![ADAMS, John. Autograph letter signed ("J Adams."), TO BENJAMIN RUSH in Philadelphia; Quincy, Mass., 18 April 1808. 4 pages, 4to. In superb condition; [With:] ADAMS. Autograph free-frank ("Free J. Adams"), 1 page, on a separate address leaf, minor fold wear.](https://www.christies.com/img/LotImages/2005/NYR/2005_NYR_01685_0025_000(110637).jpg?w=1)
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ADAMS, John. Autograph letter signed ("J Adams."), TO BENJAMIN RUSH in Philadelphia; Quincy, Mass., 18 April 1808. 4 pages, 4to. In superb condition; [With:] ADAMS. Autograph free-frank ("Free J. Adams"), 1 page, on a separate address leaf, minor fold wear.
AN OUTSTANDING LETTER, COMMENTING ON JEFFERSON'S PRESIDENCY AND RETIREMENT AND CALLING FOR NATIONAL UNITY: "OUR OBLIGATIONS TO OUR COUNTRY NEVER CEASE BUT WITH OUR LIVES...INSTEAD OF BEING...FEDERALISTS OR JACOBINS WE OUGHT TO BE AMERICANS..."
A letter, critical of Jefferson's policies, but expressing considerable interest in his retirement and thus anticipating the approaching reconciliation between the two former Presidents. In 1805, four years after passing into retirement, Adams renewed his old ties with Philadelphia physician and fellow Signer, Benjamin Rush, "an extended, vivid correspondence between the two men that was to occupy much of their time and bring them each continuing enjoyment...His letters to Rush became a great outpouring of ideas, innermost feelings, pungent asides, and opinions on all manner of things..." The rekindling of their epistolary connection helped set the stage for an even more unexpected and fruitful reconciliation between Adams and his old political rival, Thomas Jefferson (David McCullough, John Adams, p.589, 594).
Here, writing unhurriedly and with obvious relish, the former President comments on religion as a touchstone of morality; decries the Embargo Act, castigates "our monied and Landed and Slaved Aristocracy," and complains that "our people will not suffer the Constitution to operate according to its principles, spirit and design." Government, therefore, becomes "a game of Leap-frog," with the party in power making the President "their slave," as power and the Presidency periodically alternate between Federalists and Democrats. Finally, 18 months before his reconciliation with his former adversary, he speculates upon the private situation of Thomas Jefferson in his approaching retirement.
"...Mrs. Adams bids me present her friendly regards...she has read your Letter with pleasure excepting what relates to a Gentleman for whom she had before a great Esteem...." Though retired, Adams asserts that "I know not that I was ever more attentive to public affairs, or more concerned about them...." The nation is in a dire situation, he affirms: "We are driven up in a Corner, can retreat no farther. Bayonettes and cannons' mouths are at our Bosoms. We are insulted and injured, ridiculed and Scorned by the Belligerent Powers. We have no Defence prepared by sea and land...."
"Mr. Jefferson has reason to reflect upon himself. How he will get rid of his Remorse in his Retirement I know not. He must know that he leaves the Government infinitely worse than he found it and that from his own Error or Ignorance. I wish his Telescopes and his Mathematical Instruments, however, may secure his Felicity. But if I have not mismeasured his Ambition, he will be uneasy, and the Sword will cutt away the Scabbard. As he has, however a good Taste for Letters and an ardent curiosity for Science, he may and I hope will find Amusement and consolation from them: for I have no resentment against him, though he has honoured & Salaried almost every Villain he could find who had been an Enemy to me."
The increasingly partisan political scene, though, bodes ill for the nation: "Our people will not Suffer the Constitution to operate according to its true Principles, Spirit, and design. The Presidents Office ought to mediate between the Rich and the Poor. But neither will have it so. Each Party will have the Executive, and Judiciary too wholly and exclusively to itself. The consequence has been and will be that our Government is a Game of Leap Frog. Once in a dozen years there will be a Revolution in Administration. The Democrats will reign for about that Period, and make the President their Slave, then the Aristocrats will leap over their backs and shoulders, and reign in their turn making the President their Machine. I think instead of opposing systematically any Administration, running down their characters and opposing all their Measures right or wrong, we ought to support every Administration as far as we can in Justice. For my part I always thought and am still determined to support every administration whenever I think them in the right. I care not whether they call me Federalist, Jacobin, or Quid" [tertium quid].
Referring to a previous letter, he reassures Rush that "I meant no reflection or insinuation against your Church or any other. I shall esteem you the more for having become a Christian on a large scale. Bigotry Superstition and Enthusiasm on religious subjects I have long since sett at Defyance. I have attended public Worship in all Countries and with all Texts and believe them all much better than no religion, though I have not felt myself obliged to believe all I heard. Religion I hold to be essential to Morals. I never read of an irreligious Character in Greek or Roman History, nor in any other History, nor have I known one in Life, who was not a Rascal. Name one if you can living or dead...."
Jefferson's Embargo, he predicts, will only encourage evasions by the merchants whose trade is obstructed: "Not all Politicians of the World, the Pharisees, the Taoists, the Bramins the Druids, the Romans, the Carthaginians, the Britains or the French, have ever employed more Sublilty in Negotiation than Merchants. We may depend upon it that every device that human wit can conceive will be employed to evade the Embargo....I fear that...Smuggling too, will be introduced by this irksome stagnation." Finally in a lengthy postscript, Adams considers Rush's question "Whether such a Country is worthy of the Patriotism of honest Men? I answer, such a Country is as worthy as any other Country. Our People are like other People, our obligations to our Country never cease but with our Lives. We ought to do all we can. Instead of being Frenchmen or Englishmen; Federalists or Jacobins, we ought to be Americans and exert every Nerve to convince and persuade our Country to conquer its Sordid Stinginess, to defend our exposed Cities and prepare a Naval Force. This must be our ultimate resort...heart and hand united for defence...An Aristocracy of Wealth, without any Check but a Democracy of Licentiousness is our Curse...The eternal Interferences of our monied and Landed and Slaved Aristocracy, are and will be our ruin. I will be neither Aristocrat nor Democrat, without a Mediator between the two...."
Published in The Spur of Fame: Dialogues of John Adams and Benjamin Rush, 1805-1813, ed. J.A. Schutz and D. Adair, pp.106-107.
AN OUTSTANDING LETTER, COMMENTING ON JEFFERSON'S PRESIDENCY AND RETIREMENT AND CALLING FOR NATIONAL UNITY: "OUR OBLIGATIONS TO OUR COUNTRY NEVER CEASE BUT WITH OUR LIVES...INSTEAD OF BEING...FEDERALISTS OR JACOBINS WE OUGHT TO BE AMERICANS..."
A letter, critical of Jefferson's policies, but expressing considerable interest in his retirement and thus anticipating the approaching reconciliation between the two former Presidents. In 1805, four years after passing into retirement, Adams renewed his old ties with Philadelphia physician and fellow Signer, Benjamin Rush, "an extended, vivid correspondence between the two men that was to occupy much of their time and bring them each continuing enjoyment...His letters to Rush became a great outpouring of ideas, innermost feelings, pungent asides, and opinions on all manner of things..." The rekindling of their epistolary connection helped set the stage for an even more unexpected and fruitful reconciliation between Adams and his old political rival, Thomas Jefferson (David McCullough, John Adams, p.589, 594).
Here, writing unhurriedly and with obvious relish, the former President comments on religion as a touchstone of morality; decries the Embargo Act, castigates "our monied and Landed and Slaved Aristocracy," and complains that "our people will not suffer the Constitution to operate according to its principles, spirit and design." Government, therefore, becomes "a game of Leap-frog," with the party in power making the President "their slave," as power and the Presidency periodically alternate between Federalists and Democrats. Finally, 18 months before his reconciliation with his former adversary, he speculates upon the private situation of Thomas Jefferson in his approaching retirement.
"...Mrs. Adams bids me present her friendly regards...she has read your Letter with pleasure excepting what relates to a Gentleman for whom she had before a great Esteem...." Though retired, Adams asserts that "I know not that I was ever more attentive to public affairs, or more concerned about them...." The nation is in a dire situation, he affirms: "We are driven up in a Corner, can retreat no farther. Bayonettes and cannons' mouths are at our Bosoms. We are insulted and injured, ridiculed and Scorned by the Belligerent Powers. We have no Defence prepared by sea and land...."
"Mr. Jefferson has reason to reflect upon himself. How he will get rid of his Remorse in his Retirement I know not. He must know that he leaves the Government infinitely worse than he found it and that from his own Error or Ignorance. I wish his Telescopes and his Mathematical Instruments, however, may secure his Felicity. But if I have not mismeasured his Ambition, he will be uneasy, and the Sword will cutt away the Scabbard. As he has, however a good Taste for Letters and an ardent curiosity for Science, he may and I hope will find Amusement and consolation from them: for I have no resentment against him, though he has honoured & Salaried almost every Villain he could find who had been an Enemy to me."
The increasingly partisan political scene, though, bodes ill for the nation: "Our people will not Suffer the Constitution to operate according to its true Principles, Spirit, and design. The Presidents Office ought to mediate between the Rich and the Poor. But neither will have it so. Each Party will have the Executive, and Judiciary too wholly and exclusively to itself. The consequence has been and will be that our Government is a Game of Leap Frog. Once in a dozen years there will be a Revolution in Administration. The Democrats will reign for about that Period, and make the President their Slave, then the Aristocrats will leap over their backs and shoulders, and reign in their turn making the President their Machine. I think instead of opposing systematically any Administration, running down their characters and opposing all their Measures right or wrong, we ought to support every Administration as far as we can in Justice. For my part I always thought and am still determined to support every administration whenever I think them in the right. I care not whether they call me Federalist, Jacobin, or Quid" [tertium quid].
Referring to a previous letter, he reassures Rush that "I meant no reflection or insinuation against your Church or any other. I shall esteem you the more for having become a Christian on a large scale. Bigotry Superstition and Enthusiasm on religious subjects I have long since sett at Defyance. I have attended public Worship in all Countries and with all Texts and believe them all much better than no religion, though I have not felt myself obliged to believe all I heard. Religion I hold to be essential to Morals. I never read of an irreligious Character in Greek or Roman History, nor in any other History, nor have I known one in Life, who was not a Rascal. Name one if you can living or dead...."
Jefferson's Embargo, he predicts, will only encourage evasions by the merchants whose trade is obstructed: "Not all Politicians of the World, the Pharisees, the Taoists, the Bramins the Druids, the Romans, the Carthaginians, the Britains or the French, have ever employed more Sublilty in Negotiation than Merchants. We may depend upon it that every device that human wit can conceive will be employed to evade the Embargo....I fear that...Smuggling too, will be introduced by this irksome stagnation." Finally in a lengthy postscript, Adams considers Rush's question "Whether such a Country is worthy of the Patriotism of honest Men? I answer, such a Country is as worthy as any other Country. Our People are like other People, our obligations to our Country never cease but with our Lives. We ought to do all we can. Instead of being Frenchmen or Englishmen; Federalists or Jacobins, we ought to be Americans and exert every Nerve to convince and persuade our Country to conquer its Sordid Stinginess, to defend our exposed Cities and prepare a Naval Force. This must be our ultimate resort...heart and hand united for defence...An Aristocracy of Wealth, without any Check but a Democracy of Licentiousness is our Curse...The eternal Interferences of our monied and Landed and Slaved Aristocracy, are and will be our ruin. I will be neither Aristocrat nor Democrat, without a Mediator between the two...."
Published in The Spur of Fame: Dialogues of John Adams and Benjamin Rush, 1805-1813, ed. J.A. Schutz and D. Adair, pp.106-107.