuyler was fresh from the state legislature, where he had been an important factor in bringing about the grand results of which James Madison said: "Nothing has excited more admiration in the world than the manner in which free governments have been established in America, for it was the first instance from the creation of the world that free inhabitants have been seen deliberating on a form of government, and selecting such of their citizens as possessed their confidence, to determine upon and give effect to it." Schuyler was then fifty-six years of age, one year younger