Papers of John Adams, volume 7
1778-09-09
Your Favour of the 3d1 I duely received and am very much obliged to you for the Trouble you have taken in Writing to my dear Mrs. Adams, and in sending her a few Merchandises to the amount of 229 Livres: 6 s: 9 d which Sum I will immediately pay to Mr. W. T. Franklin as you desire,2 and I should have been very glad to have paid an additional sum for your Commissions.
We are in the Midst of an Awefull Pauze in the Political Concert,3 but I suppose a few Hours will set all the Instruments in Motion together. May the Musick be as ravishing to the Allies as the strains of Orpheus.
I am with much Esteem your most obedient servant
Not found.
On 9 Sept., JA paid the required sum to Temple Franklin for the goods shipped by Williams on the Dispatch, Capt. Corbin Barnes, which sailed from Paimboeuf on 29 Aug. with the Spy, Capt. Robert Niles, both of which were captured by privateers from Jersey and Guernsey (JA, Diary and Autobiography
, 2:334, 335; Niles to Benjamin Franklin, 27 Oct.,
Cal. Franklin Papers, A.P.S.
, 1:522).
JA's reference here may be to a number of things then being or about to be considered by the two governments, including the disposition of prizes in French ports, the exchange of prisoners, the settlement of Beaumarchais' accounts, the inability of the United States to borrow money in Europe, and the general deterioration of the Commissioners' finances.