One act of Mr. Adams's life, and one only, ever gave me a moment's personal displeasure. I did consider his last appointments to office as personally unkind. They were from among my most ardent political enemies, from whom no faithful cooperation could ever be expected; and laid me under the embarrassment of acting through men whose views were to defeat mine, or to encounter the odium of putting others in their places. It seemed but common justice to [Col 2] leave a successor free to act by instruments of his own choice. If my respect for him did not permit me to ascribe the whole blame to the influence of others, it left something for friendship to forgive, and after brooding over it for some little time, and not always resisting the expression of it, I forgave it cordially, and returned to the same state of esteem and respect for him which had so long existed. [* * *] I maintain for him, and shall carry into private life, an uniform and high measure of respect and good will, and for yourself a sincere attachment. —

TITLE: To Mrs. John Adams.
EDITION: Washington ed. iv, 546.
EDITION: Ford ed., viii, 307.
PLACE: Washington
DATE: June. 1804
See Commissions.