11From 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...
13From 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...
14From 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...
15From 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...
17From 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...
18To John Adams from Edmé Jacques Genet, 25 February 1780 (Adams Papers)
Je ne manquerai point de rendre compte a monseigneur le Comte de Vergennes de la lettre dont vous venés de m’honorer. Je vais écrire aussi à Ostende pour qu’on vous fasse venir Sous mon couvert deux gazettes les plus renommées dans chaque parti. Suivant moi c’est dans celui de l’Opposition le General advertiser imprimé par W. Parker—et dans celui du Ministere le Morning post. Ce sont les deux...
19Edmé Jacques Genet to John Adams: A Translation, 25 February 1780 (Adams Papers)
I will not fail to inform the Count Vergennes of the letter with which you have honored me. I will also write to Ostend to ask them to send, under my name, two gazettes, the most influential in each party. To my mind they are, for the Opposition, the General Advertiser , published by W. Parker—and for the Ministry, the Morning Post. These are the two that I will request and forward to you...
20From 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,...
21From 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...
22To John Adams from the Comte de Vergennes, 24 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. , 4:251–252 Replying to John Adams’ letter of 19 Feb. (calendared above), Vergennes noted that Adams’ account of his commissions agreed with that of Conrad Alexander Gérard and that the most important aspect of his mission, the negotiation of a peace treaty,...
23From 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...
24From 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...
25From 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...
26From 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...
28From 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...
29From 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...
30From 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...
31From 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...
32To John Adams from Edmund Jenings, 22 February 1780 (Adams Papers)
I did myself the Honor of writing to You, two days Ago by Mr. Brusch, to congratulate you on your Safe Arrival in Europe, and to Assure you of my Disposition and wish to Execute whatever Commands, you may lay on me here or Elsewhere. As I Know your Attention to whatever may affect our Country, I take the Liberty of making an Extract out of a Letter I receivd yesterday from England, from the...
33From 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...
34From 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...
35From 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...
37To John Adams from Edmé Jacques Genet, 20 February 1780 (Adams Papers)
Vous avés craint d’importuner M. le Comte de Vergennes et vous m’avés fait l’honeur de vous addresser à moi pour savoir ce que vous devès penser de differens bruits que les anglois se sont attachés à répandre. Je suis infiniment flatté de la marque de confiance que vous avés bien voulu me donner mais j’ai cru devoir mettre votre lettre sous les yeux de ministre. Il m’a chargé de vous assurer...
38Edmé Jacques Genet to John Adams: A Translation, 20 February 1780 (Adams Papers)
Hesitating to bother the Count de Vergennes, you have done me the honor of addressing me in order to determine what to think of the var ious rumors that the English have taken upon themselves to circulate. I am greatly flattered by this mark of confidence that you have had the goodness to bestow on me, but thought that I should place your letter before the minister. He has directed me to...
39From 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...
Inclosed are Copies of former Letters to Congress, and I shall continue to transmit Copies until I learn that some have arrived; for which Reason I must request the Favour that his Excellency the President, or some Committee, may be desired to acknowledge the Receipt of Letters, so that I may know as soon as may be what Letters have arrived and which have been less fortunate. The Art of making...