To John Adams from François Adriaan Van der Kemp, 19 June 1790
From François Adriaan Van der Kemp
Kingston 19 Jun. 90.
Sir!
Your Excellencÿ’s favour of March 27. I received the 17̈ apr.—and was it not for a particularity attending this Letter, I would not so soon have troubled you with these. Your Superscrbed the cover with your name, joining to it, Free— this word together with your name was erased, and in their place put none free— Is this a consequence of the new regulations of the Post-office?1
With regard to France, mÿ ideas of this People are perhaps, less favourable than those of Others, and this maÿ afford a Sufficient reason, that I entertained Some doubts and Suspicions with regard of the consistency of their new-model’d government as wel, as in respect of the Blessings, which the people at large Should enjoÿ bÿ this change of measures— Love of mankind and Liberty make me wish, that Liberty maÿ prevail in everÿ part, althoug I fear that she is more and more declining in Europe— The Franch people are the last, to enjoÿ it; verÿ few of their general assemblÿ would be willing to coöperate to this view, and the Bulk of the nation would, after the first delinien is passed, join the first Power, to restore their Royal Master in his ancient despotic the Prærogatives. Your own observation, that the Defence &c must displease Violent Monarchians Aristocrates, and Demagogues, wil afford a reason, that it is not yet translated into French—and gives no great proof of the Sincerity of Some leading men together with their inferiors, to knew Such a work and be Silent— But how Sir! can this Silence Surprise Us who See american Scriblers abuse a performance, who Should eternise their obscure names, if theÿ dared to make them public—
I recommended the defence to the Baron D’averhoult, en champagne, and be impatient for his answer, which I intend to communicate to your Excellencÿ, as Soon as I receive it.2
I received, by order of the President, a Polite refusal upon mÿ petition for his intercession, as far he thought it convenient;3
It wil be pleasing to me to receive an occasion to Shew Your Excellency which what perfect esteem and considerations / I am / Sir! / Your most obedient and / Obliged Servant
Fr Advdkemp.
P.s. know your Sir, Who was at the bottom of that daring Intrigue, mentioned in your last?4 can his name be Spelled with a double T?
RC (Adams Papers).
1. Prior to the Postal Act of 1792, it was unclear if the vice president had franking privileges, or how the entire postal system would operate. Seeking “some immediate provision by law” to govern the new entity, postmaster Ebenezer Hazard petitioned the House of Representatives on 17 July 1789. A committee comprising Elias Boudinot, Benjamin Goodhue, and Richard Bland Lee recommended on 9 Sept. that Congress regulate the U.S. Post Office. The Senate rejected the House’s subsequent resolution but passed a similar bill, which George Washington signed into law on 22 September. While the president, members of Congress, and other government officials were exempt from paying postage, the Post Office “would not permit Franks even to the V. P.,” as AA discovered (, 9:2, 95; , 1:170–171, 719; 3:113–114, 198; , 1:70, 232, 237).
2. By 1788 Dutch Patriot Jan Anthony (Jean Antoine) D’Averhoult (1756–1792), of Utrecht, had fled to France, where he briefly presided over the National Assembly from Jan. to Aug. 1792 (Bart Boon, “Jan Anthony d’Averhoult door Louis-Léopold Boilly: de Geschiedenis achter een ongewoon portret,” Oud Holland, 111:253 [1997]; ).
3. See Van der Kemp’s letter of 17 March 1790, and note 1, above.
4. JA last wrote to Van der Kemp on 27 March, but for Alexander Hamilton’s electoral intrigues, see JA’s letter to Benjamin Rush of 9 June 1789, and note 2, above.