421The American Commissioners to John Jay, 28 March 1786 (Adams Papers)
Soon after the arrival of M r. Jefferson in London, We had a conference with the Ambassador of Tripoli, at His House. The amount of all the Information we could obtain from him was that a perpetual peace was in all respects the most adviseable, because a temporary treaty would leave room for increasing demands upon every renewal of it and a stipulation for annual payments, would be liable to...
422American Commissioners to John Jay, 25 April 1786 (Jefferson Papers)
Soon after our meeting together in London, We had a Conference with the Secretary of State for foreign affairs, in which we communicated to him, the joint Commission of Congress, for negotiating a Treaty of Commerce with Great Britain, and left an attested Copy of it in the hands of his Lordship. At the same time his Lordship was informed that as the Commission was limited to two years...
423The American Commissioners to Thomas Thompson, 25 November 1777 (Franklin Papers)
Two AL : Library of Congress, Harvard University Library We advise you on your return to L’Orient to put your Ship in readiness for Sea, Capt. Hinman will do the same, and after you have obtained the best intelligence to be had, of the British Merchant Ships, and Commerce to pursue the Course, which you judge best for intercepting and making prizes on Our Enemies Ships, and property. As it is...
424American Commissioners to the President of Congress, 11 November 1784 (Jefferson Papers)
Having assembled together at this place about the latter end of August we proceeded in obedience to the commands of Congress to notify our appointment and it’s objects to such Powers as we thought it adviseable at that time to address. We wrote a circular letter in the form No. 1 to the Ambassadors or other ministers residing here from the courts of Saxony, the two Sicilies, Sardinia, Venice,...
425The American Commissioners to Sartine: Three Letters, 17 November 1778 (Franklin Papers)
(I) AL (draft): Massachusetts Historical Society; two copies: National Archives; (II) LS : Archives de la Marine; AL (draft): Massachusetts Historical Society; two copies: National Archives; (III) LS : New York Public Library; AL (draft): Massachusetts Historical Society; two copies: National Archives We have the Honour of your Excellencys Letter of the 14 of this Month informing Us, of his...
426The American Commissioners’ Interview on January 8 with Gérard: Four Documents, 1778 (Franklin Papers)
This meeting, in Deane’s quarters in Paris at six in the evening of January 8, was the commissioners’ reward for all the frustrations of the previous year. Vergennes had announced to them on December 12 that France was ready to negotiate, but three weeks of silence followed while the court attempted to secure Spanish participation. Then, when Madrid made clear that it had no intention of...
427III. The American Commissioners’ Memorandum in Support of Article 23 of the Draft Prussian-American Treaty of Amity and … (Adams Papers)
By the original Law of Nations war and extirpation was the punishment of injury—humanizing by degrees, it admitted slavery instead of death. A farther step was, the exchange of prisoners instead of slavery. Another, to respect more the property of private persons under conquest, and be content with acquired dominion. Why should not this Law of Nations go on improving? Ages have intervened...
428The American Commissioners to Vergennes, 5 January 1777 (Franklin Papers)
ALS : Archives du Ministère des affaires étrangères; copy: Harvard University Library. On Sunday, January 5, the commissioners went to Versailles. That evening they sent a brief note to Vergennes asking for an audience on Monday morning. Such an interview in the spotlight of the court would have been quite different from the previous clandestine meeting in Paris, but the idea never seems to...
429American Commissioners to John Jay, 18 March 1785 (Jefferson Papers)
We received by the last Packet the favor of your letter of Janry. 14. in which we have the agreeable information of your having accepted the appointment of Secretary for foreign Affairs. Besides the general interest we feel in this event as members of the Union which is to [be] availed of your services, we are particularly happy that a channel of communication is opened for us with Congress in...
430The American Commissioners to the Committee for Foreign Affairs, 25 May 1777 (Franklin Papers)
ALS and copy: National Archives; two copies: British Library Agreeable to what we mentioned in ours of March 14 and April the 9th (a third Copy of which we send herewith) Mr. Lee tarry’d here some Weeks after his Return from Spain. No News arriving (tho’ we received Letters from you) of any Commissioner being actually appointed for Prussia, and the Necessity of a good Understanding with that...
431The American Commissioners to the Comte de Vergennes, 28 March 1785 (Adams Papers)
We have the honour to enclose an extract of a letter from the Commissioners of the United States of America to Your Excellency dated Aug st. 28 th. 1778. Copy of Your Excellency’s ans r dated 27. Sept r. 1778. & Copy of M. de Sartine’s letter to Your Excellency of the 21 st of Sept r. 1778 all relative to a proposed negotiation with the States of Barbary. Not having any particular authority or...
432The American Commissioners to the Marquis of Carmarthen, 4 April 1786 (Adams Papers)
Agreably to your Lordships request expressed to one of Us in Conversation, and again communicated to Us through M r Fraser, We have drawn up the enclosed Project of a Treaty of Commerce, which We do ourselves the Honour to propose to the Consideration of his Majestys Ministers. We have the Honour to be My lord / your Lordships most obedient and / most humble servants The Subjects of His...
433The American Commissioners to [the Committee of Secret Correspondence], 28 April 1777 (Franklin Papers)
Copy: Harvard University Library We wrote to you pretty fully on the State of Affairs here, in ours of the 12th of March and 19th of this Month, since which there has been little Alteration. There is yet no Certainty of a sudden Declaration of War, but the Preparations go on vigorously both here and in Spain, the Armies of france drawing towards the Sea Coasts, and those of Spain to the...
434The American Commissioners to Sidi Haj Tahar Ben Abdulhaq Fennish, 27 January 1787 (Adams Papers)
To His Excellency, Sidi Hadg Jaher Ben Abdelhack Fennish, in the service of His Majesty the Emperor of Morocco— We have received, with high satisfaction the Letter, which Your Excellency, by the Command of His Majesty the Emperor of Morocco did us the honor to write Us, on the 1 st. day of the blessed month Ramaden 1200 and transmitted to us by the Honourable Thomas Barclay Esquire, who was...
435VII. To the Baron von Thulemeier, 13 February 1785 (Adams Papers)
Your Favour of the 24 th: of Jan y. did not reach me, untill two Days ago. I communicated the Observations, inclosed in it, immediately to my Colleagues, who will transmit you our Answers, as soon as Health, and other Circumstances will admit. I have communicated to them also, your personal and confidential observations to me. They will have great Weight as they ought to have. I am weary of...
436VI. Thomas Barclay’s Letter of Credence to the Emperor of Morocco, 1–11 October 1785 (Adams Papers)
The Congress of the United States of America after the conclusion of that war which established their freedom & independance, & after the cares which were first necessary for the restoration of order & regular government, turned their attention in the first moment possible to the connections which it would be proper to form with the nations on this side the Atlantic for the maintenance of...
To all to whom these Presents shall come or, be may be made known. Whereas the United States of America in Congress Assembled, reposing special trust & confidence in the integrity prudence & ability of their trusty & well-beloved the Hon ble John Adams late one of their Ministers Plenipotentiary for negotiating a peace, and heretofore a Delegate in Congress from the State of Massachusetts &...
438VIII. John Lamb’s Supplementary Instructions for Negotiations with Algiers, 1–11 October 1785 (Adams Papers)
We have received information that two American vessels, the Dauphin from Philadelphia & and the Maria from Boston with their Crews & Cargoes have lately been taken by the Algerines off the coast of Portugal, & that the crews are reduced to slavery. Our full powers to that State being for the general purpose only of concluding a treaty of Amity & Commerce, the redemption of our citizens made...
439The Franco-American Treaty of Amity and Commerce, 6 February 1778 (Franklin Papers)
DS : National Archives; copies in French and English: Massachusetts Historical Society, Harvard University Library, National Archives; copies in French: Archives du ministère des affaires étrangères (draft), Harvard University Library, Archivo Historico Nacional, Madrid Treaty of Amity and Commerce. Traité d’Amitié et de Commerce The most Christian King, and the thirteen United States of North...
440Enclosure: Draught of a treaty of Amity and Commerce between –– and the United states of America, 11 May 1786 (Jefferson Papers)
The parties being willing &c. [as in the draught proposed to Denmark, except in the following passages] Art. 4 [to be as follows] More especially each party shall have a right to carry any kinds of produce manufactures and merchandize of whatever place they be the growth or manufacture, in their own or any other vessels, to any parts of the dominions of the other, where it shall be lawful for...
441I. Commission, 11 October 1785 (Jefferson Papers)
To all to whom these Presents shall come or, may be made known. Whereas the United States of America in Congress Assembled, reposing special trust and confidence in the integrity, prudence and ability of their trusty and well-beloved the Honble. John Adams late one of their Ministers Plenipotentiary for negotiating a peace, and heretofore a Delegate in Congress from the State of Massachusetts...
442Treaty with Morocco, [1–25 January 1787] (Jefferson Papers)
To all Persons to whom these Presents shall come or be made known. Whereas the United States of America in Congress assembled by their Commission bearing date the twelvth day of May One thousand Seven hundred and Eighty four thought proper to constitute John Adams, Benjamin Franklin and Thomas Jefferson their Ministers Plenipotentiary, giving to them or a Majority of them full Powers to...
443III. Supplementary Instructions to John Lamb, 11 October 1785 (Jefferson Papers)
We have received information that two American vessels, the Dauphin from Philadelphia and the Maria from Boston with their crews and cargoes have lately been taken by the Algerines off the coast of Portugal and that the crews are reduced to slavery. Our full powers to that State being for the general purpose only of concluding a treaty of Amity and Commerce, the redemption of our citizens made...
444VII. Letter of Credit, 6 October 1785 (Jefferson Papers)
The United States of America in Congress Assembled on the 14th. day of Febry. last resolved, that the Ministers of the United States who are directed to form Treaties with the Emperor of Morocco and the Regencies of Algiers Tunis and Tripoli be empowered to apply any Money in Europe belonging to the United States to that use: As you are appointed to proceed to Morocco as Agent for forming such...
445The Franco-American Treaty of Alliance, 6 February 1778 (Franklin Papers)
DS : National Archives; copies in French and English: Massachusetts Historical Society, National Archives (two), University of Virginia Library; copy in French: Archivo Historico Nacional, Madrid The hope of concluding this treaty and the one that follows had been the commission’s mainstay for fourteen months, but negotiating them took less than three weeks. Gérard began the discussions on...
446II. Instructions, 11 October 1785 (Jefferson Papers)
Congress having been pleased to invest us with full powers for entering into treaty of Amity and Alliance with the Emperor of Morocco, and it being impracticable for us to attend his court in person and equally impracticable on account of our seperate stations to receive a Minister from him, we have concluded to effect our object by the intervention of a confidential person. We concur in...
447VI. Heads of Inquiry, 11 October 1785 (Jefferson Papers)
1. Commerce. What are the articles of their export and import? What articles of American produce might find a market in Algiers and at what prices? Whether rice, flour, tobacco, furs, ready built ships, fish, oil, tar, turpintine, ship timber &c. and whether any of these articles would hereafter be acceptable as presents? What duties are levied by them on exports and imports? Do all nations...