John Adams to Matthew Clarkson, 18 August 1784

To Matthew Clarkson

Auteuil near Paris Aug. 18. 1784

Sir

I wish well enough to the University of New York, to give you every Letter of Recommendation to Gentlemen in Holland which I can give with Decency, if you should determine to go there: But I have already tryed Such an Experiment, in favour of Dr Wheelock, the President of Dartmouth Colledge, with so little Success, that I cannot advise you to make an Attempt. It is unnecessary to enter into the Enquiry concerning the Causes, which have and will prevent the People of that Country as well as this from contributing any Thing considerable upon such Occasions. It is sufficient to say that the Dr did not obtain more than enough to defrey his Expences, and I have reason to fear that you upon a Repetition of the Essay would obtain Still less.1

with much Respect and Esteem I have / the Honour to be, Sir your most / obedient and most humble / Servant

John Adams

RC (NNC:Columbiana Coll.); internal address: “Coll Clarkson”; endorsed: “18 Augt. 1784. / John Adams.” and “1784.”

1. On 10 June, William Livingston of New Jersey wrote nearly identical letters to JA, Benjamin Franklin, and Thomas Jefferson to introduce Clarkson, “who is appointed by the Directors of the University of New York to solicit donations in some parts of Europe, for that Institution” (Adams Papers; PPAmP: Franklin-Bache Papers; Jefferson, Papers description begins The Papers of Thomas Jefferson, ed. Julian P. Boyd, Charles T. Cullen, John Catanzariti, Barbara B. Oberg, and others, Princeton, 1950–. description ends , 7:304). This letter to Clarkson, as well as one by Jefferson of 17 Aug. (Jefferson, Papers description begins The Papers of Thomas Jefferson, ed. Julian P. Boyd, Charles T. Cullen, John Catanzariti, Barbara B. Oberg, and others, Princeton, 1950–. description ends , 7:398–399), indicate that Clarkson had reached France and delivered the Livingston letters. Clarkson (1758–1825) was socially prominent and later president of the Bank of New York. During the Revolution he rose to the rank of lieutenant colonel, serving as aide to both Benedict Arnold and Benjamin Lincoln. His current mission to Europe was in his capacity as regent of the State University of New York, but the money to be raised almost certainly was intended for Columbia College, the recently rechartered and renamed King’s College. This is because the State University was not itself a university but rather a body that would exercise oversight over colleges granted charters by the state (DAB description begins Allen Johnson, Dumas Malone, and others, eds., Dictionary of American Biography, New York, 1928–1936; repr. New York, 1955–1980; 10 vols. plus index and supplements. description ends ; Heitman, Register Continental Army description begins Francis B. Heitman, Historical Register of Officers of the Continental Army during the War of the Revolution, rev. edn., Washington, D.C., 1914. description ends ; David C. Humphrey, From King’s College to Columbia, 1746–1800, N.Y., 1976, p. 271–277). No letters of recommendation by JA for Clarkson have been found, but for John Wheelock’s unsuccessful mission to Europe from 1782 to 1784, see vol. 15:ix.

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Source Project: Adams Papers
Title: John Adams to Matthew Clarkson, 18 August 1784
Author: Adams, John
Recipient: Clarkson, Matthew
Date: 18 August 1784

Reference

Cite as: “John Adams to Matthew Clarkson, 18 August 1784,” Founders Online, National Archives, https://founders.archives.gov/documents/Adams/06-16-02-0197. [Original source: The Adams Papers, Papers of John Adams, vol. 16, February 1784–March 1785, ed. Gregg L. Lint, C. James Taylor, Robert Karachuk, Hobson Woodward, Margaret A. Hogan, Sara B. Sikes, Sara Martin, Sara Georgini, Amanda A. Mathews, and James T. Connolly. Cambridge, MA: Harvard University Press, 2012, p. 302.]