61From John Adams to the President of Congress, No. 27, 27 March 1780 (Adams Papers)
Paris, 27 March 1780. RC ( PCC , No. 84, I, f. 361–364). In this letter, received by Congress on 31 July and read on 1 Aug., John Adams wrote that war “is now generally considered as a Contest of Finances; so that the Nation which can the longest find Money to carry on the War, can generally hold out the longest.” Adams believed that Great Britain, because of its heavy taxation since 1774, had...
62From John Adams to the President of Congress, No. 28, 28 March 1780 (Adams Papers)
Paris, 28 March 1780. RC in John Thaxter’s hand ( PCC , No. 84, I, f. 365–366). With this letter, received by Congress on 31 July and read on 1 Aug., John Adams sent newspapers and reported on John Jay’s arrival in Spain. See Adams to Edmund Jenings, 28 March , and note 3 (above). RC in John Thaxter’s hand ( PCC , No. 84, I, f. 365–366.)
63From John Adams to the President of Congress, No. 29, 29 March 1780 (Adams Papers)
Paris, 29 March 1780. RC in John Thaxter’s hand ( PCC , No. 84, I, f. 369–372). LbC ( Adams Papers ); notation by Thaxter: “Nos. 26, 27, 28 & 29 were delivered to Mr. Izard 29th. March 1780.” printed : Wharton, ed., Dipl. Corr. Amer. Rev. Francis Wharton, ed., The Revolutionary Diplomatic Correspondence of the United States , Washington, 1889; 6 vols. , 3:578–580. This letter, received by...
64From John Adams to the President of Congress, No. 30, 30 March 1780 (Adams Papers)
Paris, March 30 1780. RC in John Thaxter’s hand ( PCC , No. 84, I, f. 383–384). printed : Wharton, ed., Dipl. Corr. Amer. Rev. Francis Wharton, ed., The Revolutionary Diplomatic Correspondence of the United States , Washington, 1889; 6 vols. , 3:581–582. Read by Congress on 11 Sept., this letter contained an account of a confrontation in February between several corps of Irish volunteers and a...
65From John Adams to the President of Congress, No. 31, 30 March 1780 (Adams Papers)
I have the Honor to inclose to Congress Copies of certain Letters, which I have had the Honor to write to the Comte de Vergennes, and of others which I have recieved from him. It seems that the Presentations of the American Commissioners and Ministers Plenipotentiary have not been inserted in the Gazette, which occasioned some Uneasiness in the Minds of some of our Countrymen, as they thought...
66From John Adams to the President of Congress, No. 32, 3 April 1780 (Adams Papers)
Paris, 3 April 1780. RC in John Thaxter’s hand ( PCC , No. 84, I, f. 395–400). LbC ( Adams Papers ); notation by Thaxter: “No 32 delivered Capt. Landais 3d. April.” printed : Wharton, ed., Dipl. Corr. Amer. Rev. Francis Wharton, ed., The Revolutionary Diplomatic Correspondence of the United States , Washington, 1889; 6 vols. , 3:593–596. In this letter, which was read in Congress on 11 Sept.,...
67From John Adams to the President of Congress, No. 33, 3 April 1780 (Adams Papers)
Paris, 3 April 1780. RC in John Thaxter’s hand ( PCC , No. 84, I, f. 387–394). printed : Wharton, ed., Dipl. Corr. Amer. Rev. Francis Wharton, ed., The Revolutionary Diplomatic Correspondence of the United States , Washington, 1889; 6 vols. , 3:588–592. John Adams began this letter, which was read in Congress on 10 July, by paraphrasing the first portion of William Lee’s letter of 30 March...
68From John Adams to the President of Congress, No. 34, 4 April 1780 (Adams Papers)
Paris, 4 April 1780. RC in John Thaxter’s hand ( PCC , No. 84, I, f. 405–408). printed : various American newspapers, including the Pennsylvania Gazette of 12 July and the Boston Independent Chronicle of 3 Aug. 1780. In this letter, which was read in Congress on 10 July, John Adams paraphrased the resolutions praising Henry Grattan for his efforts on behalf of Ireland in the Irish Parliament...
69From John Adams to the President of Congress, No. 35, 4 April 1780 (Adams Papers)
Paris, 4 April 1780. RC in John Thaxter’s hand ( PCC , No. 84, I, f. 409–410). printed : various American newspapers, including the Pennsylvania Gazette of 12 July and the Boston Independent Chronicle of 3 Aug. 1780. In this letter, which was read in Congress on 10 July, John Adams provided the text of a resolution adopted by the City of London on 22 March concerning the maintenance of a...
70From John Adams to the President of Congress, No. 36, 4 April 1780 (Adams Papers)
Paris, 4 April 1780. RC in John Thaxter’s hand ( PCC , No. 84, I, f. 413–414). LbC ( Adams Papers ); notation by Thaxter: “Nos. 33, 34, 35 & 36 were delivered Capt Snelling on the 8th April 1780 at the Hotel de Valois by Mr Adams.” printed : Wharton, ed., Dipl. Corr. Amer. Rev. Francis Wharton, ed., The Revolutionary Diplomatic Correspondence of the United States , Washington, 1889; 6 vols. ,...
71From John Adams to the President of Congress, No. 37, 6 April 1780 (Adams Papers)
Paris, 6 April 1780. RC ( PCC , No. 84, I, f. 417–423). In this letter, received by Congress on 19 Feb. 1781, John Adams provided Congress with a substantial extract from Sir James Marriott’s decision in the case of La Sybellina Hillegonda , one of the Dutch vessels seized by Como. Charles Fielding from the convoy under the protection of Adm. van Bylandt. Marriott condemned the ship because...
72From John Adams to the President of Congress, No. 38, 7 April 1780 (Adams Papers)
Paris, 7 April 1780. RC in John Thaxter’s hand ( PCC , No. 84, I, f. 425–431) printed : Wharton, ed., Dipl. Corr. Amer. Rev. Francis Wharton, ed., The Revolutionary Diplomatic Correspondence of the United States , Washington, 1889; 6 vols. , 3:599–602. In this letter, received by Congress on 19 Feb. 1781, Adams provided accounts of the arrival of Russian couriers at The Hague on 30 March with...
73From John Adams to the President of Congress, No. 39, 8 April 1780 (Adams Papers)
Paris, 8 April 1780. RC in John Thaxter’s hand ( PCC , No. 84, I, f. 433–435). printed : Wharton, ed., Dipl. Corr. Amer. Rev. Francis Wharton, ed., The Revolutionary Diplomatic Correspondence of the United States , Washington, 1889; 6 vols. , 3:602. In this letter, received by Congress on 19 Feb. 1781, John Adams provided a list of forty-six British naval vessels lost for a variety of reasons...
74From John Adams to the President of Congress, No. 40, 10 April 1780 (Adams Papers)
Duplicate The Memoire of the Prince Gallitzin, Envoy Extraordinary of all the Russias to the States General, presented the third of this Month, is of too much Importance to the United States of America, and their Allies, to be omitted to be sent to Congress. It is of the following Tenor. High and Mighty Lords., “The Undersigned, Envoy Extraordinary of her Majesty the Empress of all the...
75From John Adams to the President of Congress, No. 41, 10 April 1780 (Adams Papers)
Paris, 10 April 1780. RC in John Thaxter’s hand ( PCC , No. 84, I, f. 441–442). In this letter, received by Congress on 19 Feb. 1781, John Adams provided the text of the British ministry’s statement to the Dutch Ambassador, Comte de Welderen, that there would be no extension of the three week time limit given the States General to answer Sir Joseph Yorke’s memorial of 21 March. RC in John...
76From John Adams to the President of Congress, No. 42, 10 April 1780 (Adams Papers)
Paris, 10 April 1780. RC in John Thaxter’s hand ( PCC , No. 84, I, f. 443–446). printed : Wharton, ed., Dipl. Corr. Amer. Rev. Francis Wharton, ed., The Revolutionary Diplomatic Correspondence of the United States , Washington, 1889; 6 vols. , 3:604– 606. Received by Congress on 19 Feb. 1781, this letter included a series of newspaper accounts of events at Copenhagen, Madrid, Paris, Malta,...
77From John Adams to the President of Congress, No. 43, 11 April 1780 (Adams Papers)
Paris, 11 April 1780. RC in John Thaxter’s hand ( PCC , No. 84, I, f. 447–450). printed : Wharton, ed., Dipl. Corr. Amer. Rev. Francis Wharton, ed., The Revolutionary Diplomatic Correspondence of the United States , Washington, 1889; 6 vols. , 3:610– 611. In this letter, received by Congress on 19 Feb. 1781, Adams listed twenty-five English counties and nine cities and towns that had, between...
78From John Adams to the President of Congress, No. 44, 14 April 1780 (Adams Papers)
Paris, 14 April 1780. RC in John Thaxter’s hand ( PCC , No. 84, I, f. 451–455). printed : Wharton, ed., Dipl. Corr. Amer. Rev. Francis Wharton, ed., The Revolutionary Diplomatic Correspondence of the United States , Washington, 1889; 6 vols. , 3:612–614. This letter, received by Congress on 19 Feb. 1781, included reports from Constantinople, Copenhagen, London, and The Hague concerning the...
79From John Adams to the President of Congress, No. 45, 15 April 1780 (Adams Papers)
Paris, 15 April 1780. RC in John Thaxter’s hand ( PCC , No. 84, I, f. 455–461). printed : Wharton, ed., Dipl. Corr. Amer. Rev. Francis Wharton, ed., The Revolutionary Diplomatic Correspondence of the United States , Washington, 1889; 6 vols. , 3:615–618. In this letter, received by Congress on 19 Feb. 1781, John Adams included newspaper accounts from Hamburg, Leghorn, Madrid, Paris, and London...
80From John Adams to the President of Congress, No. 46, 17 April 1780 (Adams Papers)
Late Letters from Dantzick, imply that Commerce was become very languishing there, for Some time, excepting for Ships timber, which bore a very good Price there, on Account of the English, which they carried away, as well in their own Vessells as those of Dantzick. The new face, which the Affairs of Europe, are about to take, from the Alliance formed between the Powers of the North, for the...
81From John Adams to the President of Congress, No. 47, 18 April 1780 (Adams Papers)
Paris, 18 April 1780. RC in John Thaxter’s hand ( PCC , No. 84, I, f. 467–469). printed : Wharton, ed., Dipl. Corr. Amer. Rev. Francis Wharton, ed., The Revolutionary Diplomatic Correspondence of the United States , Washington, 1889; 6 vols. , 3:620–624. In this letter, received by Congress on 19 Feb. 1781, John Adams provided newspaper accounts regarding a petition by Swedish merchants...
82From John Adams to the President of Congress, No. 48, 18 April 1780 (Adams Papers)
It is my Duty to transmit to Congress, as soon as Prudence will admit, every Thing which deserves Consideration, as having either a direct or an indirect tendency to Peace, or even to Negotiation for that important Object. The inclosed Letter has been transmitted to Paris in such a Channel, that I have Reasons to believe it was particularly intended for my Inspection. It is from a Gentleman,...
83From John Adams to the President of Congress, No. 50, 23 April 1780 (Adams Papers)
Paris, 23 April 1780. LbC ( Adams Papers ). Although a note to the Letterbook copy of Adams’letter of 3 May to the president of Congress (No. 58, calendared, below) indicates that this letter was sent and the Journal of Congress shows it to have been received on 19 Feb. 1781 ( JCC Worthington C. Ford and others, eds., Journals of the Continental Congress, 1774–1789 , Washington, 1904–1937; 34...
84From John Adams to the President of Congress, No. 51, 24 April 1780 (Adams Papers)
Paris, 24 April 1780. RC in John Thaxter’s hand ( PCC , No. 84, I, f. 495–498). printed: Wharton, ed., Dipl. Corr. Amer. Rev. Francis Wharton, ed., The Revolutionary Diplomatic Correspondence of the United States , Washington, 1889; 6 vols. , 3:626–628. In this letter, received by Congress on 19 Feb. 1781, John Adams sent intelligence derived from newspaper reports originating at Stockholm,...
85From John Adams to the President of Congress, No. 52, 25 April 1780 (Adams Papers)
Paris, 25 April 1780. RC ( PCC , No. 84, I, f. 500–503). In this letter, received by Congress on 19 Feb. 1781, John Adams included long newspaper accounts from Dublin of events in Ireland, particularly the progress of the volunteer movement, and from London of the efforts of the British ministry to bring about a resolution of the Irish problem. RC ( PCC , No. 84, I, f. 500–503.)
86From John Adams to the President of Congress, No. 53, 26 April 1780 (Adams Papers)
At last, even the Morning Post, of the eighteenth of April, confesses, that the Memorial from the Empress of Russia to the States General, has dissipated all their golden dreams of an Alliance, with the Czarina. It was announced to us last Week, that a Russian Squadron had left Cronstad, with an Intention to sail to our Assistance, nay some of the public Papers went so far as to announce their...
87From John Adams to the President of Congress, No. 54, 28 April 1780 (Adams Papers)
Paris, 28 April 1780. RC ( PCC , No. 84, I, f. 508–510). printed : Wharton, ed., Dipl. Corr. Amer. Rev. Francis Wharton, ed., The Revolutionary Diplomatic Correspondence of the United States , Washington, 1889; 6 vols. , 3:635–639. In Wharton’s printing, the dates for the paragraphs beginning “Hague 23. April” and “Hague 22 April” should be reversed. This long letter, which Congress received...
88From John Adams to the President of Congress, No. 55, 29 April 1780 (Adams Papers)
Paris, 29 April 1780. RC ( PCC , No. 84, II, f. 3–5). LbC in John Thaxter’s hand ( Adams Papers ); marked: “55.” printed: Wharton, ed., Dipl. Corr. Amer. Rev. Francis Wharton, ed., The Revolutionary Diplomatic Correspondence of the United States , Washington, 1889; 6 vols. , 3:640–642. In this letter, received by Congress on 19 Feb. 1781, John Adams provided information that had appeared in...
89From John Adams to the President of Congress, No. 56, 29 April 1780 (Adams Papers)
Paris, 29 April 1780. RC in John Thaxter’s hand ( PCC , No. 84, II, f. 1–2). LbC ( Adams Papers ); marked: “56.” printed: Wharton, ed., Dipl. Corr. Amer. Rev. Francis Wharton, ed., The Revolutionary Diplomatic Correspondence of the United States , Washington, 1889; 6 vols. , 3:640. Congress received this letter on 16 October. Relying on newspaper accounts, John Adams reported on the number and...
90From John Adams to the President of Congress, No. 57, 2 May 1780 (Adams Papers)
Paris, In this letter, which Congress received on 19 Feb. 1781, John Adams included an English translation of a memorial presented by the French ambassador to the States General on 26 April (given as 10 April in Wharton) that announced the repeal of the fifteen percent tariff levied by France on most Dutch goods by various decrees in 1778 and 1779, together with the return of all duties...