1. On 4 August JM had received Meriwether Smith’s pamphlet. He perhaps gave or loaned his copy to Hawkins. See Randolph to JM, 12 July 1783, and n. 4.

2. Unnoted in the journal, Congress on 9 August 1783, having received dispatches on the 8th from Francis Dana, minister-designate at the court of St. Petersburg, dated (old style) 6, 11, and 14 April, referred them to a committee composed of Samuel Huntington, chairman, Arthur Lee, and Ralph Izard (NA: PCC, No. 185, III, 73; No. 186, fol. 117). For these dispatches, see Wharton, Revol. Dipl. Corr description begins Francis Wharton, ed., The Revolutionary Diplomatic Correspondence of the United States (6 vols.; Washington, 1889). description ends ., VI, 381–82, 390–91, 392–96. In the present letter Hawkins summarized only the latest of these communications. For Ivan Andreievich, Count Osterman (1724–1811), see JM to Randolph, 17 June 1783, n. 5.

3. Papers of Madison description begins William T. Hutchinson, William M. E. Rachal, et al., eds., The Papers of James Madison (7 vols. to date; Chicago, 1962——). description ends , V, 187; 189, n. 13; 235; 236, n. 14; 467; citations in 469, n. 9; VI, 419, n. 3; 427, n. 13; 452; 453, n. 2; Rights of Neutral Nations, 12 June, n. 5; JM to Randolph, 17 June 1783, and n. 5. The separate definitive treaties concluded by Great Britain with France, Spain, and the United States were all signed on 3 September 1783.

4. Dana’s commission was dated 19 December 1780. See Papers of Madison description begins William T. Hutchinson, William M. E. Rachal, et al., eds., The Papers of James Madison (7 vols. to date; Chicago, 1962——). description ends , VI, 453, n. 2; Rights of Neutral Nations, 12 June 1783, nn. 6–8.

5. Russia and the United States delayed entering into formal diplomatic relations until 1809, thirteen years after Tsarina Catherine’s death (Samuel Flagg Bemis, A Diplomatic History of the United States [New York, 1942], p. 45).

6. On 1 June 1785 King George III received John Adams as the minister of the United States to the court of St. James (Boyd, Papers of Jefferson description begins Julian P. Boyd et al., eds., The Papers of Thomas Jefferson (18 vols. to date; Princeton, N.J., 1950——). description ends , VIII, 176).

7. The “M.” before “J. A.” may stand for “Monsieur,” although Hawkins could have meant “Mr.,” “Minister,” “Master,” or even “Mynheer.” Hawkins’ abridgment of what Dana wrote is approximately accurate. After stating Osterman’s four reasons for the tsarina’s refusal to recognize the independence of the United States, Dana summarized his own oral reply, and then added: “An important question arises out of this state of things: What remains to be done on the part of the United States? It belongs to me only to answer what I propose to do further myself, which is to draw a memorial containing this answer, with such observations upon it as shall occur to me, tending to show the futility of the objections which have been made to my immediate reception, and to send it to the vice-chancellor. To such a measure I am advised on a good part.” By this last sentence Dana evidently meant the example or counsel of his friend and former chief, John Adams. When minister-designate of the United States at The Hague, Adams had been impatient because of the slowness of the States-General in according him a formal reception. He finally on 19 April 1781 sent one memorial to the States-General and another to the Prince of Orange and Nassau, urging a recognition of American independence. Hawkins neglected to note, however, that Adams’ continuing persistence, greatly aided by the pressure of Dutch merchants, the influence of the French ambassador at The Hague, the surrender of Cornwallis, and other circumstances, brought him success on 22 April 1782 (Papers of Madison description begins William T. Hutchinson, William M. E. Rachal, et al., eds., The Papers of James Madison (7 vols. to date; Chicago, 1962——). description ends , III, 31, n. 2; 265, n. 2; 282, n. 2; 284; IV, 219; 287, n. 25; 364, n. 3). During the three months following his submission of a memorial to Osterman on 27 April 1783 (old style), Dana received no satisfactory reply. Convinced that his mission was futile and authorized by Congress to abandon it, he thereupon left St. Petersburg to return to Boston (Wharton, Revol. Dipl. Corr description begins Francis Wharton, ed., The Revolutionary Diplomatic Correspondence of the United States (6 vols.; Washington, 1889). description ends ., VI, 411–15, 477, 494, 597, 636; JCC description begins Worthington Chauncey Ford et al., eds., Journals of the Continental Congress, 1774–1789 (34 vols.; Washington, 1904–37). description ends , XXIV, 226, 227, 267; Papers of Madison description begins William T. Hutchinson, William M. E. Rachal, et al., eds., The Papers of James Madison (7 vols. to date; Chicago, 1962——). description ends , VI, 427, n. 14; Rights of Neutral Nations, 12 June 1783).

8. Hawkins’ statement is substantiated by tallied votes recorded in the journal of Congress for 7 and 13 August 1783 (JCC description begins Worthington Chauncey Ford et al., eds., Journals of the Continental Congress, 1774–1789 (34 vols.; Washington, 1904–37). description ends , XXIV, 493–94, 505).