Papers of John Adams, volume 11
1781-01-22
I could not return You the Papers, which Mr. Thaxter was so obliging as to deliver us early this morning, without giving You my best and sincerest thanks for the attention, You had in communicating to us so fresh and so important an intelligence.1 Our love for truth and liberty induced us, from the very beginning of the American Contest, the first (I dare say) amongst the European News-Writers, to relate with candour and fidelity every circumstance of the glorious struggle of the United States for their Rights and Independence: And as such I claim the continuation of your favours, not less than as being with great respect and a well-meant attachment, Honourable Sir, Your Excellency's Most obedient and very humble Servant
JA enclosed the “Papers” Luzac refers to in a letter to John Thaxter (not found), to which Thaxter replied on 23 Jan., reporting on his delivery of the items (
Adams Family Correspondence
, 4:69). Probably the material included the Maryland Gazette of 3 Nov., which Joshua Johnson enclosed with his letter of 9 Jan. (and note 2, above) and from which Luzac printed extracts in the Gazette de Leyde of 23 and 26 January. For additional items that JA may have enclosed, see John Bondfield's letter of 2 Jan., above, and Francis Dana's of 10 Jan., calendared above.