1From John Adams to Edmund Jenings, 16 May 1783 (Adams Papers)
It is a long Time Since I have rec d a Line from you, or written you. How go on Affairs on your Side the Water? Are the present Ministers like to hold their Places, or are We to expect more Changes of systems & Agents, before We finish? M r Hartleys disposition is very fair, and if he can follow his own Ideas, We shant be long in settling Accounts I hope. But the Delays the Indecision, the...
2From John Adams to Edmund Jenings, 14 February 1783 (Adams Papers)
M r Storer, whom you know, will deliver you this, but whether he will find you at Brussells or else where, I knew not. I begin to grow impatient to See, the definitive Treaty Signed that I may take myself away, from this dull Place. I am just returned from Dinner, with the Sweedish Ambassador, who invited Us all, upon occasion of the Signature of the Treaty, between his Master and Congress,...
3From John Adams to Edmund Jenings, 20 June 1780 (Adams Papers)
I last night received a Letter from a Member of Congress, which informs me, that Congress have resolved to redeem their Loan Office Certificates, according to the Value of Money at the Time of their being respectively issued. This compleats their Plan of the 18 of March, and makes the whole just as well as wise and politick. I Send you, the Report of the Committee as amended and adopted by the...
4From John Adams to Edmund Jenings, 29 November 1781 (Adams Papers)
I have recd your favours of 14 and 26. I thank you for the Extract, and hope you will discover by whom and to whom it was written. I dont See the Virtue nor the Wisdom, nor the Honour of writing Such Things to the English. It would be Sufficient, one should think to write them to America. However, just as they please. As long as they pursue with tryumphant success, the System, which was urged...
5From John Adams to Edmund Jenings, 6 August 1780 (Adams Papers)
Your Letter from Antwerp, of the 5th. which I received last night by Mr. Douglas, was very agreable. The News it contains is very good. But there must be Letters and Papers, with all the Particulars, by such a Number of Vessells. The arrival of all these Vessells is a great Event to the French and American Commerce, and I hope in Time will convince both Parties of the importance of it, and of...
6From John Adams to Edmund Jenings, 28 January 1783 (Adams Papers)
I am happy to find by your favor of the 23 d. that You are safely arrived after a good Journey. It is best I believe that nothing should be said between You two about the Affair in which both have been perfectly innocent. If You go I wish You a good Journey, but cannot warrant You against fresh troubles—for neither the Innocence nor Virtue of Angels would be a Security against them in a World,...
7From John Adams to Edmund Jenings, 6 June 1780 (Adams Papers)
Yours of June 2d., I have just now received that of 27. May I duely received and the other inclosing—the curious Mess from London I received—all safe, in time and untouched. I have never missed a Letter from you. They all come Safe—and the seals in good order. You may write freely I am persuaded. It was, haste, or Inattention that I did not acknowledge them in the one of 28 ultimo. I am...
8From John Adams to Edmund Jenings, 1 June 1782 (Adams Papers)
I have taken my Pen, Simply, to thank you for Several excellent Letters, for the Pamphlets by Mr Myers and the Memoires by Mr Ridley, and to tell you that I am Sick. I Sometimes think I shall die a Martyr to the Dutch alliance, and I declare to you, if it had been the only action of my Life, I should have thought it a Life well Spent, Such are my Ideas of its Importance to the Cause of our...
9From John Adams to Edmund Jenings, 1 December 1780 (Adams Papers)
I thank You for your favour of the 20th. of November. I am really weary of reading such Follies as Motions to address the King for Peace. They are only delusions to the People of England, the People of America, and all the other Nations of the Earth. The Case of Mr. Laurens, and those of Mr. Trumbull and Tyler, among Millions of other Incidents shew, with whom We have to do. The States General...
10From John Adams to Edmund Jenings, 9 February 1781 (Adams Papers)
I have this day the Honour of yours of 5. It would be unwise in Congress, to neglect any Effort to induce other Powers of Europe to acknowledge our Independancy, and therefore I am fully of opinion that at least one Minister Should be sent to treat with the Maritime Powers, or rather the neutral Union. For these Powers will all acknowlege our Independance at once, and none of them will do it...
11From John Adams to Edmund Jenings, 22 March 1781 (Adams Papers)
With great pleasure have I recieved yours of the 19th, with its Inclosures. I wish I could answer more at large, but in addition to a thousand other Objects crowding upon me at present, I have had to write my obscure Name nine and twenty thousand times to Obligations and Coupons, which I expect will give me before it is ended a great Name at least, if not a great deal of Money. I am...
12From John Adams to Edmund Jenings, 18 August 1781 (Adams Papers)
I have received your favour of 11. will take measures to repay the 20£. The ode is very fine. I shall be happy if the News is confirmed, that your Nephew has Succeeded. But have no News from America. The Pou, I read, nine months ago with Contempt and Disgust. I would not have gone through it, if it had not been merely to know that I had read it, as I think it a Duty to read every Thing which...
13From John Adams to Edmund Jenings, 7 June 1780 (Adams Papers)
I threatened you with a great deal of Egotism for the public good. I was chosen by my native Town into the Convention 2 or 3 days after my Arrival. I was by the Convention put upon the Committee—by the Committee upon the sub committee—and by the sub Committee appointed a Sub sub Committee—so that I had the honour to be principal Engineer. The Committee made some alterations, as I am informed...
14From John Adams to Edmund Jenings, 7 June 1782 (Adams Papers)
Yours of June 6. is just arrived, with its Inclosure. From the first day of my acquaintance with Mr Laurens to this moment, I know not that I ever Said a disrespectfull or unkind Word concerning him, or entertained an unkind or disrespectfull Thought. I have ever found him and ever represented him as a Man of Honour, Candour, Integrity and abilities, of great publick and private Merit. This...
15From John Adams to Edmund Jenings, 18 July 1780 (Adams Papers)
I have just received the Court Gazette with Clintons Proclamations. I would give any Thing I had time to write you, a whole sheet about Carolina. The Party of Horse, that galloped out—what did they meet with? By the Return of killed, and Prisoners, it must have been the most obstinate and desperate defence that ever was made, or a barbarous and diabolical Massacre—take which you will, and what...
16From John Adams to Edmund Jenings, 12 August 1782 (Adams Papers)
Your two Letters containing the Anecdote and the Preliminaries have been recd., and You have seen the use of them. I have at length a friendly Letter from Mr. Jay, who tells me some good News, which I must not communicate. I have Letters too from Petersbourg with other News. Upon the whole they are consulting upon Preliminaries at Paris, and concerting Plans elsewhere for a Congress. If the...
17From John Adams to Edmund Jenings, 27 June 1783 (Adams Papers)
What are We to infer from the Indecision of the present Ministers?— Do they expect to draw their Country out of her Embarrassments; to preserve her Credit,; to avoid a Bankruptcy; to Settle a Plan with Ireland; to pacify Scotland &c &c &c, by a Sour Countenance towards America? We desire nothing but our natural Advantages in Commerce? if these are refused can it be expected that our People...
18From John Adams to Edmund Jenings, 5 July 1780 (Adams Papers)
In the 116 page of the inclosed Mercury, you will find the Strictures upon Lord G. Germaines nonsense. I dont see them in the English Papers. I suppose no Printer dares insert them. But I Swore they shall be seen, and therefore I beg you to get them inserted in the Leyden or Amsterdam or the Hague Gazette or all three. If it cant be done without pay let them be paid. I will repay in a moment....
19From John Adams to Edmund Jenings, 12 March 1781 (Adams Papers)
I am honoured with yours of 5. You will honour and oblige me much sir, by your Thoughts upon the Subject of European Jealousy and Caprice, hinted at. You will see that the Empress has undertaken to mediate between E. and Holland, but she will not join the Emperors Mediation but on two Conditions Sine quibus non. These are 1. an Acknowledgment by England of American Independance. 2. An...
20From John Adams to Edmund Jenings, 29 April 1781 (Adams Papers)
The Bearer of this Mr. Winslow Warren, is the Son of my Friend Major General Warren of the Massachusetts. He is, on all Sides of Families the most ancient and honourable and meritorious of that Part of America. And the Young Gentn. himself is amiable and has Merit. I should be vastly obliged to you, if you would shew him Brussels. Pray shall We have the Pleasure to see you here in a few days?...
21From John Adams to Edmund Jenings, 7 October 1780 (Adams Papers)
Mr. Bowdoin, a gentleman of Virginia, is passing through Brussells in his Way to France. He is a young American of good Character here, and I have the honour to recommend him to your Notice. Pray what think you, of the Face of affairs? According to present Appearances a year or two more, will probably deliver our country from the Ennemies within it, tho it may not bring Peace. The K. of...
22From John Adams to Edmund Jenings, 9 July 1782 (Adams Papers)
You have very much obliged me, by the Act and the Bill. It is to the last degree Astonishing to see, that perfect Ignorance, of the United States of America, which still prevails in old England. They willfully Shut their Eyes, that they may be Sure not to See. My Bowells of Compassion begin to be moved for this blind, debauched, devoted old Woman Britannia. Is there no possibility of reforming...
23From John Adams to Edmund Jenings, 13 April 1779 (Adams Papers)
I am ashamed to acknowledge that I received your kind Letter, in due time, and have not answered it before: My apology is that I was on the Point of Setting out for Brest when I received it and have been travelling ever since. I am much obliged to you for the Letter and very happy to find that one Gentleman is to be found in France whose sentiments will give some Countenance to my own. I have...
24From John Adams to Edmund Jenings, 19 April 1780 (Adams Papers)
I have only time at present, to beg the favour of you, to procure the inclosed, to be inserted in all the English newspapers. There is not a Circumstance exagerated, and the half is not told. RC with enclosure ( Adams Papers ); notation on back of enclosure: “printed in the English Papers.” For the possibility that JA wrote two letters to Jenings on 19 April, see Jenings’ letter of 24 April ,...
25From John Adams to Edmund Jenings, 5 February 1781 (Adams Papers)
Yours of 31. Jan. is arrived. A Courier is arrived from Petersburg, who carried the Notice of Sir Yorkes leaving the Hague. All’s well in the north. The Courtiers in England, who indeed compose the nation, flatter themselves they shall raise the Devil in Holland. They may raise a Spirit but it will be a good one. The Symptems are very Strong. If popular Rage gets loose it will not dewitt, John...
26From John Adams to Edmund Jenings, 24 March 1783 (Adams Papers)
I am very much obliged to you for your excellent Letter of the 14 of this Month. As The British Administration have made it their Business for 8 or 10 Years, to propagate in the Nation false News from America, and conceal the true, it is not Surprising that People are in Ignorance: But they must think seriously and inform themselves truly, now, or they will be the Loosers. I regret the Delays...
27From John Adams to Edmund Jenings, 12 June 1779 (Adams Papers)
This Moment I received yours of the 16 as it is dated, but I suppose was the 10. You cannot imagine how much I am obliged to you for this Letter and the other of the second, and the Parliamentary Remembrancer. I have read the 12 Letters and am charmed with their Spirit—hope the Author will continue, for his Abilities and Temper must be of great service to our Country. Ld. N. is probably, at...
28From John Adams to Edmund Jenings, 22 April 1780 (Adams Papers)
If you think that any thing I sent you lately is improper for publication, I hope you will stop it, or alter and correct it, by your own discretion, or delay it, till you think the time, proper. A vessell has arrived at Bilbao, from Newbury Port, by which I wrote to Congress and to my friends from Corunna, she brings news that two Vessells which lay at Bilbao when I was there, have also...
29From John Adams to Edmund Jenings, 18 December 1780 (Adams Papers)
I have received your Favour of the 11. The Inclosures I have packed with my Dispatches, and the Duplicate of Mr. Amorys, to go by the first opportunity. Sir Joseph will kick, and cuff and pinch this People untill he forces into them a little Spunk. They cry shame upon his last Memorial more than the former. However I believe he knows enough of the nature of them, to answer his End, which I...
30From John Adams to Edmund Jenings, 7 September 1782 (Adams Papers)
I have recd, your Letter with other Slips for which I thank you and another Since. I take constantly the Morning Post, Morning Chronicle London Courant and have taken the Evening Post, but Shall change it Soon for the General Advertiser. The Couriers de L’Europe and du Bas Rhin, the French Gazettes of Hague Leyden and Amsterdam and all the Dutch Gazettes. Is this to be a News Monger? I take em...