121From Benjamin Franklin to John Adams, 19 May 1781 (Franklin Papers)
LS : Massachusetts Historical Society; AL (draft), press copy, and incomplete copy: Library of Congress I received the Honour of yours, with an Account of the Bills you have to pay. I have accepted your Drafts for 77,000 Crowns, at 15 Days Date. The Shortness of the Term is inconvenient; and as our Money comes to hand by Degrees, and these unexpected Demands from Holland and Spain oblige me to...
122From Benjamin Franklin to John Adams, 2 June 1782 (Franklin Papers)
LS : Massachusetts Historical Society; copy: Library of Congress; transcripts: Massachusetts Historical Society, National Archives Since mine of May 8th I have not had any thing material to communicate to your Excellency. Mr Grenville indeed arriv’d just after I had dispatch’d that Letter, and I introduc’d him to M. De Vergennes; but as his Mission seem’d only a Repetition of that by Mr...
123To John Adams from Benjamin Franklin, 9 February 1790 (Adams Papers)
At the Request of the Pennsylvania Society for the Abolition of Slavery, I have the Honour of presenting to your Excellency the enclosed Petition, which I beg leave to recommend to your favourable Notice. Some further Particulars respecting it, requested by the Society, will appear in their Letter to me, of which I enclose a Copy, and have the Honor to be, / Sir, / Your Excellency’s / most...
124To John Adams from Benjamin Franklin, 20 April 1782 (Adams Papers)
I hope your Excellency received the Copy of our Instructions which I sent by the Courier from Versailles some Weeks since. I wrote to you on the 13th. to go by Capt. Smedly and sent a Pacquet of Correspondence with Mr. Hartley. Smedly did not leave Paris so soon as I expected; but you should have it by this time. With this I send a fresh Correspondence which I have been drawn into, viz: 1. A...
125From Benjamin Franklin to John Adams, 21 April 1782 (Franklin Papers)
LS and transcript: Massachusetts Historical Society; copy: Library of Congress; transcript: National Archives I have just received the Honour of yours dated the 16th. Instant, acquainting me with the Interview between your Excellency and Mr Lawrens. I am glad to learn that his political Sentiments coincide with ours; and that there is a Disposition in England to give us up Canada and Nova...
126To John Adams from Benjamin Franklin, 21 April 1782 (Adams Papers)
I have just received the Honour of yours dated the 16th. Instant, acquainting me with the Interview between your Excellency and Mr Lawrens. I am glad to learn that his political Sentiments coincide with ours; and that there is a Disposition in England to give us up Canada and Nova Scotia. I like your Idea of seeing no more Messengers that are not Plenipotentiaries; But I cannot refuse seeing...
127From Benjamin Franklin to John Adams, 7 November 1781 (Franklin Papers)
LS : Massachusetts Historical Society; AL (draft) and copy: Library of Congress I have been honoured with the following Letters from your Excellency during the last month, viz. of the 4th. 10th. 18th. 22d. 25th. 26th. & 27th. which I should have answered sooner, but that I waited for a safe Opportunity, having reason to believe that all your Letters to me by the post are opened, and...
128To John Adams from Benjamin Franklin, 10 May 1779 (Adams Papers)
I received the honour of yours of the 29th. past from Nantes. I hope you are before this time safely arrived at L’Orient. M. De la Luzerne is making diligent Preparation for his Departure, and you will soon see him. He and the Secretary of the Embassy are both very agreable and sensible Men, in whose Conversation you will have a great deal of Pleasure in your Passage. What Port the Ship will...
129To John Adams from Benjamin Franklin, 11 June 1781 (Adams Papers)
Mr. Grand has communicated to me a Letter from your Excellency to him, relating to certain Charges in your Account, on which you seem to desire to have my Opinion. As we are all new in these Matters, I consulted when I was making up my Accounts, one of the oldest Foreign Ministers here, as to the Custom in such Cases. He informed me, that it was not perfectly uniform with the Ministers of all...
130From Benjamin Franklin to John Adams, 5 October 1781 (Franklin Papers)
LS : Massachusetts Historical Society; AL (draft) and copy: Library of Congress I congratulate your Excellency on your Recovery. I hope this Seasoning will be the means of securing your future Health, by accommodating your Constitution to the Air of that Country. Here are Advices from Admiral de Grasse, which left him the 13th of August coming out of Straits of Bahama, with 28 Sail, of the...
131From Benjamin Franklin to John Adams, 31 August 1781 (Franklin Papers)
LS : Massachusetts Historical Society; AL (draft): Library of Congress; copy: Library of Congress I duly received the Letter you did me the honour of writing to me the 17th. Inst. inclosing a Copy of one from Mr. John Ross, acquainting me with the Presentation to you of 51 Bills Drawn in his Favour the 22 June last on Mr. Henry Laurens; for the Sum of 40,950 Guilders; and desiring to know...
132To John Adams from Benjamin Franklin, 7 November 1781 (Adams Papers)
I have been honoured with the following Letters from your Excellency during the last Month, viz. of the 4th. 10th. 18th. 22d. 22d. 25th. 26th. and 27th. which I should have answered sooner, but that I waited for a safe Opportunity, having reason to believe that all your Letters to me by the post are opened, and apprehending the same of mine to you. I send herewith the Covers and Seals of those...
133To John Adams from Benjamin Franklin, 5 October 1781 (Adams Papers)
I congratulate your Excellency on your Recovery. I hope this Seasoning will be the means of securing your future Health, by accomodating your Constitution to the Air of that Country. Here are Advices from Admiral de Grasse, which left him the 13th of August coming out of Straits of Bahama, with 28 Sail, of the Line; bound to Chesapeak Bay: unless he should meet at Sea a call to N. York from...
134To John Adams from Benjamin Franklin, 5 June 1779 (Adams Papers)
The Chevalier de La Luzerne sat out Yesterday for L’Orient, and will be with you perhaps before this comes to hand. You will find him a very agreable sensible Man, and a hearty Friend to the Cause of America. As you may land in Boston and are not certain of going directly to Philada. I have put under his Care my Dispatches for Congress, and request yours for those to New England. Mr. Bondfield...
135To John Adams from Benjamin Franklin, 10 December 1783 (Adams Papers)
I received the Letter you did me the honour of writing to me the 5 th. Instant by Comm o. Jones, with the Dispatches he brought. The Packet directed to me alone, contain’d only a Letter to the Magistrates of Hambourg, and a Diploma of Doctor of Divinity from the College at Princetown for the Reverend M r Wren: No Commission, nor any Mention of it; so that it seems to have been forgotten or...
136From Benjamin Franklin to John Adams, 14 December 1781 (Franklin Papers)
AL (draft): American Philosophical Society I duly received your Excellency’s favour of the 1st. and 6th Instant. I wrote to you by Mr Barclay, who went from hence some Days since, & I hope is with you by this time, and that he will with your Assistance be able to settle every thing relating to the Goods. I have receiv’d a long Letter from Messrs Neufville, the Purport of which is, “that they...
137To John Adams from Benjamin Franklin, 19 May 1781 (Adams Papers)
I received the Honour of yours, with an Account of the Bills you have to pay. I have accepted your Drafts for 77,000 Crowns, at 15 Days Date. The Shortness of the Term is inconvenient; and as our Money comes to hand by Degrees, and these unexpected Demands from Holland and Spain oblige me to anticipate our Funds, for which Anticipation I pay an Interest of five Per Cent, I wish you would for...
138From Benjamin Franklin to John Adams, 24 April 1779 (Franklin Papers)
LS : Massachusetts Historical Society; copy: Library of Congress By the enclosed Letter from M. De Sartine expressing his Majestys Desire that the Alliance should be retained here a little longer, you will see that I am under a kind of Necessity of disappointing you in your Intentions of making your Passage immediately in that Vessel; which would be more unpleasing to me but for these...
139From Benjamin Franklin to John Adams, 12[–16] October 1781 (Franklin Papers)
LS : Massachusetts Historical Society I received the Letter your Excellency did me the honour of writing to me the 4th. Instant. I have never known a Peace made, even the most advantageous, that was not censured as inadequate, and the Makers condemn’d as injudicious or corrupt. Blessed are the Peacemakers , is I suppose to be understood in the other World: for in this they are more frequently...
140To John Adams from Benjamin Franklin, 14 December 1781 (Adams Papers)
I duly received your Excellency’s Favour of the 1st. and 6th Instant. I wrote to you by Mr Barclay, who went from hence some Days since, and I hope is with you by this time, and that he will with your Assistance be able to settle every thing relating to the Goods. I have receiv’d a long Letter from Messrs. Neufville, the Purport of which is, that they are willing for their Parts to deliver the...
141Franklin and John Jay to John Adams, 29 April 1784 (Franklin Papers)
LS : Massachusetts Historical Society We received the Letter you did us the honour of writing to us the 10th. Inst, with the project of a Treaty that had been transmitted to you by the Baron de Thulemeier, which we have examined, & return herewith, having made a few small Additions or Changes of Words to be proposed, such as Citoyens for Sujets and the like, and intimated some Explanations as...
142Franklin and John Jay to John Adams, 28 February 1784 (Franklin Papers)
LS : Massachusetts Historical Society We had the honor of receiving your Favour of the 20th. Inst, and are persuaded that the Communication of the Friendly Disposition of his Prussian Majesty made to you by the Baron de Thuilemeyer will give great Pleasure to Congress. The Respect with which the Reputation of that great Prince has impress’d the United States, early induced them to consider his...
143Receipt for John Adams, 22 December 1782 (Franklin Papers)
DS : Massachusetts Historical Society Reçu le Pacquet que m’a envoyé son Exe. M. Adams addressée a M. Livingston Notation: Receipt Dr. Franklin. for a Packet addressed to Mr. Livingston 22. Decr. 1782. WTF drafted the basic statement; BF added “addressée a M. Livingston” and “22 Decembre”. This packet contained JA ’s journal of the peace negotiations as well as several letters for Livingston....
144The American Commissioners to John Adams, [on or before 5 May 1777] (Franklin Papers)
Copy: Library of Congress With this, you will receive Dispatches; with which you are to sail with all possible expedition. You will enclose the Dispatches in a Box with Lead, and have it always ready to sink, shoud you be in unavoidable danger of falling into the Enemies hands. To prevent this misfortune, you will constantly keep a good look-out, and be very cautious how you approach any...
145Franklin and Jefferson to John Adams, 15 June 1785 (Jefferson Papers)
Among the instructions given to the Ministers of the United States for treating with foreign powers, was one of the 11th. of May 1784. relative to an individual of the name of John Baptist Pecquet. It contains an acknowlegement on the part of Congress of his merits and sufferings by friendly services rendered to great numbers of American seamen carried prisoners into Lisbon, and refers to us...
146Franklin and Jefferson to Adams, with Proposed Treaty with Great Britain, 8 July 1785 (Jefferson Papers)
We duly received your letter of the 20th. of June and now in consequence thereof send you a draught of a treaty which we should be willing to have proposed to the court of London. We have taken for our ground work the original draught proposed to Denmark, making such alterations and additions only as had occurred in the course of our negociations with Prussia and Tuscany and which we thought...