Adams Papers

To John Adams from Paul Joseph Guerard de Nancrede, 4 January 1789

From Paul Joseph Guerard de Nancrede

Boston Jan. 4th 1789—

sir

I have the Honor to send you inclosed, the prospectus of a french periodical publication lately offered to the patronage of the Americans— I feel so much the more sollicitous to submit the plan to your abilities as your thorough knowledge of Europeans, and their Views of America, in general, has no doubt, long since, convinced you of the necessity of a periodical paper that might, propagate in france, through every class of people, Just and adequate Views of the united states1

permit me sir, from the design of the above publication, to sollicit your influence respecting its encouragement. it may when duly examined, be found to answer very useful and beneficial purposes

The largest Number of Subscribers, I expect from the West-indies & Europe. It is known, that the Europeans read with Avidity every thing that comes from America. My design is to make this Avidity Subservient to their own Instruction by means of this paper, to the Benefit of the federo-americans whose Laws Government Integrity, Commerce, and produce being better known abroad cannot but be attended with the happiest consequences. therefore, they will secure those advantages by affording this paper sufficient encouragement to set it agoing. there is but little doubt that foreign subscribers will, at once support it

the field is ample, perhaps, too much so, for a person alone, who has nothing to oppose to the Obstacles consequent upon it, than courage and perseverance; but the pleasure of recommending myself to the Citizens of the united states That of being grateful, does not permit me to think myself unequal to the Task

I am with respect sir your most / humble & most obed. / Sert

De Nancrede2

RC (Adams Papers); internal address: “The Honble. John Adams—”; endorsed: “Mr Nancrede”; notation by JA: “bounded Easterly on Land of Said / John Adams, Southerly on Upland / of Jesse Fenno, Westerly partly on Land / of Said Samuel Bass and partly on Land / of Colonel Jonathan Bass to a Creek / Northerly on the Creek which divides / it from Meadow of Dr Phipps. Six Acres.”; and by CFA: “Jany 4th 1789.”

1Nancrede (1761–1841), a French officer who served during the Revolutionary War, taught French at Harvard beginning in 1787 and operated as a bookseller. Nancrede’s prospectus has not been found but was likely that published in the 3 Jan. 1789 issue of the Massachusetts Centinel. JA did not reply regarding Nancrede’s proposed newspaper, the Courier de Boston, which was published from 23 April to 15 Oct. (Madeleine B. Stern, “Joseph Nancrede, Franco-American Bookseller-Publisher, 1761–1841,” The Papers of the Bibliographical Society of America, 70:2, 5–6, 12, 13, 77 [1976]; AFC description begins Adams Family Correspondence, ed. L. H. Butterfield, Marc Friedlaender, Richard Alan Ryerson, Margaret A. Hogan, Sara Martin, and others, Cambridge, 1963– . description ends , 11:501).

2JA’s notation here, evidently unrelated to Nancrede’s letter, summarized his 13 Jan. purchase of 7 ½ acres of salt marsh from Samuel and Abigail Bass for approximately £52. It was near six acres of Braintree land that he owned near that of Jesse Fenno, Samuel Bass, Jonathan Bass, and Dr. Thomas Phipps. By 1798, this purchase comprised part of a ten-acre tract valued at $400 (Adams Papers, Wills and Deeds; AFC description begins Adams Family Correspondence, ed. L. H. Butterfield, Marc Friedlaender, Richard Alan Ryerson, Margaret A. Hogan, Sara Martin, and others, Cambridge, 1963– . description ends , 13:571).

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