Adams Papers Digital Edition

Papers of John Adams, volume 16

To Benjamin Franklin

From William Temple Franklin
Thomas Barclay to John Adams, 1 August 1784 Barclay, Thomas Adams, John
From Thomas Barclay
Dear Sir, Paris 1. Augt. 1783— [1784]

I am favd. with your letter of the 19th. of last Month, and am Extremely glad to find your things have at length reach’d you— The few Articles that still remain shall Continue here untill you Come, as I do not think it will be right to put you to the Expence of Carriage—

Doctor Bancroft arrived from Philadelphia a few days ago.1 Mr. Jefferson is Certainly Joined in a Commission with you and Doctor Franklin to make Treaties with the Maritime Powers. He intends to Embark in the packet from New York, and as soon as he arrives it is Expected you will Come here—

There do’s Not look to be any appearance of the Doctor’s being recalled—though he often seems to long for it— Mr. Humphries who was one of General Washingtons aides when he resigned, is appointed Secretary to the Commissioners for Making the Treaties— I shall see the Chevalr. la lucern I expect to day, and if he brings any News of Consequence from America, I will send it by Next post to You—2 Congress had appointed a Committee to do business, and adjourned untill October then to meet at Trenton— Mr. Morris declared his Intention to Resign, and a Board of Treasury is to take up his department—

As you will Certainly be here in the Course of a few weeks, perhaps it may be as well to leave the final settlement of your account alone untill you Come—and in the Mean time I will prepare a State of it for your Inspection—

Mr. Jay is appointed Secretary for Foreign affairs— M. Ridley is Now here and returns to England in a few days, he informs Me I am Indebted to you 377 livres 5 sols, which I shall pay you when we meet— Commodore Jones is still here—

I am Very truly / Dear Sir— / Your affet

Thos Barclay

RC (Adams Papers); internal address: “Mr. Adams at the Hague—”; endorsed: “Mr Barclay / 1. Aug. 1784.” Filmed at 1 Aug. 1783.

 1.

Dr. Edward Bancroft returned to France on the same vessel that carried the Chevalier de La Luzerne (William Emmett O’Donnell, Chevalier de La Luzerne, Bruges, 1938, p. 248).

 2.

Anne César, Chevalier de La Luzerne, 287 French minister to the United States since 1779, took leave of Congress in a 21 April 1784 letter to the president, despite not having received a formal letter of recall from the Comte de Vergennes. He embarked for France a month later and reached Paris on 29 July. Not until early 1788 would Congress receive a formal notice of his recall, and then it was after La Luzerne’s appointment as ambassador to Great Britain (same, p. 248–249; Wharton, Dipl. Corr. Amer. Rev. , 6:794–795).