51From John Adams to John Jay, 22 September 1787 (Adams Papers)
Your private Letter of the twenty fifth of July is very friendly and obliging as usual. give yourself no concern about my Apprehensions of your Want of Attention. I know too well your constant and assidous Application to the Duties of your public offices, as well as to the just concerns of your private friends, ever to suspect you of failing in either.— I Shudder when I think of your next...
52From John Adams to John Jay, 26 June 1785 (Adams Papers)
By the Ninth Article of the Confederation, the United States in Congress assembled have the sole and exclusive right and Power of entering into Treaties and Alliances, Provided, that no Treaty of Commerce Shall be made, whereby the Legislative Power of the respective States Shall be restrained from imposing such Imposts and Duties on Foreigners, as their own People are Subjected to or from...
53From John Adams to John Jay, 28 May 1786 (Adams Papers)
An Agent from South America, was not long Since arrested, at Rouen in France, and has not Since been heard of.— another Agent, who was his Associate, as I have been told is here, and has applied to Government, for Aid. Government, not in a condition to go to War with Spain declines having any Thing to do with the Business. but if Application Should be made to rich Individuals, and profitable...
54To John Jay from John Adams, 22 September 1787 (Jay Papers)
Yesterday, I was honoured with yours of the thirty first of July, and the Instructions of Congress and other Papers enumerated in it. This Packet comes at a very fortunate Moment: and altho there is no Act of the great States of Virginia and South Carolina in consequence of the circular Letter of Congress of the thirteenth of April, there are Proceedings of so many others as to furnish...
55From John Adams to John Jay, 4 May 1785 (Adams Papers)
The day before Yesterday I received the Letter you did me the Honour to write me on the Eighteenth of March, inclosing a Commission, Instructions and Letter of Credence to the Court of Great Britain, and a duplicate of your Letter of February 11. with the Ratification of the Loan in Holland The Appointment to the Court of Great Britain demands my most grateful Acknowledgments to Congress and...
56John Adams to Benjamin Franklin and John Jay, 20 February 1784 (Adams Papers)
The Day before Yesterday the Baron de Thuilemeyer the Envoy to their High Mightinesses, from the King of Prussia, did me the Honour of a Visit, but as I had Company, he stayed but a short time. As I accompanied him to the Door, he whis told me, that he had Something to Say to me from the King, and desird me to name an Hour, when he might call upon me again. I told him his Hour should be mine,...
57John Adams to Franklin and John Jay, 20 February 1784 (Franklin Papers)
AL (draft): Massachusetts Historical Society The Day before Yesterday the Baron de Thuilemeyer the Envoy to their High Mightinesses, from the King of Prussia, did me the Honour of a Visit, but as I had Company, he stayed but a short time; As I accompanied him to the Door, he told me, that he had Something to Say to me from the King, and desird me to name an Hour, when he might call upon me...
58To John Jay from John Adams, 26 June 1785 (Jay Papers)
By the Ninth Article of the Confederation, the United States in Congress assembled have the sole and exclusive right and Power of entering in Treaties and Alliances, Provided, that no Treaty of Commerce shall be made, whereby the Legislative Power of the respective States Shall be restrained from imposing such Imposts and Duties on Foreigners, as their own People are Subjected to or from...
59From John Adams to John Jay, 8 May 1787 (Adams Papers)
I am honoured with your Letter of April 2 d , and am happy to receive the Resolutions of Congress, inclosed in it, especially those of the twenty first of March 1787. The Convention at Phyladelphia, is to consist of Members, of Such Ability, Weight, and Experience, that their Result must be beneficial to the United States. The Settlement of So many great Controversies Such as those between the...
60From John Adams to John Jay, 8 May 1785 (Adams Papers)
In executing the Instructions of Congress, of the Seventh of March last, as well as all former Orders, which concern the Court of Great Britain, the Ministry will no doubt find my Commission and Letter of Credence Sufficient Authority. But you will See by a Letter from the Duke of Dorsett, which your Ministers here Sometime Since transmitted, that the British Cabinet have conceived doubts,...
61To John Jay from John Adams, 16 May 1786 (Jay Papers)
Last night I was honored with your letter of April 7 th . and am happy to find that Twelve States, have granted to Congress the Impost. New York I am persuaded will not long withhold her Assent, because, that in addition to all the other Arguments in favour of the measure, she will now have to consider that all the Blame of Consequences must now rest upon her, and she would find this alone, a...
62From John Adams to John Jay, 11 November 1785 (Adams Papers)
There is no better Advice to be given to the Merchants of the United States, than to push their Commerce to the East Indies as fast and as far as it will go. If Information from Persons who ought to know may be depended on, the Tobacco and Peltries as well as the Ginseng of the United States, are proper Articles for the China Markett, and have been found to answer very well, and many other of...
63From John Adams to John Jay, 6 June 1785 (Adams Papers)
Colonel Smith, on the third of this Month informed me, that Col Forrest, had been with him, in behalf of two Gentlemen of Glascow, M r Calquhoun Provost of that City and M r Alexander Brown, who were deputed by the Merchants of that Place who had Debts in America to confer with the Creditors in London concerning an Application to Ministry and Parliament to obtain their Interposition for the...
64From John Adams to John Jay, 30 November 1787 (Adams Papers)
I do myself the Honour to inclose the Kings Speech at the Opening of Parliament as it has been transmitted to me from the Marquis of Carmarthen: and the Morning Chronicle of the 28, which contains, not the debates, for there were none, but the Panegyricks upon it. I have long Seen sir, in silent Astonishment and Grief the negligent and imprudent Conduct of a deceased French Minister of foreign...
65From John Adams to John Jay, 14 February 1788 (Adams Papers)
I Yesterday received M r Remsens Letter of the 14. of December, with the Journals and Gazettes inclosed. At the last Conferences at Whitehall which were last Thursday, Lord Carmarthen thought proper to express a Wish that this Country had Some Sort of Treaty of Commerce with the United States of America, that it might be no longer necessary to take new Measures from time to time, which looked...
66To John Jay from John Adams, 8 May 1787 (Jay Papers)
I am honoured with your Letter of April 2 d , and am happy to receive the Resolutions of Congress, inclosed in it, especially those of the twenty first of March 1787. The Convention at Phyladelphia, is to consist of Members, of Such Ability, Weight, and Experience, that their Result must be beneficial to the United States. The Settlement of So many great Controversies Such as those between the...
67From John Adams to John Jay, 24 April 1785 (Adams Papers)
The Letter you did me the honour to write me on the 11 th. of February last, containing the Ratification of my last Loan, of two million Guilders, having been properly addressed to me as Minister at the Hague, by a mistake in the Post Office at Paris was Sent to Holland, from whence it returned to me last night. This Loan is long Since full, as my first Loan of Five million Guilders is nearly...
68From John Adams to John Jay, 28 August 1785 (Adams Papers)
I do myself the Honour to inclose to Congress the Statute of 25. G. 3. c. 81. for the better securing the Duties payable on Tobacco. and another Statute of the 25. G. 3. c. 67. to prohibit the Exportation to foreign Parts, of Tools and Utensils made Use of in the Iron and Steel Manufactures of this Kingdom: and to prevent the Seducing of Artificers or Workmen, employed in those Manufactures,...
69John Adams to John Jay, 9 March 1785 (Adams Papers)
Permit me to congratulate the United States, upon the Acquisition of a Minister of foreign Affairs, whose long Services have So justly acquired their Confidence and whose Experience as well as his Talents, so fully qualify him for this important Trust. The joint Dispatches of their Ministers here will inform Congress of the Slow Progress of the Negotiations entrusted to their Care. These...
70From John Adams to John Jay, 4 January 1786 (Adams Papers)
I have only time to acquaint you, that since my last there have been some Appearances of an Intention in Ministry to take up American Affairs Lord Carmarthen and M r Pitt have certainly had Conferences with Committees of Merchants who have represented to them the Necessity of arrangements with the United states, upon Terms which will give Satisfaction. Nevertheless I have no Confidence in this...
71To John Jay from John Paul Jones, 6 August 1785 (Jay Papers)
I came down here from Paris about a Fortnight ago, on the Business of the Prize Money belonging to the Subjects of the United States, who served in the Squadron I commanded in Europe. The enclosed Copy of a Letter from Mons r . Soulanges the Commandant at Toulon to the Juges et Consuls at Nantes, dated at Toulon the 14 th . of last Month, announcing that the Algerines have declared War against...
72From John Adams to John Jay, 30 August 1785 (Adams Papers)
The more I consider what I See and hear every day the more I am inclined to think We Shall be obliged to imitate the Utopians who as Sir Thomas More informs “As to their Exportation, thought it better to manage that themselves, than to let Foreigners come and deal in it; for, by this means, as they understand the State of the Neighbouring Countries better, So they keep up the Art of...
73From John Adams to John Jay, 6 August 1785 (Adams Papers)
I find the Spirit of the Times very different from that which you and I Saw, when We were here together, in the months of November and december 1783. Then, the Commerce of the United States had not fully returned to these Kingdoms: Then, the Nation had not digested, its System, nor determined to adhere So closely to its navigation Acts, relatively to the United States: Then, it was common in...
74From John Adams to John Jay, 23 May 1787 (Adams Papers)
Inclosed are Copies of two Protests of Bills of Exchange, received from the Board of Treasury. They are Duplicates. another Sett of Copies I have before transmitted to that Board, to whom these Duplicates will no doubt be referred. Inclosed also are Copies of Letters from the Commissioners of Loans at Amsterdam, which render it neccessary for me, to go to Amsterdam. I Shall Sett off, on Fryday...
75From John Adams to John Jay, 13 May 1785 (Adams Papers)
We meet as you know very well, so often with foreign Ministers, at Court and at other Places and have So many transient Conversations upon Subjects in which America is more or less concerned, that I Scarcely know when it is worth while to transmit them to you and when it is not. there is danger on one hand of degenerating into minuteness, and on the other of omitting Something which may be of...
76From John Adams to John Jay, 31 July 1786 (Adams Papers)
Paul Randall Esq r , who has been with M r Lamb to Algiers will have the Honour to deliver this Letter. in order to lay before Congress the earliest Information of all that has come to his Knowledge, in the Course of his Journeys and Voyages he proposes to return, without loss of Time to New-York. He has conducted, as far as I can judge, with Prudence and Fidelity, and has merited a...
77From John Adams to John Jay, 24 November 1785 (Adams Papers)
I was Yesterday honoured, with your Letter of the 14 th. of October, accompanied with the Gazettes and the Act of Congress of the 27. Sept r. You will learn from M r Dumas Letter, as well as by the public Papers, that the Treaty of defensive Alliance, between France and Holland was Signed at Paris on the tenth of this month. The vain Exertions of the Cabinet of St. James’s, to prevent it, are...
78From John Adams to John Jay, 27 October 1786 (Adams Papers)
When the Ratification of Congress, of their Treaty with the King of Prussia, arrived here, the Term limited for the Exchange of it was near expiring. as a few Members of the States general, had discovered Uneasiness at my coming to London without going to the Hague to take Leave, it Seemed a convenient Opportunity to go over and Shew them as much of the Respect they required as remained in my...
79From John Adams to John Jay, 16 February 1786 (Adams Papers)
The Expences of Insurance on American Vessells; the Obstructions of their Commerce with Spain Portugal and Italy: and Compassion for our Fellow Citizens in Captivity: all occasioned by Apprehensions of the Barbary Corsairs, must excite Solicitude in every Man capable of thinking or Feeling. it is nevertheless certain that too great an Alarm has been Spread, Since no more than two Vessells have...
80From John Adams to John Jay, 3 December 1785 (Adams Papers)
There is a Gentleman at Lisbon, who went and established himself there, as I believe partly with a View to the Consulate. He is of a very respectable Family and Connection, who have indeed Sacrificed themselves in the Cause of their Country. He is a Nephew of the famous Otis and a Son of Major General Warren. The Gentleman himself whose name is Winslow Warren, is ingenious and active, and I...