To John Adams from Thomas Jefferson, 6 February 1787
From Thomas Jefferson
Paris Feb. 6. 1787.
Dear Sir
Your favors by Colo. Franks have come safely to hand.1 he will set out from hence the 8th. inst. the packet being to sail from Havre the 10th. I inclose you the copy of a letter lately received from mr̃ Barclay, & of the paper it inclosed.2 in a letter from mr̃ Carmichael is a postscript dated Dec. 25.3 in the following words “since writing the preceding, the Portuguese Ambassador has pressed me to hint that the present moment is favorable to push our treaty with his court.” in the body of the letter he sais “the Ct. d’Expilly has promised me to continue his attention to our prisoners during his stay at Algiers, & I have also engaged the Consul of Spain who remains there on his return to take care of them. advances have been made for their support which ought to be refunded.” I suppose that these advances have been made by order of mr̃ Lamb, & that, his powers being at an end, it will be incumbent on us to take measures on that subject.4
the Count de Vergennes is extremely ill. his disease is gouty.5 we have for some days had hopes it would fix itself decidedly in the foot. it shews itself there at times, as also in the shoulder, the stomach &c. Monsr. de Calonnes is likewise ill: but his complaints are of a rheumatic kind which he has often had before. the illness of these two ministers has occasioned the postponement of the Assembly of the Notables to the 14th. & probably will yet postpone it. nothing is yet known of the objects of that meeting. I send you a pamphlet giving a summary account of all the meetings of a general nature which have taken place heretofore. the treaty between Russia & this country is certainly concluded; but it’s contents are not yet known.6 I shall set out for the waters of Aix on the 15th. instant, so that I am unable to say when & whence I shall have the honour of addressing you again. but I take measures for the conveying to me on my road all letters, so that should any thing extraordinary require it, I can at all times be recalled to Paris in a fortnight. I shall hope to hear from you at times as if I were in Paris. I thank you much for the valuable present of your book. the subject of it is interesting, & I am sure it is well treated.7 I shall take it on my journey that I may have time to study it. you told me once you had had thoughts of writing on the subject of hereditary aristocracy. I wish you would carry it into execution. it would make a proper sequel to the present work. I wish you all possible happiness & have the honour to be with sentiments of sincere esteem & affection Dear Sir, your most obedient & most humble servant
Th: Jefferson
RC (Adams Papers); internal address: “H. E. / Mr. Adams”; notation by CFA: “Mr Jefferson. Feby. 6th 1787. / not published.” CFA presumably meant that the letter was not published in .
1. These were JA’s 25 Jan. letter to Jefferson as well as signed fair copies of the 25 Jan. letter drafted by JA from the commissioners to Thomas Barclay, and a letter of [27 Jan.] to Sidi Haj Tahar Ben Abdulhaq Fennish, and a report to John Jay of 27 Jan. (vol. 18:557–558, 559, 565–566, 567–568).
2. Jefferson enclosed Barclay’s 6 Jan. letter to the commissioners, for which see Barclay’s 10 Feb. letter to the commissioners, and note 1, below.
3. William Carmichael’s letter was of 17 Dec. 1786 (, 10:606–608).
4. John Lamb, a Connecticut merchant and shipowner familiar with the North African coast, had been appointed the U.S. agent to negotiate in Algiers but proved inept at the task.
5. The Comte de Vergennes died of gout on 13 Feb. 1787, thereby delaying the opening of the Assembly of Notables for nine days so that King Louis XVI could mourn “the only friend … the only minister who never deceived me.” Jefferson wrote immediately to JA on 14 Feb., alerting him that Vergennes’ successor was Armand Marc, Comte de Montmorin de Saint Herem. Jefferson enclosed a letter of the same date for JA to forward to John Jay with the same news (, p. 473; , 11:143, 144).
6. For the Franco-Russian commercial treaty of 1787, see the Marquis de Lafayette’s 7 Feb. letter, and note 4, below.
7. Jefferson referred to the first volume of JA’s JA likely enclosed a copy with his 25 Jan. letter to Jefferson, which was carried to Paris by Lt. Col. David S. Franks (vol. 18:544–550, 557–558).