1From John Adams to the President of Congress, 10 July 1781 (Adams Papers)
Amsterdam, 10 July 1781. RC and signature in John Thaxter’s hand PCC , No. 84, III, f. 268–269. printed : Wharton, ed., Dipl. Corr. Amer. Rev. Francis Wharton, ed., The Revolutionary Diplomatic Correspondence of the United States , Washington, 1889; 6 vols. , 4:556–557. John Thaxter wrote this letter during John Adams’ absence at Paris. It contains an English translation of an article that...
2From John Adams to the President of Congress, 11 July 1781 (Adams Papers)
I have only time, by Major Jackson, to inform Congress, that upon Information from the Comte de Vergennes, that questions concerning Peace, under the Mediation of the two imperial Courts, were in agitation that required my Presence, I undertook the Journey and arrived here last Friday Night the 6th. of the month, and have twice waited on the Comte de Vergennes at Versailles, who this day...
3From John Adams to the President of Congress, 13 July 1781 (Adams Papers)
Amsterdam, 13 July 1781. RC and signature in John Thaxter’s hand PCC , No. 84, III, f. 287–288. LbC Adams Papers . printed : JA, Corr. in the Boston Patriot Correspondence of the Late President Adams. Originally Published in the Boston Patriot. In a Series of Letters , Boston, 1809[–1810]; 10 pts. , p. 544–546. John Thaxter wrote this letter during John Adams’ absence at Paris. It provided an...
4From John Adams to the President of Congress, 13 July 1781 (Adams Papers)
Amsterdam, 13 July 1781. RC and signature in John Thaxter’s hand PCC , No. 84, III, f. 283–285. LbC Adams Papers . printed : JA, Corr. in the Boston Patriot Correspondence of the Late President Adams. Originally Published in the Boston Patriot. In a Series of Letters , Boston, 1809[–1810]; 10 pts. , p. 546–549. John Thaxter wrote this letter during John Adams’ absence at Paris. It contains an...
5From John Adams to the President of Congress, 14 July 1781 (Adams Papers)
I have the honor to inclose Copy of a Letter to the Comte de Vergennes, and Copy of Articles and an Answer. Peace is so desirable an Object, that humanity as well as Policy demands of every Nation to hearken with Patience and Sincerity to every Proposition which has a tendency to it, even only in appearance. I cannot however see any symptoms of a sincere disposition to it in the English. They...
6From John Adams to the President of Congress, 15 July 1781 (Adams Papers)
I have the honour to inclose Copy of a Letter to the Comte de Vergennes and of certain Articles and their Answers. The British Court proposed to the Imperial Courts a Congress upon two preliminary Conditions, the Rupture of the Treaty with France, and the Return of America to their Obedience. The two Imperial Courts have since proposed the inclosed Articles. Spain and France have prepared...
7From John Adams to the President of Congress, 17 July 1781 (Adams Papers)
Amsterdam, 17 July 1781. RC and signature in John Thaxter’s hand PCC , No. 84, III, f. 319–329 printed : Wharton, ed., Dipl. Corr. Amer. Rev. Francis Wharton, ed., The Revolutionary Diplomatic Correspondence of the United States , Washington, 1889; 6 vols. , 4:584–588. John Thaxter wrote this letter during John Adams’ absence at Paris. It contains a full English translation of the memorial...
8From John Adams to the President of Congress, 21 July 1781 (Adams Papers)
Amsterdam, 21 July 1781. RC and signature in John Thaxter’s hand PCC , No. 84, III, f. 331–332. printed : Wharton, ed., Dipl. Corr. Amer. Rev. Francis Wharton, ed., The Revolutionary Diplomatic Correspondence of the United States , Washington, 1889; 6 vols. , 4:596–597. John Thaxter wrote this letter during John Adams’ absence at Paris. It contains an English translation of an article...
9From John Adams to the President of Congress, 3 August 1781 (Adams Papers)
I have the honor to inclose Copies of some Papers which passed between the Comte de Vergennes and me, lately at Paris. The Conjecture, that the British Court would insist upon their two Preliminaries, is become more probable by the publication of the King’s Speech at the Prorogation of Parliament. “The Zeal and Ardor which You have shewn for the Honor of my Crown,” says the King; “your firm...
10From John Adams to the President of Congress, 4 August 1781 (Adams Papers)
I should Scarcely be credited, if I were to describe the present State of this Country. There is more Animosity against one another, than against the common Ennemy. They can agree upon nothing. Neither upon War, nor Peace: neither upon acknowledging the Independency of America, nor upon denying it. Hopes of a general Peace, which flatter all Parties, are continually kept up by Tales and...
11From John Adams to the President of Congress, 6 August 1781 (Adams Papers)
Amsterdam, 6 August 1781. RC in John Thaxter’s hand PCC , No. 84, III, f. 347–350. printed : Wharton, ed., Dipl. Corr. Amer. Rev. Francis Wharton, ed., The Revolutionary Diplomatic Correspondence of the United States , Washington, 1889; 6 vols. , 4:623.. In this letter, which was read in Congress on 16 Nov., John Adams provided an English translation of a report dated 13 July at St....
12From John Adams to the President of Congress, 6 August 1781 (Adams Papers)
In several of the London Newspapers of July 26th. appeared the following paragraph. “An order has been sent from Lord Hillsborough’s Office for bringing Curson and Governieur, whom We sometime ago mentioned to have been confined by Command of Sir George Rodney and General Vaughan for having carried on a traiterous Correspondence with the Enemy at St. Eustatia, to Town to be confined in Newgate...
13From John Adams to the President of Congress, 8 August 1781 (Adams Papers)
This People must have their own Way. They proceed like no other. There cannot be a more striking Example of this, than the Instructions given to Privateers and Letters of Mark. The Commander is ordered to bring his Prizes into some Port of the United Provinces, or into the Ports or Roads of the Allies and Friends of this Republick, especially France, Sweeden, North America, or Spain: and the...
14From John Adams to the President of Congress, 16 August 1781 (Adams Papers)
Mr. Temple has held offices of such Importance, and a Rank so considerable in America, before the Revolution, that his Return to his native Country at this time, cannot fail to cause much Speculation, and it is to be feared some diversity of sentiments concerning him. As he came from London to Amsterdam and did me the honor of a visit, in which he opened to me his design of returning, and his...
15From John Adams to the President of Congress, 16 August 1781 (Adams Papers)
Amsterdam, 16 August 1781. RC in John Thaxter’s hand PCC , No. 84, III, f. 370–373. printed : Wharton, ed., Dipl. Corr. Amer. Rev. Francis Wharton, ed., The Revolutionary Diplomatic Correspondence of the United States , Washington, 1889; 6 vols. , 4:640. This letter, read in Congress on 12 Nov., contains an English translation of a “verbal insinuation” to the Dutch minister at St. Petersburg,...
16From John Adams to the President of Congress, 18 August 1781 (Adams Papers)
We have recieved at last Parkers Account of the Action with Admiral Zoutman: according to which, the Battle was maintained with a continual fire for three Hours and forty Minutes, when it became impossible to work his Ships. He made an Attempt to recommence the Action, but found it impracticable. The Bienfaisant had lost his Main-Top-Mast, and the Buffalo her Mizzen Yard, and the other Vessels...
17From John Adams to the President of Congress, 22 August 1781 (Adams Papers)
The Constitution of this Country is such, that it is difficult to discover the general Sense. There have been all along Circumstances in which it might be discerned; but these were so feeble, and so susceptible of Contradiction and Disguise, that some extraordinary Exertions were necessary to strike out unquestionable proofs of the Temper and Opinion of the Nation. Last Spring, the Part of...
18From John Adams to the President of Congress, 22 August 1781 (Adams Papers)
The late glorious Victory, obtained by Admiral Zoutman over Admiral Parker, is wholly to be ascribed to the Exertions of Amsterdam. Pretences and Excuses would have been devised, for avoiding to send out the Fleet, and indeed for avoiding an Action, when at Sea, if it had not been for the Measures which have been taken to arouse the Attention and animate the Zeal of the Nation. The Officers...
19From John Adams to the President of Congress, 15 October 1781 (Adams Papers)
I am very sorry to learn that Congress had recieved no Letters from October to June. It is not that I wrote less than usual in that period, but that I was more unfortunate. Two Vessels, which sailed from hence for Boston, each of which had Dispatches from me for Congress, destroyed them, one upon being taken, and the other being chased. But the most of my Dispatches were Lost at St. Eustatia,...
20From John Adams to the President of Congress, 15 October 1781 (Adams Papers)
I wish, if it were possible, to communicate to Congress the present State of every Affair, which they have been pleased to confide in any measure to me. I have recieved the new Commission for Peace, and the Revocation of my Commission and Instructions of the 29th of September 1779. To both of these Measures of Congress, as to the Commands of my Sovereign, I shall pay the most exact Attention....
21From John Adams to the President of Congress, 17 October 1781 (Adams Papers)
Amsterdam, 17 October 1781. RC in John Thaxter’s hand ( PCC, Misc. Papers , Reel No. 1, f. 423–426). printed : Wharton, ed., Dipl. Corr. Amer. Rev. Francis Wharton, ed., The Revolutionary Diplomatic Correspondence of the United States , Washington, 1889; 6 vols. , 4:782–783. Included in this letter, a duplicate, was an English translation of a placard issued at Utrecht on 3 Oct. against Aan...
22From John Adams to the President of Congress, 18 October 1781 (Adams Papers)
Amsterdam, 18 October 1781. RC in John Thaxter’s hand ( PCC, Misc. Papers , Reel No. 1, f. 427–433). printed : Wharton, ed., Dipl. Corr. Amer. Rev. Francis Wharton, ed., The Revolutionary Diplomatic Correspondence of the United States , Washington, 1889; 6 vols. , 4:787–790. In this letter, a duplicate, JA discussed the war’s effect on Dutch trade. He reported that fishermen from Vlaardingen...
23From John Adams to the President of Congress, 25 October 1781 (Adams Papers)
I see in the London Courant, which arrived to day, an advertisement of a translation into English of the address to the People of the Netherlands: so that this work is likely to be translated into all Languages and read by all the World, notwithstanding the Placards against it. I have before sent that of Utrecht. That of Holland is as follows: “The States of Holland and of West Friesland, to...
24From John Adams to the President of Congress, 1 November 1781 (Adams Papers)
It is still as problematical as ever, what is the political System of this Republick, and indeed whether it has any System at all. They talk much and deliberate long, but execute nothing. By the Violence with which they speak and write of each other, a Stranger would think them ripe for a civil War. In the Assembly of the States of Guelderland, held to consider of the Requisition of the King...