Abigail Adams to Thomas Jefferson, July 1, 1804

Quincy July 1 st 1804

Sir

Your Letter of June 13 th came duly to
hand; if it had contained no other Sentiments and opinions than those which my Letter of
condolence could have excited, and which are expressed in the first page of Your reply,
our correspondence would have terminated here; but you have been pleased to enter upon
some subjects which call for a reply; and as you observe that You have wished for an
opportunity to express , Start deletion, the , End, your Sentiments, I have
given to them every weight they claim.

“one act of Mr Adamss Life, and one only, you repeat, ever gave me a moments personal displeasure. I did think his last
appointments to office personally unkind. they were from among my most ardent political
Enemies”

As this act I am certain was not intended to give any personal pain
or offence, I think it a duty to explain it so far as I then knew his views and designs.
The constitution empowers the President to fill up offices as they become vacant. it was
in the excercise of this power that appointments were made, and Characters Selected whom
mr Adams considerd, as Men faithfull to the constitution and where he personally knew
them, such as were capable of fullfilling their duty to their
country. This was done by President Washington Equally, in the last days of his
administration so that not an office remaind vacant for his successor to fill upon his
comeing into the office. 1 no offence was
given by it, and no personal unkindness thought of, but the different political opinions
which have so unhappily divided our Country, must have given rise to the Idea, that
personal unkindness was intended. You will please to recollect Sir, that at the time
these appointments were made, there was not any certainty that the Presidency would
devolve upon You, which is an other circumstance to prove that personal unkindness was
not meant. no person was ever selected , Start deletion, by him , End, from
such a motive—and so far was mr Adams from indulging such a sentiment, that he had no
Idea of the intollerence of party spirit at that time, and I know it was his opinion
that if the Presidency devolved upon you, except in the appointment of secretaries, no
material Changes would be made.

I perfectly agree with You in opinion that these should be
Gentlemen in whom the President can repose confidence, possessing opinions, and
sentiments corresponding with his own, or if differing from him, that they ought rather
to resign their office, than cabal against measures which he may think essential, to the
honour safety and peace of the country, much less should they unite, with any bold, and
dareingly ambitious Character, to over rule the Cabinet, or betray the Secrets of it to
Friends or foes. the two Gentlemen who held the offices of Secretaries, when you became
President were not of this Character. they were appointed by your predecessor nearly two
years previous to his retirement. they were Gentlemen who had cordially co-opperated
with him, and enjoyed the public confidence, possessing however different political
sentiments from those which you were known to have embrased, it was expected that they
would, as they did, resign. 2

I have never felt any enmity towards You sir for being Elected
President of the United States, but the instruments made use of, and the means which
were pratised to effect a change, have my utter abhorrence and detestation, for they
were the blackest calumny, and foulest falshoods. I had witnessd enough of the anxiety,
and solicitude, the envy jealousy and reproach, attendant upon the office, as well as
the high responsibility of the Station, to be perfectly willing to See a transfer of it.
and I can truly Say, that at the time of Election, I considerd Your pretentions much
superior to his, to whom an equal vote was given.

Your experience I venture to affirm has convinced you that it is not a Station to be envy’d. If you feel Yourself a
free man, and can act in all cases, according to Your own Sentiments, opinions and
judgment, You can do more than either of your predecessors could, and are awfully
responsible to God and your Country for the measures of Your Administration.

I rely upon the Friendship you still profess for me, and (I am
conscious I have done nothing to forfeit it), to excuse the freedom of this discussion
to which you have led with an unreserve, which has taken off the Shackles I should
otherways have found myself embarrassed with— and now Sir I will freely disclose to you
what has severed the bonds of former Friendship, and placed You in a light very
different from what I once viewd you in—

One of the first acts of your administration was to liberate a
Wretch who was suffering the just punishment of the Law, due to his crimes for writing
and publishing the basest libel, the lowest and vilest Slander, which malice could
invent, or calumny exhibit against the Character and reputation of your predecessor, of
him for whom You profest the highest esteem and Friendship, and whom you certainly knew
incapable of such complicated baseness. the remission of Callenders fine was a public
approbation of his conduct. is not the last restraint of vice, a sense of shame, renderd
abortive, if abandoned Characters do not excite abhorrence? If the chief Majestrate of a
Nation, whose elevated station places him in a conspicuous light, and renders his every
action a concern of general importance, permits his public conduct to be influenced by
private resentment, and so far forgets what is due to his Character as to give
countanance to a base Calumniater, is he not answerable for the influence which his
example has upon the manners and morals of the community?

Untill I read callenders Seventh Letter containing your compliment
to him as a writer, and your reward of 50 dollors, I could not be made to believe, that
such measures could have been resorted to; to Stab the fair fame, and upright intentions
of one, who to use Your own Language, “was acting from an honest conviction in his own
mind that he was right.” this Sir I considerd as a personal injury. 3 this was the sword that cut assunder the Gordian
knot, which could not be untied by all the efforts of party Spirit, by Rivalship by
Jealousy or any other Malignant fiend.

The Serpent You cherished and warmed, bit the hand that nourished
him, and gave you sufficient specimins of his talents, his gratitude his justice, and
his truth. When such vipers are let loose upon Society: all
distinction between Virtue and vice are levelld all respect for Character is lost in the
overwhelming deluge of calumny that respect which is a necessary bond in the social
union, which gives efficacy to laws, and teaches the subject to obey the Majestrate, and
the child to submit to the parent.

There is one other act of your administration which I considerd as
personally unkind, and which your own mind will readily Suggest to you, but as it
neither affected Character, or Reputation I forbear to state it— 4

This Letter is written in confidence— no Eye but my own has seen
what has passed. 5 faithfull are the
wounds of a Friend— often have I wished to have seen a different course pursued by you.
I bear no malice I cherish no enmity. I would not retaliate if I could—nay more in the
true Spirit of christian Charity, 6 I
would forgive, as I hope to be forgiven. and with that disposition of mind and heart— /
I Subscribe the Name of

Abigail Adams