Enclosure: John Adams’ Memorandum, 9 July 1781
Enclosure: John Adams’ Memorandum
Accordingly on Wednesday I went to Versailles and met the Count at his office with Mr. Rayneval at 9 o Clock, who communicated to me, the following Articles, proposed by the two Imperial Courts,1—that Spain had prepared her Answer—that of France was near ready—did not know that England had yet answered.
RC (Arch. Aff. Etr., Paris, Corr. Pol., E.-U., vol. 17:312); endorsed: “[. . .]na previènt de [arr]ivée et qu’il va [. . .]dre à Versailles.” LbC’s (Adams Papers) The first of two Letterbook copies is written on the same sheet of paper as JA’s letter to Vergennes of 7 July, above, tipped into Lb/JA/16 (Adams Papers, Microfilms, Reel No. 104). The second Letterbook copy is entered in Lb/JA/17 (same, Reel No. 105). The memorandum appears immediately below the second Letterbook copy.
The content of all or some notes that appeared on this page in the printed volume has been moved to the end of the preceding document.
1. See JA’s copy of the Austro-Russian proposal for Anglo-American peace negotiations, [11 July], below. When JA published the articles in the Boston Patriot in 1809, he included additional information about his meeting at Versailles:
“These articles were given me in French, and they graciously condescended to let me see the original communication from the two Imperial Courts as far and no farther than these three articles extended. All the rest was carefully covered up with a book. I desired to see and have a copy of the whole; but no, that could not be permitted.
“I returned to Paris, where I was alone. Congress had taken from me my bosom friend, my fellow traveller and fellow sufferer, in whose society I always found satisfaction, and in whose enlightened counsels, ample assistance and confidence, Mr. Dana, and sent him on a mission to Russia. My private secretary, Mr. Thaxter, I was obliged to leave in charge of my family and affairs in Holland. I had therefore every thing to write, translate and copy with my own hand”