District Clerk's Office. BE IT REMEMBERED, That on the seventh day of May, A. D. 1824, and in the 48th year of the Independence of the United States of America, Cushing and Appleton, of the said district, have deposited in this office, the title of a book, the right whereof they claim as proprietors, in the words following, to wit: "A Review of the Correspondence between the Hon. John Adams, late President of the United States, and the late William Cunningham, Esq. beginning in 1303, and ending in 1812. By Timothy Pickering." In conformity to the act of the Congress of the United States, entitled “An Act for the encouragement of learning, by securing the copies of maps, charts and books, to the authors and proprietors of such copies, during the times therein mentioned;" and also to an act, entitled "An Act, supplementary to an act, entitled "An Act for the encouragement of learning, by securing the copies of maps, charts and books, to the authors and proprietors of such copies during the times therein mentioned, and extending the benefits thereof to the arts of designing, engraving and etching historical and other prints."` JOHN W. DAVIS, Clerk of the District of Massachusetts. CONTENTS. The Causes, pretended and real, for removing T. Pickering IM 5. Note D, referred to in page 18. Mr. Jefferson's Draught of The recurrence of Mr. Adams to the same topics, in various parts of his Correspondence, and the arrangements of the principal subjects in this Review, have occasioned some repetitions of the same INTRODUCTION. A PAMPHLET of more than two hundred pages has appeared, under the title of "Correspondence between the Hon. John Adams, late “President of the United States, and the late William Cunningham, Esq. beginning in 1803, and ending in 1812." 66 A family connexion appears to have had some influence to induce Mr. Adams to unbosom himself to Mr. Cunningham. In one of his letters he tells us that Cunningham's grandmother was the beloved sister of his mother. Two objects were obtained by Mr. Adams's disclosures: He gratified the keen appetite of his friend for secret history; and eased his own mind, by giving vent to his spleen against some public men whom he hated. Mr. Adams, roused at length by his subject, and stimulated by the constant flatteries of his friend, resolves to write his own history; because, says he, "no human being but myself can do me justice; "and I shall not be believed. All I can say will be imputed to vanity "and self-love." In the progress of this Review, the reader will find these prophetic anticipations verified. He will see, from the numerous aberrations of Mr. Adams, that his statements are not entitled to belief; while every page is characterized by his vanity and self-love. In performing the task which Mr. Adams has imposed on me, I shall be obliged to take a pretty extensive view of his character; and present some features in the characters of others whom he has introduced into his letters. In these he has been pleased to give me a conspicuous place, making me a standing theme of reproach. But although so many of his shafts have been levelled at me, from his full quiver he has shot many at others; especially at one who, by way of eminence, may be justly styled THE FEDERALIST. Federalists generally, perhaps almost universally, were once the friends of Mr. Adams; and they continued such, so long and so far as his public conduct permitted them to support him, consistently with their views of what the public welfare required. The mere abatement of their zeal wounded his pride, excited his resentment, and exposed them to his reproach.. For myself, I determined on a formal vindication; aware, at the same time, of the labour it would cost me, in looking for and |