mple was exhibited by the captain, officers, sailors and
marines, honourable to the American name, and instructive to its
rising navy.

John ADAMS.

_____

_John Adams to Captain Thomas Truxtun._

To
CAPTAIN THOMAS TRUXTUN, U.S.N. Quincy, November 30th, 1802.

Sir: I have many apologies to make for omitting so long to
acknowledge the receipt of your obliging favour of the 10th of
July. The copy you have done me the honour to present me, of the
medal voted by Congress, and executed according to my directions
to the Secretary of the Navy, I accept with great pleasure, not
only from my personal regard to the giver, but because I esteem
every laurel conferred upon you, for the glorious action of the
1st of March, 1800, as an honour done to our beloved country.
From both of these motives I have been highly gratified with the
honour the gentlemen of Lloyd's Coffee House have done themselves
in the handsome acknowledgment they have made of their
obligations to you. I regret that the artist had not completed
the medal in season, that I might have had the satisfaction of
presenting it to an officer who has so greatly deserved it; and I
lament still more that I had not the power of promoting merit to
its just rank in the navy, that of an admiral.

The counsel which Themistocles gave to Athens, Pompey to Rome,
Cromwell to England, De Witt to Holland, and Colbert to France, I
have always given and shall continue to give to my countrymen,
that, as the great questions of commerce and power between
nations and empires must be decided by a military marine, and war
and peace are determined at sea, all reasonable encouragement
should be given to the navy. The trident of Neptune is the
sceptre of the world.

I am, Sir, etc.,
John ADAMS.

No. 22. (p. 133)
PLATE XXIII.

_March 4, 1801--March 4, 1809._

Th. Jefferson President of the U.S. A.D. 1801. [Rx]. Peace and
friendship.

PRESIDENT THOMAS JEFFERSON.

[_Third President of the United States of America._]

TH. (_Thomas_) JEFFERSON PRESIDENT OF THE U.S. (_United States_) A.D.
(_Anno Domini: The year of our Lord_) 1801. Bust o