Abigail Adams to William Smith, March 3, 1800

March 3 d 1800—

Dear sir

I received on saturday Your kind favour of Feb’ ry accept My thanks for the orations. 1 I send you in return Major
Jacksons, which was very handsomely deliverd, and is as highly spoken of as
any amongst the Multitude. I think it will not lose by a comparison with any
which I have read, and I already have enough for a vol’ m . Messengers is the Wildest Raphosody of any I
do not esteem the whole; more than I did a part. Some of the orators have
been unjust to their Country, no one of them which I have read, more than mr
Paine— misirable would our Country have been and scarcly worth Saving, if
its fate had rested upon the Breath of one individual. we have no reason to
think that we should have lost our Liberties, or our Independance, if
Washington had fallen in Battle that he was a Great a Good a Brave Man, that
in him were concentered qualities which were peculiarly suited to the
important Stations in which he was call’d to act, every tongue must
acknowledge, and that he discharged every trust committed to him for the best interest of his
Country: and would have laid down his Life for it—We all believe and his
Mourning gratefull country now bear full testimony to his Services—a
Testimony which in Many instances will do them immortal honour—

I thank mrs smith for the ornament sent me, which I shall
place round My Arm the next drawing Room. they are pretty devices— I saw the
Death of our venerable Aunt in the News paper— she is the last of the
Ancient stock of Worthies, whose memories, we can rise up and call blessed,
and this is a sweet and cheering reflection—not a single stain upon all
their Characters

Blessed are the dead, who dye in the Lord— 2 She had out lived all her Mental
faculties, and her removal may be considerd as a blessing to herself and
Relatives. it used to be a petition of My Fatherss that he might not out
live his usefullness— his Prayers were answerd— and I think it would be the
wish and desire of every good Christian—

You inquire my dear sir if I want any thing from Boston:
the season is so far advanced that I believe it will not be worth while to
import any thing unless it be Some cheese which I have regreeted not sending
round. I do not mean English but good American— I shall write to Dr Tufts
and request him to send me a Barrel— I will thank you to engage of mr Hall a
dozen of his best Hams & a cask of Tongues against I return 3 M r Otis’s Motion will not make Congress rise, but I wish it would expidite
them. 4 they are now
troubled with the Ghost of Nash, and how long he is to be allowd to haunt
them I cannot determine. the Antis who brought the subject forward, merely
for Electionering purposes—now want it postponed So as to leave an implied
censure upon the President, but they will not be let off so— 5

adieu my dear Sir. I hope the federilist will not split
with respect to their Govenour. Mr Ames mr Cabot and Many others would make
good Govenours, but mr strong I think has equal pretentisions, and greater
if the people will think So—

Mr shaw says the post is going / Yours &c

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