31Vergennes to the American Commissioners, 15 April 1778: résumé (Franklin Papers)
ALS : Boston Public Library <Versailles, April 15, 1778, in French: I return you the document in English and the letter from your friend that you sent me by M. de Sartine. Your correspondent characterizes that document well, impolitic in relation to France and malignly insidious in relation to the United States; the intention of separating you from your friends shows throughout. Congress will...
32Vergennes to the American Commissioners, 13 May 1778: résumé (Franklin Papers)
L (draft): Archives du Ministère des affaires étrangères; two copies: Library of Congress <Versailles, May 13, 1778, in French: The farmers general have informed me that Capt. Tucker of the Boston has refused to allow their agents on his vessel because she is a warship. We must know whether she is, or merely a privateer; once you have established that, she will be treated like the ships of...
33Vergennes to the American Commissioners, 17 October 1778 (Franklin Papers)
L (draft): Archives du Ministère des affaires étrangères; copies: Library of Congress (two), Massachusetts Historical Society, National Archives Par la Lettre Messieurs que vous m’avez fait l’honneur de m’ecrire le 28 aoust dernier, vous avez demandé la main levée de la saisie faite à Calais d’une partie des bagages du Sr. Smith. J’ai pris à cet egard les informations les plus exactes et il en...
34The Comte de Vergennes to John Adams: A Translation, 21 June 1780 (Adams Papers)
I have received, sir, the letter that you did me the honor to write on the 16th of this month, and also the extract of the letter addressed to you from Boston, dated 26 April. From this it appears that the assembly of Massachusetts has determined to adopt Congress’ resolution fixing the value of the paper money at 40 dollars for one dollar in specie. On reading that resolution I was persuaded...
35Vergennes to the Commissioners, 15 April 1778 (Adams Papers)
J ai lhonneur de vous renvoyér Messieurs, LEcrit Anglois et La lettre de Votre ami que vous m’avés fait Communiquér par M. de Sartine. Votre Correspondant Le qualifie exactement Lors qu’il le declare impolitique quant a la france et malignement insidieux par raport aux Etats unis de I amerique; Sous quelque Sens qu on Examine les Ecris, on decouvre par tout l’intention de vous séparér de vos...
36Vergennes to the Commissioners, 4 May 1778 (Adams Papers)
Versailles, 4 May 1778. printed : JA, Diary and Autobiography Diary and Autobiography of John Adams , ed. L. H. Butterfield and others, Cambridge, 1961; 4 vols. , 2:308 (French); 4:90 ( JA ’s translation). Vergennes announced that JA would be presented to Louis XVI on 8 May and invited the Commissioners to dine with him on that day. For JA ’s account of his presentation, see Diary and...
I have the honor to return to you the English document and your friend’s letter which you communicated to me through M. de Sartine. Your correspondent is quite right in declaring it undiplomatic toward France and maliciously insidious toward the United States of America. Whichever way one interprets these documents, the intent of alienating your friends from you seems all pervasive. The...
38To 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...
39Vergennes to the Commissioners, 15 May 1778 (Adams Papers)
Versailles, 15 May 1778. printed : JA, Diary and Autobiography Diary and Autobiography of John Adams , ed. L. H. Butterfield and others, Cambridge, 1961; 4 vols. , 4:100–101 . This letter and its supporting enclosure, a copy of a letter from La Tuilliere , consul at Madeira, to Sartine dated 15 Feb., were translated by Adams in his Autobiography (for the French texts see Lb/JA/6, Microfilms ,...
I have submitted to M. de Sartine the communication you did me the honor to address to me regarding the obtaining of convoys to ensure the safety of commerce between the merchants of Nantes and Bordeaux and those of North America. I have enclosed a copy of his reply. You will see that the King has taken the most efficacious measures to protect the trade of the Americans as well as that of his...