With great pleasure to ourselves we discharge our duty by inclosing to you your Commission for representing these United States at the Court of France. We are by no means willing to indulge a thought of your declining this important service, and therefore we send duplicates of the Commission and the late Resolves, in order that you may take one sett with you, and send the other, by another...
2The Foreign Affairs Committee to the Commissioners, 14 May 1778 (Adams Papers)
Our Affairs have now a universally good appearance. Every thing at home and abroad seems verging towards a happy and permanent period. We are preparing for either War or Peace; for altho we are fully perswaded that our Enemies are wearied beaten and disappoint in despair, yet we shall not presume too much on that belief, and the rather, as it is our fixt determination to admit no terms of...
While we officially communicate to you the inclosed Resolve the Foundation of which you cannot remain a Stranger to, we must intreat you to be assiduous in sending, to those Commissioners who have left France and gone to the Courts for which they were respectively appointed, all the American Intelligence which you have greater Opportunity than they to receive from hence, particularly to Mr....
4Marine Committee to the Commissioners, 10 June 1778 (Adams Papers)
There is wanted for A fifty Six Gun Ship now building at Portsmouth in the State of New Hampshire, Twenty eight 24 pounders Cannon and Twenty eight 18 Pounders which We request you will order to be shipped for that Port or the Port of Boston by the first Opportunity. Should the Continental Frigates Boston and Providence be in France when this gets to hand they may take in those Cannon and in...
5Foreign Affairs Committee to the Commissioners, 21 June 1778 (Adams Papers)
The British Commissioners have arrived and transmitted their powers and propositions to Congress, which have received the answer you will see in the Pennsylvania Gazette of the 20th. instant. On the 18th. of this month Gen. Clinton with the British army (now under his command) abandoned Philadelphia, and the City is in possession of our Troops. The enemy crossed into Jersey, but whether with...
6To John Adams from Richard Henry Lee, 24 April 1779 (Adams Papers)
Philadelphia, 24 April 1779. Dft ( ViU : Lee Papers). printed : The Letters of Richard Henry Lee , ed. James Ballagh, 2 vols., N.Y., 1914 (repr. N.Y., 1970), 2:46–49. Given its date and its existence only in draft, this reply to John Adams’ letter of 5 Aug. 1778 (vol. 6:350–352) probably never reached him. Lee commended Adams for his determination to remain outside the quarrels of the...
7To John Adams from Richard Henry Lee, 7 May 1780 (Adams Papers)
I should have paid my respects to you before now had I known where to have directed my letters, for at this time I have no other method than to inclose the present to our friend Mr. Lovell at Philadelphia, who I trust will know the best manner of conveying it. The enemy appear to have abated very little of their pride, however much their power may be lessened. It may be expected nevertheless...
8To John Adams from Richard Henry Lee, 20 June 1778 (Adams Papers)
Our enemies at N. York had contrived to distress us a good deal by a publication that the Boston was taken and carried into England. We were at first greatly concerned for our Friend, until we reflected on the lying genius of our enemies, and the improbability that Heaven would permit such a triumph of Vice over Virtue. Now we are made happy by an account from Boston that you are safely...
9To John Adams from Richard Henry Lee, 13 May 1778 (Adams Papers)
Our public letter does not leave me much to add, but friendship will not suffer me to let this opportunity pass, without expressing my wishes to congratulate you on your safe arrival in France. You will find our affairs at your Court in a much more respectable Train than they have been heretofore, and therefore, no doubt more agreable to you. Finance seems now the only rock upon which we have...
10To John Adams from Richard Henry Lee, 8 October 1779 (Adams Papers)
I congratulate you most sincerely on your safe return to your family and your country. I hope you found the former in good health, and the latter I am very sensible will be at all times benefitted by the assistance of so able a Citizen, and the more especially at this time, when the most important of all sublunary things is under consideration, the establishing of government. Independent of...
11To John Adams from Richard Henry Lee, 29 October 1778 (Adams Papers)
I am exceedingly happy to hear of your safe arrival, and I hope agreeable accommodation at Paris. At first, I doubt not, the splendid gaity of a magnificent Court, accorded not so well with the temperate manners of a sober Republican. But use reconciles most things. It may soon happen that you be desired to visit Holland, where I believe they yet retain much of that simplicity of manners which...