91From Benjamin Franklin to John Adams, 21 April 1780 (Franklin Papers)
LS : Massachusetts Historical Society; copy: Library of Congress The Letter your Excellency did me the honour of writing to me Yesterday, gives me the first Information of the Resolution mentioned as taken by the State of Maryland relating to their Money in England. If there is no Mistake in the Intelligence, (which I apprehend there may be) and such a Power as is supposed should come to my...
92To John Adams from Benjamin Franklin, 5 June 1781 (Adams Papers)
I have received the honour of your Letter dated the 25th. past, advising me of your Drafts for Forty Thousand Livres payable to the Order of Captain Joiner, which I shall accept when they appear. No specific Sum having been mentioned to me by Col. Laurens, as what would be wanted to fulfil his Orders in Holland, I think myself obliged to acquaint your Excellency that I fear my Funds will not...
93From Benjamin Franklin to John Adams, 21 April 1781 (Franklin Papers)
ALS : Massachusetts Historical Society; copy: Library of Congress Agreable to my Faith I have obtain’d a Promise of Money sufficient to pay the Bills you have accepted and shall accordingly accept those you draw on me for that purpose. I request only that you would send me immediately a List of the Bills, and of the Times of their becoming due, that I may be always provided, and that as the...
94From Benjamin Franklin to John Adams, 3 November [i.e., December] 1782 (Franklin Papers)
ALS : Massachusetts Historical Society I am perfectly of your Opinion respecting the Copy to be sent to Mr Dana, and shall have one prepared directly for that purpose. Is it not also a proper time for you to propose the Quadruple Alliance offensive and defensive, or at least defensive, which I think you once mentioned to me? For I apprehend this Peace may be so humiliating to England, that on...
95From Benjamin Franklin to John Adams, 10 April 1783 (Franklin Papers)
L : Massachusetts Historical Society Since Mr. Adams’s Departure Dr Franklin recd a Letter from Mr. Lawrens; the inclosed is a Copy of the Post-script, & which appears to be that mentioned to Mr. Adams in his Letter from Mr. Lawrens— Addressed: A son Excellence / Monsieur Adams / &ca &ca / Hotel du Roi / au Carouselle Notations: Dr. Franklin. inclosing an Extract of a Letter from Mr. Laurens....
96To John Adams from Benjamin Franklin, 11 May 1781 (Adams Papers)
I am honoured with your Excellency’s Letter of the 27th. past, acquainting me with your Appointment as Minister Plenipotentiary to the States General, on which please to accept my Compliments and best Wishes for Success in your Negociations. We have just received Advice here, that M. la Motte Picquet, met with the English Convoy of Dutch Ships taken at St. Eustatia, and has retaken 21. of...
97From Benjamin Franklin to John Adams, 13 April 1782 (Franklin Papers)
LS : Massachusetts Historical Society; copy: Library of Congress Inclosed with this I send to your Excellency the Pacquet of Correspondence between Mr Hartley and me which I promised in my last. You will see that we have held nearly the same Language which gives me Pleasure. While Mr Hartley was making Propositions to me, with the Approbation or Privity of Lord North, to treat separately from...
98From Benjamin Franklin to John Adams, 26 September 1778 (Franklin Papers)
ALS : Massachusetts Historical Society I very much approve your Plan with regard to our future Accounts, and wish it to be followed. The Accounts that have been shown you, are only those of the Person we had entrusted with the receiving and paying our Money; and intended merely to show how he was discharged of it. We are to separate from that Account th Articles for which Congress should be...
99To John Adams from Benjamin Franklin, 21 April 1782 (Adams Papers)
I have just received the Honour of yours dated the 16th. Instant, acquainting me with the Interview between your Excellency and Mr Lawrens. I am glad to learn that his political Sentiments coincide with ours; and that there is a Disposition in England to give us up Canada and Nova Scotia. I like your Idea of seeing no more Messengers that are not Plenipotentiaries; But I cannot refuse seeing...
100From Benjamin Franklin to John Adams, 4 July 1784 (Franklin Papers)
ALS : Massachusetts Historical Society I have received the Letter your Excelly. did me the Honour of writing to me the 29th past. The Annunciation directed by the Instruction you mention has not yet been made; some Circumstances and Considerations, not necessary to particularize at present, occasioned the Delay here; but it may now be done immediately by your Excellency, if you think proper,...
101From Benjamin Franklin to John Adams, 7 November 1781 (Franklin Papers)
LS : Massachusetts Historical Society; AL (draft) and copy: Library of Congress I have been honoured with the following Letters from your Excellency during the last month, viz. of the 4th. 10th. 18th. 22d. 25th. 26th. & 27th. which I should have answered sooner, but that I waited for a safe Opportunity, having reason to believe that all your Letters to me by the post are opened, and...
102To John Adams from Benjamin Franklin, 10 May 1779 (Adams Papers)
I received the honour of yours of the 29th. past from Nantes. I hope you are before this time safely arrived at L’Orient. M. De la Luzerne is making diligent Preparation for his Departure, and you will soon see him. He and the Secretary of the Embassy are both very agreable and sensible Men, in whose Conversation you will have a great deal of Pleasure in your Passage. What Port the Ship will...
103From Benjamin Franklin to John Adams, 30 November 1780 (Franklin Papers)
LS : Massachusetts Historical Society; copy: Library of Congress I have had a severe Fit of the Gout which has confined me six Weeks; but is now going off, and I flatter myself that it has done me a great deal of Good. I have just received a Letter from Dr Ezra Stiles, of which the inclosed is an Extract. Please to communicate it to Mr Searle, and then give it to M. Dumas if you judge it...
104From Benjamin Franklin to John Adams, 8 November 1781 (Franklin Papers)
ALS : Massachusetts Historical Society The Bearer, Mr Fox, is a young Gentleman of Philadelphia, Son of one of my old Friends, and otherwise well recommended to me by some of the principal People of that Place. I beg leave to present him to your Excellency, and to request for him your Counsels, Civilities and Protection, of which I am persuaded you will find him deserving. With great Respect,...
105To John Adams from Benjamin Franklin, 11 June 1781 (Adams Papers)
Mr. Grand has communicated to me a Letter from your Excellency to him, relating to certain Charges in your Account, on which you seem to desire to have my Opinion. As we are all new in these Matters, I consulted when I was making up my Accounts, one of the oldest Foreign Ministers here, as to the Custom in such Cases. He informed me, that it was not perfectly uniform with the Ministers of all...
106To John Adams from Benjamin Franklin, 13 November 1780 (Adams Papers)
I am honour’d by your Excellency’s Letter of the 4th Instant, relating to the Bills drawn on Mr. Laurens. I recommended their being presented to you, as I understood you supply’d his Place during his Absence, and I thought it more reputable to our Affairs, that they should be accepted by you for him, than that their Credit should depend on the Good Will of a Dutch Merchant, who, except a few...
107From Benjamin Franklin to John Adams, 5 October 1781 (Franklin Papers)
LS : Massachusetts Historical Society; AL (draft) and copy: Library of Congress I congratulate your Excellency on your Recovery. I hope this Seasoning will be the means of securing your future Health, by accommodating your Constitution to the Air of that Country. Here are Advices from Admiral de Grasse, which left him the 13th of August coming out of Straits of Bahama, with 28 Sail, of the...
108To John Adams from Benjamin Franklin, 4 February 1782 (Adams Papers)
I have received yours of the 25th. past, in which you acquaint me with the Reasons you have for being fully of Opinion that no Loan is possible to be procured by you, till there is a Treaty. Our only Dependance then appears to be on this Court; and I am happy to find that it still continues dispos’d to assist us. Since mine of the 11th. past, tho’ I have obtain’d no positive assurances of...
109From Benjamin Franklin to John Adams, 31 August 1781 (Franklin Papers)
LS : Massachusetts Historical Society; AL (draft): Library of Congress; copy: Library of Congress I duly received the Letter you did me the honour of writing to me the 17th. Inst. inclosing a Copy of one from Mr. John Ross, acquainting me with the Presentation to you of 51 Bills Drawn in his Favour the 22 June last on Mr. Henry Laurens; for the Sum of 40,950 Guilders; and desiring to know...
110To John Adams from Benjamin Franklin, 7 November 1781 (Adams Papers)
I have been honoured with the following Letters from your Excellency during the last Month, viz. of the 4th. 10th. 18th. 22d. 22d. 25th. 26th. and 27th. which I should have answered sooner, but that I waited for a safe Opportunity, having reason to believe that all your Letters to me by the post are opened, and apprehending the same of mine to you. I send herewith the Covers and Seals of those...
111To John Adams from Benjamin Franklin, 18 May 1787 (Adams Papers)
I received by D r White the Letter you did me the honour of writing to me the 27th of January, together with two Copies of your Defence of the American Constitutions, one for myself for which I beg you would accept my Thanks, the other for the Philosophical Society, whose Secretary will of course officially acknowledge the Obligation. That Work is in such Request here, that it is already put...
112To John Adams from Benjamin Franklin, 6 December 1781 (Adams Papers)
I am honour’d with your Excellency’s Letters of the 22d and 26th. past. The Proposal relating to the Goods was, you say, more unreasonable than you expected. It did not so much surprise me, who possess a former Sample exactly of the same Stile and Sentiment, and I therefore think this to be of the same Author. His Professions of Disinterestedness with regard to his Shares, are in my Opinion...
113To John Adams from Benjamin Franklin, 5 October 1781 (Adams Papers)
I congratulate your Excellency on your Recovery. I hope this Seasoning will be the means of securing your future Health, by accomodating your Constitution to the Air of that Country. Here are Advices from Admiral de Grasse, which left him the 13th of August coming out of Straits of Bahama, with 28 Sail, of the Line; bound to Chesapeak Bay: unless he should meet at Sea a call to N. York from...
114To John Adams from Benjamin Franklin, 12 February 1782 (Adams Papers)
I received the honour of yours dated the 7th. Inst. acquainting me with the Presentation of several more Bills drawn on Mr Laurens. I think you will do well to accept them, and I shall endeavour to enable you to pay them. I should be glad to see a compleat List of those you have already accepted. Perhaps from the Series of Numbers, and the Deficiencies, one may be able to divine the Sum that...
115From Benjamin Franklin to John Adams, 13 November 1780 (Franklin Papers)
LS : Massachusetts Historical Society; copy: Library of Congress I am honour’d by your Excellency’s Letter of the 4th Instant, relating to the Bills drawn on Mr Lawrens. I recommended their being presented to you, as I understood you supply’d his Place during his Absence, and I thought it more reputable to our Affairs, that they should be accepted by you for him, than that their Credit should...
116From Benjamin Franklin to John Adams, 3 January 1784 (Franklin Papers)
ALS : Massachusetts Historical Society I received the Letter you did me the Honour of writing to me by Capt. Jones, and immediately answer’d it, acquainting you that my Packets contain’d no Commission, nor any Mention of one. I have just receiv’d another Letter from you, dated the 14th past, with a Number of Dispatches, but they are Duplicates only and as old as July; they contain nothing of...
117To John Adams from Benjamin Franklin, 5 June 1779 (Adams Papers)
The Chevalier de La Luzerne sat out Yesterday for L’Orient, and will be with you perhaps before this comes to hand. You will find him a very agreable sensible Man, and a hearty Friend to the Cause of America. As you may land in Boston and are not certain of going directly to Philada. I have put under his Care my Dispatches for Congress, and request yours for those to New England. Mr. Bondfield...
118To John Adams from Benjamin Franklin, 10 December 1783 (Adams Papers)
I received the Letter you did me the honour of writing to me the 5 th. Instant by Comm o. Jones, with the Dispatches he brought. The Packet directed to me alone, contain’d only a Letter to the Magistrates of Hambourg, and a Diploma of Doctor of Divinity from the College at Princetown for the Reverend M r Wren: No Commission, nor any Mention of it; so that it seems to have been forgotten or...
119Benjamin Franklin to John Adams, 16 April 1784 (Adams Papers)
We duly receiv’d (M r Jay & me) the Letters you did us the honour of writing to us the 27th of March & the 2 d Instant. We shall transmit, as you desire, the Recommendation of M r Browne to Congress; and enclos’d we send a Copy of the Treaty with Sweden. We expect M r Hartley here very soon, to exchange the Ratifications of the Definitive Treaty; when we shall endeavour to obtain an...
120To John Adams from Benjamin Franklin, 2 October 1780 (Adams Papers)
By all our late Advices from America the Hopes you expressed that our Countrymen, instead of amusing themselves any longer with delusive Dreams of Peace, would bend the whole force of their Minds to find out their own Strength and Resources, and to depend upon themselves, are actually accomplished. All the Accounts I have seen, agree, that the Spirit of our People was never higher than at...