Adams Family Correspondence, volume 8
By mr̃ Cutting I have an opportunity of acknoleging the receipt of your favor of Sep.
10th. inclosing one for my daughter Polly.1 when she received it she flushed, she whitened,
she flushed again, & in short was in such a flutter of joy that she could scarcely
open it. this faithful history of her sensibility towards you must stand in lieu of her
thanks which she has promised me she will write you herself: but at this moment she is
in the convent where she is perfectly happy. by mr̃ Cutting you will also receive the 5.
aunes of cambric which Colo. Smith desired me to have
purchased for you at 12. livres the aune. I am sorry you were put to the trouble of
advancing the money for mr̃ Sullivan's bill:2 I thought myself sure that mr̃ Grand's bill
would reach you in time, and did not know he had omitted to advise mr̃ Teissier of it.
he is always afraid to give to any body a complete power to call on him for money. mr̃
Littlepage is here under a secret commission from the King of Poland. possibly it may
become a permanent one. I thank you for the American newspapers, and am glad to find
that good sense is still uppermost in our country. great events are I think preparing
here: and a combination of force likely to take place which will change the face of
Europe. mr̃ Grenville has been very illy received. the annunciation by mr̃ Eden that
England was arming, was considered as an insult: after this & the King of Prussia's
entrance on the territories of Holland, mr̃ Grenville's arrival with conciliatory
propositions is qualified with the 184title of “une insulte
tres gratuite.” I am not certain that the final decision of this country is yet taken.
perhaps the winter may be employed in previous arrangements unless any thing takes place
at sea to bring on the rupture sooner. the Count de Gortz told me yesterday that the
Prussian troops would retire from Holland the moment the states of Holland should make
the expected reparation of the insult to the Princess. may not the scene which is
preparing render it necessary for mr̃ Adams to defer the return to his own country?3
I have the honor to be with very sincere sentiments of esteem & respect Dear Madam—your most obedient & most humble servant
RC (Adams Papers); internal address: “mrs̃ Adams.”; endorsed:
“Mr Jefferson / ocbr 4th 1787.”
Not found.
On 29 May, Gen. John
Sullivan, president (governor) of New Hampshire, had written to Jefferson asking him
to reimburse WSS for money Sullivan had drawn in the United States
against WSS's account (Jefferson, Papers
, 11:384).
Prussia under its new king, Frederick William, had hesitated to become involved in
the revolt in the Netherlands. But when the king's sister, Princess Wilhelmina, was
arrested, confined, and apparently insulted while attempting to enter The Hague in
late June, he finally resolved to invade in support of the Orangists, although it was
more than two months before troops actually crossed the border. Some believed that
France too would invade in support of the Patriots— which would have drawn Britain
into the war as well—but a visit by William Grenville to the Netherlands convinced
Frederick William, rightly, that France had no intention of becoming involved, and
Britain accordingly also pulled back. By 10 Oct., the Prussians had conquered the last
of the Patriot resistance and temporarily restored William V to power (Schama, Patriots and
Liberators
, p. 126–132).
Johann Eustach, Baron von Görtz, was the Prussian envoy extraordinary to the
Netherlands (
Repertorium
, 3:333).