Excerpt from letter of John Adams to his wife Abigail:
Dr. Gardiner arrived here to day, from Boston, brings us News of a Battle at the Town Meeting, between Whigs and Tories, in which the Whiggs after a Day and an Halfs obstinate Engagement were finally victorious by two to one. He says the Tories are preparing a flaming Protest.
I am determined to be cool, if I can; I have suffered such Torments in my Mind, heretofore, as have almost overpowered my Constitution, without any Advantage: and now I will laugh and be easy if I can, let the Conflict of Parties, terminate as it will – let my own Estate and Interest suffer what it will. Nay whether I stand high or low in the Estimation of the World, so long as I keep a Conscience void of Offence towards God and Man. And thus I am determined by the Will of God, to do, let what will become of me or mine, my Country, or the World.
I shall arouse myself ere long I believe, and exert an Industry, a Frugality, a hard Labour, that will serve my family, if I cant serve my Country. I will not lie down and die in Despair. If I cannot serve my Children by the Law, I will serve them by Agriculture, by Trade, by some Way, or other. I thank God I have a Head, an Heart and Hands which if once fully exerted alltogether, will succeed in the World as well as those of the mean spirited, low minded, fawning obsequious scoundrells who have long hoped, that my Integrity would be an Obstacle in my Way, and enable them to out strip me in the Race.
But what I want in Comparison of them, of Villany and servility, I will make up in Industry and Capacity. If I dont they shall laugh and triumph.
I will not willingly see Blockheads, whom I have a Right to despise, elevated above me, and insolently triumphing over me. Nor shall Knavery, through any Negligence of mine, get the better of Honesty, nor Ignorance of Knowledge, nor Folly of Wisdom, nor Vice of Virtue.
I must intreat you, my dear Partner in all the Joys and Sorrow, Prosperity and Adversity of my Life, to take a Part with me in the Struggle. I pray God for your Health – intreat you to rouse your whole Attention to the Family, the stock, the Farm, the Dairy. Let every Article of Expence which can possibly be spared be retrench’d. Keep the Hands attentive to their Business, and [let] the most prudent Measures of every kind be adopted and pursued with Alacrity and Spirit.
I am &c.,
John Adams
Gorgeous quote! I give you a manual trackback (since it seems not to want to ping properly). John Adams – ^$*%# yeah!
Nightfly – my trackback thingie doesn’t work??
Isn’t it a great quote? I love the nakedness of his need for recognition … it’s so human, you know?
Probably an error on my side… I haven’t been able to get pings to work for a lot of different places. Sorry! I didn’t want to thread-jack, especially since I’m just frothing about football.
hahaha I read your post, though – I love it. The correspondence between John and Abigail can be applicable in ANY pursuit!! I swear it is true!
I love the determination of the quote… as if he’s personally obliged to prove to the world that integrity and clean living beats cheating and deviousness. It’s such a beautiful mix of pride and innocence: his pride is all in the virtue and industry, and not at all in him; as if he said, well, why aren’t YOU John Adams? What’s stopping you? Very old-time Protestant work ethic.
And it’s totally going up on the wall above my dresser.
Thanks again for the kind words!
//as if he said, well, why aren’t YOU John Adams? //
hahaha exactly!!! He had so much to prove. I love that about him. And I also love his openness with his wife in these letters … there’s no formality. He wants a helpmeet, a true partner … not just a dutiful wife – but he “intreats” her to be his partner in all things … I love that. It’s an intellectual romance. One must be in sync on these important moral issues – how we live our lives, what is important to us … I love the Adams’es for that example.