 | Letters of Mrs. Adams, |  |
TO MRS. CRANCH.
I told you in my last, that I was going to dine with
my friend Mrs. Rogers. You must know that yesterday
the whole diplomatic corps dined here; that
is, his Lordship the Marquis of Carmarthen, and all
the foreign ministers, fifteen in all, and to-day the
newspapers proclaim it. I believe they have as
many spies here as the police of France. Upon
these occasions, no ladies are admitted; so I wrote
of Mrs. Rogers, where I know I am always
welcome.
It is customary to send out cards of invitation ten
days beforehand. Our cards were gone out, and, as
good luck would have it, Captain Hay returned from
the West Indies, and presented us with a noble turtle,
weighing a hundred and fourteen pounds, which
was dressed upon this occasion. Though it gave us
a good deal of pain to receive so valuable a present
from them, yet we could not refuse it without affronting
them, and it certainly happened at a most
fortunate time. On Tuesday, they and a number
of our American friends, and some of our English
friends, for I assure you we have a chosen few of
that number, are to dine with us.
This afternoon I have had a visit from Madame
Pinto, the lady of the Portuguese minister. They
have all visited now, and I have returned their visits;
but this is the only lady that I have seen. She
speaks English tolerably, and appears an agreeable
woman. She has lately returned to this country,
from whence she has been five years absent. The
Chevalier de Pinto has been minister here for many
years. Some years hence it may be a pleasure to
reside here in the character of American minister;
but, with the present salary and the present temper
of the English, no one need envy the embassy.
There would soon be fine work, if any notice was
taken of their billingsgate and abuse; but all their
arrows rebound, and fall harmless to the ground.
a lisp against the private character of the
American minister, nor in his public line charged
him with either want of abilities, honor, or integrity.
The whole venom has been levelled against poor
America; and every effort to make her appear
ridiculous in the eyes of the nation. How would
they exult, if they could lay hold of any circumstance,
in either of our characters, to make us appear
ridiculous.
I received a letter to-day from Mr. Jefferson, who
writes me that he had just received a parcel of
English newspapers; they "teem," says he, "with
every horror of which nature is capable; assassination,
suicide, thefts, robberies, and, what is worse
than thefts, murder, and robbery, the blackest slanders!
Indeed, the man must be of rock who can
stand all this. To Mr. Adams it will be but one
victory the more. It would illy suit me. I do not
love difficulties. I am fond of quiet; willing to do
my duty; but irritable by slander, and apt to be
forced by it to abandon my post. I fancy," says
he, "it must be the quantity of animal food eaten
by the English, which renders their character unsusceptible
of civilization. I suspect that it is in
their kitchens, and not in their churches, that their
reformation must be worked, and that missionaries
from hence would avail more than those who should
endeavour to tame them by precepts of religion or
philosophy."
But he adds, "What do the foolish printers of
as if it was not enough to be slandered by
one's enemies, without circulating the slanders
amongst one's friends too?"
I could tell Mr. Jefferson that I doubt not there
are persons in America equally gratified with them
as the English, and that from a spirit of envy. But
these open attacks are nothing to the secret and subtile
enemies Mr. Adams has had heretofore to encounter.
In Mr. Jefferson he has a firm and faithful
friend, with whom he can consult and advise; and,
as each of them has no object but the good of their
country in view, they have an unlimited confidence
in each other; and they have only to lament that
the Channel divides their more frequent intercourse.
You ask me whether I must tarry out three
years. Heaven only knows what may be the result
of one. If any probability appears of accomplishing
any thing, 't is likely we may tarry. I am
sure that it will be a labor, if not of love, yet of
much perplexity and difficulty. The immense debt,
due from the mercantile part of America to this
country, sours this people beyond measure, and
greatly distresses thousands, who never were nor
ever will be politicians,—the manufacturers,—
who supplied the merchants, and depend upon them
for remittances. Indeed, I pity their situation. At the
same time, I think our countrymen greatly to blame
for getting a credit, that many of them have taken
no pains to preserve, but have thoughtlessly rioted
upon the property of others.
And this, among other things, makes our situation
disagreeable, and the path very difficult for negotiation.
| Letters of Mrs. Adams, | |