Papers of John Adams, volume 21
th.1796
I arrived at this place the Evening before you left it
and found when I came into the Senate that our first Business was to choose
a President pro Tempore— We chose Mr.
Livermore—
Yesterday the Senate advised the President to ratify the
explanatory Article which had been sent them while you was here,1 and this morning I have been
preparing to return homeward by the Thursday Stage when behold Mr. Langdon has made his Appearance with whom you
may remember I paired off, he too complains that he was sent for and how
long we shall stay here is uncertain— The Doorkeeper has handed to me the
inclosed Letter to be returned to you—2
Be kind enough to present my Respects to Mrs. Adams & beleive me to continue with
sincere Respect & attachment / your obedt.
& Hb̃le servt
RC (Adams Papers); internal address: “The Vice President—”
With protracted debate over the Jay Treaty coming to
a close, the British chargé d’affaires Phineas Bond drew attention to a
potential conflict between Art. 3 of the Jay Treaty and Art. 8 of the
Treaty of Greenville, which would have called for British merchants to
seek special licenses from the U.S. government in order to trade with
Native peoples. A new explanatory article, introduced by the president
and ratified by the Senate on 9 May, mandated that “no stipulations in
any treaty subsequently concluded by either of the contracting parties
with any other State or Nation, or with any Indian tribe, can be
understood to derogate in any manner from the rights of free intercourse
& commerce secured” by Art. 3 (Washington, Papers,
Presidential Series
, 20:100–101).
The enclosure has not been found. Irish-born James
Mathers (1750–1811) served as doorkeeper of the U.S. Senate from 1789
until his death (
AFC
, 11:151).