From John Adams to Francis Dana, 6 December 1782
To Francis Dana
Paris Decr 6. 1782
Dear Sir
You may easily guess from your own Feelings, what mine may be in communicating to you, the Intelligence that the Preliminary Treaty, to be inserted in the diffinitive Treaty was Signed on the 30 Decr.1 by the Plenipotentiaries on each Side.— We have tolerable Satisfaction in the Missisippi the Boundaries, & the Fisheries and I hope not much to regret with regard to the Tories or any Thing else.
Mr Franklin, Mr Jay, Mr Laurens as well as my Self are of Opinion, that this is a proper Time for you to communicate to the Ministry where you are, your Mission. But I believe We shall write you a joint Letter upon this Subject.2
Mean time, I have the Honour to be / with great Esteem and Affection, as well as / Respect, dear sir, your most humble and / most obedient Servant
John Adams.
RC (NNPM); internal address: “Mr Dana.”; endorsed: “Mr: Adams’s Letter / Dated Paris Decr: 6th. 1782 / Recd.—Decr: 29th.—O.S. / Preliminaries sign’d.” LbC (Adams Papers); APM Reel 108.
1. An inadvertence by JA. On the recipient’s copy Dana underlined “Decr.” and wrote “Novr:” in the left margin. When John Thaxter copied the letter into the Letterbook, he corrected it to “30th. Novemr:.”
2. See the commissioners’ letter of 12 Dec., below.