The City and County of New York have elected me one of their Deputies to the State Convention, which is to meet on the 17 th . instant at Poughkeepsie to consider and decide on the proposed fœderal Constitution. If it be agreeable to Congress I will attend, if not I will decline the Appointment. Permit me therefore to request their Directions on the Subject. I have the Honor to be with great...
2From George Washington to the President of Congress, 17 September 1787 (Washington Papers)
We have now the Honor to submit to the Consideration of the United States in Congress assembled that Constitution which has appeared to us the most advisable. The Friends of our Country have long seen and desired that the Power of making War Peace and Treaties, that of levying Money & regulating Commerce and the correspondent executive and judicial Authorities should be fully and effectually...
As the State of my Health requires, and that of the Office will soon admit of my making an Excursion into the Country for ten Days or a Fortnight, I request the Permission of Congress for that Purpose. I would confine myself to a convenient Distance from the City, and in Case I should be sooner wanted, M r . Remsen would immediately give me Notice of it.—I have the Honor to be with great...
I have the Honor of transmitting to your Excellency five Petitions complaining of Actions at Law contrary as is said to the Treaty of Peace. I suspect that on examining the Records of these Actions, the Petitioners will appear to have less Cause of Complaint than seems to be the Case from their Representations.— I have the Honor to be with great Respect & Esteem, Your Excellency’s Most ob t ....
I have this Moment received an Order of Congress in the following Words viz t . “That the Secretary for foreign Affairs state to Congress without Delay any Information he may have received respecting the sentiments of the Court of France touching our Right of navigating the Mississippi, also that he state to Congress the territorial Claims of Spain on the east Side of the Mississippi.—[”]...
I find that Congress were pleased on the 22 d . Ult: to order me, “to transmit to the Executives of the States, Abstracts of the Numbers, Names and Owners of Negroes carried away by the British in contravention to the late Treaty of Peace, and which were the Property of the Citizens of such States respectively.”— I suspect that Congress were not apprized of the Length of this Account. A very...
In my Negociations with M r . Gardoqui I experience certain difficulties which in my Opinion should be so managed, as that even the Existence of them should remain a Secret for the present. I take the Liberty therefore of submitting to the Consideration of Congress whether it might not be adviseable to appoint a Committee with power to instruct and direct me on every point and Subject relative...
I have the Honor of transmitting to your Excellency herewith enclosed, a Memorial and Petition of Pierre du Calvet of Montreal and a Letter of 14 th . June last from D r . Franklin recommending him to me.— He presented to me the Account mentioned in it and the Vouchers he has to authenticate it—But as both the one and the other must be referred to the proper Department to report, I advised him...
The English Packet which arrived the Day before Yesterday, brought me no Letters from M r . Adams, which I impute to its being a Mode of Conveyance to which nothing very important can prudently be trusted.— Some private Intelligence by that Vessel, leads me to consider the Surrender of our Posts as being more problematical, than it has lately appeared to be.— I hear that the Circumstance of...
Having well considered the Nature of the proposed Negociation with the Encargodo de negocios of his Catholic Majesty, and of the Commission and Instructions which Congress has been pleased to give me on that Subject; it appears to me proper to submit the following Remarks to their Consideration.— The Commission in my Opinion is well drawn. The Instruction which restrains me from agreeing to...
On Friday last M r . DeMarbois called upon me to enquire whether Congress had as yet directed any Answers to be given to his Memorials under their Consideration. In the course of Conversation he mentioned the Affair of Longchamps and informed me that his Court would not persist in their Demand of him. He proposed that the Paper containing that Demand together with those that accompanied it...
In our last of Dec r. 15 we had the honour of communicating to Congress our letter to the Ambassador of Portugal which accompanied the draught of the treaty of Amity & Commerce proposed on our part. Since that date he addressed to us the letter N o. 1. acknowledging the receipt of ours & informing us that he had forwarded it to his court. The Baron de Thulemeier also, the Prussian Minister at...
I have received from the Chargé des Affaires of France a Letter dated the 28 th . Instant, which I herewith enclose.— He called upon me and spoke on a variety of Subjects. It appeared to me prudent to request the favor of him to reduce his Communications to writing, in a summary way. He did so, but prefered doing it in an unformal manner, and therefore did not sign it.— I think it my duty to...
It appears to me important both to Congress and their officers, that the Duties & Rights of the latter, be ascertained with Precision. Until that be done, the greatest Circumspection cannot preserve their Conduct from Error, nor their Feelings from being sometimes unintentionally hurt.— I have some Reason Sir! to apprehend, that I have come into the office of Secretary for foreign Affairs,...
15John Adams to the president of Congress, 10 January 1785 (Adams Papers)
I have the Satisfaction, to inform Congress that by Letters from our Bankers, in Amsterdam, I am informed, they have in Hand, near a Million of Gilders, and consequently, that the two Loans I have opened, amounting in the whole to Seven Millions of Guilders are almost full. This is full proof of the amelioration of our Credit, since January 1784, when I was obliged in a very tender State of...
16Baron von Steuben to the President of Congress, [1784] (Hamilton Papers)
[ New York, 1784 ]. In a letter beginning “Nothing could justify my repeated applications to Your Honorable body, but that rigorous lot by which I feel myself oppressed,” Hamilton set forth von Steuben’s claims to compensation by the Continental Congress. Df , in writing of H, Mr. Herbert R. Strauss, Chicago. Because von Steuben sent so many memorials to Congress, any one of which may have...
In our letter of Nov r 11 th. we had the honour of laying before Congress a state of our proceedings till that date. As from that it would appear that the last communications had in every instance passed from us to the other parties we can now only add the answers of such of them as have yet answered, & our replies; these are the courts of Portugal, Tuscany & Great Britain. N o. 1. is a copy...
Having assembled together at this place about the latter end of August we proceeded in obedience to the commands of Congress to notify our appointment and its objects to such Powers as we thought it adviseable at that time to address. We wrote a circular letter in the form N o. 1. to the Ambassadors or other Ministers residing here from the courts of Saxony; the two Sicilies, Sardinia, Venice,...
19The American Commissioners to the President of Congress: Résumé, 11 November 1784 (Franklin Papers)
Copy and AL (draft): National Archives ⟨Paris, November 11, 1784: Having assembled here at the end of August, we followed the instructions of Congress by announcing our appointment and its purpose to such powers as we thought it advisable at this time to address. We wrote a circular letter in the form of enclosure 1 to the ambassadors or other ministers from the courts of Saxony, the Two...
20John Adams to the president of Congress, 3 November 1784 (Adams Papers)
D r Franklin has lately communicated to M r Jefferson and me a Letter he has received from the Comte de Vergennes and another from M r Grand. The first informs that M r Marbois had informed him, that upon his application to the Superintendant of Finances, he had received an Answer by M r Governieur Morris, that Letters Should be written both to Amsterdam and Paris to provide for the Payment of...
21John Adams to the president of Congress, 20 October 1784 (Adams Papers)
The inclosed Letters from M r Dumas will communicate to Congress, the present State of affairs, between their High Mightinesses and the Government general of the Austrian Low Countries. Those, who have negotiated for the Emperor, appear to have presumed too much upon the Fears and Divisions of the Dutch, and to have compromised too hastely his Authority and Dignity. The Dutch, neither...
22John Adams to the president of Congress, 5 July 1784 (Adams Papers)
Having been obliged to come to Holland, the Beginning of this Year to obtain Money, to prevent M r Morriss Bills from being protested, I have remained here untill this Time, in Expectation of receiving the further Commands of Congress. From the Resolution of the 1. of May 1783 and from many private Letters, I expected that a Commission would have arrived to the late Ministers at the Peace, to...
23John Adams to the president of Congress, 3 July 1784 (Adams Papers)
Soon after the Signature of the Preliminary Articles of Peace, I requested, of Congress, their Permission to return to America. This Request they did not at that time judge proper to grant, me, but on the contrary resolved that a Commission should be sent to me, M r: Franklin & M r: Jay, to make a Treaty of Commerce with Great Britain. But as no such Commission has arrived in Europe, the...
24John Adams to the president of Congress, 22 June 1784 (Adams Papers)
If my Memory does not deceive me, I have heretofore transmitted to Congress, the Advice of some of the foreign Ministers here, that the United States in Congress assembled, Should write a Letter to each of the Sovereigns of Europe, informing them of the compleat Establishment of their Independance. Lately in seperate Conversations, with the Ministers of the two Empires, and the King of...
25John Adams to the president of Congress, 7 June 1784 (Adams Papers)
Some Weeks ago the Baron de Thulemeier called upon me and delivered me the Paper, copy of which is inclosed marked 1. It is a Letter written by the Envoy to the King. Last Evening the Baron called upon me again and delivered me the Answer of the King contained in the Paper Copy of which is inclosed, marked 2 I have heretofore transmitted to Congress, by different opportunities, Copies of the...
26John Adams to the president of Congress, 14 May 1784 (Adams Papers)
As I had the Honour to observe in a former Letter there is a Fermentation in the Courts of the two Empires and those of Bourbon, which appears in Several Particulars which may be explained hereafter. A Question of Etiquette, which amounts to no more, than which of two Persons Shall enter or leave a Room the first may Set all Europe in a Flame. The Prince de Gallitzin, the Russian Ambassador,...
27John Adams to the president of Congress, 13 May 1784 (Adams Papers)
Since my last Arrival in Holland, I have not transmitted to Congress, the Details of the Politicks of this Court and Nation, nor of those neighbouring Courts which are exciting disputes with it. M r Dumas has been in the Habit and Train of that History and I have not thought fit to interrupt him: But if I Should reside here regularly, the whole Business of the Mission will of Course go through...
28John Adams to the president of Congress, 13 May 1784 (Adams Papers)
The Measures taken by the Neighbouring Powers are likely to produce an intimate Friendship and Connection between this Republick and France. England, has mistaken her Policy So much as to delay the Signature of the definitive Treaty, and to keep up a Coldness and Distance, which instead of exciting the Populace, in favour of England as She expected has only accellerated the Union with France,...
29John Adams to the president of Congress, 22 April 1784 (Adams Papers)
I received Sometime Since a Letter from an American Gentleman now in London, a Candidate for Orders, desiring to know, if American Candidates might have Orders from Prostestant Bishops on the Continent, and complaining that he had been refused by the Bishop of London and the Archbishop of Canturbury, unless he would take the Oaths of Allegiance &c. Meeting Soon afterwards, the Danish Minister...
30John Adams to the president of Congress, 10 April 1784 (Adams Papers)
I have the Honour to inclose to Congress a Copy of a Letter from the Baron De Thulemeier, and a Copy of a Project of a Treaty transmitted to me, by the order of the King of Prussia. I Should hope it might be examined in Congress or by a Committee and that Instructions may be sent, concerning any Changes to be made in the Articles, together with a Commission to treat and conclude to Such...