From John Jay to John Adams, 27 April 1784
To John Adams
Chaillot near Paris 27 Ap 1784—
Dear Sir
Your Favr. of the 20th. Inst. arrived last Evening— It is not in pursuance of a recent or hasty Resolution, that I am preparing to return: It has been long taken & maturely considered. The public accounts still detain me, for tho’ always kept by Mr Carmichael, I do not chuse to leave them unsettled behind me— When that Obstacle ceases, which I expect will be very soon, I shall leave Paris. I daily expect Answers to Letters by which I desired a Friend in London to enquire & inform me about a New York Vessel there:1 it is probable I may go in her, if not, I must look out for some other opportunity. There are accounts of Barney’s arrival—2 perhaps he may be sent back with the Papers you mention—if so, we may soon see him, and in that Case I would return with him.
The coming of your Family will be a great Consolation to you & them—3 May you have a speedy and happy meeting. I wish they had made you a visit immediately on the Return of Peace; and in this wish Mrs. Jay sincerely joins. Would it be very inconvenient to you to come to Paris? I cannot propose that you should leave any thing undone, which ought to be done—but if there be no Objection of that Sort, a Trip to Paris would not be an unpleasant Excursion— Who knows but that you might meet the Commission here—if not, you will certainly meet a cordial Welcome from Dear Sir Your Friend & Servt
John Jay
Mr Hartley is daily expected—my Compts to your Son
^[in margin] Just as I began to fold up this Letter a Gent. told me that he saw Mr Hartley this morng. at Dr. Franklin’s—^
His Excy John Adams Esqr.
1. JJ’s 13 Apr. 1784 letter to Joshua Johnson, DftS, NNC (EJ: 8855), asks Johnson to check with Captain Henry Coupar regarding the time of his sailing and to request him to pick up the Jays at Dover to avoid their traveling to London. Johnson’s reply has not been found.
2. Joshua Barney had returned to the United States during the first week of March 1784, but did not make another voyage to Europe because Congress ordered the sale of his ship, the General Washington. See , 9: 332–33.
3. As early as September 1783 JA had urged his wife, Abigail (1744–1818), and their daughter, Abigail (1765–1813), to join him in Europe, but they did not arrive until August 1784. , 3: 156n.