12511782 November 29. Fryday. (Adams Papers)
Met Mr. Fitsherbert, Mr. Oswald, Mr. Franklin, Mr. Jay, Mr. Laurens and Mr. Stratchey at Mr. Jays, Hotel D’Orleans, and spent the whole Day in Discussions about the Fishery and the Tories. I proposed a new Article concerning the Fishery. It was discussed and turned in every Light, and multitudes of Amendments proposed on each Side, and at last the Article drawn as it was finally agreed to. The...
1252November 30. Saturday. St. Andrews Day. (Adams Papers)
We met first at Mr. Jays, then at Mr. Oswalds, examined and compared the Treaties. Mr. Stratchey had left out the limitation of Time, the 12 Months, that the Refugees were allowed to reside in America, in order to recover their Estates if they could. Dr. Franklin said this was a Surprize upon Us. Mr. Jay said so too. We never had consented to leave it out, and they insisted upon putting it in,...
1253[December 1782] (Adams Papers)
Made many Visits &c. First entry in D/JA/38, which is identical in format with the Diary booklets that immediately precede it. Visited Mr. Brantzen Hotel de la Chine. Mr. Brantzen asked me, how We went on. I told him We had come to a full Stop, by signing and sealing the Preliminaries, on the 30. of November. I told him that We had been very industrious, having been at it, forenoon, Afternoon...
12541782 December 1. Sunday, and 2. Monday. (Adams Papers)
Made many Visits &c. First entry in D/JA/38, which is identical in format with the Diary booklets that immediately precede it.
1255December 3. Tuesday. (Adams Papers)
Visited Mr. Brantzen Hotel de la Chine. Mr. Brantzen asked me, how We went on. I told him We had come to a full Stop, by signing and sealing the Preliminaries, on the 30. of November. I told him that We had been very industrious, having been at it, forenoon, Afternoon and Evening, ever since my Arrival, either with one another or with the English Gentlemen. He asked if it was definitive and...
1256December 4. Wednesday. (Adams Papers)
It is proper that I should note here, that in the Beginning of the Year 1780, soon after my Arrival at Paris Mr. Galloways Pamphlets fell into my Hands. I wrote a long Series of Letters to a Friend in Answer to them. That Friend sent them to England: But the Printers dared not to publish them. They remained there untill the last Summer, when they were begun to be printed, and are continued to...
1257December 5. 1782. (Adams Papers)
The Duke de la Vauguion came in. He says that France and England are agreed, and that there is but one Point between England and Spain. England and Holland are not yet so near. I shewed him our preliminary Treaty, and had some difficulty to prevent his seeing the seperate Article, but I did prevent him, from seeing any Thing of it, but the Words “Seperate Article.” Dined at Mr. Jays with Mr....
1258December 6. 1782. (Adams Papers)
Spent the Evening with Mr. Laurens, at his own Lodgings hotel de York and on a Visit to Mr. Curson, hotel de York. Mr. Laurens said, that We should very soon raise Figs and Olives and make Oil in America. That he had raised great Quantities of Figs in his own Garden in Carolina and that the Figs in Carolina and Georgia were the most delicious, he had ever tasted. That he had raised in one Year...
1259December 7. Saturday. (Adams Papers)
Dined with my Family, at the Place Vendome the Abby Chaluts. An Abby there crys voila la Semence d’une autre Guerre.
1260December 8. Sunday. (Adams Papers)
At home all Day. Mr. Jennings, Mr. Grand Pere et Fils, Mr. Mason and Mr. Hoops called upon me.
12611782. December 9. Monday. (Adams Papers)
Visited C. Sarsfield who lent me his Notes upon America. Visited Mr. Jay, Mr. Oswald came in. We slided, from one Thing to another into a very lively Conversation upon Politicks.—He asked me what the Conduct of his Court and Nation ought to be, in Relation to America. I answered the Alpha and Omega of British Policy, towards America, was summed up in this one Maxim—See that American...
1262December 10. Tuesday. (Adams Papers)
Visited Mr. Oswald, to enquire what News from England. He had the Courier de L’Europe in which is Mr. Secretary Townsends Letter to the Lord Mayor of London dated the 3d. of this Month in which he announces the Signature of Preliminaries on the thirtieth of November, between the Commissioner of his Majesty and the Commissioners of the U. States of America. He had also received the Kings...
1263Dec. 11. Wednesday. (Adams Papers)
Dined with Mr. Laurens.
126412. Thursday. (Adams Papers)
Met at Mr. Laurens’s, and signed the Letter, I had drawn up to Mr. Dana, which I sent off inclosed with a Copy of the Preliminaries — and consulted about Articles to be inserted in the definitive Treaty. Agreed that Mr. Jay and I should prepare a joint Letter to Congress. At 7.1 met Mr. Jay at his House and We drew a Letter. Signed by the four American Commissioners and dated this day, this...
12651782 December 13. Fryday. (Adams Papers)
I went first to Mr. Jay, and made some Additions to the joint Letter, which I carried first to Mr. Laurens, who made some Corrections and Additions, and then to Passy to Dr. Franklin who proposed a few other Corrections, and shewed me an Article he has drawn up for the definitive Treaty to exempt Fishermen, Husbandmen and Merchants as much as possible from the Evils of future Wars. This is a...
1266December 14. Saturday. (Adams Papers)
December 14. Saturday.
126715 Sunday. (Adams Papers)
15 Sunday.
1268Dec. 16. Monday. (Adams Papers)
Mr. Fitsherbert and Mr. Oswald, Mr. Laurens &c. dined with me.
1269Decr. 16 [i.e. 17]. Tuesday. (Adams Papers)
The 4 Commissioners dined with Mr. Fitsherbert. Ld. Mountnorris a celebrated Speaker in the Irish house of Lords dined there, and several English Gentlemen. The Rock Salt is taken out of the Salt Pits in England, Ld. Mountnorris said. He gave me a Description of the Caverns, and the kind of Architecture with which they support them, like the Pillars of a Temple. We met at Mr. Laurens’s at Dr....
12701782 December 19. Thursday. (Adams Papers)
Visited M. Louis Secretary of the Royal Colledge of Surgery, in order to form a Correspondance, between it and the medical Society at Boston. Was very politely received, and promised every Thing that the Colledge could do. Mr. Louis talked a great deal, and very ingeniously and entertainingly. Spent the Evening, at the Abby Chalut’s with the Abby de Mably, two other Abbys and two...
12711782 Decr. 20. Fryday. (Adams Papers)
Dined with Mr. Laurens.
1272Decr. 21. Saturday. (Adams Papers)
Visited Mr. Jay and then went out to Passy to shew Dr. Franklin, Mr. Dana’s Letter. The Dr. and I agreed to remit Mr. Dana the Money, to pay the Fees to the Russian Ministers according to the Usage, upon the Signature of a Treaty. Six Thousand Roubles to each Minister who signs the Treaty. The C. de Lynden told me the other Day that the King of Sweeden was the first Inventer and Suggester of...
127322 Sunday. (Adams Papers)
Made several Visits &c.
127423 Monday. (Adams Papers)
Received from Monsieur Geoffroy, Docteur Regent de la Faculté de Medicine de Paris, a Letter of Thanks from the Societe Royale de Medecine, for my Letter to him proposing a Correspondence between that Society and the Medical Society at Boston. Made several Visits. &c. Went to the Italian Comedy, saw Les Troqueurs, the two Harlequins &c. Geoffroy’s letter, together with others of the same...
1275December 24. Tuesday. (Adams Papers)
There are Men who carry the Countenance and Air of Boys through Life. This Evening Mr. Jay told me an extraordinary Story of Lord Mount Steuart, the British Minister at Turin, which he had from Mr. Oswald. Of a rumored plan to divide America between England and France. See John Jay, Diary during the Peace Negotiations of 1782, ed. Frank Monaghan, New Haven, 1934 , p. 15–17; also entry of 5...
1276Decr. 25. Wednesday. Christmas. (Adams Papers)
Margaret (Smyth) Bingham , wife of an Irish peer, the first Baron Lucan, was better known for her paintings than for her verse ( DNB Leslie Stephen and Sidney Lee, eds., The Dictionary of National Biography, New York and London, 1885–1900; 63 vols. plus supplements. ).
1277Dec. 26. Thursday. (Adams Papers)
Mr. Brantzen call’d upon me, at one. He says that Mr. Fitzherbert and he are yet a great Way asunder. The first Point of the Freedom of Navigation sticks. The other Points they have agreed on, or may agree on, not being far off. Mr. F. has no Answer from London to the Dutch Propositions. I told him he might make himself very easy about the Freedom of navigation, for that the English must come...
1278[January 1783] (Adams Papers)
Went to Versailles, made my Visit and Compliments of the Season to M. Le C. de Vergennes and delivered him a Copy of our Treaty and Convention with the States General. He received me with Politeness, made me the Compliments of the Season, tres sincerement, and was sensibly obliged to me for the Copies and invited me to dine. I went to see the Ceremony of the Knights of the St. Esprit, in the...
12791783. Paris January 1. (Adams Papers)
Went to Versailles, made my Visit and Compliments of the Season to M. Le C. de Vergennes and delivered him a Copy of our Treaty and Convention with the States General. He received me with Politeness, made me the Compliments of the Season, tres sincerement, and was sensibly obliged to me for the Copies and invited me to dine. I went to see the Ceremony of the Knights of the St. Esprit, in the...
1280January 5. Sunday. (Adams Papers)
Dined with M. Vaughan, in Company with the Abbys de Mably, Chalut, Arnoux and Ter Saint Tersan .—Had more Conversation with de Mably than at any Time before. He meditates a Work upon our American Constitutions. He says the Character he gives of Herodian in his last Work, Sur la maniere d’ecrire L’histoire, has procured to his Bookseller, Purchases, for all the Copies of that Historian which he...
1281January 11. Saturday. (Adams Papers)
Mr. W. T. Franklin came in to talk with me, about a Subject which he said he did not often talk about, and that was himself. He produced a Commission, drawn up, for Messrs. Franklin and Jay to sign, when they only were here, before I arrived, and in fact signed by them. I took the Commission and read it. He asked me to sign it. I told him, that I considered myself as directly affronted in this...
1282January 12. Sunday. (Adams Papers)
Mr. B. Vaughan came in. I told him, I had some Facts to communicate to him in Confidence. They affected my personal Interest, Character, and Feelings so intimately, that it was impossible for me to speak of them without being suspected of personal Resentments and sinister Motives. But that these Facts were at the same time so connected, with public Affairs, with the Interests of the House of...
1283January. 13. Monday. (Adams Papers)
Mr. Oswald came to take Leave and shewed me a Letter from the Secretary of State for him to come home. He goes off, on Wednesday. I told him if he was going home, I would communicate to him, what I had not intended. I told him what I told Yesterday to Vaughan and gave him some short Account of my Correspondence with the C. de Vergennes, upon the Question whether I should communicate to Lord G....
12841783. January 19. Sunday. (Adams Papers)
Received a Note from Mr. Franklin, that the C. de Vergennes had written to him to desire me, to meet him at his office, tomorrow at ten. Went out to Passy, told Mr. Franklin that I had been informed last night, that the Comte was uneasy at Mr. Oswalds going away, because he expected to sign the Preliminaries in a day or two. Vergennes’ note and Franklin’s reply, both dated 18 Jan., and...
1285January 20. Monday. (Adams Papers)
Mr. Franklin and I met the Comte de Vergennes at his office at Ten. He told us, he was going to sign Preliminaries and an Armistice. At Eleven the C. D’Aranda came in, and Mr. Fitsherbert. After examining the Papers, D’Aranda and Fitsherbert signed the Preliminary Treaty, between the Crowns of G. Britain and Spain. De Vergennes and Fitsherbert that between Britain and France. Then Fitsherbert...
1286January 21. Tuesday. (Adams Papers)
Went to Versailles to pay my Respects to the King and Royal Family, upon the Event of Yesterday. Dined with the foreign Ambassadors at the C. de Vergennes’s. The King appeared in high Health and in gay Spirits: so did the Queen. M adam e Elizabeth is grown very fat. The C. D’Artois seems very well. Mr. Fitsherbert had his first Audience of the King and Royal Family and dined for the first time...
12871783. January 23. Thursday. (Adams Papers)
Mr. Whitefoord made me a Visit. He said it was the fatal Policy of the Earl of Chatham, in supporting the K. of Prussia against the House of Austria, that had given an Austrian Queen to France. That the French had contrived too to marry the Kings two Brothers to Princesses of Savoy, by which they had damped the Zeal of another of the Allies of England the King of Sardinia. I told him the Story...
1288[February 1783] (Adams Papers)
Received a Letter from my Son John, dated at Gottenburgh the 1. of Feb. This Letter gave me great Joy, it is the first I have received from him since he left Petersbourg, and the first News I have had of him since the Beginning of December, when he was at Stockholm.— I have suffered extream Anxiety on his Account. I have omitted my Journal, and several Things of some Consequence, but I am...
12891783 Tuesday. Feb. 18. (Adams Papers)
Received a Letter from my Son John, dated at Gottenburgh the 1. of Feb. This Letter gave me great Joy, it is the first I have received from him since he left Petersbourg, and the first News I have had of him since the Beginning of December, when he was at Stockholm.— I have suffered extream Anxiety on his Account. I have omitted my Journal, and several Things of some Consequence, but I am...
12901783 Feb. 24. Monday. (Adams Papers)
Dined in Company with Mr. Malesherbes, the famous first President of the Court of Aids, Uncle of the Chevalier de la Luzerne, and Son of the Chancellor de la Moignon. He is about half Way in Appearance, between Mr. Otis and Mr. A. Oliver. F ranklin this Morning mentioned to me the Voyage de la Fonte, who mentions a Captain Chapley, and a Seymour Gibbons. F. thinks it is translated from the...
1291Feb. 25. Tuesday. (Adams Papers)
Mr. Samuel Vaughan says that Cooks Voyage will be 3 Volumes 60 Plates, and will not be out these 12 Months. The Plates are of Islands discovered &c. He mentions a new Sort of Bark, much redder and much stronger, than any known before.
1292Feb. 27. Thursday. (Adams Papers)
Dined at the Farmer Generals, in Company with the Comte de Polastron, Father of the Duchesse de Polignac. No Friend of D’Estaing. Spent the Evening in Company with the Abby de Mably, some other Abbys and Accademicians. De Mably says There are in France Three Orders of Citizens. The first Order is of the Clergy. 2. The Second of the Nobility. 3. And the third is called Le Tiers Etat.— There are...
1293[March 1783] (Adams Papers)
In the Morning Chronicle of Saturday February 22, Mr. Secretary Townsend in the Debate upon the five Propositions of Lord John Cavendish, is represented to have said “He was willing to give his full Assent to the first Proposition, because such a Declaration from Parlia ment was, after the Address voted on Monday last, indispensably necessary. To the second, and to the third Resolutions,...
1294Fryday March 7. (Adams Papers)
In the Morning Chronicle of Saturday February 22, Mr. Secretary Townsend in the Debate upon the five Propositions of Lord John Cavendish, is represented to have said “He was willing to give his full Assent to the first Proposition, because such a Declaration from Parlia ment was, after the Address voted on Monday last, indispensably necessary. To the second, and to the third Resolutions,...
1295March 9 [i.e. 8]. Saturday. (Adams Papers)
Dined at Passy, the Spanish Ambassador, the Comte de Rochambeau, the Chevalier de Chatelux Chastellux , Mr. Jay &c. present. Chatelux said to the Abby Morlaix that I was the Author of the Massachusetts Constitution, and that it was the best of em all, and that the People were very contented with it.
1296March 9. 1783 Sunday. (Adams Papers)
Lorsqu’un homme entre dans la carriere des Arts, n’ayant pour guide et pour Appui que son Genie; lorsque L’Intrigue et la Charlatanerie, ces deux grandes Ressources des petits talens, lui sont etrangéres, il doit s’attendre á être long tems persecuté, méconnu, arrêté á chaque pas. Mais qu’il ne perde point courage; tous les Obstacles s’applanissent peu-a-peu devant lui; ses Ennemis se lassent...
1297[April 1783] (Adams Papers)
Mr. Hartley met Mr. Franklin, Laurens, Jay and me, at my Lodgings, and shewed Us an Instruction under the Kings Privy Seal, and signed George Rex, in which his Majesty recites that he had appointed Mr. Hartley his Minister Plenipotentiary to treat with Us &c. The American Ministers unanimously required a Commission under the great Seal, and promising to ratify what he should do.—Mr. Hartley...
12981783 Paris April 27. 1783. (Adams Papers)
Mr. Hartley met Mr. Franklin, Laurens, Jay and me, at my Lodgings, and shewed Us an Instruction under the Kings Privy Seal, and signed George Rex, in which his Majesty recites that he had appointed Mr. Hartley his Minister Plenipotentiary to treat with Us &c. The American Ministers unanimously required a Commission under the great Seal, and promising to ratify what he should do.—Mr. Hartley...
1299April 28. Monday. (Adams Papers)
At 10 Mr. Jay came in, and I shewed him a Variety of Projects, which I had drawn up last night, concerning the Removal of the Troops, opening the Ports, tranquilizing the Tories now within the Lines, Articles for Commerce, in Explanation of the provisional Treaty &c. We drew together a Proposition, for withdrawing the Troops, opening the Ports and quieting the Tories, and went with it in my...
1300April 29. Tuesday. (Adams Papers)
At 11, We all met at Mr. Laurens’s near the new French Comedy, and agreed upon a Proposition to open the Ports as soon as the U. States should be evacuated. At one Mr. Hartley came and We shewed it to him, and after some Conversation with him, We agreed upon 3 Propositions. 1. To open the Ports as soon as the States should be evacuated. 2. To set all confined Tories at Liberty at the same time...