Thomas Boylston Adams to Abigail Adams, September 14, 1798

Berlin 14 th: of September 1798.

My dear mother.

Your kind favor of July 19 th. was
transmitted from Hamburg by our cousin Welsh & came to hand last evening. 1 He had a pleasant passage of 38 days and will
come on here as soon as he is a little recruited.

We had already received your letter of the 14 th: informing of his intended embarkment in a short time, and I have made my
arrangements in consequence to be off as soon as the Elizabeth letter of Marque shall be
ready for sea, having written to M r: Pitcairn to take
passage for me on board of her. 2 By my
last letter to you, (towards the last of July) perhaps you may be led to expect me
rather sooner than I shall actually arrive. 3 When that was written I had thoughts of taking
passage on board a neutral vessel, then nearly ready for sea, but the news we received
from home in the interval determined me to renounce this project & wait for an armed
vessel of our own nation. It seemed, with me, to be even a point of honour, not to
desert my Country’s flag, because it was in danger; but even a submissive & tame
neutral appeared preferable to the defenceless merchantment under our Colours. At length
however an occasion presents itself, such as I should chuse, except that our force is
rather less than one could wish. The Elizabeth carries 12 Guns & 40 Men, but if the
Captain is hearty in the cause—equal force will not take us. 4

I am sorry to find by your account, that N. York proves deficient
in public spirit or even inferior to its neighbours. I had calculated otherwise— But if
we must have french tories as formerly we had british, New York, has certainly a prior
right to the honor of containing them—if precedent in this respect confers a title.

I have remarked with pleasure, that the thermometer of my feelings
upon the subject of our national interests & concerns was not an incorrect
indication of the degree of temper, which a full knowledge of our
wrongs would raise among our fellow citizens. I foretold also, that the general politics
of Pennsylvania would eventually be right, though I confess, that since this prophecy
was uttered, there has been abundant reason to think it desperate. A federal Governor
& Chief Justice would keep that State invariably true in its politics— But perhaps
“Tom the Tinker” does pretend to such a reputation, in these times— I give the credit of
it, if it be so, to his son in law—a worthy & spirited lad, with whom I will be
better acquainted, please God I get safe home. Of all the descendents & heirs of the
old Pennsylvania Patriots, I have marked him out as one (I hope not the only one), in
whom the father’s soul survives. 5 There
must be others, whom time and events will bring to light. They cannot conceal themselves
in such times as these, for to distinguish them from the degenerate race who court &
covet a foreign or a french master, is as easy as to distinguish truth & loyalty
from deceit & hypocrisy, or an honest man from a Jacobin.

The farce is yet kept up by the french Directory relative to their
pacific and friendly dispositions towards us (our people)—they have most graciously
& condescendingly & gratuitously & lovingly, and abundance of more ly’s raised the Embargo upon our vessels. How many were there
& to whom did they belong? The number was hardly sufficient to warrant the name of
an embargo, & the vessels chiefly belong to their dearest friends in America. At
whose instance has it been raised? As a compliment to the mission of D r: Logan—(a villain & a traitor to
his Country) patronized & recommended if not deputized, by a brother philosophical
letter writer, whom I once designated as “liable to be seized with the disorder so
common to his inmates & companions, that of betraying his Country’s trust.” 6 In times like these open hatred, publicly
expressed, may be indulged with decency when such characters are the objects. This very
Extraordinary Envoy arrived a few days too late, for he missed meeting another
extraordinary Envoy, who had set sail before he could get to Paris. Miraculous
departure! Had an interview taken place, the sage of Cambridge might have been terrified
into a new negociation by a fresh menace of rupture. This said Doctor I am inclined to
suppose will need the benefit of an amnesty to restore him to his friends &
employers. Who knows, but that at this moment, like another Citizen Ochs , he is framing a new Constitution for the United States
and securing for himself a seat in the Directory? 7

Since the date of my last letter, I have made a short &
delightful excursion to Dresden and visited all the curiosities of that town & its neighborhood, of which I shall be happy to give
you an oral description. At present I shall only observe, that knowing the beauties of
the place, I should have been mortified to have left the Country without seeing
them.

In the hope of meeting you, my father & friends before another
chistmas, I remain my dear mother with the warmest affection / Your Son

T. B. Adams.