From Thomas Jefferson to John Adams, 19 September 1785
To John Adams
Sep. 19. 1785. Paris.
Lambe1 is arrived. He brings new full powers to us from Congress to appoint persons to negotiate with the Barbary states, but we are to sign the treaties. Lambe has not even a recommendation from them to us, but it seems clear that he would be approved by them. I told him of Mr. Barclay’s appointment to Marocco and proposed Algiers to him. He agrees. A small alteration in the form of our dispatches will be necessary, and of course another courier shall be dispatched to you on the return of Colo. Franks, for your pleasure herein.
RC (MHi: AMT); unsigned; partly in code, followed by a full text in an unidentified hand of the letter as decoded, labelled “Translation.” Dft (DLC); at head of text: “letter to Mr. Adams. All in cypher except the words lined.” The texts of this translation and Dft are identical, except for minor variations of spelling and punctuation. Entry in SJPL reads: “Adams John. Lambe’s arrival.”
1. This and subsequent words in italics are written in code; the text presented here is the decoding accompanying RC in MHi, which has been verified so far as possible by the editors, employing the partly reconstructed Code No. 8.