Cotton Tufts to John Adams, May 2, 1798

Weymouth May. the 2 d. 1798

Dear S r.

Your Favour of the 22 d. Ult o. I received the 1 t. Ins t. 1 After a
long & severe Winter, a cold & stormy March, and April much the same, a few
Days excepted. We have at length fine Weather, and an Opportunity of getting our Seed
in the Ground. The Weather has been exceeding hot and dry for Four Days Viz from the
28 th. of April to the 2 d. Ins t. April 28. Thermom tr. 68. 29 th. Th. 70. 30 th. Th.
75— May. 1. Th. 77. (that is, in the highest Heat of the several Days)— Vegetation is
as rapid as I ever remember— Yesterday I got over to Quincy and find your Grass Lands
have a very promising Appearance, But few Canker Worms have made their Appearance this
Year, In the Season of their Ascent I gave Directions for tarring the Apple Trees.
M r. Bass tells me there are only a few Millers to be
seen— There are but few Caterpillars to be seen on any of the Trees, if the Rose Bugs
should not molest the Trees this year, We shall have a plenty of Fruit in the
Fall— 2 A Number of Pieces of Land on
your Farms will require the Steel Scythe— Will it not be best to employ Trask, tho
old, he seems to understand the Business.— Last Week I was confind to my House with my
old pulmonic Affections, which e’er long will demolish my Frame— This day Our good Old
Friend Major Humphrey departed this Life in the 87 th. Year
of his Age and is gone to a better World— 3 Miss S. Warner on the 27 th. Ult o. sunk down to rest. Through the whole of her Sickness She
exhibited an uncommon Patience and steady Submission to the Will of Heaven and has
left us the consoling Hopes of her enjoying a blessed Immortality. 4

My Health does not permit me to write much, but I cannot break
off without saying a Word or two upon Politics. The Conduct of a Number of Towns near
Boston has been truly mortifying. To the Arostratic Pride & disappointed Ambition
of the Descendants of the great 5 Philosopher of Cambridge (who in his Day had acquired the Reputation of a Politician ) whose family possess his Temper but not his Virtues—may be ascribed the Doings of Cambridge— The
restless & disappointed Ambition of the Hero of Roxbury may in some Measure
account for theirs and French Agency for Dorchester the malicious, persevering, and
revengeful Spirit of a disappointed Colonel joind to the Duplicity of a certain Lawyer
now in public Life—for Milton—and Conduct of some other Towns may be imputed to the
Chronicle— 6

May. the 7 th.

The Presidents Commission & Instructions were liberal more
so, I think, than I should have given, were I to have been in his Place, yet taking
all Things into Consideration, they were wise and prudent and as the Representative of
the whole Nation, he has expressed its Sense fully, and I am sure will meet with the
approbation and Gratitude of every true American.—

The Dispatches from the Envoy’s cannot be read without producing
deep Resentment and an Abhorrence of the Meanness and Baseness of the component Powers
of the French Nation and of their insatiable Lust of Domination & Rapine and a
full Conviction, that they are mad with Infidelity, mad with Conquest & mad with
Pride & Avarice— What Hope can there be of treating with them, upon any other
Terms than a Surrender of our Property and our Independance, and are We not in fact
reduced to this Dilemma, either to submit or to defend?

The Communication of these State Papers (the Necessity of the
Measure I regret much) have opened the Eyes of Many that were blind and have turnd
them from the Error of their Ways a very different View of Things is rapidly taking
Place and if reduced to extremities I doubt not of a general Union—

I wish Congress would adopt some Measures for preventing the
sowing of Sedition, securing of Foreigners whose Nation may unjustly imprison or abuse our Citizens and
provide for any Exigences that may possibly occur before the next Meeting of
Congress—

The Weather still continues pleasant, Vegetation proceeds with
surprizing Rapidity— Mine & M rs. Tufts best Regards to
M rs. Adams— Accept of my best Wishes for Your Health
& Happiness and that your public Labors may be crownd with the utmost Success

Your Affect e Friend & H Serv t

Cotton Tufts