Papers of John Adams, volume 14
t:Petersbourg
May 1
st.1783. O.S. [
12 May N.S.]
I sent to your Care by the last Post thrô this same Channel a Copy of the Memorial which I presented on the 27th. ult: to the Vice Chancellor, and of my Letter to him accompanying it.1 I now send you fair and complete Copies of them. If you shou'd not have forwarded the first Copy of the Memorial when this second comes to your hands, you will be pleased not to send it on at all, not only because it is in too slovingly a Condition, but it is incomplete also. If you will take the Trouble to compare them together, you will find that there is a material Paragraph omitted in the first, which closes my Reply to the second part of the Answer; relative to the Date of my Letter of Credence.2 I send a third Copy by this post to Messrs: De la Lande & Finje, to be fowarded from Holland; which perhaps may save Mr: Thaxter the Trouble of making out a Copy, as I had desired— The Memorial is a plain unadorned thing, but if the reasoning is just, I shall be satisfied with it: and I wish it may have the effect I think it ought to have.
Your Son has never written to me since his Letter from Copenhagen, thô he remained as I find by the publick prints, several days at 476Hamborough. I hear nothing of him since he left that place, but have no doubt he has safely arrived with you long before this time. I want his account of the Route &c which he has made, and which he promised to send me. It wou'd have been very useful to me, as I propose to take the same Route on my Return to America. The time of my Departure will depend upon the Answer I may receive to my Memorial. I have no intention to sacrifice another Year of my life, in the manner I have already done near Two Years of it in this Country. I hope Almighty God has created me for some more useful purpose. If not, I shou'd be ashamed of my Existence. I cannot write to you in confidence by this opportunity, and will thereof add nothing more than that I am with great Respect. &c &c
FC (MHi:Francis Dana Letterbooks, Private, 1782–1784); internal address: “(His Excelly J: Adams Minister Plenipotentiary &c.).”
For Dana's memorial of 8 May to Ivan A. Osterman and the 23 April conference to which it refers, see his letter of [9 May], note 2, above.
The copy of the memorial enclosed with Dana's [
9 May
] letter has not been found, but apparently it was identical to that sent to Osterman on [8 May] because Dana wrote to the vice chancellor on [10 May] and enclosed the missing paragraph (MHi:Francis Dana Letterbooks, Official, 1782–1784). Note, however, that the “omitted” paragraph is not in Dana's letterbook copy of the memorial. Unless, then, there was a draft that is not extant and from which the copies sent to JA and Osterman were made, the restored paragraph may have been an afterthought, done after the memorial was sent. For the passage, which noted that George III had agreed to negotiate with the American Peace Commissioners even though their commissions were dated long before he recognized American independence, see Wharton, Dipl. Corr. Amer. Rev.
, 6:414–415.
th.May 1783—
The Bills drawn by Congress in their necessities press very heavily upon me; and one of the greatest among many Evils attending them is the Confusion in which they have involved the Affairs of my Department— I have never yet been able to learn how many of these Bills have been paid nor how many remain due neither am I without my fears that some of them have received double Payment.—
To bring at Length some little Degree of order into this Chaos, after waiting till now for fuller Light and Information I write on the Subject to Mr. Barclay who will have the Honor to deliver this Letter and I send him a Copy of the enclosed Account. I have directed him to consult with your Excellency and obtain an Account of the Bills which have been paid and to transmit me an account of those and of such as remain due and to take Measures with you for 477Payment of the latter so as to prevent double Payment which I seriously apprehend. The enclosed Account will inform you that the Bills which are gone forward drawn on Mr. Lawrens and yourself amount to seven hundred and fifty three thousand, three hundred, and sixty four Guilders and two thirds—1
Let me intreat you Sir to forward these Views as much as possible for you will I am sure be sensible how necessary it is for me to know the exact State of our pecuniary Affairs, lest on the one Hand I should risque the public Credit by an excess of Drafts, or on the other leave their Monies unemployed while they experience severe Distress from the want—
I am Sir / with perfect Respect / Your Excellency's / most obedient / & / humble Servant
tMorris
RC (Adams Papers); internal address: “His Excellency John Adams Esqr. / Minister Plenipotentiary / of the United States.”
For the enclosed account, which is not with this letter in the Adams Papers, see Morris, Papers
, 8:26–27. JA replied on 5 July, saying that he would assist Thomas Barclay as best he could, although he was hampered by his papers being in the Netherlands (same, p. 250–252). Having received his own letter from Morris (same, p. 27–30), Barclay wrote to JA on 8 July to request the required accounts (Adams Papers). JA replied on the 9th, promising his cooperation, but cited again the absence of his papers (LbC, APM Reel 108). Finally on 23 Aug., presumably having accessed his papers while visiting the Netherlands in July and early August, JA sent Barclay an account of the bills he had paid from 1780 to 1783 (M/JA/18, APM Reel 192).