1From John Adams to Edmé Jacques Genet, 29 February 1780 (Adams Papers)
I have this Moment your s of the 28. I thank You, Sir, for your kind Invitation to my three Sons, to come some time in the Spring, and spend a day at Ver sailles, which will be very agreeable to them, and to me. I am happy to find that the Report of the Committee has your Approbation; and shall be very g lad to see it translated and printed as it is. Every Attempt of this kind may be worth...
2From John Adams to James Lovell, 29 February 1780 (Adams Papers)
I cannot let the Marquis go off, without a Line to you. He took leave of the King a few days ago, in the Uniform of an American Major General, and attracted the Eyes of the whole Court more than ever. He had on no doubt his American Sword which is indeed a Beauty, and which he shews with great Pleasure, upon proper Occasions. The workmanship is exquisite, and there are Emblems on it,...
RC in John Thaxter’s hand PCC , No. 84, I, f. 295; docketed: “No. 11 J. Adams Esqr Feby. 29th. 1780 the Gazette mentioned, not inclosd. Read May 15th. requests the Constitutions of each State particularly Georgia & North Carolina.” LbC Adams Papers ; notations: “Recd in congress Oct. 15. Triplicate.”; by Thaxter: “No. 11.” Responding to a request from Edmé Jacques Genet, John Adams asked for...
4From John Adams to Samuel Adams, 28 February 1780 (Adams Papers)
The Marquiss, who loves Us, will deliver You this. He will tell You every thing. Arbuthnot, Rodney and Walsingham are to be pitted against de la Motte Piquet, Guichen and Ternay in the West Indies. So that I hope, You will be pretty quiet. Prepare however to co-operate and rout them out of the Continent if possible. Above all let me beg of You to encourage Privateering. The French will be...
5From John Adams to Samuel Cooper, 28 February 1780 (Adams Papers)
This will be delived you by the Marquis your Friend. Your Grandson is well and very contented. He has seen the World, to be sure,—such a Part of it, that none of the rest can ever be superlatively disagreable to him hereafter. Spain is a fine Country—or as my Parson Bryant said of Hezekias, he would be the best Man in the World if he had no Religion, so I can say that Spain would be one of the...
6From John Adams to Henry Knox, 28 February 1780 (Adams Papers)
Your Friend the Marquis, with whom I have sometimes had the Honour to drink your Health after that of General Washington, will deliver you this. His Love of Glory is not diminished, nor his affection for America, as you see by his Return. He has been indefatigable in endeavours to promote the Welfare and Comfort of our Army, as well as to support their Honour and Character, and has had success...
7From John Adams to James Warren, 28 February 1780 (Adams Papers)
I have written so fully to Congress and to particular Friends before, and have so little Time now, that I have little more to do than make up a Letter, for the Bearer to deliver You. The Marquiss de la Fayette is going to Boston in a Frigate, and surely he wants no Recommendation of mine—his own Merit and his Fame are enough. He has been the same Friend to Us here that he was in America. He...
8From John Adams to Edmund Jenings, 27 February 1780 (Adams Papers)
I received to day, yours of the 22d. That by Mr. Brush I answered as soon as received. You cannot oblige me more sir, than by communicating Intelligence from E. I have been a Witness, these 6 Years, of the annual Reports Spread by England to make it believed in America that the Russians were to interpose, and I have heard a vast deal of it, since my Arrival in Paris, in so much that I have set...
No. 10. There are so many Gentleman of Rank going out to America, that there can be no doubt Congress will be fully informed of the State of public Affairs. Mr. Lee, Mr. Izard, the Marquiss de la Fayette, Mr. Wharton, and many others, are going by different Vessels. Besides these Monsieur de L’Etombe, who is appointed Consul General of France for the Northern District of America, as Mr. Holker...
10From John Adams to Edmé Jacques Genet, 26 February 1780 (Adams Papers)
I have just now recieved the Letter, which You did me the Honor to write me yesterday , and I thank You, Sir, for the Loan of the English Paper s, which I shall carefully return, and beg the Loan of the oth ers, as y ou can spare them, until those shall arrive, which you have ordered for me: for the Trouble you have taken in ordering those Papers; for your kind Enquiries after my Son, who has...
11From John Adams to Joseph Gardoqui & Sons, 25 February 1780 (Adams Papers)
I have not had opportunity, Since my Arrival at Paris, to pay my Respects to you, and to inform you, that We all happily arrived, on the 9th. of this Month. We have now a little Leisure to look back upon the Scenes we have passed thro Since our Arrival in Europe, and I assure you, that I reflect upon none with more Pleasure than those at Bilbao. I find that Vessels arrive oftener, there and at...
12From John Adams to Edmund Jenings, 25 February 1780 (Adams Papers)
I have this Moment your Letter from Brussells of the 19th of this Month, and I thank You for your kind Congratulations on my safe Arrival. Whether I come in the amiable and blessed Character, as You say You have heard, with the Olive Branch in my Hand, and surrounded with Doves, Lambs and Angels or not, You will learn, in due Time. At present, the common Enemy shews a Picture, of a very...
Since my Letter of the twentieth, I have recieved another Letter from his Excellency the Comte de Vergennes dated the 24th. of February, to which I answered this Day; Copies of both Letters are inclosed. I have also the Honour to inclose a Gazette, and an Application from M. Comyn of Marseilles to be a Consul for the Ports of Provence and Languedoc. I know nothing of this Gentleman, but what...
14From 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...
15From John Adams to Bidé de Chavagnes, 24 February 1780 (Adams Papers)
I had last Evening the Honour, of your Letter from Brest, of the 16th. of this Month, and I thank you, sir for your kind Enquiries after our Health. Mr. Dana, Mr. Thaxter, the three Children and myself, are very well at present. Mr. Allen We left, in good Health at Bordeaux. We were all much incommoded with violent Colds and threatned with dangerous Fevers in Spain, arrising from bad Weather,...
16From John Adams to Edmé Jacques Genet, 24 February 1780 (Adams Papers)
I have received the Letter, that you did me the Honour to write me the 20th. of this Month. I was cautious of troubling the Minister, with an Application directly to him upon a Subject like that of my Letter to you: but I thank you, for the Trouble you have taken in laying it, before him. The kind Expressions of his Excellencies Confidence, and his Readiness to receive any Applications...
17From John Adams to Samuel Adams, 23 February 1780 (Adams Papers)
You will see by the public Papers, that your Committee of Correspondence is making greater progress in the World, and doing greater things in the political World than the Electrical Rod ever did in the Physical. Ireland and England have adopted it, but mean Plagiaries as they are, they do not acknowledge who was the Inventor of it. Mr. Lee and Mr. Izard will go with this Letter in the...
18From John Adams to Samuel Cooper, 23 February 1780 (Adams Papers)
I knew not when I undertook so readily to take the Care of your Grandson what I was about, little foreseeing a Journey of near four hundred Leagues by Land, in the Extremity of Winter, over the worst Roads and the vilest Accommodations and at the same time the most expensive of all Europe. I think myself very happy however to have at length reached Paris, without any essential Injury to the...
19From John Adams to Tristram Dalton, 23 February 1780 (Adams Papers)
Since my Arrival in this City, which was on the 9th. of this Month I had the Pleasure of your Letter concerning your Vessel which was sunk in the West Indies. I immediately waited on Dr. Franklin who informed me that he had received a similar Letter from you and in the Time of it applied to Court and obtained an order for your Compensation, which he transmitted to you, and which I hope you...
20From John Adams to Elbridge Gerry, 23 February 1780 (Adams Papers)
The Boston Committee of Correspondence, and the Military Associations which grew out of it, are likely to prove the greatest Engines for pulling down Tyranny, that were ever invented. The Electrical Rod, which deprives the Clouds of their Thunder, does it not so effectually, as these Committees wrest the Iron Rod out of the Hands of a Tyrant. Ireland has already obtained, purely by the Use of...
Paris, 23 February 1780. RC in John Thaxter’s hand PCC , No. 84, I, f. 279; docketed: “No. 8 Feby. 23. 1780 Letter from J. Adams recd. Oct. 16. sends News Papers &c.” LbC Adams Papers ; notations: “Recd in Congress Oct. 15.”; by Thaxter: “No. 8.” and “In No. 8 were inclosed Triplicates of all the former Letters to Congress, and also a Copy of a Letter to the Marquiss de la Fayette, & his...
22From John Adams to James Warren, 23 February 1780 (Adams Papers)
The French Court seem to be now every day more and more convinced of the good Policy, and indeed the Necessity of prosecuting the War with Vigour in the American Seas. They have been and are making great Preparations accordingly, and are determined to maintain a clear Superiority. M. de la Motte Piquet has with him, the Hannibal, the Magnifique, the Diadem, the Dauphin Royal, the Artesien, the...
23From John Adams to John Jay, 22 February 1780 (Adams Papers)
I most sincerely congratulate You, on your happy Arrival in Europe, which must be the more agreeable to You, for the terrible Voyages You have had. Every good American in Europe I believe suffered a great Anxiety, from the Length of Time that passed between the day when it was known the Confederacy sailed, and the Time when the News arrived of your being at Cadiz. I too have had my Hair...
24From John Adams to John Paul Jones, 22 February 1780 (Adams Papers)
I have the Pleasure to congratulate you, on your glorious success Since I left you at L’orient, and upon your Return to that Place, from whence I wish you safe to America. I obtained Permission from the Navy Board to send some small Matters home by an American Frigate now and then, and I have mentioned it to Dr. Franklin who has no Objection. We married men who run away from our Wives and...
25From John Adams to James Moylan, 22 February 1780 (Adams Papers)
As the Alliance is bound to America, and probably will go to Boston, I wish to avail myself of the Opportunity to send a few Necessaries to my Family, and a black Coat or two to a few Parsons in my Neighbourhood, whose Salaries are so reduced by the Depreciation of our Paper Currency that they cannot afford to buy a black Coat nor a Band at home. I will inclose you the Minutes of the Things I...
26From John Adams to Edward and Charles Dilly, 20 February 1780 (Adams Papers)
You may possibly remember a Correspondent of yours, who had six or seven Years ago the Pleasure of Writing to you sometimes and of receiving Letters from you. He has occasion for the Monthly and critical Reviews: the Remembrancers and annual Registers as they come out: and the Parliamentary Registers, and any other political Pamphlets of any Character that may be published in London. He...
27From John Adams to Alexander Gillon, 20 February 1780 (Adams Papers)
I had last Evening the Pleasure of your Letter from Amsterdam, of the 14th. instant and I thank you for your kind Congratulations, on my Arrival in Europe, and for your obliging Compliments. You and I have been tossed about the World, in the service of an Infant Country in distress and danger: happy and blessed indeed shall We be if all our Labours, Hasards, and Exertions, can in any degree...
28From John Adams to Richard B. Lloyd, 20 February 1780 (Adams Papers)
Since my Arrival in this City, I had the Pleasure of your kind Letter of the 28 of December, and I thank you, sir, for your kind Congratulations, on my Arrival and obliging Enquiries after my Family, whom I left in perfect Health, as I hope Mrs. Lloyd and your little Family are. I want very much to be furnished with the critical and monthly Reviews: the Remembrancers and annual Registers as...
Since my Arrival in Europe I have had the Mortification to see in the public Papers a Series of little Successes which our Enemies have had in the prosecution of the War. The first was a very exaggerated Account in the English Court Gazette of their Successes against the Spaniards in South America. The next was the History of the Repulse of General Lincoln and the Comte D’Estaing at Savannah...
30From John Adams to James Lovell, 19 February 1780 (Adams Papers)
You have been so good, in sending me the Journals and above all in sending me very particular Intelligence of what has passed upon several occasions that I depend much upon the Continuance of your Favours. An early receipt of the Journals will be a great Advantage to me, and I shall not fail to make a good Use of them. Since I have been here, I have seen Mr. I. and mentioned to him, his famous...