To John Adams from Wilhem & Jan Willink, 5 September 1782
From Wilhem & Jan Willink
Amsterdam the 5 7br 1782
Sir
Honoured with your Excellency’s Confidence, we think it our duty to inform you in our privy, that a motion is made to dispose our Regency, to subscribe for account of our City, a certain Sum at the Loan whch. is proposed to be made for the States of Maryland;1 whch. if succeeding, Should prove a mark of confidence, proper to encourage particular Subscriptions, whch. the Continental Loan doth not enjoy.
We bring this to your Excellency’s knowledge, in order to consider, whether you Judge, any instruction necessary on this head, as our Zealous application for the Concerns of Congress, would not suffer the least neglect in its regard, nor on the otherhand be come in any way disobliging to that of the States of Maryland.
We are told your Excellency intends to make one time or other a turn hither when we Shall be glad to be informed of it.
We have the honour to remain with respectfull regard. Sir Your Excellency’s most Obedient & Humble Servants
Wilhem & Jan Willink
RC (Adams Papers).
1. For the Maryland loan, to be raised by Nicolaas & Jacob van Staphorst at the behest of Matthew Ridley, the state’s agent in Europe, and for JA’s attitude toward the issue raised in this letter, see the Staphorsts’ letter of 7 Sept., note 1, and JA’s letters of 8 and 10 Sept. to the consortium raising the Dutch-American loan and to the Staphorsts, respectively, all below.