21From 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...
22From 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...
23From 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...
24From 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...
25From 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...
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, 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...
28From 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...
29From 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...
30From 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...