Papers of John Adams, volume 16

Joint Commission to Negotiate a Treaty of Amity and Commerce with Great Britain, 12 May 1784

Joint Commission to Negotiate a Treaty of Amity and Commerce with Great Britain

The United States in Congress Assembled

[12 May 1784]1

To all to whom these presents shall come or be made known—Send Greeting—

Whereas an intercourse between the Subjects of His Britannic Majesty and the Citizens of the United States of America founded on the principles of equality, reciprocity and friendship may be of mutual advantage to both Nations— Now therefore Know Ye that we reposing special trust and confidence in the integrity, prudence and ability of our trusty and beloved the honorable John Adams late one 208 of our ministers plenipotentiary for negotiating a peace and heretofore a delegate in Congress from the State of Massachusetts and Chief Justice of the said State—the honble: Docr. Benjamin Franklin our minister plenipotentiary at the Court of Versailles and late another of our ministers plenipotentiary for negotiating a peace and the honorable Thomas Jefferson a delegate in Congress from the State of Virginia and late Governor of the said State have nominated, constituted and appointed and by these presents do nominate, constitute and appoint them the said John Adams, Benjamin Franklin and Thomas Jefferson our ministers plenipotentiary giving to them or the majority of them full power and authority for us an in our name to confer, treat and negotiate with the Ambassador, Minister or Commissioner of His said Britannic Majesty vested with full and sufficient powers of and concerning a Treaty of Amity and Commerce to make and receive propositions for such Treaty and to conclude and sign the same, transmitting it to the United States in Congress Assembled for their final ratification. This Commission to continue in force for a term not exceeding two years from the date hereof—

In Testimony whereof we have caused the Seal of the United States to be hereunto affixed, Witness His Excellency Thomas Mifflin President this twelfth day of May in the Year of our Lord one thousand seven hundred and eighty four and of the Sovereignty and Independence of the United States of America the Eighth—

Thomas Mifflin Chas Thomson secy.

MS (Adams Papers); docketed by JA: “Commission to Adams Franklin / and Jefferson to / treat with Great Britain concerning Com / merce. / 12. of May 1784.”; notation: “England.”

On 11 May, in consequence of its 7 May resolution “that a commission be issued to Mr. J. Adams, Mr. B. Franklin and Mr. T. Jefferson, giving powers to them, or to the greater part of them, to make and receive propositions for such treaties of amity and Commerce, and to negotiate and sign the same, transmitting them to Congress for their final ratification; and that such commission be in force for a term not exceeding two years,” Congress resolved on the form of the commissions, all of which were to bear the date 12 May ( JCC , 26:362; 27:372–374). The commission printed here is an example of the twenty commissions issued by Congress on this date for treaties with European nations and the Barbary States. The others were Russia, Austria, Prussia, Denmark, Saxony, Hamburg, Spain, Portugal, Genoa, Tuscany, Rome, Naples, Venice, Sardinia, the Ottoman Empire, Morocco, Algiers, Tunis, and Tripoli. The commissions are virtually identical, except for the different formulas depending on the country for which each was issued and because of the copying process itself. For a detailed examination of what textual variations exist, see Jefferson, Papers , 7:262–265. The only other original 12 May commission in the Adams Papers is for the treaty with Portugal; for the others, see 209 MHi:Coolidge Collection. The commissions were enclosed with a 16 May letter from Charles Thomson to Thomas Jefferson and were carried by Jefferson when he sailed aboard the Ceres from Boston for France on 5 July. He reached Paris on 6 Aug. (Jefferson, Papers , 7:261–262, 312, 364). On 25 Aug. JA wrote to C. W. F. Dumas, below, and noted that our commissions “are as numerous as the sands.” For a later revision of the commissions to negotiate treaties with the Barbary States, see the 11 March 1785 letter from John Jay to the commissioners, and the joint commission to negotiate a treaty with Morocco of the same date, both below.

On 3 June 1784 Congress authorized three additional commissions for supplemental treaties with France, the Netherlands, and Sweden ( JCC , 27:530). This likely was done to avoid offending those nations, but the initial oversight was probably owing to the fact that relatively recent treaties existed between them and the United States. They were sent under cover of an 18 June letter from Thomson to the commissioners, below.

John Adams to Samuel Adams, 13 May 1784 Adams, John Adams, Samuel

To Samuel Adams

Dear Sir The Hague May 13. 1784

I have received your Letters by Mr Jackson and Mr Appleton. The former I answered Some days ago.—1 My Son who is going to London in hopes of meeting his Mother and Sister will convey this from thence.—2 I shall probably be fixed here, out of the reach of that Envy, which you prophecy whose Power I never felt or dreaded untill I Saw Europe.—

There are little Fermentations in the Courts of Europe, and Some Appearances of Jealousies between the two Imperial Courts and the House of Bourbon which Some People apprehend will disturb the publick Tranquility but I hope otherwise.

I was received in London very politely by Governor Pownal, who talked much of visiting America. If he comes I hope he will be received with Respect. He has done good service to our Cause, by Some of his Writings.

Let me hear from you as often as you can.

Yours Affectionately

John Adams.

RC (NN:George Bancroft Coll.); internal address: “Hon. Samuel Adams”; endorsed: “John Adams— / At the Hague May 13. 1784.”

The letter carried by Jonathan Jackson was of 4 Nov. 1783 (vol. 15:341–344), which JA had answered with two letters dated 1 and 4 May 1784, both above. The letter carried by “Mr Appleton” was probably that of 4 Feb. (Adams Papers), wherein Samuel Adams introduced “the Son of Mr Nathl Appleton,” probably John Appleton whom AA saw in London in July ( AFC , 5:372, 384).

JQA wrote to his friend Peter Jay Munro at Paris on “Friday May: 14th 1784. Noon” that “I am going in about two hour’s to set out for London … to wait the arrival of my Mother and Sister who I Expect will arrive there soon” (NNMus). JQA went first to Hellevoetsluis, from which he sailed on 15 May, reaching London on the 17th ( AFC , 5:327). The journey to London led JA to write to Richard & Charles Puller on 14 May, requesting them to furnish funds to “the Bearer of this Letter, Mr. John Quincy Adams …, who will be in London about a 210 month or Six Weeks” (LbC, APM Reel 107). JQA reported his arrival in his 18 May letter to JA, but, as the editors indicate there, it is unclear why JA expected the imminent arrival in England of AA and AA2 on the Gloucester Packet, Capt. John Callahan ( AFC , 5:327–328). In any case, JQA wrote to JA on 1 June that “Callahan has arrived; has had a delightful passage, but in lieu of our ladies, has only brought some letters” ( AFC , 5:335–337). JQA returned to The Hague on 28 or 29 June in company with Winslow Warren, who had arrived on Callahan’s vessel with letters from Tristram Dalton of 6 April, above, and AA of 12 April ( AFC , 5:317–320), which JQA had forwarded with his 1 June letter (to James Warren, 30 June, below).