211From John Adams to the President of Congress, 15 July 1781 (Adams Papers)
I have the honour to inclose Copy of a Letter to the Comte de Vergennes and of certain Articles and their Answers. The British Court proposed to the Imperial Courts a Congress upon two preliminary Conditions, the Rupture of the Treaty with France, and the Return of America to their Obedience. The two Imperial Courts have since proposed the inclosed Articles. Spain and France have prepared...
212From John Adams to the President of Congress, No. 3, 23 August 1780 (Adams Papers)
The Errand of Mr. Cumberland to Madrid, is a mere finesse of the British Ministry, intended to aid the Stockjobbers, keep up the Stocks, aid the Loan and the Canvas for an Election, and lull the belligerent Powers, while they prepare their measures for future Enterprizes and another Campaign. They have carried this Plot so far, that I see some paragraphs in the foreign Papers, which seem...
213From John Adams to the President of the Congress, 20 September 1778 (Adams Papers)
I have the Honour to inclose, the latest Gazettes, which contain all the News of Europe. The News from America by the Way of London, which is contained in the Courier de L’Europe of the fifteenth instant, has raised our Expectations and encreased our Anxiety. We are not without Apprehensions that the Compte D’Estaing, may fall in with the combined Fleets of How and Biron. The English are...
214From 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...
215From 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,...
216From John Adams to the President of Congress, No. 35, 31 December 1780 (Adams Papers)
It will scarcely be believed in Congress, that at a Time when there are the strongest Appearances of War, there has not been a Newspaper nor a Letter recieved in this City from London since the nineteenth or twentieth of the Month. There are Symptoms of a more general War. If Britain adheres to her Maxims, this Republick will demand the Aid of Russia, Sweeden, Denmark and Prussia, in pursuance...
217From John Adams to the President of Congress, 14 December 1783 (Adams Papers)
Permit me to congratulate you, on your Election to the Chair, and to wish you and the Members of Congress in general much Satisfaction at Anapolis. on the Fifth of this Month, Cap tn Jones arrived at my Lodgings in Piccadilly, with Dispatches from the late President M r Boudinot.— The Letters addressed to “the Ministers Plenipotentiary of the United States” I opened, And found a Set of...
218From John Adams to the President of Congress, 23 June 1781 (Adams Papers)
The answer from Petersbourg, as it is given to the Public, is this. Her Majesty, the Empress of all the Russias, declares: That as much as She been satisfied with the Zeal with which their high mightinesses have accepted her mediation, so much and more has her compassionate Heart been affected with the difficulties formed by the Court of London, in referring the reconciliation with the...
219From John Adams to the President of Congress, 29 March 1781 (Adams Papers)
It is of Importance to the People of America to observe how much lighter their own Burthens are than those of their Enemies, and for this Reason, I have every Year since I have been in Europe taken Notice of the new Taxes laid annually in Perpetuity upon the People of Great Britain by Parliament, in Support of Tyranny, in addition to all former Debts and Taxes. One sixth Part of the new Taxes...
220From John Adams to the President of Congress, No. 8, 19 September 1780 (Adams Papers)
The day before yesterday, Mr. Dana arrived here from Paris with the dispatches which came by Mr. Searle. I am very sensible of the Honour that is done me by this Appointment and yesterday morning I set myself seriously about discharging the Duties of it; and this day I have been some Leagues into the Country upon the same Service. There are good Reasons for concealing the Names of the...
221From John Adams to the President of Congress, No. 18, 27 October 1780 (Adams Papers)
It seems to be now certain, that Some of Mr. Laurens Papers were taken with him. There have been Sent to his most Serene Highness the Prince of orange, Copies of Letters from Mr. De Neufville, Mr. Gillon, Mr. Stockton and Col. Derrick, and a Copy of the Plan of a Treaty projected between the City of Amsterdam and Mr. W. Lee. The Prince was much affected, at the Sight of those Papers, and laid...
222From John Adams to the President of Congress, No. 87, 26 June 1780 (Adams Papers)
The Resolutions of Congress of the 18th. of March respecting the paper bills, appeared first in Europe as recited in the Act of the Assembly of Pennsylvania. They were next published in the English News-Papers as taken from a Boston Paper published by the Council; at last the Resolutions appear’d in the Journals of Congress. A great clamour was raised and spread, that the United States had...
223John Adams to the president of Congress, 10 February 1784 (Adams Papers)
I had Scarcely finished my Dispatches, to go by M r Thaxter with the definitive Treaty, when I was taken down with a Fever at Paris, and reduced so low as to be totally unable to attend to any Business for a long time. When I grew so much better, as to be able to ride, I was advised to go to England.— As I had nothing to do at Paris, and an Attempt to reside in Holland, would probably have...
224John Adams to the president of Congress, 20 October 1784 (Adams Papers)
The inclosed Letters from M r Dumas will communicate to Congress, the present State of affairs, between their High Mightinesses and the Government general of the Austrian Low Countries. Those, who have negotiated for the Emperor, appear to have presumed too much upon the Fears and Divisions of the Dutch, and to have compromised too hastely his Authority and Dignity. The Dutch, neither...
225From John Adams to the President of Congress, No. 19, 31 October 1780 (Adams Papers)
The British Ministry, by the terrible Examples of the Rioters, have So intimidated the Nation, and by their Success in the late Elections have So great a Majority in Parliament, that they think themselves secure for Seven Years, and Seem determined to go on, with more Vigour than ever. The Letters from their Generals Clinton, Cornwallis &c. shew that they are now adopting a new system. These...
No. 10. There are so many Gentleman of Rank going out to America, that there can be no doubt Congress will be fully informed of the State of public Affairs. Mr. Lee, Mr. Izard, the Marquiss de la Fayette, Mr. Wharton, and many others, are going by different Vessels. Besides these Monsieur de L’Etombe, who is appointed Consul General of France for the Northern District of America, as Mr. Holker...
227From John Adams to the President of Congress, No. 26, 14 December 1780 (Adams Papers)
I am every day accepting the Bills of Exchange, which were drawn upon Mr. Laurens: but I have no prospect of obtaining Money to discharge them, from any other Person, than Dr. Franklin. For some Years before I came to Holland, every Person I saw from this Place assured me, that in his Opinion Money might be borrowed, provided Application was made, with proper Powers directly from Congress to...
228From John Adams to the President of Congress, No. 85, 17 June 1780 (Adams Papers)
The Refugees in England are so great an obstacle to Peace, that it seems not improper for me to take Notice of them to Congress. Governor Hutchinson is dead. Whether the late popular Insurrections, or whether the Resolutions of Congress of the eighteenth of March respecting their Finances, by suddenly extinguishing the last Rays of his hopes, put a sudden End to his life, or whether it was...
229From John Adams to the President of Congress, 4 August 1781 (Adams Papers)
I should Scarcely be credited, if I were to describe the present State of this Country. There is more Animosity against one another, than against the common Ennemy. They can agree upon nothing. Neither upon War, nor Peace: neither upon acknowledging the Independency of America, nor upon denying it. Hopes of a general Peace, which flatter all Parties, are continually kept up by Tales and...
230From John Adams to the President of Congress, No. 23, 23 March 1780 (Adams Papers)
I have the Honor to inclose the English Papers of the eleventh thirteenth and fourteenth of March. The Courier de L’Europe and the Hague, Leiden and Amsterdam Gazettes. We are in hourly Expectation of great News from Holland, Ireland, England, Spain, and above all from America and the West Indies. I have not a Letter from America, since I left it, except one from my Family of the tenth of...
231From John Adams to the President of Congress, 26 June 1781 (Adams Papers)
The Rubicon is passed. A step has been at last taken by the Regency of Amsterdam, which must decide the fate of the Republick. The City of Amsterdam, finding that their proposition of the 18th. of last month was not sufficient to change the conduct of administration, have ventured on another maneuvre. On the 8th. of this month, as soon as the States of Holland were seperated, two Burgomasters...
Inclosed are Copies of former Letters to Congress, and I shall continue to transmit Copies until I learn that some have arrived; for which Reason I must request the Favour that his Excellency the President, or some Committee, may be desired to acknowledge the Receipt of Letters, so that I may know as soon as may be what Letters have arrived and which have been less fortunate. The Art of making...
233From John Adams to the President of Congress, No. 84, 16 June 1780 (Adams Papers)
I have lately obtained a Sight of a Number of Pamphlets, published in London, which are given out as written by Mr. Galloway, but there are many Circumstances in them which convince me that they were written in Concert by the Refugees. I see many Traces, which appear unequivocal, of the hand of Governor Hutchinson in some of them. I have read them with pleasure and surprize, because it seems...
234From John Adams to the President of Congress, No. 22, 25 November 1780 (Adams Papers)
It is now certain that the States General, have by a Plurality of five Provinces determined to acceed to the armed Neutrality. Zealand and Guelderland, have agreed to it likewise, but upon Condition of a Warranty of the Possessions of the Republick. If the Intention of Sir J. Yorks Memorial, was to intimidate their high mightinesses from this measure, he has missed his aim. Nor will the...
235From John Adams to the President of Congress, 6 August 1781 (Adams Papers)
In several of the London Newspapers of July 26th. appeared the following paragraph. “An order has been sent from Lord Hillsborough’s Office for bringing Curson and Governieur, whom We sometime ago mentioned to have been confined by Command of Sir George Rodney and General Vaughan for having carried on a traiterous Correspondence with the Enemy at St. Eustatia, to Town to be confined in Newgate...
236From John Adams to the President of Congress, 3 May 1781 (Adams Papers)
On the first of May I went to the Hague, and wrote to his Excellency Peter Van Bleiswick Esqr. Grand Pensionary of Holland, that having something of Importance to communicate to him, I proposed to do myself the Honour to wait on him the next Morning at half after eight, if that Time should be agreable to him: but if any other Hour was more convenient, I requested his Excellency to mention it....
237From John Adams to the President of Congress, No. 16, 14 October 1780 (Adams Papers)
Repeated Letters from London, confirm the Account of Mr. Laurens’s being confined to the Tower, so close a Prisoner, that neither his old Correspondents, nor even his Refugee Relations, are Suffered to Speak to him. There have been So many Precedents of Exchanges, Mr. Lovell as well as the Major Generals Sullivan, Stirling, Lee and others having been exchanged, as Prisoners of War, that it is...
238From John Adams to the President of Congress, No. 9, 24 September 1780 (Adams Papers)
Since the Receipt of the Dispatches, by the Honourable Mr. Searle I have been uninteruptedly employed in attempting to carry into Execution the Designs of Congress. The first Inquiry, which arose, was, whether it was prudent to make any Communication of my Business, to the States General, or to the Prince. Considering that my Errand was Simply an Affair of Credit, and that I had no political...
239John Adams to the president of Congress, 3 November 1784 (Adams Papers)
D r Franklin has lately communicated to M r Jefferson and me a Letter he has received from the Comte de Vergennes and another from M r Grand. The first informs that M r Marbois had informed him, that upon his application to the Superintendant of Finances, he had received an Answer by M r Governieur Morris, that Letters Should be written both to Amsterdam and Paris to provide for the Payment of...
240From John Adams to the President of Congress, No. 17, 12 March 1780 (Adams Papers)
It is an Observation made some Years ago by a great Writer of this Nation de Mably, that the Project of being sole Master of the Sea, and of commanding all the Commerce, is not less chimerical, nor less ruinous, than that of universal Monarchy, on Land: And it is to be wished, for the Happiness of Europe, that the English may be convinced of this Truth, before they shall have learned it by...