Adams Family Correspondence, volume 10
I Yesterday dined in Company with M. Talleyrand de Perigord and Mr Beaumez, the former late Bishop of Autun and both Members of the late Constituent assembly in France.1
Talleyrand made the Motion for confiscating the Property of the Clergy: which, has made him so obnoxious to the Court of Vienna, 163 that they have persuaded the British Court to order him out of England although he had been previously obliged to quit France.
There is at present a great Number of Men of Talents in this Country Fugitives from switzerland France &c &c as well as England scotland & Ireland. These will do Us more harm than good, if We are not upon our Guard. I shall be at home by the middle of June, I hope. Thomas is on the Circuit.
tenderly Yours
RC (Adams Papers); internal address: “Mrs A.”
Charles Maurice de Talleyrand-Périgord and Bon Albert Briois de Beaumez came to the United States in spring 1794 to gain information about business opportunities there, both for themselves and for friends and colleagues back in Europe. Together they traveled through the northern United States as far north as Maine and into western New York. They remained in America until 1796, when Talleyrand returned to France and Beaumez left for India.
Talleyrand (1754–1838) had been the bishop of Autun but renounced his religious appointment to serve in the French revolutionary government and became ambassador to Britain in 1792. He later advised Napoleon on foreign affairs and became one of the most influential European diplomats of his time. Beaumez (1759–1800) had accompanied Talleyrand to London and also served in the French Constituent Assembly. He later became a merchant in India (Talleyrand in America as a Financial Promoter, 1794–96, transl. and ed. Hans Huth and Wilma J. Pugh, N.Y., 1971, p. 5–6, 13, 19–22; Bosher, French Rev.,
p. lviii).
dMay, [
1794]
The return of some Gentlemen of the Philadelphia Bar gives me an opportunity of droping you a few lines; The Court has been engaged in many important trials, & contrary to their expectations are obliged to meet this day— Mr: Ingersoll however intends making part of the Journey, to Lancaster this afternoon; To prevent an interference of the Court of Com Pleas & the Supreme Court in Lancaster Coun[ty.] the arrangement is such that the Supreme [Cour]t passes Lancaster for York, & returns to Lancaster a week afterwards
I have passed a pleasant week— the County of West Chester is cheifly inhabited by Quakers, but I do not find that their doctrine of forbearance, has much tendency to diminish the number of Law suits, for I am told that in proportion to numbers there is as much business here as in any other long settled County— Most of the trials in County Courts are concerning Lands; a majority of trials this Court have been Ejectments. The Country about this place is very delightful—the Season of the year is uncommonly favorable to
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inspire pleasing impressions; but independant of this, there are natural properties such as richness of Soil—situation &ca: sufficient to justify my admiration. If the expression is alowable I would say that the Country is uniformly uneven, Verdant Hills, & cultivated Dales are the prominent figures of a variegated Landscape, and if I were not fearful of growing Poetical I would endeavor to enlarge the description; the land is said to be in general good— I have viewed it in almost every direction from this place a few miles round & I never was in a Country that pleased me more— U[pon] average I am told Land in this Count[ry costs?] 6 or 7 Pounds; just round the town a Lot [sells?] for £100 Pr Acre, but this is no rule for finding the value of a whole Plantatation. As to the town itself, nothing very striking or observable differ’s it from other towns where there is a Court House five or six taverns, a Jail & from 40 to 50 Houses— it is situated high, and is said to be very healthy—
I must not forget my little Mare, whose merits are so great that I am much in love with her— she travels well—is perfectly sure footed, & by no means vicious; I hope her virtues may increase as they have allready expanded upon acquaintance—
I shall be at York Town next week, where a Letter from you would be particularly agreeable to / Sir / your dutiful Son
RC (Adams Papers); addressed: “The Vice President of the United States / At Mr: Otis’s / High Street / Philadelphia”; internal address: “Vice President.”; endorsed: “T.B.A. 3. May / Ansd. 6. 1794.” Some loss of text where the seal was removed.