Adams Papers
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From John Adams to John Jay, 27 June 1786

To John Jay

London June 27. 1786

Sir

The Chevalier De Pinto, the Envoy of Portugal, informed me, this Day that he had received Instructions from his Court, to inform me, “that the Queen his Mistress has Sent a Squadron to cruise in the Mouth of the Streights with Orders to protect all Vessells belonging to the United States of America equally with those of her own Subjects and that She would continue those orders as long as they Should be agreable to Congress.”1

The Reply, was, that it could not be doubted that So signal a Mark of her Majesties friendly Attention to the Interest and safety of the Citizens of America, would be very Agreable to Congress, and that the first Opportunity Should be embraced to make the Communication to them.

so much Notice will probably be taken of this by Congress, as to return the Compliment, the least is Thanks.2

If the United States Should ever think themselves able to pay Taxes, and begin a Navy, this War of the Algerines would be a good Opportunity. I have never dared however to recommend it: because, that as Negotiation and customary Presents, and Redemption of Captives, must finally terminate the War, whatever Sums are Spent in it whatever time is Spent, or lives lost in it, it has ever appeared to me, that all this would be thrown Away.

It would employ Our shipwrights, and make various Branches of Business brisk, to order half a Score Frigates of thirty Six Guns to be built, and it would give Us an Ecclat; but it would cost Money.

With great Regard yours

John Adams

RC (PCC, No. 84, VI, f. 307–310); internal address: “Mr Secretary Jay.”; endorsed: “Letter 27 June 1786 / Mr Adams / Sept 29. 1786 / The injunction of Secresy / taken off— / refd. to report.” LbC (Adams Papers description begins Manuscripts and other materials, 1639–1889, in the Adams Manuscript Trust collection given to the Massachusetts Historical Society in 1956 and enlarged by a few additions of family papers since then. Citations in the present edition are simply by date of the original document if the original is in the main chronological series of the Papers and therefore readily found in the microfilm edition of the Adams Papers (APM). description ends ); APM Reel 112.

1. JA included the same information in his 29 June letter to Thomas Jefferson, with which he enclosed letters for John Lamb and Paul R. Randall (Jefferson, Papers description begins The Papers of Thomas Jefferson, ed. Julian P. Boyd, Charles T. Cullen, John Catanzariti, Barbara B. Oberg, and others, Princeton, N.J., 1950– . description ends , 10:79).

2. Although Congress received this letter and JA’s recommendation that it thank Queen Maria of Portugal for her protection of American ships on 26 Sept., it did not act until 3 Feb. 1787. Then it approved a letter of thanks and accepted Jay’s recommendation that WSS be “commissioned to carry and deliver it” in the hope that it “might among other good consequences promote the conclusion of the Treaty” (JCC description begins Journals of the Continental Congress, 1774–1789, ed. Worthington Chauncey Ford, Gaillard Hunt, John C. Fitzpatrick, Roscoe R. Hill, and others, Washington, D.C., 1904–1937; 34 vols. description ends , 31:692; 32:14, 16–17).

Jay enclosed the letter to the queen in his 6 Feb. 1787 letter to JA (Dipl. Corr., 1783–1789 description begins The Diplomatic Correspondence of the United States of America, from … 1783, to … 1789, [ed. William A. Weaver], repr., Washington, D.C., 1837 [actually 1855]; 3 vols. description ends , 2:680–681), which JA received in early April. In an 11 April letter to WSS, JA wrote that Congress had determined that its letter to the queen “should be transmitted to her Faithfull Majesty, by your Hands, you will therefore prepare yourself, as soon as conveniently may be, and proceed to Lisbon” (JA, Works description begins The Works of John Adams, Second President of the United States: with a Life of the Author, ed. Charles Francis Adams, Boston, 1850–1856; 10 vols. description ends , 8:435–437).

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    Source Project
    Adams Papers
    Title
    From John Adams to John Jay, 27 June 1786
    Author
    Adams, John
    Recipient
    Jay, John
    Date
    27 June 1786

    Reference

    Cite as
    “From John Adams to John Jay, 27 June 1786,” Founders Online, National Archives, https://founders.archives.gov/documents/Adams/06-18-02-0194. [Original source: The Adams Papers, Papers of John Adams, vol. 18, December 1785–January 1787, ed. Gregg L. Lint, Sara Martin, C. James Taylor, Sara Georgini, Hobson Woodward, Sara B. Sikes, Amanda M. Norton. Cambridge, MA: Harvard University Press, 2016, pp. 358–359.]

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