Papers of John Adams, volume 6
1778-06-27
Voici copie de la Lettre que je viens d'écrire à Mr. le G—— P——
“Monsieur, Le Traite d'amitié et de commerce entre la France et les Etats-Unis de l'Amérique m'a été envoyé. Quand il plaira à Votre Excellence de me prescrire le jour et l'heure ou il Lui seroit commode de me donner audience, je recevrai ses ordres avec le profond respect avec lequel je suis, &c.”
Avant de porter cette Lettre, je l'ai fait voir au g—— F——, qui l'a approuvee. A present j'attends que le G—— P—— me fasse dire quand il voudra me recevoir. Je Suppose que la curiosite ne lui permettra pas de differer longtemps.
J'ai bien supposé. En revenant de chez le g—— F——, j'ai trouvé le billet suivant, tout entier de la main du G—— P——.
“Monsieur, Ayant vu hier par votre Lettre, que le Traité 238d'Amitié et de Commerce entre la France et les Etats-Unis de l'Amérique vous a été envoyé, et que vous souhaitez de me voir, je vous prie, Monsieur, de vouloir vous rendre chez moi demain matin vers 8/12 ; heures. Je suis très parfaitement, Monsieur, Votre tres humble et très obéissant serviteur, P. Van Bleiswyk. Ce 28c Juin 1778.”
Je reçus hier au soir de la part de Mr. le Chev. Gd. le paquet dont vous m'avez favorise le 22e,.1 et dont j'ai lu, ou plutôt devore l'agréable contenu avec le plus grand intérêt. Après la Lettre que j'avois écrite au G—— P——, il n'y avoit plus moyen de reculer: aussi le g—— F——, a tout de suite dit qu'il falloit passer outre. J'irai done demain matin faire la communication du Traité, mais Seulement en le laissant lire, ou en le lisant, comme on voudra, sans en laisser prendre copie.
J'ai été chez le G—— P——. Il m'a rec, u avec la plus grande politesse. Je lui ai présenté le Traite, en le prévenant qu'il ne m'étoit pas permis pour le présent de le faire voir à d'autres qu'a lui et à notre Ami, comme à deux Ministres de la République, pour qui Mrs. les Plénipotentiaries des Etats Unis avoient la plus grande confiance et la plus haute estime. “Mais vous pouvez pourtant me le laisser un peu, n'est-ce pas?” me dit-il. Je l'assurai que tout ce qui étoit en mon pouvoir, et ma personne meme, étoit à sa disposition, mais que je le suppliois de considérer, que ceci étoit un dépot. Il n'insista pas; et ayant lu, il trouva “que c'étoit un Traité d'amitié et de Commerce comme tous les autres.” Je lui dis qu'on n'avoit pas voulu en faire un autre, et que la republique pouvoit en faire un pareil. Il me dit “qu'il y avoit sans doute des Articles secrets.” Je répondis “que cela ne seroit pas sans exemple, mais que je n'en savois rien.”2 Il parla “de l'irrésolution de la Cour de Madrid, et du peu de disposition de celle de Vienne à ecouter Mr. Lee.” Je m'enveloppai dans une parfaite ignorance de ce qui se traitoit dans les Cabinets. Il trouva que “le Traité ne garantissoit pas l'indépendance.” J'observai qu'il la supposoit, et que la déclaration que la France en avoit faite à toutes les Puissances, excluoit toute incertitude à cet égard.3 Il me parla de Mr. Franklin dans des termes qui manifestoient la plus haute estime, conĉue depuis longtemps déjà, et, a mot couverts, de sa bonne volonté pour le rapprochement des deux Peuples. Je lui offris, s'il avoit quelque desir de revoir le Traité, de le lui apporter aussi souvent qu'il voudroit. Il répondit que cela n'étoit pas 239nécessaire, sur-tout puisque je devois aussi le communiquer demain à notre ami. Je lui remis copie de la nouvelle manuscrite,4 avec promesse de lui faire des Extraits de celles, Messieurs, que vous m'enverrez a l'avenir. Il me témoigna que cela lui feroit plaisir. Il me parut plus réservé à la fin qu'au commencement; faché apparemment, de n'avoir pu faire voir le Traité au Prince, mais qui l'auroit fait voir a S. J. Y.&c.
J'attends ce soir Mr. V. Berkel. Les Etats d'Hollande S'assemblent demain.
On m'a envoyé d'Amsterdam quelques feuilles de la dédicace5 ci-jointe. J'ignore qui en est l'auteur: mais cela vaut incomparablement mieux que le voeu des nations.
Je m'occuperai à présent à extraire pour nos Gazettiers les papiers dont vous m'avez favorisé et suis avec respect Messieurs Votre tres humble & très obeissant serviteur
On vient de me Conner que la Ville d'Amsterdam a fait un Emprunt de 3000,000 de florins (6000,000 de Livres de France), qui a été rempli dans 2 ou 3 heures de temps. Tant mieux; voilà toujours autant d'argent dont les Anglois ne profiteront pas, pour faire hausser leurs fonds. Mais il faut que je sache encore pour quoi cet emprunt a été fait; et je le Saurai. Toujours, le fait est sûr.6
1778-06-27
Here is a copy of the letter I have just written to the Grand Pensionary.
“Sir: The Treaty of Amity and Commerce between France and the United States has been sent to me. When it will please Your Excellency to indicate the date and time when it would be convenient for him to grant me an audience, I will receive his orders with the profound respect with which I am, &c.”
Before sending this letter I showed it to the Grand Facteur who approved it. At present I am awaiting word from the Grand Pensionary as to when he will receive me. I suspect that curiosity will not permit him to delay very long.
I guessed right. Upon returning from the Grand Facteur I found the following note, entirely in the hand of the Grand Pensionary.
“Sir: Having seen by your letter of yesterday that the Treaty of Amity and Commerce between France and the United States of 240America has been sent to you and that you wished to see me, I suggest, sir, that you come tomorrow morning around 8:30. I am very respectfully, sir, your very humble and very obedient servant, P. Van Bleiswyck. 28 June 1778.”
Last night I received from the Chev. Grand the packet that you have favored me with of the lid,1 the agreeable contents of which I read or rather devoured with the utmost interest. After the letter I had written to the Grand Pensionary, there was no way of backing out; hence, the Grand Facteur said to proceed immediately, I shall, therefore, communicate the treaty tomorrow morning, but only permitting it to be read or reading it myself, as he chooses, without a copy being made.
I have been to the Grand Pensionary's. He received me with the utmost politeness. I presented the treaty and, at the same time, informed him that, for the time being, I was not permitted to show it to anyone but him and our friend: two ministers of the Republic for whom the Plenipotentiaries of the United States have great confidence and the highest esteem. “But,” he asked, “you can leave it with me for a short while, can't you?” I assured him that I and all that was in my power were at his entire disposal, but begged him to understand that this was entrusted to me. He did not insist and, having read it, said he found “that it was a Treaty of Amity and Commerce like all the others.” I told him that there had been no desire to conclude one that was different and that the Republic could make a similar one. He said to me “that there were without a doubt secret articles.” I replied “that it would not be the first time, but that I had no knowledge of any.”2 He then spoke “of the irresolution of the Court of Madrid and the slight disposition of that of Vienna to listen to Mr. Lee.” I cloaked myself in complete ignorance as to what transpired in the cabinets. He found “that the treaty did not guarantee independence.” I observed that it assumed it, and that the French declaration to all the powers had precluded any doubts in this regard.3 He spoke to me of Mr. Franklin in terms that manifested a high and longstanding esteem and, in covert terms, of his own goodwill toward the rapprochement of the two peoples. I offered, if he had any desire to reexamine the treaty, to bring it to him as often as he wished. He replied that it would be unnecessary, especially since I also had to show it to our friend tomorrow. I gave him a copy of the handwritten newsletter4 (nouvelle manuscrite) with the promise to provide him with extracts from those that you would send me in the future. He said that he would be very grateful. He seemed more reserved at the end than in the beginning, apparently upset because he could not show the treaty to the Prince, who would then show it to Sir Joseph Yorke, &c.
Tonight I expect to see Mr. V. Berkel. The Dutch States assemble tomorrow.
241I received from Amsterdam a few pages of the enclosed dedication.5 I am ignorant as to the author, but it transcends national interests.
I will occupy myself, at present, with extracting, for our gazeteers, articles from the papers that I had the honor to receive from you and am with respect, gentlemen, your very humble and very obedient servant
I have been told confidentially that the town of Amsterdam has borrowed 3,000,000 florins (6,000,000 French livres) which have been collected in two or three hours. Good, that is just so much money that will not go to the British to increase their resources. But I must, and will, find out why the borrowing was done. In any case, the fact is true.6
This packet has not been found; thus it is unclear why Dumas would consider withdrawing from his meeting with the Grand Pensionary. Nor is there any indication of the news that it contained, which Dumas provided the Grand Pensionary. Enclosed with this letter, however, was a page from the Gazette de Leyde of 30 June with two passages marked by “X's.” The first, an “EXTRAIT d'une Lettre particuliere de Paris du 22. Juin,” may have been taken from the Commissioners' letter and, in accordance with past practice, sent by Dumas to the Gazette. It announced the arrival in America of a small American fleet and its French escort and the rejection by the Continental Congress of the peace proposals submitted by the Carlisle Commission. The second passage, from Amsterdam and dated 27 June, gave an account of the engagement of 17 June between the Belle-Poule and the Arethusa.
Although Dumas may have been unaware of it, a secret article had been agreed upon and was ratified by the Continental Congress on 4 May. It provided that the King of Spain might adhere to the Franco-American alliance “at such time as he shall judge proper” (Miller, ed., Treaties
, 2:45–46).
Dumas was of course communicating the Treaty of Amity and Commerce and not the Treaty of Alliance, which, in Arts. 2 and 8, was much more explicit on the question of American independence (same, p. 36–37, 38–39). The very fact that France had signed two treaties with the United States constituted, however, a clear de jure recognition of the new nation as a sovereign, independent power, and France's official notification to Great Britain of its actions in a note of 13 March was in itself a very strong implied guarantee of American independence.
Dumas' exact meaning here is unclear. It seems likely that he did not give van Bleiswyck a copy of the Commissioners' letter of 22 June (see note 1, above), but rather only of the portion of that letter containing news from America; thus Dumas' reference to a newsletter.
Not found.
For Dumas' correction of this report of a loan, see his letter to the Commissioners of 3 July (below).