Adams Papers Digital Edition

Papers of John Adams, volume 18

The American Commissioners to John Lamb

To the Abbés Chalut and Arnoux
378 The American Commissioners to Paul R. Randall, [7 July 1786] American Commissioners Randall, Paul R.
The American Commissioners to Paul R. Randall
Sir London June 29. 1786— [ 7 July 1786 ]1

We have written to Mr Lamb, to return to America without Loss of Time, either by the first Opportunity from any Port in Spain, or by the French Packett at L’Orient.— If You Should choose to Accompany him, We wish to accommodate you and therefore consent: but our Desire is rather that you Should come first to Paris & London that We may avail ourselves of an opportunity of conversing with you more particularly upon the Affairs of the United States with those of Affrica. We have written to Mr Lamb to furnish You with Cash from the Sum that remains in his Hands, to defrey the Expence of your Journey to Paris and London.

We have the Honour to be, Sir / your most obedient & most / humble servant

John Adams.

RC (DLC:Jefferson Papers); internal address: “Mr Randal.” LbC (Adams Papers); APM Reel 113.

 1.

Thomas Jefferson would have presumably signed this letter on 7 July if it had been sent on to Randall. The letter was drafted by JA, who then enclosed a signed fair copy with his 29 June letter to Jefferson for his signature (Jefferson, Papers , 10:79). By 5 July, when the letter arrived, Randall had reached Paris. Jefferson therefore retained the letter in his papers (from Jefferson, 9 July, below). See also the letter that JA drafted on 29 June to John Lamb at [7 July], the date on which Jefferson signed it, above.