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Subject Area: Political Theory
Topic: The American Revolution and Constitution

TO T. PICKERING, SECRETARY OF STATE. - John Adams, The Works of John Adams, vol. 8 (Letters and State Papers 1782-1799) [1853]

Edition used:

The Works of John Adams, Second President of the United States: with a Life of the Author, Notes and Illustrations, by his Grandson Charles Francis Adams (Boston: Little, Brown and Co., 1856). 10 volumes. Vol. 8.

Part of: The Works of John Adams, 10 vols.

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TO T. PICKERING, SECRETARY OF STATE.

East Chester, 12 October, 1797.

Dear Sir,—

I arrived here, at Colonel Smith’s, last night with my family, and I shall make this house my home till we can go to Philadelphia with safety. Even if we should be obliged to convene Congress at any other place than Philadelphia, it will be better for Mrs. Adams to remain here with her daughter than to go with me into lodgings.

I pray you to give me your opinion whether it will be expedient to convene Congress at any other place than the usual one, and if it is, whether New York is not the only convenient place. I have assisted in Congress at Trenton, Lancaster, Yorktown, and Baltimore, and know by experience that even tolerable accommodations are scarcely to be obtained at the three first, and the last is as much infected at present as Philadelphia. A proclamation, too, must be thought on and prepared. If you address your letters to me at East Chester, and recommend them to the care of Charles Adams, Esq., at New York, I shall get them without much loss of time; but if a mail could be made up for East Chester, they might come sooner. I know not whether this can be done without appointing a postmaster at this place, and I know of no one to recommend.

In a former letter I requested you to commit to paper, minutes, as usual, of matters to be communicated and recommended to Congress at the opening of the session, and I now repeat the request. I rejoice that I am now within a hundred miles of you, that the communications between us may be more frequent, and that, in case of urgency, we may soon meet here or at Trenton, or at some intermediate place.

There is a law or resolve, requesting the President to write to the governors of the States, for information whether they have adopted the amendment of the Constitution relative to the suability of States. I know not but you may have executed this resolution; if not, I beg you would write without loss of time, lest a noise should be made at the opening of the next session, and we should be charged with neglect of duty.

John Adams.