241From John Adams to the President of Congress, 4 January 1781 (Adams Papers)
Notwithstanding the Influence of the English Nation; notwithstanding the Influence of old Prejudices and Habits; notwithstanding the Apprehensions that are entertained for immense Sums in the English Funds, and for the sudden destruction of an innumerable Navigation at the Commencement of a War, and above all notwithstanding the Authority and Influence of the Stadtholder, I am confidently...
242From John Adams to the President of Congress, 19 March 1781 (Adams Papers)
I have recieved your Excellency’s Letter of the first of January, with the Commission and Instructions inclosed. I am very sensible of this fresh Instance of the Confidence of Congress, and shall do every thing in my Power to discharge the Duties of this new Trust; but I am obliged to say, that no Commission that ever was given required more Patience, Fortitude and Circumspection than this:...
243From John Adams to the President of Congress, No. 53, 26 April 1780 (Adams Papers)
At last, even the Morning Post, of the eighteenth of April, confesses, that the Memorial from the Empress of Russia to the States General, has dissipated all their golden dreams of an Alliance, with the Czarina. It was announced to us last Week, that a Russian Squadron had left Cronstad, with an Intention to sail to our Assistance, nay some of the public Papers went so far as to announce their...
244From John Adams to the President of Congress, No. 6, 5 September 1780 (Adams Papers)
As Eloquence is cultivated with more Care in free Republicks, than in other Governments, it has been found by constant Experience that such Republicks have produced the greatest purity, copiousness and perfection of Language. It is not to be disputed that the Form of Government has an Influence upon Language, and Language in its Turn influences not only the Form of Government but the Temper,...
245From John Adams to the President of Congress, 4 December 1781 (Adams Papers)
I have recieved those Instructions, with which I was honoured by Congress on the sixteenth of August, and communicated them forthwith to the French Ambassador to their High Mightinesses, and to the American Ministers at Versailles and Madrid. The Duke de la Vauguyon was of opinion, that they were very well considered, and very well timed, to counteract another Trait of British Policy, in...
246From John Adams to the President of the Congress, 21 October 1779 (Adams Papers)
So many Advantages might be derived to the united States in the Conduct of the War; in furnishing the Army and Navy; in augmenting the Value, or at least in preventing the further Depreciation of their Currency; in lowering the Prices of Goods; in Supplying the Wants of the People and in preventing Murmurs and Discontents, that I have ever thought it, of very great Importance, in some Way or...
247From John Adams to the President of Congress, 8 September 1783 (Adams Papers)
As the Resolution of Congress of the first of May, has determined it to be my Duty to remain in Europe at least another Winter I shall be obliged to say many things to your Excellency by Letter, which I hoped to have had the honour of saying upon the Floor of your house. Some of these Things may be Thought at first of little Consequence; but Time and Inquiry and Consideration will Shew them to...
248From John Adams to the President of Congress, 16 May 1781 (Adams Papers)
There has been much said in the public Papers concerning Conferences for Peace, concerning the Mediation of the Emperor of Germany and the Empress of Russia &c. &c. &c. I have never troubled Congress with these Reports, because I have never recieved any official Information or Intimation of any such Negotiation, either from England or France, or any other way. If any such Negotiation has been...
249From John Adams to the President of Congress, No. 62, 9 May 1780 (Adams Papers)
I have the Honour to inclose to Congress, Proposals for a general Pacification, by the Dean of Gloucester. Proposed to the English, Americans, French and Spaniards, now at War. 1. That Great Britain Shall retain Newfoundland, with the Desert Coasts of Labradore, also Canada Nova Scotia, and the Country bordering on the Bay of Fundy, as far as the Bay and River of Penobscot. 2. That all the...
250From John Adams to the President of the Congress, 8 December 1778 (Adams Papers)
I have the Honour to inclose, to Congress one other Copy of the Speech, at the opening of Parliament, together with the Debates in Consequence of it. The Hints in those Debates, especially those given out by Lord Suffolk, are confirmed by the general Strain of Intelligence from London. Letters from Persons, who are supposed to know, announce the Determination of the Cabinet to be, That Clinton...
251From John Adams to the President of Congress, No. 88, 29 June 1780 (Adams Papers)
The disputes about the Alliance, have been so critical and disagreable, that Congress will pardon me, for writing a few Observations upon our Arrangements here. I apprehend that many of the Disputes, Delays and other Inconveniences, that have attended our Affairs in this Kingdom, have arisen from blending the offices of Political Minister, Board of Admiralty, Chamber of Commerce, and...
252From John Adams to the President of Congress, 22 August 1781 (Adams Papers)
The Constitution of this Country is such, that it is difficult to discover the general Sense. There have been all along Circumstances in which it might be discerned; but these were so feeble, and so susceptible of Contradiction and Disguise, that some extraordinary Exertions were necessary to strike out unquestionable proofs of the Temper and Opinion of the Nation. Last Spring, the Part of...
253John Adams to the president of Congress, 10 January 1785 (Adams Papers)
I have the Satisfaction, to inform Congress that by Letters from our Bankers, in Amsterdam, I am informed, they have in Hand, near a Million of Gilders, and consequently, that the two Loans I have opened, amounting in the whole to Seven Millions of Guilders are almost full. This is full proof of the amelioration of our Credit, since January 1784, when I was obliged in a very tender State of...
254From 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...
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...
256From 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...
257From 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...
258From 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....
259John 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,...
260John 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...
261From 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...
262From John Adams to the President of Congress, 26 June 1781 (Adams Papers)
The Emperor appears to be more intent at present upon taking a fair Advantage of the present Circumstances, to introduce a flourishing Commerce into the Austrian Flanders, than upon making Treaties with England or waging War in its favour. His Imperial, Royal, and Apostolical Majesty, has condescended to take off and break the Shackles which restrained the Commerce and the Communication of the...
263From John Adams to the President of Congress, 14 December 1781 (Adams Papers)
The first public Body, which has proposed a Connection with the United States, is the quarter of Oostergo, in the Province of Friesland. The Proposition is in these words: “Every impartial Patriot has a long time percieved, that in the direction of affairs relative to this War with England, there has been manifested an inconcievable Lukewarmness and Sloth: but they discover themselves still...
It is necessary that I should inform Congress, in what manner I have been able to procure Money to defray my Expenses, in my long Journey through the greatest Parts of Spain and France, to this City. On my Arrival at Ferrol, I was offered the Loan of Money by the French Consul Mr. De Tournelle, but at the same Time told me there was a Gentleman at Corunna Mr. Michael Lagoanere, who had...
265From John Adams to the President of Congress, 6 April 1781 (Adams Papers)
This Day the Skipper of a Trech Schuit, brought me, your Excellencys important Dispatches by Coll. Laurens. The Coll. delivered them to Mr. Dana at Paris, with perfect Propriety. Mr. Dana with equal Propriety delivered them to a Gentleman of Character, who undertook to deliver them at Amsterdam, but unfortunately forgot them at Valenciennes. From Valenciennes they travelled partly by Post,...
266From John Adams to the President of Congress, No. 99, 23 July 1780 (Adams Papers)
I have been amused sometime with dark and unintelligible hints in Letters from London of some Messenger sent from Lord North to Madrid. Three weeks ago, I waited on the Comte de Vergennes at Versailles to acquaint him that I had an intention of making a Journey to Amsterdam for a few weeks, as I flattered myself I might form some Acquaintances or Correspondences there and collect some...
267The American Commissioners to the President of Congress, 9 February 1785 (Adams Papers)
In our last of Dec r. 15 we had the honour of communicating to Congress our letter to the Ambassador of Portugal which accompanied the draught of the treaty of Amity & Commerce proposed on our part. Since that date he addressed to us the letter N o. 1. acknowledging the receipt of ours & informing us that he had forwarded it to his court. The Baron de Thulemeier also, the Prussian Minister at...
268The Commissioners to the President of the Congress, 7 November 1778 (Adams Papers)
We have the Honour to inclose a Copy of the Declaration concerning the 11 and 12 Articles of the Treaty of Commerce, which we have received from his Excellency the Secretary of State for foreign Affairs, in exchange for a similar one signed by us, in Pursuance of the Instructions of Congress. We have also the Honour to inclose Copies of a Correspondence with his Excellency Mr. de Sartine, the...
Having assembled together at this place about the latter end of August we proceeded in obedience to the commands of Congress to notify our appointment and its objects to such Powers as we thought it adviseable at that time to address. We wrote a circular letter in the form N o. 1. to the Ambassadors or other Ministers residing here from the courts of Saxony; the two Sicilies, Sardinia, Venice,...
270The Commissioners to the President of the Congress, 17 September 1778 (Adams Papers)
The last letter which We have had the Honour to write jointly to Congress, was of the Twentyeth of July, and as We have Sent Several Copies of it by different opportunities, We hope one of them at least will come Safe to hand. Since our last there has been an important Action at Sea, between two very powerfull Fleets, in which, in our Opinion the French had a manifest and great Advantage, but...