31To John Adams from Bidé de Chavagnes, 12 November 1779 (Adams Papers)
D’après lespece de certitude que m’avoit donné monsieur allaine que j aurois Ihonneur et le plaisir de vous voir jeudy et de diner chez luy avec vous ce qui en grande partie m’a fait remercier monsieur déné a cambridge pour le même jour. Je me flattois de pouvoir prendre avec vous les arrangements qui vous eussent convenus pour votre embarquement qui reglera avec les vents notre depart. J...
32Bidé de Chavagnes to John Adams: A Translation, 12 November 1779 (Adams Papers)
Mr. Allen’s assurance that I would have the honor and pleasure of seeing and dining with you at his house on Thursday was my major reason for declining Mr. Dana’s invitation to Cambridge of the same day. I flattered myself that I would be able to make suitable arrangements with you for your embarkation which will, with the winds, govern our departure. I also would have liked to share with you...
33To John Adams from Thomas McKean, 8 November 1779 (Adams Papers)
On my return from the circuit a few days ago I was honoured with your letter of the 20th. Septemr. last, and proud to find that I was not forgotten by one I so much esteem. You must have had your difficulties in these times, I know, I too have had my full share of the anxieties cares and troubles attending the present war. For sometime I was obliged to act as President of the Delaware State...
34To John Adams from Bidé de Chavagnes, 1 November 1779 (Adams Papers)
Je me faisois une grande feste, samedy dernier, D’avoir Ihonneur de vous voir, de diner avec vous et de boire a votre santé chez monsieurs alain, mais 1’utilité de votre travail pour le bien public m’a fait supporter plus aisement cette privation, j eus cependant eté bien content de pouvoir vous parler moy même au sujet des besoins urgents ou commence a se trouver la fregatte du roy de france...
35Bidé de Chavagnes to John Adams: A Translation, 1 November 1779 (Adams Papers)
I was greatly looking forward to having the honor of seeing you, dining with you, and drinking to your health at Mr. Allen’s house last Saturday, but the usefulness of your work for the public good has allowed me to bear this deprivation more easily. And yet, I would have liked to have been able to speak with you personally about the urgent needs that are beginning to be felt by the frigate of...
36To John Adams from James Lovell, 1 November 1779 (Adams Papers)
Your Favor of Octr. 17th. came this day to hand by the Post and contains such flattering Sentiments in regard to my subserving your Mission as almost to intoxicate me into a Wish that I had not spurned much personal Honor and family Emolument in pursuing a comparitively evident public Interest. But, nearly drunken as you have made me, depend upon it I am sober enough to distinguish between the...
37To John Adams from the President of the Congress, 20 October 1779 (Adams Papers)
I have the honour to transmit you herewith enclosed Two Commissions wherein you are Authorized and appointed Minister Plenipotentiary from these United States to Negotiate Treaties of Peace and Commerce with Great Brittain; Accompanied with instructions in each Case, for your government in the Execution of those Several Commissions. For your further Information and benefit, are enclosed Copies...
38To John Adams from James Lovell, 19 October 1779 (Adams Papers)
I begin to be very impatient at not hearing from you; and this not barely from the Number of days elapsed since my Information of Sepr. 28 &c. &c. but from the Opinion dropped by Mr. Lowell that we should not be able to obtain your Consent again to trust us here. It is the Desire of many that you should execute an intermediate Negociation with Holland, and you are named but others think it...
39To John Adams from Benjamin Rush, 19 October 1779 (Adams Papers)
I cannot help troubling you with a second Answer to your letters on purpose to congratulate you upon the Success of your Schemes for prosecuting the war in the Southern states. Count D’Estang has done wonders. He will be acknowledged by posterity as one of the deliverers of our country. We have just heard that he is safely arrived with all the trophies of his American conquests off the Capes...
40John Adams’ Instructions Respecting a Peace Treaty with Great Britain, 16 October 1779 (Adams Papers)
Philadelphia, 16 October 1779. printed : JA, Diary and Autobiography Diary and Autobiography of John Adams, ed. L. H. Butterfield and others, Cambridge, 1961; 4 vols. , 4:181–183 . Although dated 16 October, the instructions had been adopted on 14 August ( JCC Worthington C. Ford and others, eds., Journals of the Continental Congress, 1774–1789, Washington, 1904–1937; 34 vols. , 14:956–960)....
41John Adams’ Instructions Respecting a Commercial Treaty with Great Britain, 16 October 1779 (Adams Papers)
Philadelphia, 16 October 1779. printed : JA, Diary and Autobiography Diary and Autobiography of John Adams, ed. L. H. Butterfield and others, Cambridge, 1961; 4 vols. , 4:183–184 . Like those for the peace treaty (calendared above), these instructions had been adopted on 14 August ( JCC Worthington C. Ford and others, eds., Journals of the Continental Congress, 1774–1789, Washington,...
42To John Adams from Johann Kalb, 15 October 1779 (Adams Papers)
I heard with a great deal of pleasure your happy return to Boston and your appointment by Congress as plenipotentiary for the next Peace, they could not commit Such an important Trust to abler hands than yours. I wish with all my heart you may have the earliest opportunity of going to work, and to Settle all matters to the greatest honor Glory and happiness for the United States and yourself....
43To John Adams from James Lovell, 14 October 1779 (Adams Papers)
I inclose to you the decent Fashion in which we it was yesterday opinioned to let the World know Mr. Lee has a Successor. Pray strive by Mr. Issac Smith’s Knowledge of the Sailing of Vessels to let Arthur get the paper before his Foes. The 3 Ministers are to have per An: £2500 sterling. Their Secretaries £1000 in full of Services and Expences. To commence at Outset and finish in 3 months after...
44To John Adams from James Lovell, 14 October 1779 (Adams Papers)
I inclose to you a Peice of Intelligence perhaps altogether new. The uti possidetis offered by Spain will appear alarming perhaps to some but we are told She acted upon full Knowledge that King George the 3d of England had sworn in his Cabinet that he would not acknowledge our Independence. Spain at least knew that we would never enter into any commercial Treaty without a total relinquishment...
45To John Adams from Elbridge Gerry, 12 October 1779 (Adams Papers)
I have received from Mr. Lowell your Accounts and Vouchers, and shall deliver them to the Board of Treasury; how far they will be able to comply with the proposition of returning the latter, which is contrary to their usual Practice, I am unable to say, but will use my best Endeavours to accomplish it. Having lately explained to You some Matters, relative to our internal political Manoeuvres,...
46To John Adams from John Lowell, 12 October 1779 (Adams Papers)
I have but a few Minutes in which I can write, and I cannot devote one of them to any other, than the main Purpose of this Letter. You must accept the Appointment which Congress has lately made you, a more important and more critical one never fell in your Way. Every restraining Motive must be forgotten or banished. Your Choice was unanimous, save one Vote, yet, there are not a few, who wish...
47To John Adams from Benjamin Rush, 12 October 1779 (Adams Papers)
Accept of my thanks for your early and puntual Attention to my letter. I have ever thought myself honoured in your friendship, and shall be happy at all times in cultivating a correspondence with you. In your first letter you enquire after the state of our goverment. The best answer I can give to your Question, is that I am Afraid to commit my Opinion of men and measures in our state to...
48To John Adams from Nicolas Maurice Gellée, 11 October 1779 (Adams Papers)
I hope this Letter will reach you safe at Home amongst your Family and Friends. Supposing you are no less famish’d for News from this Side of the Atlantic than we are for American ones, I’ll tell you the State of Affairs in Europe is almost the same as when you left it. Spain, tho’ she is declared, four Months ago, seems as yet unconcerned about your Independance. The joint Fleets of France...
49To John Adams from Henry Knox, 10 October 1779 (Adams Papers)
I received your obliging favor of the 19th last month by Mr. Lowell, for which I thank you. Mr. Gerard has been to Camp, and has return’d to Philadelphia, to embark on board of the Confederacy for France, on board of the same Ship Mr. Jay and his Family embark. Mr. Gerard made us happy, politically so I mean, by informing us of your appointment as sole Minister plenipotentiary for the purpose...
50To John Adams from Richard Henry Lee, 8 October 1779 (Adams Papers)
I congratulate you most sincerely on your safe return to your family and your country. I hope you found the former in good health, and the latter I am very sensible will be at all times benefitted by the assistance of so able a Citizen, and the more especially at this time, when the most important of all sublunary things is under consideration, the establishing of government. Independent of...
51To John Adams from Henry Laurens, 4 October 1779 (Adams Papers)
The receipt and perusal of your favour of 10th Ultimo afforded me a very high satisfaction—the answer with which you honored my Letter of May 1778. has not yet reached me. From the earliest intelligence of your return to America I felt a strong disposition to wait on you with a line or two of sincere congratulation on your happy return to your family and American freinds, but there were...
52To John Adams from Henry Marchant, 2 October 1779 (Adams Papers)
By the last Post I was highly gratified by your kind and very polite Favour of the 10th. of Sepr. The Notice and Recollection of my former Letter sufficiently convinces me that You have not forgot an old Friend. In your Absence I had frequent Temptations to write You; but I was affraid of being amongst the Number of troublesome and useless Correspondants. We have finished Our foreign Affairs...
53To John Adams from James Lovell, 1 October 1779 (Adams Papers)
The Resolve of the 26th. of Sepr. for appointing a Minister plenipotentiary for Spain was reconsidered on the 27th. and the words in lieu of a Commissioner were added, by the Urgency of Brother Gerry least our State should appear to be against an Alliance with Spain. On this Mass: was divided and Sth. Carolina. All the rest stood as the day before. On the 28th. Order for Tomorrow for...
54To John Adams from François Barbé-Marbois, 29 September 1779 (Adams Papers)
printed : JA, Diary and Autobiography Diary and Autobiography of John Adams, ed. L. H. Butterfield and others, Cambridge, 1961; 4 vols. , 4:174 ( JA ’s English translation); for the French text, see JA, Works The Works of John Adams, Second President of the United States: with a Life of the Author, ed. Charles Francis Adams, Boston, 1850–1856; 10 vols. , 7:116–117. Barbé-Marbois was touched...
55To John Adams from Elbridge Gerry, 29 September 1779 (Adams Papers)
It is with the greatest pleasure, that I inform You of the late Arrangement of our foreign affairs, in which You are appointed to negotiate the Treaties with G Britain and our Friend Mr. Dana to be your Secretary. Mr. Jay is to negotiate with Spain, Mr. Carmichael to be his Secretary, and Colo. John Laurens, Son of the late president Laurens, to be Secretary to Doctor Franklin. I shall not be...
56To John Adams from the Chevalier de La Luzerne, 29 September 1779 (Adams Papers)
printed : JA, Diary and Autobiography Diary and Autobiography of John Adams, ed. L. H. Butterfield and others, Cambridge, 1961; 4 vols. , 4:173–174 ( JA ’s English translation); for the French text, see JA, Works The Works of John Adams, Second President of the United States: with a Life of the Author, ed. Charles Francis Adams, Boston, 1850–1856; 10 vols. , 7:115. Praising John Adams for...
57To John Adams from James Lovell: Confidential, 28 September 1779 (Adams Papers)
Yesterday in Whispers the proposal was made to send JA to Spain, the Baloting for that business being first called for. But Conecttt. and Pensylvania discovered a total abhorrence of the Consequences in the second Balot; therefore the Plan was dropped; and the Balots were N Hamp A Lee, R Is. Pensyl Sth. Car. no Vote. For the 2 other Commissions J A the only Nomination. All the States but one...
58To John Adams from James Lovell, 28 September 1779 (Adams Papers)
Mr. Jay having resigned the Chair on account of other public Engagements, the Honble. Mr. Huntingdon was Elected President of Congress. Tomorrow, will be chosen Secretaries for France Spain and the Negociator {nominated Peter Scull { Mr. Carmichael { Jno. Trumbull by by by Mr. Atlee Mr. Hewes Mr. Laurens Col. John Lawrence Mr. Searle Jona. Trumbull by
59To John Adams from James Lovell : Confidential, 27 September 1779 (Adams Papers)
Not knowing, my dear Sir, how certain Things now in agitation may this day be terminated here, I chuse to state, at this time, some Proceedings two days old, that I may not be thought to give them a Gloss in the Stile of an After-Prophet turned Historian or Painter. For a Ground Work I refer you to the Report of the Committee of 13 with its consequent Yeas and Nays, which is certainly now in...
60To John Adams from Arthur Lee, 24 September 1779 (Adams Papers)
I cannot omit this opportunity of congratulating you, on your being again in the bosom of those you love; after delays so many and so mortifying. I have signifyd my hope to our firm friend , that you will be immediately sent to Congress as a Member, where I hope you and M. de la Luzerne will be able to put a stop to those unworthy proceedings, by which little and malignant Spirits joind with...