1From Thomas Jefferson to John Adams, 11 December 1785 (Jefferson Papers)
Baron Polnitz not going off till today enables me to add some information which I receive from Mr. Barclay this morning. You know the immense amount of Beaumarchais’ accounts with the U.S. and that Mr. Barclay was authorized to settle them. Beaumarchais had pertinaciously insisted on settling them with Congress. Probably he received from them a denial: for just as Mr. Barclay was about to set...