Papers of John Adams, volume 16
I have received your Favour of the 10th. as well as the two former, with their Inclosures.1 The first I Sent by Mr Tracy a Sure hand, by the Way of London, and the two Latter, I shall Send the Same Way by another private Hand, so that all three will go safe and as soon or sooner than by the Way of L’orient
The two Abbys who continue their freindly and brotherly Course of Life, very often enquire after your Welfare and desire me to present you their regards, and so do my Family to yours and Mrs Platt.2
your Dispatches look Warlike. I apprehend that our good Friends must be anxious. Bid them be of good Cheer. a War with them must become general, and therefore it is to be hoped the Emperor will not proceed to Extremities. it is the common Talk here, that France cannot See the Aggrandisment of the Emperor with Indifferance indeed both England and France have cause of Jealousy and Alarm at the Enterprise of opening the scheld and the Commerce of the Indies. I crossed from Dover to Calais, with an old Officer of a British Man of War, who Said to me, without knowing me, that he Saw by the Papers, the Dutch had agreed to open the Scheld. It is, Says he, a damned Stroke to England, for all the American Vessells will go there. He was mistaken in the Fact but judged rightly of the Consequence. indeed there is no nation more essentially interested in this than the English and therefore I conclude they will neither cooperate, aid, nor abet, the Emperor in the Design, and without their assistance in Cash, it will be difficult for him to enter into an extensive War. all this you See, goes upon the Supposition that England is not out of her Head, which is by no means certain.
With great Regard, I have the Honour / to be &c
RC (DLC:William Vans Murray Papers); internal address: “Mr Dumas.”; endorsed: “Auteuil près Paris 18e. 7be 1784 / Mr. J. Adams.” LbC (Adams Papers); APM Reel 107.
Prior to his 10 Sept. letter, above, Dumas had written to JA on 31 Aug. (for which see note 2 to JA’s letter to Dumas of the 25th, above) and 3 Sept., above.
The Abbés Arnoux and Chalut befriended JA soon after he first arrived in France in 1778 and subsequently became familiar with JQA, AA, and AA2 (JA, D&A
, 2:317; 4:59).
JA unexpectedly encountered Abigail Pyncheon Platt, wife of New York and New Haven merchant Jeremiah Platt, during a visit to Amsterdam in May 1784. Writing to JQA on 28 May, JA recalled knowing her in Boston before her marriage in 1780 and remarked that in meeting her, “I thought I met one of my family” (
AFC
, 5:334–335, 6:394; JQA, Diary
, 1:307).
e.7
br.1784
Com̃e le contenu de l’incluse ne m’a été confié que sous le Sceau du secret, vous voudrez bien, ainsi que Mess. vos Collegues, ne témoigner à personne, hollandois ou françois de l’avoir vu.1 Du reste, quand vous l’aurez cacheté, vous aurez la bonté de le faire acheminer par l’Orient sous couvert de Mr. Barclay.
Mes respects S.v.p. à Made. Adams & à Mess. Franklin & Jepherson.
Vous avez bien les complimens de Mr. Gr. que je vis hier au soir, & de Mr. De Berenger, que je vois tous les jours. Si voulez être régulierement & promptement informé de l’état des affaires concernant l’Escaut, il faudroit voir souvent Mr. Brantsen, que vous connoissez: car la prudence, & la parole d’honneur donnée, m’interdisent de vous faire parvenir ces intelligences, par la route que mes Lettres doivent tenir, aussi promptement & aussi détaillées que je voudrois. Je suis, avec grand respect, / De Votre Excellence, / Le très-humble & très / obéissant serviteur
As the contents of the enclosed were entrusted to me under the seal of secrecy, you and your colleagues would do well not to reveal to anyone, either Dutch or French, that you have seen them.1 Moreover, once you have sealed it, please be so kind as to dispatch it to Lorient in care of Mr. Barclay.
My respects please to Mrs. Adams and to Messrs. Franklin and Jefferson.
Regards to you from Mr. Gyselaar, whom I saw last night, and from Mr. Bérenger, whom I see every day. If you wish to be regularly and promptly informed of the state of affairs concerning the Scheldt, it would be necessary to see often Mr. Brantsen, whom you know, as prudence and my word 330 of honor, which I have given, forbid me from having this intelligence reach you by the route that my letters must take as promptly and in as much detail as I would like. I am, with great respect, your excellency’s very humble and very obedient servant
RC (Adams Papers); internal address: “A Son Excellence M. Adams M. P. des Et. Unis.”
Dumas enclosed his 18 Sept. letter to the president of Congress, in which he reported that the States General had two days earlier adopted a resolution in response to the 8 Sept. memorial presented by Laurent Bérenger, for which see Dumas’ 10 Sept. letter to JA, note 1, above. The States General’s resolution expressed appreciation for Louis XVI’s intercession with Joseph II and the hope that the king would be able to persuade the emperor of the injustice of his pretensions, but it also assured France that the Dutch Republic was open to an accommodation within reason (PCC, No. 93, III, f. 37–39;
Dipl. Corr., 1783–1789
, 3:515–516, 517–518).