Papers of John Adams, volume 14
thFeb
y:1783
We are induced to take the freedom to write to your Excellency from a presumption that our complicated situation will Justify the liberty— In short Sir we have several Ships on hand, but are entirely suspended in our opperations for the want of an eclaircessment respecting the extent of our commercial connection with England— We therefore hope your Excellency will favor us with your answer to the following questions, per return of Post if possible—Vizt:
Can American Vessels be Receiv'd in the Ports of England immediately after Peace is ratified? and if they will then be protected in the Ports of America with English Manufactored goods—?
We are told Congress are about contracting with the fermiers General to pay off the Continental debt in Tobacco,1 and shou'd this be the case we beg leave to crave your Excellency's patronage, We have been in treaty with the fermiers nearly Eighteen Months one of them dined with us lately in Nantes. and gave us some flattering expectations— Should they make application to your honour, and your knowledge of us can Justify your recommendation in our favour, we will pledge our honour, that you will never have cause to regret your confidence. and we shall esteem ourselves equally Indebted, whether we succeed or not— We think it apropos to observe that no American house in Europe receiv'd so large Consignments of Tobacco as ourselves in the course of the last Year, and we may add without flattery. no one better situated for Strict regularity and dispatch—2
We are with every sentiment of respect / your Excellency's— / Most Obedt. and very h'me Servants
RC (Adams Papers); internal address: “The Honble: John Adams Esqr. / Paris—”
On 24 March 1777 Benjamin Franklin and Silas Deane signed a contract with the Farmers General for a loan of two million livres to be paid for by shipments of tobacco, half the money to be advanced immediately. The second million was never paid, and by the date of this letter the Farmers General had received tobacco valued only at 153,229 255livres. In July the Farmers General wrote to Franklin to demand payment, but when Congress considered the request in November, it thought it inappropriate to enter into commercial transactions to discharge the debt, proposing instead that the debt be repaid using whatever revenues were available to Congress for the purpose. However, no payments had been made prior to the dissolution of the Farmers General in 1791 (Jacob M. Price, France and the Chesapeake, 2 vols., Ann Arbor, Mich. 1973, 2:714–715;
JCC
, 25:792–793).
Watson & Cossoul was founded by Elkanah Watson, a young merchant from Massachusetts who had apprenticed with John Brown of Providence, and François Cossoul, a Nantes merchant. Watson, who first went to Europe in 1779, had exchanged letters with JA in 1780, beginning a sporadic correspondence that would continue through 1825 (vol. 9:32–34, 256–257, 276–278). Initially prosperous, by late 1783 the firm was bankrupt and dissolved. Watson and Cossoul moved their business to the Americas, establishing operations in Edenton, N.C., and Haiti (
DAB
). In his reply of 16 Feb., JA indicated his belief that American ships would be received in either British or U.S. ports without passports. He added that he would keep the firm's request in mind if contacted by the Farmers General (LbC, APM Reel 108).
th.February. 1783—
I have recd. this morning the letter you did me the honor to write me the 31st. January, & knowing nothing of Mr: Harras I opened the letter to him according to your express desire. The letter enclosed I shall send by the first opportunity to America. The letter to Mr: Harras I shall seal again & send to the Hague—but I know nothing of such a person—.
The Bill of exchange you speak of I have never recd. nor before heard of. I suspect you may have been imposed on—1
I am very anxious abt. a young American of 15. or 16. years of age, who was to have passed thro’ Hamburg to the Hague, in Decr: or Jany: but I've heard nothing of him— He was at Stockholm the beginning of Decer: since wh: I have heard nothing of him. If you have heard any thing of him at Copenhagen, Hamburg, or elsewhere, you will oblige me much to let me know it—
I am, Sir, / yr:—
LbC in Charles Storer's hand (Adams Papers); internal address: “Mr: Hagau. Chargè / des Affaires du Consulat / de France— / Hamburgh.—”; APM Reel 108.
In his letter of 31 Jan. (Adams Papers), Lagau, chargé d’affaires of the French consulate at Hamburg, forwarded a letter to an otherwise unidentified Charles Harras. That letter presumably contained the bill of exchange that JA mentions here. For the circumstances that led Lagau to supply Harras with a substantial amount of money and the denouement of the affair, which confirms JA's suspicion that the French diplomat had “been imposed on,” see Lagau's letters of 14 and 28 Feb. and letters exchanged by Dumas and JA of 18 and 23 Feb., respectively, all below.