211From John Adams to the President of Congress, No. 34, 4 April 1780 (Adams Papers)
Paris, 4 April 1780. RC in John Thaxter’s hand ( PCC , No. 84, I, f. 405–408). printed : various American newspapers, including the Pennsylvania Gazette of 12 July and the Boston Independent Chronicle of 3 Aug. 1780. In this letter, which was read in Congress on 10 July, John Adams paraphrased the resolutions praising Henry Grattan for his efforts on behalf of Ireland in the Irish Parliament...
212From John Adams to the President of Congress, No. 7, 16 September 1780 (Adams Papers)
I have the Honour to send by this Opportunity, a few Pamphlets and Papers. The Pamphlets relate to Subjects which interest the United States, and therefore ought to be communicated to Congress, for their Consideration. The Attention of Mankind is now turned next to the Congress of America upon that at Petersbourg. The last Letters from London say they have Information that one of the first...
213From John Adams to the President of Congress, No. 96, 19 July 1780 (Adams Papers)
Paris, 19 July 1780. RC in John Thaxter’s hand ( PCC , No. 84, II, f. 201–206). printed : Wharton, ed., Dipl. Corr. Amer. Rev. Francis Wharton, ed., The Revolutionary Diplomatic Correspondence of the United States , Washington, 1889; 6 vols. , 3:867–869. This let ter, read in Congress on 26 Dec., begins with brief reports from St. Petersburg and Copenhagen concerning preparations of the...
214From John Adams to the President of the Congress, 7 November 1779 (Adams Papers)
I have the Honour to enclose to Congress Copy, of the Letter Book of the Commissioners at the Court of Versailles, during the Time that I had the Honour to be one of them. As the Letter Book was kept by me, and almost wholly in my Hand Writing, the Minister plenipotentiary consented that I should bring it home with me leaving him a Copy, which was done. As there may be many Things in it, which...
Since my Letter of the twentieth, I have recieved another Letter from his Excellency the Comte de Vergennes dated the 24th. of February, to which I answered this Day; Copies of both Letters are inclosed. I have also the Honour to inclose a Gazette, and an Application from M. Comyn of Marseilles to be a Consul for the Ports of Provence and Languedoc. I know nothing of this Gentleman, but what...
216From John Adams to the President of Congress, No. 4, 24 August 1780 (Adams Papers)
I have only time by this Vessell to inclose the declarations of Sweeden and Denmark; but the chance of her going safe is so small that I should not send any thing very material, if I had more time. I have the Honour to be &c. LbC ( Adams Papers ); notation: “recd in congress Decr. 3.” According to the Journal of Congress, this letter was read on 4 Dec. ( JCC Worthington C. Ford and others,...
217From John Adams to the President of Congress, No. 73, 27 May 1780 (Adams Papers)
Paris, 27 May 1780. RC ( PCC , No. 84, II, f. 78–80). LbC in John Thaxter’s hand ( Adams Papers ; notation by Thaxter: “NB. Nos. 67, 68, 69, 70, 71, 72, 73 were delivered to Come. Gillon on the 30th. May, with several packets of Newspapers & private Letters.” printed : Wharton, ed., Dipl. Corr. Amer. Rev. Francis Wharton, ed., The Revolutionary Diplomatic Correspondence of the United States ,...
218From John Adams to the President of Congress, No. 20, 16 November 1780 (Adams Papers)
On the 10th of this month, Sir Joseph York, presented to the States General, the following Memorial. The King, my Master, has discovered, during the whole Course of his Reign, the most Sincere desire, to maintain the Union, which has Subsisted for more than a Century, between his Crown and this Republick. This Union rests, upon the immoveable Basis, of reciprocal Interest, and as it has...
219From John Adams to the President of Congress, 14 January 1781 (Adams Papers)
In an Excursion, which I have lately made through the principal Cities of this Province, Haarlem, Leyden, the Hague and Rotterdam, I have had an Opportunity of percieving that there is a Spirit of Resentment against the English very general among the People. Notwithstanding this, every thing is so artfully retarded—the Manifesto, the Letters of Marque, and above all the decision of the Court...
220From John Adams to the President of Congress, 15 January 1781 (Adams Papers)
Amsterdam, 15 January 1781. RC in John Thaxter’s hand PCC , No. 84, III, f. 29–32. printed : Wharton, ed., Dipl. Corr. Amer. Rev. Francis Wharton, ed., The Revolutionary Diplomatic Correspondence of the United States , Washington, 1889; 6 vols. , 4:234. Read in Congress on 19 Nov., this letter consisted of a translation, probably from a French text such as that in the Gazette de Leyde of 9...
221From John Adams to the President of Congress, 29 March 1781 (Adams Papers)
Leyden, 29 March 1781. RC in John Thaxter’s hand PCC, Misc. Papers , Reel No. 1, f. 287–294. printed : Wharton, ed., Dipl. Corr. Amer. Rev. Francis Wharton, ed., The Revolutionary Diplomatic Correspondence of the United States , Washington, 1889; 6 vols. , 4:335–337. Read in Congress on 19 Nov., this letter consists of an English translation of the memorial that Baron de Lynden, the Dutch...
222From John Adams to the President of Congress, 15 October 1781 (Adams Papers)
I wish, if it were possible, to communicate to Congress the present State of every Affair, which they have been pleased to confide in any measure to me. I have recieved the new Commission for Peace, and the Revocation of my Commission and Instructions of the 29th of September 1779. To both of these Measures of Congress, as to the Commands of my Sovereign, I shall pay the most exact Attention....
223From John Adams to the President of Congress, No. 32, 3 April 1780 (Adams Papers)
Paris, 3 April 1780. RC in John Thaxter’s hand ( PCC , No. 84, I, f. 395–400). LbC ( Adams Papers ); notation by Thaxter: “No 32 delivered Capt. Landais 3d. April.” printed : Wharton, ed., Dipl. Corr. Amer. Rev. Francis Wharton, ed., The Revolutionary Diplomatic Correspondence of the United States , Washington, 1889; 6 vols. , 3:593–596. In this letter, which was read in Congress on 11 Sept.,...
224From John Adams to the President of Congress, No. 36, 4 April 1780 (Adams Papers)
Paris, 4 April 1780. RC in John Thaxter’s hand ( PCC , No. 84, I, f. 413–414). LbC ( Adams Papers ); notation by Thaxter: “Nos. 33, 34, 35 & 36 were delivered Capt Snelling on the 8th April 1780 at the Hotel de Valois by Mr Adams.” printed : Wharton, ed., Dipl. Corr. Amer. Rev. Francis Wharton, ed., The Revolutionary Diplomatic Correspondence of the United States , Washington, 1889; 6 vols. ,...
225From John Adams to the President of Congress, No. 82, 12 June 1780 (Adams Papers)
Paris, 12 June 1780. Dupl in John Thaxter’s hand ( PCC , No. 84, II, f. 118–123). printed : Wharton, ed., Dipl. Corr. Amer. Rev. Francis Wharton, ed., The Revolutionary Diplomatic Correspondence of the United States , Washington, 1889; 6 vols. , 3:781–784. In this letter, read in Congress on 27 Nov., John Adams used a French translation to provide the text of a speech made by Lord Shelburne on...
226From John Adams to the President of Congress, No. 98, 22 July 1780 (Adams Papers)
Paris, 22 July 1780. Dupl in John Thaxter’s hand ( PCC , No. 84, II, f. 211–218). printed : Wharton, ed., Dipl. Corr. Amer. Rev. Francis Wharton, ed., The Revolutionary Diplomatic Correspondence of the United States , Washington, 1889; 6 vols. , 3:873–875. This letter, read in Congress on 26 Dec., contains a series of newspaper reports, the first of which concerned George III’s speech of 8...
227From John Adams to the President of Congress, No. 17, 24 October 1780 (Adams Papers)
I have recieved several Letters from London, concerning Mr. Laurens. It is certain that he has been treated with great Insolence by the Populace in his Journey from Dartmouth to London, and that he is confined to a mean Appartment in the Tower, denied the Use of Pen and Ink, and none of his Friends have been able to obtain Leave to visit him, excepting his Son and Mr. Manning, and those...
228John Adams to the president of Congress, 13 May 1784 (Adams Papers)
The Measures taken by the Neighbouring Powers are likely to produce an intimate Friendship and Connection between this Republick and France. England, has mistaken her Policy So much as to delay the Signature of the definitive Treaty, and to keep up a Coldness and Distance, which instead of exciting the Populace, in favour of England as She expected has only accellerated the Union with France,...
229From John Adams to the President of Congress, 9 November 1783 (Adams Papers)
About the fourteenth of September I was seized at Paris with a Fever, which proved to be a dangerous one, and brought me, very low, so that I was unable to attend to any business for some time.— on the twentieth of October, in Pursuance of the Advice of my Friends, I sett out from Auteuil a Village in the Neighbourhood of Passy for London, which City I reach’d by slow Journeys, the twenty...
230From John Adams to the President of Congress, 23 June 1781 (Adams Papers)
Amsterdam, 23 June 1781. RC in John Thaxter’s hand PCC , No. 84, III, f. 228–230. printed : Wharton, ed., Dipl. Corr. Amer. Rev. Francis Wharton, ed., The Revolutionary Diplomatic Correspondence of the United States , Washington, 1889; 6 vols. , 4:515–517. This letter consists of an English translation of a memorial that the regency of the city of Zierikzee presented to the States of Zeeland...
231From John Adams to the President of Congress, 15 January 1781 (Adams Papers)
Congress will not expect me to write upon the Subject of Peace at this time, when the Flames of War are spreading far and wide, with more rapidity than ever: and I have no comfortable Tidings on the Subject of Money. In the first place, I believe there is not so much Money here as the World imagines: in the next place, those who have what there is, have no Confidence in any Nation or...
232From John Adams to the President of the Congress, 10 September 1779 (Adams Papers)
Looking over the printed Journals of Congress of the fifteenth day of last April, I find in the Report of the Committee, appointed to take into Consideration the foreign Affairs of these united States, and also the Conduct of the late and present Commissioners of these States; the two following Articles. “1. That it appears to them that Dr. Franklin, is Plenipotentiary, for these States at the...
233From John Adams to the President of Congress, No. 12, 5 October 1780 (Adams Papers)
Amsterdam, 5 Oct. 1780. Dupl in John Thaxter’s hand ( PCC , No. 84, II, f. 277–280). printed : Wharton, ed., Dipl. Corr. Amer. Rev. Francis Wharton, ed., The Revolutionary Diplomatic Correspondence of the United States , Washington, 1889; 6 vols. , 4:81–82. Received by Congress on 29 Jan. 1781, this letter reported that on 6 Sept. the Dutch plenipotentiaries at St. Petersburg, Baron Willem van...
234From John Adams to the President of Congress, 13 December 1781 (Adams Papers)
Amsterdam 13 December 1781. RC in John Thaxter’s hand ( PCC , No. 84, III, f. 426–429). printed : Wharton, ed., Dipl. Corr. Amer. Rev. Francis Wharton, ed., The Revolutionary Diplomatic Correspondence of the United States , Washington, 1889; 6 vols. , 5:43–44. This letter, read in Congress on 15 March 1782 and acted upon on 26 March ( JCC Worthington C. Ford and others, eds., Journals of the...
235From John Adams to the President of Congress, 18 October 1781 (Adams Papers)
Amsterdam, 18 October 1781. RC in John Thaxter’s hand ( PCC, Misc. Papers , Reel No. 1, f. 427–433). printed : Wharton, ed., Dipl. Corr. Amer. Rev. Francis Wharton, ed., The Revolutionary Diplomatic Correspondence of the United States , Washington, 1889; 6 vols. , 4:787–790. In this letter, a duplicate, JA discussed the war’s effect on Dutch trade. He reported that fishermen from Vlaardingen...
236John Adams to the president of Congress, 9 March 1784 (Adams Papers)
On the Eighteenth of February the Baron de Thulemeyer, Envoy Extraordinary to their High Mightinesses from the King of Prussia, did me the Honour of a Visit, but as he found I had Company, he soon took his Leave, and as I accompanied him to the Head of the Stairs, he told me, he had Something to propose to me from the King and desired to know, when he might call again. I offered to return his...
237From John Adams to the President of Congress, 27 May 1781 (Adams Papers)
Amsterdam, 27 May 1781. RC in John Thaxter’s hand PCC , No. 84, III, f. 173–176. printed : Wharton, ed., Dipl. Corr. Amer. Rev. Francis Wharton, ed., The Revolutionary Diplomatic Correspondence of the United States , Washington, 1889; 6 vols. , 4:448–451. John Adams provided an English translation of a report made to the States General regarding the Dutch East India Company’s request for...
238From John Adams to the President of Congress, No. 89, 6 July 1780 (Adams Papers)
Paris, 6 July 1780. Dupl , both text and signature in John Thaxter’s hand ( PCC , No. 84, II, f. 165–171). printed : Wharton, ed., Dipl. Corr. Amer. Rev. Francis Wharton, ed., The Revolutionary Diplomatic Correspondence of the United States , Washington, 1889; 6 vols. , 3:833– 837. This letter, received by Congress on 19 Feb. 1781 ( JCC Worthington C. Ford and others, eds., Journals of the...
239From John Adams to the President of Congress, No. 21, 19 March 1780 (Adams Papers)
Paris, 19 March, 1780. RC in John Thaxter’s hand ( PCC , No. 84, I, f. 333–335). printed : Wharton, ed., Dipl. Corr. Amer. Rev. Francis Wharton, ed., The Revolutionary Diplomatic Correspondence of the United States , Washington, 1889; 6 vols. , 3:560–561. In this letter, read in Congress on 22 July, John Adams repeated, almost verbatim, the newspaper accounts of British naval movements and the...
240From John Adams to the President of Congress, 14 January 1782 (Adams Papers)
Having recieved the Advice of several Gentlemen, Members of the States, and also the Opinion of the Duke de la Vauguyon and the Comte de Vergennes, I went to the Hague on Tuesday the 8th. day of this Month, and the next Morning at ten waited on the President of their High Mightinesses, Mr. Van den Sandheuvel of Dort, a City of Holland, to whom I made a verbal Requisition in the following...