From John Jay to John Adams, 24 November 1794
To John Adams
London 24 Nov. 1794
Dear Sir
I wrote you a few Lines last Week—1 This Morning I was favored with two Letters from your Son of the 14 & 20th. of this Month—2 Parents are gratified by hearing of or from their children— The former Letter was Dated at the Hague— the latter at Amsterdam— He had been recd. and acknowledged by the States General, and on the 14th had “a gracious audience of the Stadtholder”.— In his last Letter there is this Paragraph— “It is here said that on the Meeting of Parliamt. the King of Great Britain is to mention in the Speech from the Throne, the Signature of a Convention for the Settlemt. of the Differences with america. This Intelligence is extremely grateful to the Merchants engaged in the American Commerce here, who are anxiously sollicitous for the Event of your Negociation; and whose Curiosity is proportionable to their anxiety”— Before your Son left us I submitted to his Consideration the Draft of the Treaty, as it then stood—3 with real Esteem and Regard I am Dear Sir Your Friend & Servt
John Jay
His Excellency John Adams Esqr.
ALS, MHi: Adams (EJ: 06426).
1. See JJ to JA, 21 Nov. 1794, above.
2. See JQA to JJ, 14 Nov., ALS, UkWC-A (EJ: 00047), and 21 Nov. 1794, ALS, NNC (EJ: 09688). See also JJ to JQA, 24 Nov. 1794, below.
3. JQA spent the mornings of 20, 21, and 22 Oct. discussing the treaty with JJ and Thomas Pinckney. In his diary, JQA recorded: “It is far from being satisfactory to those Gentlemen; it is much below the standard which I think would be advantageous to the Country, but with some alterations, which are marked down, and to which it seems there is a probability they will consent it is in the opinion of the two plenipotenitaries, preferable to a War, and when Mr Jay asked me my opinion, I answered that I could only acquiesce in that idea.” JQA Diaries, 22 Oct. 1794, vol. 21, MHi: Adams; , http://www.masshist.org/jqadiaries/php/doc?id=jqad21_42 (accessed Aug. 2019). See also the editorial note, “Negotiating the Jay Treaty,” above.