To John Adams from John Brown Cutting, 5 July 1790
From John Brown Cutting
London 5th July 1790
Dear Sir
There are so many rumours concerning the present state of the dispute between Spain and Britain and so many individuals interested to misrepresent it that it is with much diffidence that I venture to offer you any opinion on that subject.
The british parliament the members of which are now chiefly elected will not be assembled before the middle of august.1 Till then very little that can be depended on relative to the spanish rupture will be known—unless some unforseen event shou’d precipitate hostilities.
Mr Fitzherbert the british ambassadour is now at Madrid—negociating.2 I believe it may be relied on that he is instructed to demand 1s. Satisfaction for the seisure of the british ships in Nootka Sound—and for the destruction of the factory establish’d on the coast. 2. An acknowledgment of a right in great Britain to navigate the South Seas and carry on fisheries and commerce throughout those seas and coasts. 3dly Payment of a million sterling the computed cost of the present armaments here. The second of these points is that which Spain is most loth to give up—and from which the minister of this country is determin’d not to recede.
Both nations however are willing to negotiate—Britain because she is not ready to begin maritime hostilities with vigour till her west india merchantmen come in with seamen to mann the fleet—which at present is very thinly mann’d: Spain because tho’ ready herself—her new ally Portugal is not—and because she is desirous to ascertain what reliance may be had on her old ally France for aid in the war.
Meanwhile both parties to this dispute must be desirous of the friendship of the United States. I hope our country without embroiling herself will obtain considerable points of both.3 The court of Lisbon have already appointed M. Friere their late resident at this court—to be minister, resident with Congress.4 And I understand from good authority that the navigation of the Missisippi is already tacitly ceded to the United States—by orders issued to the Vice Roy of Mexico. Be this so or not the present period seems a most auspicious one to gain whatever points the United States are most desirous of gaining either of Spain or Britain.
Shou’d the latter be disposed to treat—I hope the moment will not be neglected to agree upon some criterion whereby the american seamen may be properly discriminated from the british and consequently protected from the insults of their press gangs and the management that is now practiced to get them on board their ships of war. For two months past I have diligently discharged the duty which I think incumbent upon a republican citizen—in contributing to rescue our seamen from an abhorred servitude in the british fleet Altho’ I have succeeded in most instances—in some I have wholly failed. Whatever of industry or ability I possess has been on this occasion exerted and for the present this exerition is likely to continue because it is likely to be needed.
But as I have repeatedly written both to yourself and to Mr Jefferson on this subject—I shall not trouble You with a fresh repetition of what I considered it my duty at the time zealously to represent.5
I send you a parcel of newspapers— The Editor is violently ministerial; but is reputed to possess better sources of foreign intelligence than most of his co-temporaries.6
Mrs Adams and the rest of your family will please to accept the best compliments of / Your respectful affectionate / and most obedt sert
John B. Cutting
RC (Adams Papers).
1. Originally slated to reconvene on 10 Aug., Parliament was twice prorogued in order to accommodate George III’s call for a general election, a move largely engineered by William Pitt. Great Britain’s surge in prosperity and talk of a war with Spain shaped the poll results, which enlarged the ranks of Pitt’s supporters in the House of Commons and burnished his popularity. In his 26 Nov. opening speech, the king proclaimed an “amicable termination” of the Nootka Sound crisis, for which see note 2, below (from Cutting, 14 June, and note 1, above; , p. 238; London Chronicle, 3 Aug., 27 Nov.; London Diary, 13 Oct.).
2. For the origins of the Nootka Sound conflict, see Cutting’s letter of 3 June, and note 1, above. The first real breakthrough in negotiations came on 24 July, when British diplomat Alleyne Fitzherbert exchanged a key set of declarations with the Spanish foreign minister, José de Moñino y Redondo, Conde de Floridablanca. As talks continued for the next few months, the British kept their fleet at the ready, rebuffing Spanish proposals for mutual disarmament. The diplomatic process was extended repeatedly, by the late promise, on 28 Aug., of French ships to aid Spain and by the debate over the terms of the preliminary armistice. Ultimately, in November, Spain agreed to pay reparations as stipulated by Britain, but the larger question of upholding sovereignty without settlement remained (, 246–256).
3. JA and others in the federal government grew concerned that an Anglo-Spanish war on the Pacific coast would incur foreign requests to march troops across the neutral nation, for which see George Washington’s letter of 27 Aug., and note 1, below.
4. Like JA and others, Cutting mistakenly anticipated the imminent finalization of the proposed Portuguese-American Treaty of Amity and Commerce, for which see vol. 18:256–271. Ciprião Ribeiro, Chevalier de Freire, who served as Portugal’s minister to the United States until 1799, presented his credentials to Congress in Oct. 1794. Cutting’s information regarding other developments, however, was less accurate. Spain did not concede free navigation of the Mississippi River to the United States until 1795, as part of Pinckney’s Treaty (vol. 17:19; , 6:474; , 16:101).
5. Emphasizing his efforts to counter British impressment of American seamen, Cutting wrote to JA on 31 May 1790 (Adams Papers) and 3 June, above. He provided similar reports to Thomas Jefferson, who forwarded a selection of Cutting’s letters to Washington. To Cutting, the secretary of state expressed thanks for “the fatiguing exertions which your humanity and patriotism have led you to make for the relief of so many of our countrymen.” Cutting’s work failed to secure him the U.S. consulship at London, but Jefferson enclosed £50 as compensation (, 16:415; 18:330).
6. Cutting sent several issues of the London Diary, edited by journalist William Woodfall (1745–1803), who was known for his highly detailed parliamentary coverage ().