Papers of John Adams, volume 14

To Robert Morris, 6 November 1782 Adams, John Morris, Robert
To Robert Morris
Sir Paris Nov. 6. 1782

Captain Barney, arrived here, on the fifth Instant with the Letters you did me the Honour to write me on the 23. 25. 27 September and 7 of October.—1 Captain Barney Shall have all the Attention due to his Character and Recommendation.— Mr Paulus,2 has not asked the Kind of Assistance you mention in my name, I hope.— in all Such Cases I mean only an Introduction and to ask the Hospitality, which you delight to Shew to Strangers.

I have transmitted from the Hague my Accounts, Some time ago, which I presume have arrived before now.—3 I have not transmitted the Account of the Bills I accepted in Holland, having transmitted them from time to time to Dr Franklin who paid them, and will consequently transmit them as his Vouchers and in his accounts.— I will however transmit them, upon my Return to the Hague, if it is necessary, but there is nobody now there who can do it and I cannot do it here.

your Arrangement by which I was to draw upon Dr Franklin for my Salary, I Suppose was made, upon a Supposition that I had 33obtained no Money in Holland.— I cannot do this without an additional and unnecessary Commission, to the Drs Banker, and therefore would wish to recieve it from Messrs Willinks &c at Amsterdam. The Dr So far from having Cash to pay my Salary is calling upon me to pay the Interest of the French Loan of Ten Millions in Holland, and even to pay Bills you draw upon him.—4 I must however obey the Resolutions of Congress and have as little to do with Money as possible.

I am much obliged to you for the Copies of your Letters to Congress and to Dr Franklin.5 They are masterly Performances, and let us far into the State of our Affairs.— I have communicated them to the Marquis de la Fayette, and propose to consult with the Dr upon them immediately. I would return to Holland, and apply to the States if necessary: But I cannot rely upon any Influence of my own, nor what is much greater the Influence of our Cause, or the common Cause, enough to give you hopes of Success.— if you Suppose that my Loan of five Millions is full, you are mistaken. The Direction will inform you how much is obtained, not yet two Millions of guilders to be Sure. I fear not more than one and an half. There are so many Loans open, for France, Spain, England Russia and almost every other Power—for the States General the States of the Separate Provinces, the East and West India Companies, Several of which under the Warranty of the States, and these are pushed with such Art and Ardour, that I cannot promise you any Success. There is Scarcely a Guilder but what is promised before hand. France and Spain as well as England are so pressed for Money, that I know not what to hope for.6

The King of G. Britain has acknowledged the Sovereignty of the United States, but whether any Thing more will follow from it, than a few Efforts to get Something to excuse the further Prosecution of the War, and to Silence Clamours I know not.— It is to me, very clear that the British Ministry do not intend to make a Peace with France Spain and Holland this Year, and America will not make a Separate Peace, if England would come to her Terms, which in my present Opinion the present Minister does not intend.— The Probability is, that he intends to evacuate New York, but whether to go against the French or Spaniards is the Question.— If the French and Spaniards permit them to evacuate New York, a good Riddance for Us, but they will do Mischief or at least give Trouble and cause great Expence.— France might have taken them all Prisoners, with the Utmost Certainty and Ease, but choose to go against Jamaica 34and Gibraltar, and met with the Success that every Man who knew those Places, and the Attachment of the English to them foresaw.

With great Esteem, I have the Honour to be

LbC (Adams Papers); internal address: “Robert Morris Esqr. Minister of State / for the Department of Finances.”; notation by John Thaxter: “Delivered to Capt. Barney original / & Duplicate, the former to go by / himself & the latter by Capt Hill / of the Cicero Paris Novr. 13–1782”; APM Reel 108.

1.

No letter of the 23d has been found, but there were two letters of 25 September. For those letters, and that of 27 Sept., see vol. 13:491–492, 496–497. For Robert Morris’ letter of 7 Oct. (Adams Papers), see Morris, Papers , 6:522.

2.

For Peter Paulus, a Dutch immigrant for whom JA had written letters of introduction, see vol. 12:443, 445.

3.

JA's accounts were enclosed in his letter of 7 Sept. to Robert R. Livingston, which Congress received on 10 Feb. 1783 (vol. 13:442–447; PCC, No. 185, III, f. 54).

4.

Robert Morris mentioned JA's salary in his first letter of 25 Sept. (vol. 13:491, 492, note 2), but the order to draw on Franklin for its payment was contained in Lewis R. Morris’ letter of 6 July (same, p. 165–166). In Franklin's letter of 15 Oct. (same, p. 531–532) he requested that JA pay the interest on the French loan, to which JA replied on 1 Nov., above.

5.

These were enclosed in Robert Morris’ letter of 27 Sept. and included a copy of his letter to Benjamin Franklin of the same date (same, p. 497).

6.

For the loan's progress through October, see the 15 Nov. letter from Wilhem & Jan Willink, Nicolaas & Jacob van Staphorst, and De la Lande & Fynje, and note 1, below.

From Robert R. Livingston, 6 November 1782 Livingston, Robert R. Adams, John
From Robert R. Livingston
No: 12 sir, Philadelphia 6th. Novr. 1782.

The scene of Action is so entirely transfered to your side of the Atlantick that scarce any occurance among us at present is sufficiently interesting to furnish matter for a publick Letter. The Resolutions which have from time to time evinced the steady Determination of Congress in no event to Relinquish the great Object of the War or to think of Peace but in Connection with their Allies have been already transmitted you—1 the military force on both sides is perfectly Unactive by the enclosed extracts from Genl. Carlton & Genl— Washingtons Letters you will see that the first is so bent on peace that notwithstanding the opinion of his superiors he does not see, that the War has any longer an Object, it is high time that he disownes them for their Conduct is a Right Disownal of him.2

The clauses of the Commission to Mr. Fitzherbert which are designed to enclude us are Strong indications of the extream Reluctance of the British to give up their supposed Dominion over this Country you have great credit with me for the Judgment you have formed from time to time of the Court of Britain your opinions sometimes runs counter to those generally received.3

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Nothing can be more conformable to my Wishes than the Instructions you transmitted keep up that Spirit in—and we have nothing to fear from that Quarter [but]4 lengthy negotiations even after they shall Commence in earnest.

We have got no Accounts of the Evacuation of Charlestown,5 as that Event begins daily to grow more uncertain, such is the Inconstancy of the Enemy that one may as well predict what appeareance a cloud will put on two hours hence by our knowledge of the Wind as reduce their Conduct to any settled shape by knowing their professions— but the Troops have gone into Winter Quarters at West Point— The French have marched to the Eastward to be nearer their Fleet which lies at Boston— part of the British Fleet consisting of fourteen sail of the Line & Eight Frigates excluding a ship of 40 Guns Sail'd from New York the 26th: Inst. they have such a decided Superiority in the American Seas that if they had Correspondent Land Forces or knew how to apply those they keep koop'd up in America they might Render themselves very formidable in the West Indies This however is I hope an evil which will be e’er long Remedied— Bills for the Amount of your salary from Jany. last have been Regularly transmitted to Doctr: Franklin— You will Receive with this the Amount of the last Quarter ending the 1st. Octr. Morris my secretary will enclose you a state of your Account—6 I should be glad you would Acknowledge the Rect. of these monies as they come to hand— Since I [s]tand charged with them in the Treasury Books—The Enclosed Resolutions will shew you that Mr. Boudinott has succeeded Mr. Hanson president of Congress7

I have the honour to be Sir, / Your Most Ob Hum: Servt

Robt R Livingston

RC and enclosures (Adams Papers); endorsed by John Thaxter: “No. 12. / Mr. Secy. Livingston / 6th. Novr. 1782.”; by JA: “ansd. 23 Jan. 1783.” Dupl (Adams Papers). Dupl (MHi:John Adams, Embassy MSS). For the enclosures, see notes 1, 2, and 6.

1.

This is Livingston's first letter to JA since 15 Sept. (vol. 13:465–468) and is a belated reply to JA's 18 Aug. letter (see note 3) that reached Congress on 17 Oct. (PCC, No. 185, III, f. 45). Livingston here refers to Congress’ resolutions of 3 and 4 Oct. (see vol. 13:509, 510), but if they were communicated earlier, the means by which JA received them is unknown. Livingston, however, likely enclosed additional copies, for with this letter in the Adams Papers are copies of both resolutions, together with another of 17 Oct. by which Congress instructed its diplomats in Europe to “transmit full and frequent communications as well of their proceedings with the courts at which they respectively reside as of those which relate to negotiations for peace” ( JCC , 23:663).

2.

Livingston refers to Washington's letter of 8 Sept. and Carleton's reply of the 12th, extracts from which are with this letter in the Adams Papers. In his letter, Washington asked Carleton whether his repeated assertion “that all hostilities stand suspended,” 36included operations on land and sea, and particularly those in the Northwest Territory. Carleton replied that the suspension might be more accurately described as “partial,” but then wrote, “yet I must at the same time frankly declare to you that being no longer able to discern the object we contend for, I disapprove of all hostilities both by land & sea, as they only tend to multiply the miseries of Individuals, when the Public can reap no advantage by Success.” The inclusion of the extract of Washington's letter was presumably Livingston's decision, for the congressional order of 17 Oct. (a copy of which is in the Adams Papers), directed only that Carleton's letter be sent “to the ministers of the United States at Foreign Courts.”

3.

In this and the following paragraph, Livingston specifically responds to JA's letter of 18 Aug. (vol. 13:243–250). In this paragraph he refers to the Latin text of Alleyne Fitzherbert's commission, included in the letter, and JA's comment that the commission was ambiguous regarding negotiations with the United States. The following paragraph refers to text of the Dutch instructions to its peace negotiator, Gerard Brantsen, that JA also included in his letter.

4.

This was a copying error by Livingston's clerk. The missing word is supplied from the duplicate in the Adams Papers.

5.

Charleston was not evacuated until 14 Dec. (John Richard Alden, The South in the Revolution 1763–1789, Baton Rouge, 1957, p. 267).

6.

From Lewis R. Morris, 6 Nov., below.

7.

By this resolution of 4 Nov. ( JCC , 23:708), Elias Boudinot of New Jersey was elected president in place of John Hanson of Maryland. A copy is in the Adams Papers.