Papers of John Adams, volume 9
1780-04-16
I have received the two Letters which your Excellency did me the Honour to write me, on the fifth and on the twelfth of this Month.1
I do not mean to give your Excellency the Trouble of answering, these Letters of mine, which contain Extracts of Letters from abroad, or simple News. This would be giving your Excellency too much trouble and taking up too much Time. Indeed, I think it will very probably be often if not always, unnecessary, because, your Excellencies Information must be, beyond all Comparison earlier more exact and more particular than mine. Yet as it is, possible that sometimes a Circumstance, of importance may escape, one Channel of Intelligence and yet pass in another, I thought it my duty sometimes to send your Excellency an Extract. In this View I have the Honour to send your Excellency, another Extract from a Letter of the 6th. of 144this Month.2 I pray your Excellency not to take the trouble to answer it. I have the Honour to be, with the greatest Respect and Consideration, your Excellencys most obedient and most humble servant
JA probably means Sartine's letter of 15 April (Adams Papers), since no letter of the 12th has been found. For the letter of 15 April as well as that of the 5th (Adams Papers), both of which were replies to JA's letter of 4 April (LbC, Adams Papers), see Thomas Digges to JA, 28 March, note 3; and William Lee to JA, 30 March, note 9 (both above).
The extract has not been found, but the content of Thomas Digges' letter of 6 April (above), makes it likely that it was taken from that letter.