61C. W. F. Dumas to Benjamin Franklin: A Translation, 2 December 1778 (Adams Papers)
Today I have the honor to send you the resolution of which I have already spoken. What delayed me a little was my recent trip to Amsterdam, a bothersome cold which I brought back with me, and the three copies which I had to make to send in successive letters to the congress. This piece fully deserves to be published in both French and English for the service of the United States because of the...
62C. W. F. Dumas to the Commissioners, 8 December 1778 (Adams Papers)
Le Calme dont vous parloit ma Lettre du 2, a cessé plutôt que je ne croyois. On étoit déjà inquiet, depuis quelques jours, de la baisse des fonds Anglois; et les Lettres venues de l’Angleterre augmentoient les transes de nos rentiers. D’un autre côté, le refus de faire imprimer ici le Protest de la grande ville contre la résolution du 18e. Nov. avoit engagé cette ville à le faire imprimer, et...
63C. W. F. Dumas to Benjamin Franklin: A Translation, 8 December 1778 (Adams Papers)
The calm of which I spoke in my letter of the 2d has ended much sooner than I had anticipated. There already had been uneasiness for several days about the fall in the English funds, and the letters from England have increased the qualms of our fundholders. On the other hand, the refusal to publish the great city’s protest against the resolution of 18 November has forced this city to print and...
64C. W. F. Dumas to the Commissioners, 18 December 1778 (Adams Papers)
J’ai vu notre Ami. Il y a deux Committés, pour besogner, l’un sur de nouvelles plaintes auxquelles les Anglois viennent de donner lieu; l’autre sur la réponse à faire au Mémoire de Mr. l’Ambassadeur de France, dont je vous ai envoyé copie. On ne saura le résultat que la semaine prochaine. On m’a envoyé d’Amsterdam, afin d’en faire part au Congrès, la Protestation imprimée de cette ville contre...
65C. W. F. Dumas to Benjamin Franklin: A Translation, 18 December 1778 (Adams Papers)
I have seen our friend. There are two committees: one to work on the new British complaints; the other on the response to be given to the French Ambassador’s mémoire, of which I sent you a copy. We will not know the result until next week. The protest published by Amsterdam against the resolution of the 18th was sent to me so that I might send a copy to Congress. This important document is 20...
66C. W. F. Dumas to the Commissioners, 1 January 1779 (Adams Papers)
De retour ici Mardi au soir, j’allai voir notre Ami. Il me dit qu’il n’y avoit encore rien de fait, mais que, malgré tout ce qui se pourroit passer encore le lendemain, les choses finalement iroient bien. Je compris son idée. Il me dit aussi, que le crédit excessif de Sir J. Y. auprès d’un grand personnage se manifestoit de plus en plus; et qu’il n’y avoit plus moyen de douter, que ce dernier...
67C. W. F. Dumas to Benjamin Franklin: A Translation, 1 January 1779 (Adams Papers)
Upon returning here, Tuesday evening, I went to see our friend. He told me that nothing had been decided yet, but that, in spite of all that might still happen tomorrow, things would end well. I knew what he meant. He also told me that Sir Joseph Yorke’s excessive influence on an important person manifested itself more and more, and that there was no doubt that the latter had made secret...
68C. W. F. Dumas to the Commissioners, 12 January 1779 (Adams Papers)
Les Et. d’Hollande se rassemblent demain. Notre Ami arrive ce soir; et je vais lui souhaitter bon succès. L’on est de plus en plus embarrassé ici. Au lieu d’agréer la Réponse au Memoire, envoyée comme je vous l’ai marqué à Mr. De Berkenrode, Mr. l’Ambassadeur a reçu un Exprès de sa Cour, dont nous saurons bientôt le Message en même temps que le Résultat des Délibérations des Etats d’Hollande....
69C. W. F. Dumas to Benjamin Franklin: A Translation, 12 January 1779 (Adams Papers)
The States of Holland reassemble tomorrow. Our friend arrives tonight, and I will wish him great success. People here are more and more perplexed. Instead of agreeing to the response to the memorandum, which as I mentioned was sent to M. Berkenrode, the French Ambassador received an express from his court, the contents of which we will soon learn at the same time as the results of the...
70C. W. F. Dumas to the Commissioners, 16 January 1779 (Adams Papers)
Je sais que vous avez reçu mes Lettres des 2 et 8 Dec. J’ai eu l’honneur depuis de vous en écrire 3 autres, du 18–24 Dec., 1–3 Janv., et 12–15 Janv. Hier 15 au soir, au moment où j’avois expédié ma derniere, Mr. l’Ambassadeur me fit chercher, pour aller confirmer de sa part à notre Ami, que ce matin il présenteroit un Mémoire au Président de L. H. P. avec le nouveau reglement du Roi, qui...
71C. W. F. Dumas to Benjamin Franklin: A Translation, 16 January 1779 (Adams Papers)
I know that you received my letters of 2 and 8 December. Since then, I have had the honor of writing you three more, dated 18–24 December, 1–3 January, and 12–15 January. Yesterday, the 15th, in the evening, just as I was sending off my last, the French Ambassador sought me out in order to have me meet with our friend to confirm, on the Ambassador’s behalf, that this morning he will present a...
72C. W. F. Dumas to the Commissioners, 19 January 1779 (Adams Papers)
Ma derniere étoit du 16–18 de ce mois. Aujourd’hui, contre toute attente, et à notre grande surprise, il ne s’est rien passé du tout à l’Assemblée d’Hollande, si ce n’est qu’on y a lu le dernier Mémoire de Mr. l’Ambassadeur, mais on n’a rien mis en délibération. J’ai été aujourdhui 5 fois chez Mr. l’Ambassadeur, autant de fois chez notre ami (une fois au bout de la ville, où il dînoit). J’ai...
73C. W. F. Dumas to Benjamin Franklin: A Translation, 19 January 1779 (Adams Papers)
My last was of the 16–18 of this month. Contrary to our expectations and to our great surprise, nothing happened today at the Assembly of Holland. There were no deliberations, only the reading of the Ambassador’s latest memorandum. Today I have had five meetings with the Ambassador, and as many with our friend (once at the edge of town where he was dining). To the Ambassador I wrote the...
74C. W. F. Dumas to the Commissioners, 27 January 1779 (Adams Papers)
Enfin j’ai la satisfaction de pouvoir vous apprendre, que les choses ont tourné au gré d’Amsterdam. Hier les Etats d’Hollande prirent la Résolution d’annuller celle du 18e. Nov. passé, qui exceptoit des Convois les Bois de construction, et de protéger leur Commerce dans toute l’extension que lui assurent les Traités; suspendant, du reste, toute délibération ultérieure sur cette matiere,...
75C. W. F. Dumas to Benjamin Franklin: A Translation, 27 January 1779 (Adams Papers)
Finally I have the pleasure to inform you that things have turned out to Amsterdam’s liking. Yesterday the States of Holland resolved to annul the resolution of 18 November, which excepted ships timbers from the convoys, to protect their commerce to the fullest extent guaranteed by the treaties, and, moreover, to suspend any further deliberation on this matter until the Admiralties of all the...