2711[March 8. Sunday. 1778.] (Adams Papers)
March 8. Sunday. 1778. The same Wind and Weather continued and We went at the rate of seven and a half and Eight Knots. Mr. Barrons our first Lieutenant, appeared to be an excellent Officer, very Attentive and diligent in his Duty; thoughtfull for the Safety of the Ship, and considerate about Order, Oeconomy and regularity among the officers and Men. He had great experience at Sea. Had used...
2712From John Adams to William Gordon, 15 April 1783 (Adams Papers)
Your letter of the 30 th. Novem r: came to hand yesterday, & afforded me real pleasure & great Consolation. The Sentiments it contains were precisely such as actuated the American Ministers for Peace, on the same day. It is astonishing that occasion sh d. ever have been given to you or them to think in that manner— A complicated & extensive system of Imposture has been practised, upon America...
2713[1779 December 12 Sunday.] (Adams Papers)
1779 December 12 Sunday. Walked about the Town, but there was nothing to be seen, excepting two Churches, and the Arsenals, dry Docks, Fortifications and Ships of War.
27144. To Hendrik Calkoen, 7 October 1780 (Adams Papers)
Your fourth Question is, whether America, in and of itself, by means of purchasing or exchanging the Productions of the several Provinces, would be able to continue the War, for 6, 8 or 10 years, even if they were entirely deprived of the Trade with Europe, or their Allies exhausted by the War and forced to make a Seperate Peace were to leave them. This is an extreme case. And where is the...
2715From John Adams to C. W. F. Dumas, 19 December 1782 (Adams Papers)
The Preliminary Articles are only to take place, when France & G. Britain shall have agreed: but as they are not yet published by the British Ministry, it is not proper that We should publish them as yet— Your Dispatch to M r Livingston, which I rec d. Yesterday, I gave to M r. Franklin who sends it off to day. I don’t know what to say about M r. Van Arp’s Passport—it is not necessary, if the...
2716From John Adams to the Comte de Vergennes, 26 July 1780 (Adams Papers)
I have recieved the letter which your Excellency did me the honor to write me the twenty fifth of this month. The sincere respect I entertain for your Excellency’s Sentiments would have determined me, upon the least intimation, to have communicated my letter and your Excellency’s answer to Congress, and to suspend, until I should recieve orders on their part, all measures towards the British...
2717From John Adams to Ralph Izard, 20 September 1778 (Adams Papers)
You have once or twice mentioned to me, in Conversation, certain Expressions in the Treaty, relative to the Fishery, on the Banks of Newfoundland, which you apprehend, may be hereafter liable to different Constructions, and become the subject of Controversy, if not the Cause of War, but as it is very posible I may not have perfectly comprehended your Meaning, I should be much obliged to you if...
2718From John Adams to James Warren, 16 April 1783 (Adams Papers)
It is my Duty to unbosom myself to Some Friend in Congress, upon whose discretion I can rely, and there is none to whom I can do it with more Propriety than to you of whose Patriotism and Friendship I have had So long Experience. We are at Peace, but not out of Danger. That there have been dangerous Designs against our real Independence, if not against our Union and Confederation, is past a...
2719From John Adams to the President of Congress, No. 64, 11 May 1780 (Adams Papers)
Paris, 11 May 1780. RC in John Thaxter’s hand ( PCC , No. 84, II, f. 43–45). printed : Wharton, ed., Dipl. Corr. Amer. Rev. Francis Wharton, ed., The Revolutionary Diplomatic Correspondence of the United States , Washington, 1889; 6 vols. , 3:670–671. In this letter, read in Congress on 20 Sept., John Adams sent the text of three motions respecting the American war proposed by David Hartley in...
2720[Draft of a Letter to Vergennes, 10–11 February 1779.]Confidential (Adams Papers)
As your Excellency reads English perfectly well, my first Request is that you would not communicate this Letter, even to a Translator. I have hitherto avoided, in my single Capacity, giving your Excellency, any Trouble at all either by Letter or by Conversation. But the present Crisis Emergency demands that I should ask the Favour of your Excellency to explain my Sentiments to you, either by...
2721John Adams to Abigail Adams, 14 May 1779 (Adams Papers)
I am taking an Opportunity by every Vessell that is going to inform you, that I am coming home as soon as possible. In Six or Seven Weeks I hope to have the Pleasure to see you, and my other Friends. The new French Ambassador, who goes out to relieve Mr. Gerard, will go in the same Frigate. We can get no News from America of any Consequence, and not a syllable of any Kind from Congress. There...
2722From John Adams to Samuel Adams, 29 August 1782 (Adams Papers)
The King of England has Sent Mr Fitzherbert to Paris with a Commission to treat of Peace, with his dear Brother the King of France and with the Ministers of the states General, and of all other Principum et Statuum quorum interesse poterit. The States General have appointed Mr Brantzen to make Peace too but in concert with France and the other belligerent Powers. Mr Brantzen is not yet gone...
2723From John Adams to John Trumbull, 5 November 1775 (Adams Papers)
I take an opportunity by this Express, to thank you for Me Fingal, a Poem which has been shewn me within a few days. It is excellent, and perhaps the more so for being misterious. It wants explanatory Notes as much as Hudibrass. I cant conjecture the Characters either of Honorius or Mc Fingal. Am Sorry to learn that We are likely to loose some of our best Men. We may have better in their stead...
2724Memorial to the States General, 19 April 1781 (Adams Papers)
The Subscriber has the Honour to propose to your High Mightinesses, that the United States of America, in Congress Assembled, have lately thought fit to send him a Commission (with full Powers and Instructions) to confer with your High Mightinesses, concerning a Treaty of Amity and Commerce, an authentic Copy of which he has the Honour to annex to this Memorial. At the Times, when the Treaties...
2725From John Adams to the President of the Congress, 27 August 1778 (Adams Papers)
I have the Honour to inclose, the last Gazettes by which Congress will see the Dearth of News in Europe at present. We expect an Abundance of it at once soon, as We have had nothing from America Since 4. July. The French Fleet went out again from Brest the seventeenth: but We have not yet heard that the English Fleet is out. While the two Fleets were in Harbour, the British East India Fleet,...
2726Feby. 13. (Adams Papers)
There is no such Thing as human Wisdom. All is the Providence of God. Perhaps few Men have guessed more exactly than I have been allowed to do, upon several Occasions, but at this Time which is the first I declare of my whole Life I am wholly at a Loss to foresee Consequences.
2727[Thursday March 7. 1776.] (Adams Papers)
Thursday March 7. 1776. The order of the day was renewed.
2728From John Adams to Edmund Jenings, 30 August 1782 (Adams Papers)
The inclosed Copies will shew you, the State of Matters. Besides these I have a Letter of Credence to their H. M. which has been presented accepted and recorded, long since; this Letter of Credence is as Minister Plenipotentiary. I have also recd another Commission for other Purposes not yet public. But Mr L. is named in none but that for borrowing Money, but so named in that that he can do...
2729From John Adams to Henry Knox, 11 November 1775 (Adams Papers)
I had the Pleasure of a Letter from you a few days ago and was rejoiced to learn that you have at last determined to take a more im portant share than you have done hitherto in the Conduct of our military Matters. I have been impressed with an Opinion of your Knowledge and Abilities in the military Way for several years, and of late have endeavoured, both at Camp, at Watertown and at...
2730To Benjamin Franklin from John Adams, 27 April 1781 (Franklin Papers)
ALS : American Philosophical Society I have received your Excellencys Letter of the 21. and will Send you the List of the Bills, and of the times of their becoming due according to your desire as soon as I can make it out. I will examine Mr De Neufvilles Bill, and if it is good, accept it. From the time I received from Congress, their orders to borrow Money here, I have constantly, in my...
2731From John Adams to Elbridge Gerry, 10 September 1779 (Adams Papers)
I received by last Post your obliging Letter of 24 of August. The sight of your Hand Writing, gave me more Pleasure than you are aware. I would send you Copies of my Letters to you, if they were not out of Date at this Time. Thank you for your Compliment on my Letter to Congress. It is a long dull story; but I think Several Things appear from it, that are of great Importance. It appears that...
2732[September 1782] (Adams Papers)
Supped last Night at Court in the Maison du Bois. M. Boreel told me he had been to Paris which he quitted 8 days ago. That M. Franklin had been sick. It was at first reported that he had been struck with an Apoplexity. Then it was said he had a billious Cholick, and afterwards a Retention of Urine. But that he had got well before he left Paris. Fell into Conversation naturally with Don Joas...
An Uneasiness, among some of the Members concerning a Contract with Willing & Morris, for Powder, by which the House, without any Risque at all will make a clear Profit of 12,000£ at least. Dyer and Deane spoke in public, Lewis to me in private about it. All think it exorbitant. S. Adams desired that the Resolve of Congress, upon which the Contract was founded might be read: he did not...
2734John Adams to Abigail Adams, 11 August 1777 (Adams Papers)
Your kind Favour of July 30. and 31. was handed me, just now from the Post office. I have regularly received a Letter from you every Week excepting one, for a long Time past, and as regularly send a Line to you inclosing Papers.—My Letters are scarcely worth sending. Indeed I dont choose to indulge much Speculation, lest a Letter should miscarry, and free Sentiments upon public Affairs...
2735From John Adams to Benjamin Franklin, 8 December 1781 (Adams Papers)
This morning were brought me four Bills of Exchange drawn on Mr. Laurens on the 6th. of July 1780 for 550 Guilders each. I have desired time to write to your Excellency, and obtained it. But as there is a large Number of these Bills not yet arrived, and as they come in sometimes by single Bills, and generally in small Numbers at a time, it will be giving your Excellency much Trouble as well...
2736From John Adams to Robert R. Livingston, 14 July 1783 (Adams Papers)
A Jealousy of American Ships, Seamen, Carrying Trade, and naval Power, appears every day more & more conspicuous. This Jealousy, which has been all along discovered by the French Minister, is at length communicated to the English. The following Proclamation, which will not increase British Ships and Seamen, in any proportion as it will diminish those of the United States, will contribute...
2737From John Adams to James Warren, 3 February 1777 (Adams Papers)
After a very tedious Journey, through the severist Weather, and over very bad Mountains, in one Part of it, and perfect Mortar, in the other Part, I am arrived in good Health, and Spirits at Baltimore. Congress is Sitting, and by the best Information I can obtain from our Friends, are very well united and much more Spirited than ever. The Recruiting Service goes on, as every Body tells me,...
2738[Tuesday March 12. 1776.] (Adams Papers)
Tuesday March 12. 1776. Postponed again.
27391779 December 15. Wednesday. (Adams Papers)
This Morning We arose at 5 or 6 O Clock, went over in a Boat, and mounted our Mules. Thirteen of them in Number and two Mulateers —one of whom went before for a Guide and the other followed after, to pick up Stragglers. We rode over very bad roads, and very high Mountains, where We had a very extensive Country, appearing to be a rich Soil and well cultivated but very few Plantations of Trees.—...
2740[Notes of Debates, Continued] Octr. 10. (Adams Papers)
Who shall have the Appointment of the Officers in the 2 Battallions to be raised in New Jersey? Sherman. Best to leave it to the Provincial Conventions. Ward seconds the Motion. Chace. This is persisting in Error in Spight of Experience. We have found by Experience that giving the Choice of Officers to the People, is attended with bad Consequences. The French Officers are allowed to exceed any...