Papers of John Adams, volume 14
e.Avr. 1783
Notre bon Ami, Mr. De Gyzelaar, en vous présentant ses complimens, me charge de vous demander vos meilleures recom̃andations pour un hom̃e de Lettres, dont il fait grand cas, Mr. Boinod, Suisse, qui a élevé les Enfans de Mr. Gevaers, excellent Patriote, nom̃é & élu depuis peu Bourguemaître à Dort. Mr. Boinod se propose de partir dans peu pour Philadelphie, avec un Associé & un Garçon Relieur, & d'y établir une Librairie françoise. Mr. le Duc de la Vauguyon a remis en partant une Lettre en sa faveur à Mr. le Chev. De la Luzerne. Il sera pareillement recom̃andé à Mr. Van Berckel; & Mr. De Gyzelaer lui a fait espérer, que V. Exce. voudra de son coté accréditer son entreprise.1
Vous verrez, Monsieur, dans l'incluse, ce qui s'est passé entre Mr. Fagel & moi.2
Il y aura Samedi 26 un grand festin à Amsterdam, à l'honneur de Mr. De Capelle du Pol & de Mr. Van Berckel le Pensionaire. Mr. son frere & Mr. De Gyzelaer s'y trouveront aussi; & le Buste de Barneveld, dit-on, y présidera.—3 Le Lundi suivant Mr. Van Berckel & sa future se feront inscrire, c'est-à-dire marier à la Maison de Ville, & quinze jours après ils seront bénis, &c.
Jacob n'est pas encore arrivé.
Je suis avec grand respect, De Votre Exce. / le très-humble & trèsobéis- / sant serviteur
Translation
Our good friend Mr. Gyselaar presents his compliments and asks you to provide your best recommendation for a man of letters whom he values highly: Mr. Boinod, a Swiss gentleman who was tutor to the children of Mr. Gevaers, an excellent patriot, recently elected Burgomaster of Dordrecht. Mr. Boinod intends to leave shortly for Philadelphia, together with a colleague and a bookbinder, and start a French bookstore there. In parting, the Duc de La Vauguyon sent a letter on his behalf to the Chevalier de La Luzerne. He will be similarly recommended to Mr. Van Berckel, while Mr. Gyselaar has given him cause to hope that your excellency too will lend credence to his enterprise.1
The enclosed letter will show you what took place between Mr. Fagel and me.2
On Saturday the 26th there will be a grand banquet in Amsterdam in honor of Mr. Van der Capellen tot den Pol and Mr. Van Berckel the pensionary. Mr. Van Berckel's brother and Mr. Gyselaar will be there too—and the bust of Oldenbarnevelt, they say, will preside.3 The following Monday Mr. Van Berckel and his intended will be registered—that is to say, married—at the town hall, and fifteen days later they will receive the nuptial blessing etc.
Jacob has not yet arrived.
I am with great respect, your excellency's very humble and very obedient servant
RC (Adams Papers); internal address: “Paris à S. E. Mr. Adams M. P.”
JA recommended Boinod to Thomas Mifflin in a letter of 28 April, below, but see also the 16 March letter from Jacobus and Jan Anthony Murray, and note 1, above.
Probably Dumas’ 18 April letter to Robert R. Livingston containing a 23 April postscript describing that morning's meeting with Fagel (Wharton, Dipl. Corr. Amer. Rev.
, 6:383–384). As described, the meeting was very much in line with Dumas’ intentions as expressed in the final paragraph of his 22 April letter, above.
For JA's comments on the Dutch statesman and martyred “immortal Patriot” Johan van Oldenbarnevelt, see vol. 10:177, 354, 355, 438.
l.1783.
Above ten Daies after its date I was honor'd with your favor of the 10th. instant, & am indeed apprehensive with you, that America has lost the favorable moment for establishg a desirable commercial connection with Great Britain; but this is not the only, nor the greatest, mischief that has flow'd upon us from the same Source.
you will by this time be able to judge of the dispositions of the new British Ministry & of the new Negociator, therefore it is needless for me to say any thing with respect to them, especially as you are so well acquainted with their Character; I will only observe, that self important Men, are generally pleased when they are allowed to think, that other Men have as high an opinion of their Abilities & Importance as they have themselves.
It appears unnecessary now to trouble Mr. Dana with any Observations on the subject of a Treaty with the Emperor, as I am told that his Majesty has already named a Minister to go to Congress & I beleive that some conversation has been already, or soon will be, held with you Gentlemen at Paris on the Subject, & as I conjecture that it will be communicated to the Cte. de V. you may easily immagine into what Channel he will endeavor to turn the business.1
You cannot have a higher opinion of Mr. Saml. Adams than I have, for he was long before I left London my constant Toast as the American Aristides; but as to Dr. Franklin, I am convinced, that with all his Art &c, he wou'd soon sink into total oblivion like his friend Silas Deane, if the expenditure of the Public Money was taken out of his hands, & his adversaries were to cease talking of him, unless they mean to bring him to a Public Tryal for his enormous misdeeds. I know him too well, to suppose for a moment, that he wou'd pay a single Livre of his own money, to any little insignificant French Novellist for ranking him with the Gods.—
I propose to embark for Virginia in three weeks from this time, but in order to make my passage convenient I have been obliged to purchase a Ship will you therefore be so good as to inform me whether an American Passport will be necessary or useful, & if it is, can I request the favor of you to send me a Blank one.
I cou'd wish to know whether American Vessels will now be admitted into the Havannah, or any other of the Spanish Ports in the West Indias.2
Shou'd the definitive Treaty of Peace; between G. Britain & Am—be sign'd, before I go, you will greatly oblige me by a communication of the Event, if there is no political reason that forbids your doing so.
With the highest Respect & Consideration I have the Honor / to be—Sir / Your most Obliged & Obedt.— / Hb̃le Servt.—
RC (Adams Papers); internal address: “His Excellency, John Adams Esqr. / at Paris—”
An unfounded rumor, as Austria and the United States did not exchange ministers until 1838.
JA replied on 1 May that no passport was necessary and that he knew of no restriction on American ships entering Havana or any other Spanish port (LbC, APM Reel 108). Lee sailed from Ostend on 30 June aboard the Virginia, Capt. Robertson, and reached Virginia on 25 Sept. (Letters of William Lee, ed. Worthington Chauncey Ford, 3 vols., Brooklyn, N.Y., 1891, 3:945–946).