21To John Adams from the Comte de Vergennes, with a Contemporary Translation, 13 February 1779 (Adams Papers)
J’ai recû Monsieur, la lettre que vous m’avés fait l’honneur de m’Ecrire Le 11. de Ce mois, et Conformement a vos desirs je n’ai point appellé le Secours d’un traducteur pour prendre Connoissance de Son Contenû. Je ne suis pas moins peiné que vous Monsieur, de l’appel au peuple d’amerique que M. Silas Deane a Publié. Il ne m’apartient pas de qualifiér Cette demarche; C’est a vos souvrains...
I have received the letter which you did me the honor of writing to me the 11th. instant and agreable to your desire I have not submitted its contents to the inspection of a Translator. I am no less hurt than yourself Sir at the Appeal which Mr. Silas Deane has made to the people of America. It does not belong to me to qualify this step. Your re spective sovereigns must judge of the measure...
23To John Adams from the Comte de Vergennes, 21 February 1779 (Adams Papers)
J’ai reçû, Monsieur, la lettre que vous m’avez fait l’honneur de m’écrire le 16. de ce mois. Quoique vous Soïez désormais Sans caractère public en France, Soïez persuadé que l’estime et la considération que vous vous êtes acquises à juste titre n’ont aucunement diminüé, et je me flatte, Monsieur, que vous ne me priverez point du plaisir de vous en assûrer de bouche, et d’être en même tems...
I have received, sir, the letter that you did me the honor to write me the 16th of this month. Although in the future you will be without of ficial status in France, rest assured that the esteem and consideration you justly earned has not in any way diminished, and I flatter myself, sir, that you will not deprive me of the pleasure of communicating this to you in person and being, at the same...
25To John Adams from the Comte de Vergennes, 15 February 1780 (Adams Papers)
Versailles, 15 February 1780. printed : JA, Diary and Autobiography Diary and Autobiography of John Adams, ed. L. H. Butterfield and others, Cambridge, 1961; 4 vols. , 4:245 Vergennes stated that he thought it best to await the arrival of Conrad Alexandre Gérard, who presumably would bring a copy of Adams’ instructions and additional information on the nature and scope of his mission, before...
26To John Adams from the Comte de Vergennes, 24 February 1780 (Adams Papers)
printed : JA, Diary and Autobiography Diary and Autobiography of John Adams, ed. L. H. Butterfield and others, Cambridge, 1961; 4 vols. , 4:251–252 Replying to John Adams’ letter of 19 Feb. (calendared above), Vergennes noted that Adams’ account of his commissions agreed with that of Conrad Alexander Gérard and that the most important aspect of his mission, the negotiation of a peace treaty,...
27To John Adams from the Comte de Vergennes, 30 March 1780 (Adams Papers)
J’ai reçu, Monsieur, la lettre que vous m’avez fait l’honneur de m’écrire le 21 de ce mois. Je me rappelle très bien de vous avoir dit que votre présentation seroit insérée dans la gazette de France; Mais d’après les informations que j’ai prises, je me suis convaincu que jamais les présentations, soit des ambassadeurs, soit des Ministres Plénipotentiaires, n’ont été annoncées dans notre...
28Enclosure: Draft of an Article, 30 March 1780 (Adams Papers)
Le S. Adams que le Congrès des Etats Unis de l’Amérique a désigné pour assister aux conférences pour la paix lorsqu’il y aura lieu, est arrivé depuis quelque tems ici et a eû l’honneur d’être présenté au Roi et à la famille royale.
29The Comte de Vergennes to John Adams: A Translation, 30 March 1780 (Adams Papers)
I have received, sir, the letter that you did me the honor to write on the 21st of this month. I recall very well having told you that your presentation would be inserted in the Gazette de France . But further investigation has convinced me that never have the presentations of either ambassadors or ministers plenipotentiary been announced in our Gazette , so that to do so in your case would...
30Enclosure: A Draft of an Article: A Translation, 30 March 1780 (Adams Papers)
Mr. Adams, whom the Congress of the United States of America has appointed to participate in the peace conferences whenever they may occur, arrived here sometime ago and has had the honor of being presented to the King and the royal family. This notice, which appeared virtually without change in the 8 April issue of Mercure de France , “Journal Politique de Bruxelles” (p. 88), was the second...