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John Quincy Adams

Currency:USD Category:Collectibles / Autographs Start Price:NA Estimated At:6,000.00 - 7,000.00 USD
John Quincy Adams

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Auction Date:2012 Oct 17 @ 18:00 (UTC-05:00 : EST/CDT)
Location:5 Rt 101A Suite 5, Amherst, New Hampshire, 03031, United States
ALS - Autograph Letter Signed
ANS - Autograph Note Signed
AQS - Autograph Quotation Signed
AMQS - Autograph Musical Quotation Signed
DS - Document Signed
FDC - First Day Cover
Inscribed - “Personalized”
ISP - Inscribed Signed Photograph
LS - Letter Signed
SP - Signed Photograph
TLS - Typed Letter Signed
ALS signed “J. Q. Adams,” one page both sides, 7.75 x 9.75, February 2, 1831. Letter to Joseph Blunt. In full: “Your order upon P. Thompson for the British Annual Register of 1829 has been delivered, but he has not the book, and I doubt whether it has yet reached this Country. The Volume of the New Monthly for 1829 has come to hand, but that of 1830 which you promised has not and the file of Bell’s weekly Messenger which you sent me commences only in February—under these circumstances, I cannot put pen to paper which afflicts me much, for I hoped by this time to have got half through my Task—Do help me if you can, with some clue to begin with.

The Politics of New-York are to me a Labyrinth without an Ariadne. It is useless to reason with Mason or Anti-Mason, each of them will have his way—The Clay-Masons so called for the mere pleasure of defeating the Anti-Masons, hitched themselves like Mules to the Car of the Regency, and dragged it in Triumph over the Necks of the Anti-Masons—They succeeded completely—They brought the enemy into the Citadel, and threw up their Caps at his Victory, as if it had been their own—They exulted—They insulted—And cried out to the Anti-Masons—‘See what comes of your Anti-Masonry?—There you are—biting the dust—now come—turn short round—acknowledge yourselves knaves and fools and vote with us for the free and accepted Royal Arch-Mason Henry Clay.’—This is the ne plus ultra of political canvassing.

I have no intercourse with the New-York Anti-Masons—I think none of them have called upon me this year–not even of those with whom I had been before acquainted—I see Masons–and Quasi-Masons—That is persons who side with them against what they think persecution—sometimes they tell me that the Anti-Masons are going down—That their Waterloo-defeat has broken them up—That their party is manifestly falling off and that they will drop into the Ranks of Mr Clay at the very next Election—At other times I hear that soothing words are spoken to them—That their aid and co-operation is solicited—That they are asked to forget the Election of Governor Throop—and to forgive the loss of Election to Congress of Judge Spencer, of Mr Dickinson, of Mr Cady, of Mr Martindale and perhaps of others—And that promises are made to them that they shall be better treated hereafter—I understand you that a compromise has been offered them—That is to say—Granger for Governor, and a Clay-Mason electoral ticket—Perhaps this may be accepted—But the Masonic Newspapers which support Mr Clay are as virulent as ever against Anti-Masons, and appear determined to reject their aid even if they offer it—There is perhaps some lurking Anti-masonry in the recent nomination of Judge McLean at Philadelphia.

There will soon be a great splitting up of Parties in this Country—and European Politics will again influence ours.—Whoever looks for preferments will do well to mount the fence.” After his signature, Adams adds “P.S.—I have received the second Part of American Annual Register Vol. 3.” Intersecting folds, a few small repairs to fold separations at edges, a bit of scattered light soiling, and a thin transparent glassine strip along one vertical edge, otherwise fine condition.

Blunt, like Adams, was a member of the Whig party who worked as the editor of the American Annual Register from 1827 to 1835. It was during his journalistic tenure that Adams sent this lengthy correspondence, three months after his election as a member of the US House of Representatives and two years after vacating the presidency. Much of Adams’ frustration centered around the political turmoil created by the Anti-Masonic Movement, as he states, “It is useless to reason with Mason or Anti-Mason, each of them will have his way—The Clay-Masons so called for the mere pleasure of defeating the Anti-Masons, hitched themselves like Mules to the Car of the Regency, and dragged it in Triumph over the Necks of the Anti-Masons.” Lamenting the political landscape even further, Adams sadly predicts, “There will soon be a great splitting up of Parties in this Country—and European Politics will again influence ours.” Great and lengthy content as the former president looks toward the future internal conflicts of the nation.
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