31From John Adams to Martha Laurens, 1 December 1781 (Adams Papers)
I was last Evening, favoured with your Letter from Vigan of the fourteenth of November, and am very much obliged to you, for writing to me, upon this occasion, a Letter, which notwithstanding your modest and amiable Apologies does the highest Honour, to the Taste and mental Accomplishments of the Writer, and to the Virtues of a Daughter worthy of my excellent friend President Laurens. Believe...
32From John Adams to Adrianus Dubbeldemuts, 7 April 1782 (Adams Papers)
I have recd. your favor of yesterday inclosing a Gazette with a new Petition or Address to the Magistrates of the City of Rotterdam. While the People entertain such sentiments and hold such a language their Liberties and Prosperity can never be essentially in danger. I should be very happy to see You at any time while I stay in Amsterdam, or after my Removal to the Hague. If I should come to...
33From John Adams to Benjamin Franklin, 4 February 1782 (Adams Papers)
Yesterday was presented to me another Bill of Exchange for 1100 Guilders, drawn on Mr Laurens 25th. Feby. 1780. I have, as usual, asked time to write to your Excellency, to know if You can be responsible for the payment: if not, they must be protested, for there is no Money to be had here. Indeed, if there was a probability of obtaining any small Sum here, quare, whether it would not be...
34From John Adams to the President of Congress, 1 November 1781 (Adams Papers)
It is still as problematical as ever, what is the political System of this Republick, and indeed whether it has any System at all. They talk much and deliberate long, but execute nothing. By the Violence with which they speak and write of each other, a Stranger would think them ripe for a civil War. In the Assembly of the States of Guelderland, held to consider of the Requisition of the King...
35From John Adams to Adrianus Dubbeldemuts, 22 March 1782 (Adams Papers)
I have recd. the Letter, which You did me the honor to write me, the 18th. of this month, with a Copy inclosed of the Petition of the Committee of the Merchants of the City of Rotterdam to their Magistrates, presented last Saturday. You will please to accept of my thanks for this very acceptable present, and of my hearty Congratulations upon that remarkable Harmony and Unanimity in the...
36Enclosure: A Draft Proposal for an Alliance with the States General of the Netherlands, 1 March 1782 (Adams Papers)
I have done myself the honor of this Conference, in order to desire You to inform their H. M., that by the tenth Article of the Treaty of Alliance between France and the United States of America, the most Christian King and the United States sont convenues d’inviter de Concert, ou d’admettre les Puissances, qui auront de griefs contre l’Angleterre à faire cause commune avec eux, et à acceder à...
37From John Adams to Jean de Neufville & Fils, 26 December 1781 (Adams Papers)
I recieved the Letter with which You honored me yesterday. Mr. Barclay’s Office gives him full Authority in the Affair of the Goods, and his Abilities and Experience enable him to do every thing that can be done: so that I shall with great pleasure leave the whole affair to him, ready however at all times to render him any service in my power. It gives me great pleasure to learn that the...
38From John Adams to the President of Congress, 29 December 1781 (Adams Papers)
Amsterdam, 29 December 1781. RC in John Thaxter’s hand ( PCC , No. 84, III, f. 446–450). printed : Wharton, ed., Dipl. Corr. Amer. Rev. Francis Wharton, ed., The Revolutionary Diplomatic Correspondence of the United States , Washington, 1889; 6 vols. , 5:77–79. This letter consists of English translations of a brief note announcing Austria’s accession to the armed neutrality and the formal act...
39From John Adams to Benjamin Franklin, 6 December 1781 (Adams Papers)
I have delivered your Excellency’s Letter to Mr. de Neufville, and have written to him myself, making the proposals contained in your Letter to me. He answers me, that he thinks the proposals reasonable: but insists upon it, that he has not the commanding Interest in the Concern, and that nothing can be done but by the Owners at large, or by Mr. Van Harp as Ships Husband. He seemed alarmed at...
40From John Adams to Benjamin Franklin, 4 October 1781 (Adams Papers)
Your Excellencys Letter of June 11. is yet unanswered. I have the Honour to agree with your Excellency in opinion, that it is reasonable, that the Articles of Rent of the Hotel, Payment of Couriers, Postage of Letters, Salaries of Clerks, Stationary for the Bureau, and Feasts and Illuminations made upon publick occasions, should be deemed Expences of the States. Indeed otherwise it will be...
41From John Adams to Francis Dana, 5 February 1782 (Adams Papers)
Your favor of Decr. 31st/Jany. 11th 1781.2 I recieved Yesterday, and in an hour or two after the Letters inclosed were sent in to me. As I have not recieved any of my Letters by the Viscount de Noailles or the Marquiss, I was very anxious to know the News and took Advantage of your Permission to open the Letters. That from Mrs. gave me vast pleasure—it put me in Spirits for the whole day. The...
42From John Adams to Benjamin Franklin, 12 November 1781 (Adams Papers)
By the last Post, Letters have been recieved in this Town from Mr. Gillon and from a Passenger, Mr. Le Roy, by which and a note upon one of them by Mr. Lagoanere it appears that the South Carolina sailed form Corunna on the seventeenth of October, and that Captain Jackson and Mr. Trumbull are gone in an American Privateer to Bilbao, in order to take Passage from thence to America: so that the...
43From John Adams to Benjamin Franklin, 19 November 1781 (Adams Papers)
Your obliging Letter of the 7th instant I had the honor to recieve on Saturday night by Mr Fox, to whom I shall be happy to shew every Civility in my Power, according to the Recommendation of your Excellency and Mr. Franklin. I have recieved a Letter from Captain Jackson, and another from my Boy at Bilbao, which inform me of their Intention to embark for Salem in a Privateer which was to sail...
44From John Adams to Benjamin Franklin, 26 March 1782 (Adams Papers)
One day, last Week, I recd at Amsterdam a Card from Diggs, inclosing two Letters to me from Mr David Hartley. The Card desired to see me upon Business of Importance: and the Letters from Mr Hartley contained an assurance that to his Knowledge the Bearer came from the highest Authority. I answered the Card, that in the present Situation of Affairs here and elsewhere, it was impossible for me to...
45From John Adams to Jean de Neufville & Fils, 10 December 1781 (Adams Papers)
I have recd the Letter which you did me the Honour to write me on the 8th. instant, inclosing a Translation of Messrs Van Arps Proposals. Messrs Van Arps, in the Character of ships Husband, demand 60,000 ƒ. as Damages &c. If I were convinced that the Goods of the United States of America, were responsible for any Damages at all in this Case which I am not but clearly of the contrary I should...
46From John Adams to Balthasar Elias Abbema, 11 April 1782 (Adams Papers)
Your favor of this morning, announcing the unanimous Resolution of the States of Utrecht taken yesterday in favor of American Independence, is just come to hand. I had recieved a few Minutes before a french Gazette of Utrecht, containing the same Article: but I am very happy to recieve it in a more authentick manner from a Gentleman of so distinguished a Reputation for Patriotism. The...
47From John Adams to Robert R. Livingston, 14 February 1782 (Adams Papers)
Yesterday the Duplicate of your Letter of the 23d. of October was brought to me, the Original not yet arrived. It is with great pleasure I learn that a Minister is appointed for foreign Affairs, who is so capable of introducing into that Department an Order, a Constancy and an Activity, which could never be expected from a Committee of Congress so often changing and so much engaged in other...
48From John Adams to the Marquis de Lafayette, 10 March 1782 (Adams Papers)
The Proceedings, of late in the British Parliament, I think abundantly prove, that the British Troops will evacuate N. York and Charlestown, and go to Quebeck Hallifax and the West India Islands provided they can escape in the Course of the ensuing Summer. It cannot be a Question, with any Sensible Man, whether it will cost most Time, Blood and Treasure to France and Spain to take them all...
49From John Adams to Benjamin Franklin, 3 January 1782 (Adams Papers)
Yesterday were presented to me two other Bills of Exchange on Mr. Laurens drawn 6th. July 1780, Numbers 40 and 41 for 550 Guilders each, which I wait your Excellency’s orders to accept. I have never been informed of the exact amount of the Bills drawn on Mr. Laurens on that day; but there are by the Numbers which have appeared probably many not yet arrived. I have the honor to make your...
50From John Adams to the Duc de La Vauguyon, 10 April 1782 (Adams Papers)
I have this moment recd. the letter which You did me the honor to write me yesterday, with a letter inclosed from Mr. Franklin. The Approbation of Monsieur Le Comte de Vergennes is a great satisfaction to me, and I shall be very happy to learn from You, Sir, at Amsterdam the details You allude to. I have a Letter from Diggs at London 2d. April, informing me that he had communicated what had...
51From John Adams to Johann Ulrich Pauli, 11 April 1782 (Adams Papers)
I am honored with your letter of the 5th. instant, and thank You for your polite Invitation to Hambourg, a Journey which it would give me pleasure to make, but which various Occupations will oblige me at least to postpone for sometime. In Answer to your Inquiries, Sir, I have only to say that at present I have no Powers from the United States of America to treat with the Hanseatic Cities: but...
52From John Adams to Benjamin Franklin, 10 October 1781 (Adams Papers)
Your Favour of October 5. is just now brought to me, and I beg your Excellency to accept of my Thanks for your Congratulations on my Recovery, which is however, as yet but imperfect. I am much Surprized to find, So many appearances, which seem to shew that certain neutral Powers of whose Sagacity and great Spirit, the World had formed an high opinion are amused and imposed upon by very...
53From John Adams to the President of Congress, 15 October 1781 (Adams Papers)
I am very sorry to learn that Congress had recieved no Letters from October to June. It is not that I wrote less than usual in that period, but that I was more unfortunate. Two Vessels, which sailed from hence for Boston, each of which had Dispatches from me for Congress, destroyed them, one upon being taken, and the other being chased. But the most of my Dispatches were Lost at St. Eustatia,...
54From John Adams to Benjamin Franklin, 22 November 1781 (Adams Papers)
Last Evening, was brought to me, the Proposals of the owners of the Ships, in the following Words. “To take from the owners of the Vessells the Liberty and the Aurora, at the Rate they shall be found to amount, not only of purchase Money, but also of all other Expences made thereon till the day of taking over the Said Vessells. Further to pay the half of the Freight Money, that are agreed, and...
55From John Adams to the Duc de La Vauguyon with a Letterbook Memorandum, 24 November 1781 (Adams Papers)
Mr Adams presents his most respectfull Compliments to his Excellency, the Duke de la Vauguion, and begs leave to acquaint him, that by the last nights Post he received from Congress Some important Dispatches which it is his Duty to communicate to the Ambassador of France. Mr Adams requests his Excellency, to inform him, what Hour will be most convenient for him to wait on him at the Arms of...
56From John Adams to the President of Congress, 17 October 1781 (Adams Papers)
Amsterdam, 17 October 1781. RC in John Thaxter’s hand ( PCC, Misc. Papers , Reel No. 1, f. 423–426). printed : Wharton, ed., Dipl. Corr. Amer. Rev. Francis Wharton, ed., The Revolutionary Diplomatic Correspondence of the United States , Washington, 1889; 6 vols. , 4:782–783. Included in this letter, a duplicate, was an English translation of a placard issued at Utrecht on 3 Oct. against Aan...
57From John Adams to the Marquis de Lafayette, 20 February 1782 (Adams Papers)
Yesterday Major Porter, brought me, your kind favour of the first of this month, together with some Letters from America, in one of which is a Resolution of Congress of the 23d of November “That the secretary of foreign affairs acquaint the Ministers Plenipotentiary of the United States, that it is the desire of Congress that they confer with the Marquis de la Fayette, and avail themselves of...
58From John Adams to the Duc de La Vauguyon, 25 November 1781 (Adams Papers)
I have the honour to inclose to your Excellency, a Copy of the fresh Instructions of Congress of the Sixteenth of August last which I received by the Post the 23d instant. I have also received a further Commission, from Congress, with full Powers, to confer treat, agree and conclude with the Person or Persons vested with equal Powers, by his most Christian Majesty, and their high mightinesses...
Returning last Evening from the Hague I had the Pleasure to find your kind Favour of the Sixth of this month, and am very glad to hear of your Intention to place 12 thousand Florins in the american Funds. I am also much pleased to find that you prefer, the Loan with which I am intrusted, to that made under the warranty of France and this Republick, because it is a more frank and manly...
60From John Adams to Jean Luzac, 13 December 1781 (Adams Papers)
I have received your friendly Letter of the 10th of this month. The new Translation of the american Constitutions, into the Dutch Language, I have not yet Seen, but intend to embrace the first opportunity of Sending Some Copies of it, to be placed in the principal publick Libraries in America, and the more willingly for the Dedication of it to Mr Vanberckel, a Gentleman whose great merit and...