Papers of John Adams, volume 12

From Adrianus Dubbeldemuts

From John Jay

Adrianus Dubbeldemuts to John Adams: A Translation, 18 March 1782 Dubbeldemuts, Adrianus JA

1782-03-18

Adrianus Dubbeldemuts to John Adams: A Translation, 18 March 1782 Dubbeldemuts, Adrianus Adams, John
Adrianus Dubbeldemuts to John Adams: A Translation
Rotterdam, 18 March 1782 Your Excellency

It has been a long time since I had the honor of writing to your Excellency.1 During this time there was really nothing of importance to write to you about. Although I am sure that your Excellency has already been informed of the merchants’ intentions in Amsterdam, Rotterdam and elsewhere, I believe that I can be of use to you by sending you a copy of the merchant committee’s petition of this city, of which I am a member, that was presented to our magistrate last Saturday.2 The Damermeer Gazette mentioned it today, but gave an inaccurate account. I hope that your Excellency will excuse the liberty I have just taken to which I would like to add my desire for your response. If your Excellency would give me his thoughts on this, I will try, as much by my own zeal as by the desire that our city’s committees and the merchants in general have, to unite us with your republic, which I hope achieves its desired success.

Since letters to my address sometimes arrive unsealed, I take the liberty of asking you, sir, if our messenger could come to your residence at the Hague three times a week to request orders. This man can come on Tuesdays, Thursdays, and Saturdays around 2 o’clock in the afternoon.

I have the honor to be, with the deepest respect for your Excellency, the very humble servant A Dubbeldemuts

RC (Adams Papers); endorsed: “Mr Dubbledemutts 18 March. ansd 22. 1782.”

1.

The last letter from Rotterdam merchants Franco and Adrianus Dubbeldemuts was 27 June 1781 (Adams Papers), for which see JA’s letter of 21 June, note 2 (vol. 11:381).

2.

The enclosed petition from the Rotterdam merchants, ca. 16 March, is not in the Adams Papers. JA included an English translation in his letter of 19 March to Robert R. Livingston, calendared below, and reprinted the translation in A Collection of State-Papers, 1782, p. 45–46.