William Smith to Abigail Adams, December 2, 1799

Boston. 2 d. Dec r. 1799

Dear Madam—

Your favors of the 19 th &
22 d I have rec d. no Vessell at present is up for Phila a. If any
one offers, I will endeavour to procure the articles you wish to be sent. it
is now so late in the season, that I do not expect I shall forward them— I
am much oblig’d to you for the papers you inclos’d, such Mad Men, as Cooper
can never do any injury to the Government their mad zeal, defeats their own
purposes. if no other state suffer’d from such conduct but Pensylv a. they richly deserve it, for giving such
encouragement for Mad Men from every quarter of the Globe to resort there—
the Business respecting Robbins is well
understood in this quarter. The Letter in the Aurora, without doubt is a
fabrication, & in my opinion the French Paper never cross’d the
Atlantic. M r C. has clear’d himself compleatly
by his two Letters. Our Envoys I hope
before this are safe landed in Europe & I hope they will meet with
success. they have the best wishes of a large Marjority in this Quarter.
even the Junto are now silent & begin to
doubt whether they have not been deceived in their opinion.— every arrival
from Europe brings Bloody News. By an arrival
Yesterday from Hamburgh We have accounts of several severe actions in
Holland on the 1 st & 2 d Oct. in which the Dutch & French were oblig’d to retreat
some distance. it is said that in another action after these the Duke of
York was defeated with the loss of 4 or 5000. Men— 1 I hope the Elections in the House
of Reps. have terminated favourably— I was at Atkinson a few weeks since the
Fa[mily] were all well. I attended the Exhibit[ion] & was much pleas’d
with the performances. W m. & John had
conspicuous parts & perform’d very well. John perform’d his part in such
a manner as to gain the applause of the whole assembly— the performances
were in the Meeting House which was as much crouded as Cambridge Meetg House
on Commencement Day.— M rs. S & our Children
are well she joins me in Affec. Regards to you & the President.—

Y rs. Affec ly

W m. Smith