121William Carmichael to the American Commissioners, 5 April 1786 (Adams Papers)
I this day rec d. from the Secretary of States Department a letter from the Count D Expilly inclosin one from M r Lamb, copies of which I have the honor to transmit for Your Excellencies Information. Mess rs. Lamb and Randall left Barcelona the 11 th. Ult o. After their Departure I procured a letter in their favor from his Exc y. the C t. de Florida Blanca to the C t. D Expilly which I...
122To John Adams from Board of Treasury, 6 April 1786 (Adams Papers)
We do ourselves the Honor of transmitting to you a Duplicate of our Letters to yourself, and the Commissioners of the Dutch Loans of the 7 th: and 22 d: March last. The latter together with one of this Date addressed to the same Gentlemen & Enclosing a Bill in their Favor on Mess rs: Wilhem, and Jan Willink of Amsterdam, we Request the Favor of you to forward by the first Mail— Our Letter to...
123To John Adams from John Jay, 7 April 1786 (Adams Papers)
I lately sent you five or six copies of the last Edition of my Pamphlet. I then supposed it to be correct, but have since discovered in it the Errors mentioned in the inclosed note— be pleased to correct it accordingly. we are well tho not officially informed that all the States have granted the Impost to Congress, except new York, in whose Legislature there is a strong Party against it. You...
124To John Adams from Charles Storer, 7 April 1786 (Adams Papers)
To send a number of letters under cover to you without one line to yourself, were it only by way of apology, would, I think, have rather an unseemly appearance, & might be somewhat inexcusable— I know you do not like to be baulked in this manner—and to prevent this disappointment, I write a few lines, if it be only to assure you of my good will & to wish that I had wherewithal to afford you...
125To John Adams from Mercy Otis Warren, 8 April 1786 (Adams Papers)
While in the silent watches of the Last night I was Contemplating the Vicissitudes of Life, the Fickleness of Mankind & the Instability of human Friendships.— I determined to take up my pen in the morning & inquire if it was possible that M r Adams should never have directed one line to his frends at Milton since he held the Rank of Minister at the Court of Britain. I have been always...
126To John Adams from Samuel Williams, 9 April 1786 (Adams Papers)
I wish to present to the Royal Society of London the memoirs of our American Academy of Arts and Sciences: and to convey to Manheim the inclosed packet of papers. As we have no direct conveyance from America, may I take the liberty to commit them to your care? It gives us much pleasure to have two of your Sons in this University. Both of them are young Gentlemen from whom their friends have...
127To John Adams from James Bowdoin, 10 April 1786 (Adams Papers)
I had the honour of writing to you in August last relative to the conduct of Captain Stanhope; and twice since on the subject of British Encroachments upon territory of the United States, adjoining the newly established Province of New Brunswick. I hope those Letters came to your hand. New complaints from our people in those parts have been received, particularly from the Inhabitants of Moose...
128Thomas Barclay to the American Commissioners, 10 April 1786 (Adams Papers)
The Day before yesterday m r. Carmichael received Letters from Algiers from m r. Lamb, dated the 29 th. of last Month, and from m r. Randal the 26 th. (which I think a wrong Date) with a Postscript from on board a Vessel in the Bay of Alicant of the 1 st. Inst. after a Passage of 26. Hours. He cannot come on Shore without a Permission from Court to shorten his Quarantine, which m r. Carmichael...
129To John Adams from Elbridge Gerry, 12 April 1786 (Adams Papers)
A few Days since, I rec d your Letter of the 13 th of Decr last, without either of the Arrets therein referred to. from the Cover of the Letter, which is inclosed for your Inspection, I suspect it has been opened, previously to my receiving it; if so, I should be well pleased to know who the person is that is so very curious as to loose his Sense of Honor in this Matter. When I left New York,...
130To John Adams from Samuel Adams, 13 April 1786 (Adams Papers)
Doctor Gordon is to deliver you this Letter. He is going to the Land of his Nativity, wishing for the best Happiness of his own Country & ours and hoping that mutual Affection will be at length restored, as the only Means of the Prosperity of both. As he determines to spend the Remainder of his Days in the Country where he was born, what rational Man who considers the Ties of human Nature will...
131To John Adams from Isaac Stephens, 15 April 1786 (Adams Papers)
Sir. I take the Liberty to enclose a line to you as we receivd one from you, by the hand of M r. Lambe which came here to make peace for America & to redeam the Americans in slavery But not power to do either as the price was so high as six thousand Dollars for a Master and four ditto for a mate and fifteen hundred for sailors the King will not bate one six pence and will not have any thing to...
132To John Adams from Benjamin Vaughan, 20 April 1786 (Adams Papers)
M r B Vaughan presents his respectful comp ts. to M r Adams, and having waited for the inclosed, wishes for the favor of an answer upon the subject of it. D r. Gray makes a private party for M r V:, and of course will be happy to see M rs & Miss Adams, with Col Jefferson & Col smith. M r V: is endeavoring to procure M r Bolton’s permission to see the immense machinery at Blackfriars Bridge
133American Commissioners to John Jay, 25 April 1786 (Adams Papers)
Soon after our meeting together in London, We had a Conference with the Secretary of State for foreign Affairs, in which we communicated to him, the joint Commission of Congress, for negotiating a Treaty of Commerce with Great Britain, and left an attested Copy of it in the hands of his Lordship. At the same time his Lordship was informed that as the Commission was limited to two years...
134To John Adams from Matthew Robinson-Morris, 25 April 1786 (Adams Papers)
I am honor’d with your letters both by M r. Partridge and by the post and am proud to observe; that we so much concur in our public and political sentiments. I am particularly pleas’d to agree with you in the reciprocal opinion; that the closest union and connection between our two countries is one of their very first and greatest mutual interests. I do for that and other reasons so...
135Proposed Portuguese-American Treaty of Commerce, 25 April 1786 (Adams Papers)
There were three attempts in the mid-1780s to negotiate a Portuguese-American commercial treaty; all failed, and only the third resulted in a final treaty ready for signature. The first was undertaken by Benjamin Franklin in 1783, and although he submitted a draft treaty to Congress after negotiations with Vicente, Conde de Sousa Coutinho, the Portuguese ambassador to France, the effort came...
136To John Adams from John van Heukelom & Son, 27 April 1786 (Adams Papers)
Oúr distressed Sitúation on the one Side, and the Manÿ Civilities & friendlÿ regard Which ÿoúr Excellençÿ bestowed on ús on the other, make ús So free to implore ÿoúr Kind assistance: We dailÿ lament of having Sent anÿ goods to America, We cannot get anÿ accoúnts or remittances ever Since Several Years: and as M r. Cranch wrote ús, he woúld be glad to get rid of the whole búsiness, we invested...
137To John Adams from James Warren, 30 April 1786 (Adams Papers)
I was a few days ago honoured with your favour of the 12 th: of Dec r. I am much Obliged to you for your Attention to my Son & your favourable, if not partial opinion of the Merits of his Family. Winslow left Lisbon, & returned Home last fall: after a disagreable residence there for more than Twelve months, at a great Expence, fully convinced of the futility of Court promises, which his former...
138To John Adams from John Jay, 1 May 1786 (Adams Papers)
{It is the pleasure of Congress that you protract your negotiations with the Court of great Britain respecting the posts which should have been before this surrendered to the United States, and other infractions of the said Treaty by that power—so as to avoid demanding a categorical Answer respecting the same untill the further orders of Congress—} I have the Honor to be with great Respect / D...
139To John Adams from Rufus King, 2 May 1786 (Adams Papers)
M r. Alsop of this city, whom you must recollect as a delegate from this State to congress in 1775 & 1776, and whose daughter I have lately married, requests me to ask your Opinion, “whether a Refugee, whose Estate has been confiscated here, and to an amount exceeding that of his Debts, can by the British laws, or the Treaty of peace between G. Britain & the united States of america, be...
140To John Adams from John Jay, 4 May 1786 (Adams Papers)
Since the 22 d. February which was the Date of my last Letter to You, I have been honored with yours of the 4. 5. and 11 Novem r. and 2. 6. 9. 12. and 15 and one of Decem r. last, and also of 4 th. 21. and 26. January 1786. All of them have been laid before Congress, from whom I have no Instructions to say any thing more on the Subjects of them than what you will find in my Letter to you of...
141To John Adams from John Jay, 4 May 1786 (Adams Papers)
I have been favored with your Letter in which you mention M r Warren. Your opinion of that Gentleman, added to the Merits of his Family, cannot fail to operate powerfully in his Favor. I have communicated that Letter to M r King, an able & valuable Delegate from Massachusets; who I have Reason to think wishes well to you, and to all who like You, deserve well of their Country. our Friend Gerry...
142To John Adams from Rufus King, 4 May 1786 (Adams Papers)
By the January Packet I was honored with your letter of the 23. of December, and by M r. Anstey who arrived in the February Packet, I received your’s of the 22. of January: I pray you to accept my acknowledgments for these Kind attentions, and to be assured that if any communications in my power concerning our common country, will afford you any information, the pleasure of transmitting them,...
143To John Adams from Paul R. Randall, 4 May 1786 (Adams Papers)
I should have addressed your Excellency long e’er this, since my Arrival from Algiers —but being in Expectation of bringing on M r: Lamb’s Letters—was entirely without Suspicion of the many Impediments which retarded my Progress thus far. M r Lamb must undoubtedly have given your Excellencies the Reasons of sending me from thence—and however repugnant to my Inclinations, I must be necessitated...
144To John Adams from Rufus King, 5 May 1786 (Adams Papers)
It has undoubtedly been said in England that the act of congress of the 15. of February relative to the federal Revenues, is full proof that the united States are in the utmost confusion, and that the Union is nearly dissolved— ignorant as the People of England still are of the Genius and Temper of the Citizens of America, it will not be extraordinary that such Opinions should be fondly...
145To John Adams from Wilhem & Jan Willink and Nicolaas & Jacob van Staphorst, 5 May 1786 (Adams Papers)
We have the Honor to inclose Your Excellency, a Letter from the Honb̃le the Commissioners to the Board of Treasury of the United-States; Which came open to us, with a Resolve of Congress of 15 th. February last; Submitting them to your Consideration, We have to acquaint you the Board of Treasury has wrote to us in conformity.— Co-inciding fully with the Resolve of Congress & Opinion of the...
146To John Adams from Roger Sherman, 8 May 1786 (Adams Papers)
This will be delivered to you by D r. Wales Professor of Divinity in Yale-College in New Haven who is About to take a Voyage to England for the recovery of his Health.— There is a cause depending in the Superior Court in this State, that is of National concern on which I wish to receive Some information from Your Excellency respecting the law and usage of Nations, it is an Action of Debt...
147From John Adams to James Bowdoin, 9 May 1786 (Adams Papers)
Your Excellencies Letter of the 12. of January I have had the Honour to receive, and am much obliged to you for the Information in it Your Opinion of the Policy of this Country, will be found in the Result of Things to be just, and your Reasoning in Support of it is so conclusive and at the Sametime, so obvious, that it is astonishing it has not its Effect upon the Cabinet. Every Consideration...
148From John Adams to Wilhem & Jan Willink and Nicolaas & Jacob van Staphorst, 11 May 1786 (Adams Papers)
I have received your favour of the 5 th. of May inclosing a Duplicate of a Letter from the Commissioners of the Board of Treasury to me of the 7 th. of March, the original of this Letter is not come to hand— These Letters Surprized me, very much, because M r. Rucker had informed me a fortnight ago that he had orders to pay the Interest both in Holland & France I went yesterday to his House to...
149To John Adams from Thomas Jefferson, 11 May 1786 (Adams Papers)
I do myself the honour of inclosing to you letters which came to hand last night from mr̃ Lamb, mr̃ Carmichael and mr̃ Barclay. by these you will perceive that our peace is not to be purchased at Algiers but at a price far beyond our powers. what that would be indeed mr̃ Lamb does not say, nor probably knows. but as he knew our ultimatum; we are to suppose from his letter that it would be a...
150To John Adams from David Ramsay, 14 May 1786 (Adams Papers)
Your favor of the 9 th of February with the pamphlet inclosed came to hand on the 13 th instant for which please to accept my thanks. Your official dispatches of the 4 th of March contain very important intelligence. I am not distressed at the footing on which the British put their tenure of the western posts. It will promote the general cause of justice & restrain our legislatures from...