We have the honour to enclose an extract of a letter from the Commissioners of the United States of America to Your Excellency dated Aug st. 28 th. 1778. Copy of Your Excellency’s ans r dated 27. Sept r. 1778. & Copy of M. de Sartine’s letter to Your Excellency of the 21 st of Sept r. 1778 all relative to a proposed negotiation with the States of Barbary. Not having any particular authority or...
2The American Peace Commissioners to Vergennes, 10 July 1783 (Franklin Papers)
AL : Archives du Ministère des affaires étrangères Messieurs Adams, Franklin & Jay, Ministers of the United States for treating of Peace, present their Respects to Mr le Comte de Vergennes, & request he would be pleased to favour them with a Copy of the Offer made by the two Imperial Courts of their Mediation. Notations: juillet 10 / rep. le 31 Juillet 1783. Written by BF . At Versailles on...
3From John Adams to the Comte de Vergennes, 21 July 1781 (Adams Papers)
Since my Letter of the nineteenth, Sir, another Point has occurred to me, upon which it seems necessary, that I Should Say Something to your Excellency, before my Departure for Holland, which will be on Monday Morning. An Idea has, I perceive been suggested, of the several States of America, choosing Agents seperately, to attend the Congress, at Vienna, in order to make Peace, with Great...
4From John Adams to the Comte de Vergennes, 19 July 1781 (Adams Papers)
In my Letter, Sir, of the Eighteenth, I had the Honour to mention Some Things which lay upon my Mind: but am Still apprehensive that in a former Letter, I have not conveyed my full meaning to your Excellency. In my Letter of the Sixteenth, I Submitted to your Excellencys Opinion and Advice, whether an American Minister, could appear at the Congress at Vienna, without having his Character...
5From John Adams to the Comte de Vergennes, 18 July 1781 (Adams Papers)
I have received the Letter, Sir, which you did me the honour to write me of this Days Date: and I assure your Excellency I never had a Thought of appearing upon the Scaene, or of taking ministerially or otherwise any Step towards the two mediators. I must confess to your Excellency, that I have too many Jealousies of the motives, and too many Apprehensions of the Consequences of this...
6From John Adams to the Comte de Vergennes, 16 July 1781 (Adams Papers)
Since my Letter of the thirteenth, upon further Reflection I have thought it necessary to explain myself a little more particularly in some Points to your Excellency. If I comprehend the Facts, the British Court first proposed to the Imperial Courts, a Congress, and a Mediation, upon two Conditions 1. The Dissolution of the Treaties between France and the United States. 2. The Return of the...
7From John Adams to the Comte de Vergennes, 13 July 1781 (Adams Papers)
I have the Honour to inclose, to your Excellency Some Remarks, upon the Articles to Serve as a Basis of the negotiation for the Re-establishment of Peace, which you did me the Honour to communicate to me. As I am unacquainted, whether you desired my Sentiments upon these Articles, merely for your own Government, or with a design to communicate them to the Imperial Courts I should be glad of...
8Enclosure: Draft of Peace Negotiation Articles, 13 July 1781 (Adams Papers)
Answer of the Minister Plenipotentiary of the United States of America, to the Articles to serve as a Basis to the Negotiation, for the Re-establishment of Peace. The United States of America, have no Objection provided their Allies have none to a Treaty with Great Britain, concerning the Re-establishment of Peace in America, or to another concerning the Re-establishment of Commerce, between...
9From John Adams to the Comte de Vergennes, with a Letterbook Memorandum, 7 July 1781 (Adams Papers)
I have the honour to inform, you, that, upon an Intimation, from your Excellency, Signified to me by Mr. Berenger, and afterwards, by the Duke de la Vauguion, that the Interests of the United States required me here, I arrived last night in Paris, and am come to day to Versailles, to pay my Respects to your Excellency, and receive your farther Communications. As your Excellency, was in...
10From John Adams to the Comte de Vergennes, 27 July 1780 (Adams Papers)
Since my Letter of the Twenty first; and upon reading over again your Excellency’s Letter to me of the Twentieth, I observed one Expression which I think it my Duty to consider more particularly. The Expression I have in view is this, That the King, without being sollicited by the Congress, had taken measures the most efficacious to sustain the American Cause. Upon this part of your Letter, I...
11From 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...
12From John Adams to the Comte de Vergennes, 21 July 1780 (Adams Papers)
I have receiv’d the letter you did me the honor to write me yesterday; and am extreamly sensible of your Excellency’s Confidence in communicating to me, the destination of the Armament under M. Le Chevr. de Ternay and M. Le Comte de Rochambau, and the probability that the Ships will winter in North America. I assure your Excellency, that scarcely any News I ever heard, gave me more...
13From John Adams to the Comte de Vergennes, 17 July 1780 (Adams Papers)
In your Excellency’s letter to me of the Twenty Fourth of February last, I was honored with your opinion in the following Words. Quant au plein pouvoir, que vous autorise à negocier un Traité de Commerce avec la Cour de Londres, Je pense qu’il sera prudent de n’en donner Communication a qui que se soit, et de prendre toutes les precautions possibles pour que le Ministere Anglois n’en ait pas...
14From John Adams to the Comte de Vergennes, 13 July 1780 (Adams Papers)
By the Treaty of Alliance of the sixth of February 1778, his Majesty and the United States agreed, in Case of War, to join their Councils and Efforts against the Enterprises of the common Enemy: to make it a common Cause, and aid each other mutually with their good Offices, their Councils and their Forces, according to the Exigences of Conjunctures, and each of the contracting Parties, in the...
15From John Adams to the Comte de Vergennes, 2 July 1780 (Adams Papers)
I have the honor to inclose a Boston News Paper of the first of May, containing an Account of the Arrival of the Marquiss de la Fayette; an Extract of a Letter from London; and another of a Letter from Dr. Benjamin Rush of Philadelphia, once a member of Congress, and a Gentleman of very good Intelligence. He speaks the French Language very well, was about ten Years ago in Paris, and a...
16From John Adams to the Comte de Vergennes, 1 July 1780 (Adams Papers)
I had this morning the honour of your letter of the Thirtieth of June. It is very certain that the Representations from his Majesty, which may be made by his Minister the Chevalier De La Luzerne, will be attended to by Congress with all possible Respect, and its due weight will be given to every Fact and Argument that he may adduce, and I am well persuaded that Congress will be able to give...
17From John Adams to the Comte de Vergennes, 22 June 1780 (Adams Papers)
I have received this day the letter which your Excellency did me the honour to write me on the Twenty first Day of this Month. I thank your Excellency for the Confidence, which induced you to communicate this letter to me, and the continuance of which I shall ever study to deserve. When your Excellency says that his Majesty’s Minister at Congress, has already received Orders to make...
18From John Adams to the Comte de Vergennes, 22 June 1780 (Adams Papers)
I this day acknowledged the Receipt of the Letter which you did me the honor to write me on the 21st. by mistake I dated my Letter on the twenty third. I have the Honor to agree with your Excellency in Opinion that it is the Intention of Congress to redeem all their paper Bills which are extant at an Exchange of Forty for one; by which means the two hundred Millions of Dollars which are out,...
19From John Adams to the Comte de Vergennes, 20 June 1780 (Adams Papers)
Last Evening I received the Letter, an Extract of which I have the honour to inclose. It is from Mr. Gerry, a Member of Congress who has been a Member of their Treasury Board from the beginning of the year 1776. It is much to be regretted that the Congress did not publish their Resolution to pay off the Loan Office Certificates, according to the value of Money, at the time of their being...
20From John Adams to the Comte de Vergennes, 20 June 1780 (Adams Papers)
I have just now received Some Newspapers and Journals, which I think it my Duty to inclose without Loss of Time to your Excellency. The Account from Charlestown in the Newspapers does not favour the Report of Clinton’s Defeat. The Journals of the ninth and twenty fifth of February, show what measures Congress have taken for raising and subsisting an Army of thirty five thousand Men. Your...
21From John Adams to the Comte de Vergennes, 16 June 1780 (Adams Papers)
I have just recieved a Letter from Nantes brought in a Ship from New London. I inclose your Excellency a Newspaper inclosed in it, and an Extract of the Letter, which is from a Gentleman who is a member of the Assembly and one of the Judges at Boston. This is all the News I have. I hope your Excellency has more by the same Vessel. RC in John Thaxter’s hand ( Arch. Aff. Etr., Paris, Corr. Pol....
22From John Adams to the Comte de Vergennes, 19 May 1780 (Adams Papers)
I have the honor to inclose a few Newspapers, recieved the last Post, from Boston by the Way of Bilbao. There is very little News. I have Letters as late as the twenty seventh of March. The remarkable thing in the Pensylvania Gazette is, that the Great Seal of the Province of Pensylvania, was brought into the House of Assembly, of that State, and by order of the House defaced and cut to Pieces...
23From John Adams to the Comte de Vergennes, 12 May 1780 (Adams Papers)
I have received the letter which you did me the honor to write me on the 10th. of this month. Altho’ the writer of the letter, an extract of which I had the honor to enclose to you, may be right in his conjecture that the British Administration wish to know more than they do at present of my sentiments upon the great subject of a pacification, yet I have had too long experience of their...
24From John Adams to the Comte de Vergennes, 30 March 1780 (Adams Papers)
I have the honour of your Excellency’s letter of this day, in answer to mine of the 21st. of this month. Untill the receipt of it, I had taken it for granted that the presentation of every Ambassador was regularly inserted in the Gazette of France; and untill very lately, several days since the date of my letter to your Excellency of the 21st. of this month, I had supposed that the...
25From John Adams to the Comte de Vergennes, 21 March 1780 (Adams Papers)
In the letter which you did me the honour to write me the 24th. of February your Excellency proposed that the principal object of my Mission shou’d be inserted in the Gazette of France, when it shou’d make mention of my presentation to the King and Royal Family. In the answer to this letter which I had the honour write on the 25th. of February, I informed your Excellency that I shou’d not...
26From John Adams to the Comte de Vergennes, 25 February 1780 (Adams Papers)
printed : JA, Diary and Autobiography Diary and Autobiography of John Adams, ed. L. H. Butterfield and others, Cambridge, 1961; 4 vols. , 4:253–254 . Replying to Vergennes’ letter of the 24th (calendared above), John Adams expressed his appreciation for his upcoming presentation at the French court. He also agreed to avoid publicizing his peace commission before its announcement in the...
27From John Adams to the Comte de Vergennes, 19 February 1780 (Adams Papers)
Paris, 19 February 1780. printed : JA, Diary and Autobiography Diary and Autobiography of John Adams, ed. L. H. Butterfield and others, Cambridge, 1961; 4 vols. , 4:250–251 . Responding to Vergennes’ letter of the 15th (calendared above), Adams sent copies of commissions, but balked at furnishing copies of his instructions, which he thought Vergennes expected him to provide (see JA, Diary and...
28From John Adams to the Comte de Vergennes, 12 February 1780 (Adams Papers)
Paris, 12 February 1780. printed : JA, Diary and Autobiography Diary and Autobiography of John Adams, ed. L. H. Butterfield and others, Cambridge, 1961; 4 vols. , 4:243–245 With this letter John Adams formally notified Vergennes of his mission. Stating that he had been appointed to negotiate treaties of peace and commerce with Great Britain, he explained, so far as he knew it, the origins of...
29From John Adams to the Comte de Vergennes, 12 April 1779 (Adams Papers)
I have the Honour to inform your Excellency, that I expect to imbarque and Sail for America, in fifteen days that if your Excellency or any of his Majestys other Ministers, have Occasion to Send any fresh Dispatches to any Part of the united States, So good an Opportunity may not be omitted. The season promisses a short Passage, and I shall be happy in this opportunity, and in every other, of...
30From John Adams to the Comte de Vergennes, 27 February 1779 (Adams Papers)
I have received the Letter, which your Excellency did me, the Honour, to write me, on the twenty first of this Month. This Testimony, from your Excellency, of those indulgent Sentiments with which his Majesty, is pleased to honour my Sincere Intentions, cannot fail to be preserved by me and my Posterity as a most precious Monument, and what, is of infinitely more importance, it cannot fail to...
31From John Adams to the Comte de Vergennes, 16 February 1779 (Adams Papers)
Last Evening, I had the Honour of your Letter of the thirteenth of this Month, in answer to mine of the Eleventh. I thank your Excellency, for the Politeness, with which you have agreed to my Proposition of a Conference upon the Subject of Mr. Deanes Address, to the People of the united States. At the Time, when my Letter of the Eleventh, was written and Sent to your Excellency, there were...
32[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...
33From John Adams to the Comte de Vergennes, 11 February 1779 (Adams Papers)
As Your Excellency reads English perfectly well, my first Request is, that you would do me the Favour to read this, without a Translation after which I Submit it to your Excellency to make what Use of it, you shall think proper. I have hitherto avoided, in my Single Capacity, giving your Excellency, any trouble, by Letter, or Conversation: but the present Emergency demands that I should ask...
34The Commissioners to the Comte de Vergennes, 9 February 1779 (Adams Papers)
It is now near six Months that Capt. McNeil, of the Mifflin Privateer from America, has been embarras’d with a Process on Account of a French Ship, which he retook from the English after she had been three Days in their Possession. The Laws of France are clear with regard to the Validity of this Prize, and our Captains have Orders, contained in their Commissions, to submit their Prizes to the...
35The American Commissioners to Vergennes, 9 February 1779: résumé (Franklin Papers)
LS : Archives du Ministère des affaires étrangères; AL (draft): Massachusetts Historical Society; copies: Library of Congress, National Archives (two); translation: American Philosophical Society <Paris, February 9, 1779: For nearly six months Captain Mc-Neill of the privateer General Mifflin has been embarrassed with a lawsuit concerning a French ship he recaptured from the British after it...
36The American Commissioners to Vergennes: Draft by Arthur Lee, 5 February 1779 (Franklin Papers)
Copy: American Philosophical Society We think it necessary to inform your Excellency that there is announced in the Courier de l’Europe a Translation of a Letter signed Silas Deane, & to appear in the next number. This Letter is printed in the English Papers from the New York Gazette, and whether it is genuine or false, it is not in our Power to determine: But as it contains a discovery of the...
37The Commissioners to the Comte de Vergennes, 24 January 1779 (Adams Papers)
We had the honor of receiving your Excellency’s Letter of the 20th. enclosing M. de Sartine’s Answer, relative to the Convoy which we requested of your Excellency, for the Ships now assembled at Nantes. We are totally at a loss to understand what Mr. de Sartine writes of four Vessels mentioned by us, as ready to sail and a Convoy having sailed with two of them. We never mentioned any thing...
38The American Commissioners to Vergennes, 24 January 1779: résumé (Franklin Papers)
LS : Archives du Ministère des affaires étrangères; copies: Library of Congress, National Archives <Passy, January 24, 1779: We received your letter of the 20th enclosing M. de Sartine’s answer relative to the convoy we requested. We do not understand his reference to the four vessels supposedly mentioned by us and fear he has been misinformed. On December 29 we asked for a convoy. You asked...
39The American Commissioners to Vergennes, 13 January 1779 (Franklin Papers)
LS : Archives du Ministère des affaires étrangères; AL (draft): Massachusetts Historical Society; copies: National Archives (two), Library of Congress We have the Honour of your Excellency’s Letter of the 9th of this Month, requesting to be informed of the Port where those Vessels are which have occasion for a Convoy to America. These Vessels are at Nantes where they wait for the Convoy, which...
40The American Commissioners to Vergennes, [before 9 January 1779]: résumé (Franklin Papers)
LS : Archives du Ministère des affaires étrangères; AL (drafts): Harvard University Library, Massachusetts Historical Society (two); two copies and two transcripts: National Archives The commissioners, particularly Lee and Adams, devoted substantial effort to the drafting of this memorandum asking that a powerful French fleet be sent to American waters. Their efforts were doomed to failure, at...
41II. The Commissioners to the Comte de Vergennes, 9 January 1779 (Adams Papers)
Some late Proceedings of the Enemy, have induced us, to submit a few Observations to your Excellency’s superior Lights and Judgement. His Britannic Majesty’s Commissioners, in their Manifesto of the 3d of October, have denounced “a Change in the whole Nature and future Conduct of the War,” they have declared “that the Policy as well as Benevolence of Great Britain, have thus far checked the...
42The Commissioners to the Comte de Vergennes, 29 December 1778 (Adams Papers)
We have been favoured with a Letter signed by many Gentlemen of Nantes and dated the fifteenth of this Month, informing us that most of their Vessels were ready to sail to America, and that others were expected to be ready immediately, so that the Convoy need not wait at all, but might be ordered as soon as Convenience will permit. These Gentlemen are very desirous of a Convoy through the...
43The American Commissioners to Vergennes, 29 December 1778 (Franklin Papers)
LS : Archives du Ministère des affaires étrangères; AL (draft): Massachusetts Historical Society; two copies: National Archives We have been favoured with a Letter signed by many Gentlemen of Nantes and dated the fifteenth of this Month, informing us that most of their Vessels were ready to sail to America, and that others were expected to be ready immediately, so that the Convoy need not wait...
44I. John Adams’ Draft of the Commissioners to the Comte de Vergennes, 20 December 1778 (Adams Papers)
Certain The Some late Proceedings of the common Ennemy, are of a Nature so extraordinary, and may if not in some Way or other controuled, produce Consequences so disagreable injurious not only to all the belligerent Powers France and the United States , but by their Example to other Nations, that We have thought it our Duty, to Submit a few observations upon them, to the your Excellency’s...
45The Commissioners to the Comte de Vergennes, 7 December 1778 (Adams Papers)
To His Excellency Count de Vergennes, Minister & Secretary of State for foreign Affairs: At the time the American War began there was very little real Money in that Country, the same having been constantly drawn out as fast as it came in to pay for British Manufactures and Importations of foreign Goods by the British Merchants, with the Duties and other Expences occasioned by their Monopoly....
46The American Commissioners to Vergennes: Letter and Memoir, 7 December 1778 (Franklin Papers)
(I) LS and copy : Archives du Ministère des affaires étrangères; AL (draft): Massachusetts Historical Society; two copies: National Archives; (II) LS : Archives du Ministère des affaires étrangères We have the Honour to inclose to your Excellency a Memorial of very great Importance to the United States, to which We beg your Excellency’s Attention and a favourable Answer. We have the Honour to...
47The American Commissioners to Vergennes, 17 November 1778 (Franklin Papers)
AL (draft): Massachusetts Historical Society; two copies: National Archives We communicated to Dr Smith, the Letter which your Excellency did Us the Honour to write to Us concerning his Goods. Since which he has inclosed to Us, the Certificate, of Mr Anthy Paine, which We have the Honour to inclose to your Excellency.— If there are two offices, one in which are deposited, Goods Seized, the...
48The Commissioners to the Comte de Vergennes, 12 November 1778 (Adams Papers)
The Alliance between this Kingdom, and the United States of America, is an Event of such Magnitude in their History, that We conceive it would be highly pleasing to our Constituents, to have the Picture of their his Majesty their illustrious Friend and Ally, to be kept in some Public Place where the Congress sits. We would carefully avoid every Thing which would be disagreable to the King and...
49Franklin and John Adams to Vergennes, 12 November 1778: résumé (Franklin Papers)
AL (draft): Massachusetts Historical Society; two copies: National Archives <Passy, November 12, 1778: In view of the magnitude of the alliance between France and the United States, we conceive it would be highly pleasing to our constituents to have a portrait of His Majesty to be kept where Congress sits; if you are of opinion this would give no offense, we request your kind offices to...
50The Commissioners to the Comte de Vergennes, 29 October 1778 (Adams Papers)
We have the Honour to inform your Excellency that we are ready to execute and exchange the Declarations, concerning the Omission of the eleventh and twelfth Articles of the Treaty of Commerce, and to request your Excellency to appoint a Day to wait on your Excellency for that Purpose. We have the Honour to be with the most respectful Consideration Your Excellency’s most obedient and most...