William Cranch to Abigail Adams, November 21, 1797

Washington Nov r. 21. 1797

My dear Madam.—

I am not only highly gratified, but extremely grateful for your
kind communication of 15 th. inst t , with it’s important inclosures.— The fraternal and affectionate friendship,
which has so long existed between your sons and myself, has indeed been among the
greatest Consolations of my life—and the consciousness that it still continues,
brightens many of my passing days.— Having been so long accustomed to friendship so
sincere, to Confidence so unlimited and to an interchange of sentiment so unconfined
by distrust or suspicion, I have most deeply and sincerely felt the loss occasioned by
our seperation— Yet the sensation was not immediate—it’s Effect was by a continued
repetition of the want of those Consolations which a confidential friendship affords.—
Since my residence at this place, the Cares and perplexities which have occupied my
mind, have almost entirely excluded every literary pursuit, and I was fast approaching
towards the pitiful condition of a dull, plodding man of business.— The misfortunes
which have driven me from that Course, and thrown me again into the practise of the
Law, “ in all the humility of its first outset ,” 1 are perhaps not to be regreted, since it is a
fact that I return to the dry pages of Coke upon Littleton, with almost as much
pleasure as I have formerly found in those of some of the best of the Poets.— Whether
this taste will continue long, or whether it is a mere temporary thirst occasioned by
a long abstinence from the waters of Helicon, I am not able to say, but I have
certainly a great accession of happiness, since I have taken the resolution.— 2 Some remnants of my old business,
however, intrude themselves upon me; and the affairs of my brother Greenleaf have
occupied and still occupy a great part of my time.— These with the Care of supplying
the wants of my family, and a little law business, have prevented me from being
punctual in my Correspondence with your sons; as I have thought it my first duty to
devote my leisure moments to assist M rs. Cranch in the
Care of her Children—to amuse her mind—to console her anxieties, and to support her
spirits.— But she is now, I hope, recovering her health, and I will most certainly
renew a correspondence, the benefits of which must be so evidently on my own
side.—

It is necessary that I inform you that I have never had any
Controul over the publishment of the Washington, Gazette, and that I never interfered with the Editor, although there
were many things publish’d which displeased me extremely; and that since the 24 th. of Aug t. last I have had no
interest or concern whatever in the office. The Editor deceives himself with the idea
of being impartial , & says he means to publish both
sides of the question.— under this notion he prints the rankest disorganizing pieces
he can find, & satisfies his Conscience by saying he refuses nothing. His paper
has a very limited Circulation, and he pays so little regard to his own interest, that
he can not support it long. This man was sent here from Boston in 1794 by M r. Appleton, the loan officer, to be a book-keeper for
Doct r. Appleton, and was afterwards continued in
Employment by me. I found him to be very honest, tolerably industrious, sufficiently
accurate for his Employment, and having a large family to support, I was disposed to
do every thing in my power to assist him. The salary allow’d him was not sufficient to
support his family, and a number of concurring Circumstances induced me to purchase
the printing office and set him up as an Editor—but he has not the industry or
abilities to support it. 3 The reason he
gave for republishing Aristides , was, that it was
possible it might be the begining of important movements in the western Country and
therefore ought to be known. I was absent when those pieces were published, and have
never read them. I once took up one of them, but threw it down again in disgust. They
are supposed to be written either by M r. Brown, the
senator, or (which is much more probable) by his brother Doct r. Samuel Brown, who lately resided in this City. He is a man of some
abilities and Address, and is lately from Edinburgh where he received his medical
Education. While here, he was the founder of a Club, in which affairs of state were
discuss’d with all the depth of jacobinical profundity. At the head of this Club was
placed, Doct r. Coningham—a man about 50 years of age, by
birth an Irishman—and possessing little of medical or any other Knowledge, but a
plenty of Conceit. He was formerly a roman Catholic, but was excommunicated for his
infidelity, and is now as open in his atheistical, as in his jacobinic principles. He
is a Justice of peace, and gets his living by brewing beer and distilling Whiskey,
with a Capital furnished by M r. Greenleaf, through the
unsuspecting goodness of the late Doct r. Appleton.— The
rest of the Club was composed principally of foreigners, of no Education. Whether
Doct r. Brown could not support himself by his profession
or whether he found his politics did not thrive in this part of the Country, he went
off to Kentuckey in the summer, and is without doubt trying to raise himself into notice by the Vehemence of his zeal in the
Cause of french principles.— 4

I received a letter from your son T. B. A. dated London sept r. 11 th. informing me of M r. Johnson’s family having sail’d.— 5 A house is taken for them (not in this City)
but in Georgetown. They are not y[et] arrived, but are
anxiously expected.—

I sha[ll r]eturn the letters as soon as I have made the
Extr[acts], & you may be assured that my own Exertions shall not be wanting, as
far as my leisure and abilities shall permit, to promote the safety and happiness of
our common Country.

My Richard has had the quinzy (synansia trochealis) but is geting
better. 6 William has a very severe
Cold.—

With the most affectionate respect, I am, Dear Madam / your
obliged & obed t. nephew

W. Cranch

I have heard Complaint made, that the President neglects the
Interest of this City—that he does not Answer the letters from the Commissioners
&c— At the time of the Election it was said that M r. Adams would be opposed to the City.— I denied it— I said that I had never heard any
direct opinion from him—but I knew it to be one of his strongest principles that the
existence of our independance, depended on the Union of the states—that the federal
City was a new bond of Union and therefore he could not be opposed to its
wellfare. 7

But we are spoiled by the fondness of the late Pres dt. — There is a great difference between a common horse and
a Hobby.