Papers of John Adams, volume 7
1778-09-04
Notre ami1 et moi nous nous proposons de faire faire un nouveau2 pas à sa Ville, plus grand encore, que les derniers qu'elle a faits; et nous espérons, s'il plait à Dieu de le bénir, et à vos ennemis de continuer à maltraiter cette Republique pour faire notre jeu bon, qu'il pourra nous conduire au grand et dernier, qui opereroit l'union parfaite des deux Soeurs. Pour cet effet, il faut garnir les mains de notre Ami d'une Piece de plus, outre celles qu'il a déjà par mon canal, afin qu'il puisse agir avec succès auprès de la partie de la Régence de sa Ville qu'il n'a pas encore entamée. Voici ce que c'est. Il faut, s'il vous plait, m'écrire, le plus promptement possible, une Lettre ostensible,3
dans laquelle soit renfermé, ou un projet de Traité général d'amitié et de Commerce, tel que vous le saurez être conforme au desir des Etats-Unis; ou une Déclaration, que la République est desirée de conclure avec les Etats-Unis, avec les changemens que requerra le local des Parties contractantes, un Traité pareil à celui de la France, qui pourroit servir en ce cas de base. J'ai communiqué cette idée au g——F——,4 qui, non seulement l'approuve parfaitement, mais qui trouve que je ne dois pas perdre un instant. Votre réponse, si vous me la faites d'abord, arrivera justement dans le temps que l'Assemblée des Etats d'Hollande se séparant, notre Ami sera à même d'aller mettre la chose tout de suite en train et sur le tapis dans sa ville. Ainsi, de grace, Messieurs, mettez-moi vite en état de battre ce fer pendant qu'il est chaud. L'idée est trés-heureuse, parce que dès-lors ce ne sera plus l'Amérique qui sollicitera, mais la Ville qui pressera la chose. Je puis vous assurer que notre Ami est aussi ardent que moi dans tout ceci. Il a composé une grande Piece, contenant les raisons de la Ville pour se refuser à l'augmentation des troupes, les contradictions dans lesquelles ils sont tombés tous ici dans leurs demandes et Lettres circulaires sur ce sujet, le vrai état et les vrais intéréts de cette Republique. La conclusion de cette Piece, qui sera présentée pour être insérée dans les Actes publics de la Republique, est de protester contre tout ce qui pourroit arriver au désavantage de la republique dans les conjonctures présentes.5 On a conseillé à Amsterdam aux Marchands d'Amsterdam, de se soumettre à pay double tonnage et poundage, afin de pouvoir equiper ainsi à leur dépens 15 vaisseaux de 4guerre, et se procurer une protection dont l'Etat les laisse manquer; et ils se sont prêtés à cela de la meilleur grace du monde; on a renvoyé à LL. hh. pp. plusieurs Marchands dont la propriété vient d'être saisie par les Anglois, pour demander d'être dédommagés. La France menace de ne plus admettre dans ses ports les caboteurs Hollandois, si la Republique souffre que les Anglois les prennent. On a réduit un grand Personnage6 absolument au silence, en lui certifiant l'inutilité parfaite de toute tentative ultérieure quant à l'augmentation; en faisant voir l'incongruité de faire promener pour rien les vaisseaux de l'Etat dans la méditerranée et ailleurs, pendant qu'il n'en reste pas un seul dans le Canal et dans la Mer du Nord, où sont les vrais pirates;7 en demandant ce qu'il falloit penser d'un Vaisseau de guerre tout neuf de 54 canons, consumé par les flames depuis peu de jours à Amsterdam au milieu des autres vaisseaux de l'Etat: car on soupçonne violemment les
J'ai vu les dernieres dépeches étrangeres. Il n'y a rien, dans 24 mortelles pages in folio, qui vaille une ligne de ce que je vous marque cidessus. Et quand il y auroit quelque chose qui valût l'Extrait, je n'en aurois plus le temps aujourdhui. Vous savez, Messieurs, que je suis seul, sans Clerc ni Secretaire sans moyens d'en tenir; mais avec le dévouement le plus parfait au service des Etats-Unis, et le respect le plus sincere pour vos personnes, Messieurs, Votre très-humble & très obéissant serviteur
1778-09-04
Our friend1 and I propose to undertake an initiative2 in regard to his town more ambitious than any yet attempted. With God's help and that of our enemies, who further our strategy by continuing to mistreat this Republic, we hope that it will lead us into the final, great phase of establishing a perfect union between the two sisters. To achieve this we must give our friend additional material, beyond what he has received from me, so that he can deal successfully with that part of his city's Regency that he has not yet approached. Here is what is needed. Please send me, as soon as possible, an ostensible letter3
in which should be enclosed either a proposal for a general treaty of amity and commerce, such as would conform to the wishes of the United States, or a declaration that the Republic is desired to conclude with the United States a treaty similar to that with France, which would serve as a basic model, and with such appropriate modifications as might be required by the locations of the contracting parties. I communicated this plan to the Grand Facteur,4 who not only approved it completely, but thinks that no time should be lost. Your response, if you send it at once, will arrive just as the Assembly of the States of Holland adjourns, and our friend will be able to begin proceed-5ings with his city immediately. Therefore, gentlemen, please be prompt and make it possible for me to strike while the iron is hot. The plan is very auspicious because then it would no longer be America soliciting, but the city pressing for it to happen. I can assure you that our friend is as enthusiastic as I am about this project. He has composed a most important document, which cites the city's reasons for refusing to increase the troops, the contradictions into which they have all fallen here in their demands and circular letters on the subject, and the true state and real interests of the Republic. The conclusion to this document, which will be offered for insertion in the Public Acts of the Republic, is a protest against all that might prove detrimental to the Republic in the present circumstances.5 The merchants of Amsterdam were advised, and readily agreed, to submit to paying double tonnage and poundage in order to equip, at their expense, 15 men-of-war to provide themselves with the protection not given by the State. Several merchants whose property was seized by the British have gone again to Their High Mightinesses to request compensation. France threatens no longer to admit the Dutch coasters into her harbors if the Republic tolerates their seizure by the British. This has reduced an important personage6 to complete silence by showing him the futility of any further attempt to increase the army and by pointing out the incongruity of having naval vessels idly cruise the Mediterranean and elsewhere when there are none left in the Channel and the North Sea, where the real pirates are.7 Also brought to his attention was the fact that a new man-of-war of 54 guns was consumed by flames a few days ago in Amsterdam amidst other Dutch warships. For this miserable deed the
I have seen the latest foreign dispatches. In 24 deadly dull pages in folio there is nothing worth a line more than what I have written above. And were there something worth an extract, I would not have time for it today. As you know, I am alone with neither clerk nor secretary nor any means to get one. But, with the most perfect devotion to the service of the United States and the most sincere respect for you, gentlemen, I am your very humble and very obedient servant
For
The initiative planned by van Berckel and Dumas was intended to obtain from the Regency of Amsterdam, the governing body of that city, a declaration in favor of a treaty between the Netherlands and the United States, which could then be used to influence the members of the States General. However, events were occurring that would materially affect the outcome of the initiative as well as future relations between the United States and the Netherlands.
On the same day that Dumas wrote the Commissioners, Jan de Neufville, an Amsterdam merchant, and William Lee, who was authorized only to function as American Commissioner to Berlin, were signing a draft treaty of amity and commerce at Aix-la-Chapelle (Wharton, ed., Dipl. Corr. Amer. Rev.
, 2:789–798). The 6draft had its origins in a meeting between Lee and Neufville at Frankfort, but received its major impetus from a conversation between Neufville and van Berckel that was reported by Dumas in a letter to Benjamin Franklin of 3 Sept. (PPAmP: Franklin Papers). Neufville approached van Berckel in hope of obtaining from Amsterdam's Regency a declaration supporting direct negotiations between the United States and the Netherlands on the subjects of amity and commerce. According to van Berckel, Neufville did so to facilitate the placing of a 700,000-florin loan that William Lee claimed to be empowered to raise as one of the American plenipotentiaries. Van Berckel, seeking to take advantage of the situation, but without consulting with the Regency, then informed Neufville that the Regency favored the establishment of the reciprocal benefits of amity and commerce between the Netherlands and the United States and, by implication, that it authorized direct negotiations on such matters.
It is unlikely that Dumas was aware of the ultimate effect of van Berckel's statement, but he was both concerned about the effect that the Lee-Neufville negotiations might have on his own efforts and mystified by Lee's reported claim to be one of the American plenipotentiaries. In the letter of the 3d he expressed his apprehensions, and later in letters of 8 and 11 Sept. (both PPAmP: Franklin Papers) to Franklin, the apprehensions of the French ambassador as well.
The results of the draft treaty justified Dumas' concerns. Neither of the negotiators was authorized by his government to conclude such an agreement, and the part played by Amsterdam was at variance with its position within the complex governmental system of the Netherlands. The response of Amsterdam came on 23 Sept. in a letter from van Berckel to the Commissioners (below) conveying the Burgomasters' decision as to the conditions under which a treaty between the United States and the Netherlands could be concluded. The Commissioners' reaction to the planned initiative, the draft treaty, and the Regency's reaction to the draft can be traced in the letters exchanged by the Commissioners and Dumas on 9 Sept., 2 and 10 Oct.; and in the Commissioners to William Lee, 22–26 Sept. (all below). When a copy of the draft was seized with Henry Laurens' effects in 1780, it served as a pretext for the British declaration of war against the Netherlands (Bemis, Diplomacy of the Amer. Revolution
, p. 160–161). It was used by JA as a model when he negotiated a treaty with the Netherlands in 1782.
For the retention of the word “ostensible” in translations, see vol. 6:51, note 3.
The Duc de la Vauguyon, French ambassador to the Netherlands, see vol. 6:50.
Entitled “Extract uit de Resolutien van de Vraedschap van Amsterdam” Resolutien van de Heeren Staten van Holland en Westvriesland (231 vols., 1524–1793), 1778, 2:884–901. Dumas' reference here and in other letters to the “Actes publics de la Republique” is not clear since the item was inserted in the resolutions of the province of Holland, rather than those of the States General. The document was further described by Dumas in a letter of the 7th to the Committee for Foreign Affairs (PCC, Misc. Papers, Reel No. 2, f. 330), a major portion of which was translated and printed in the Pennsylvania Packet of 14 Jan. 1779. See also Dumas' letters to the Commissioners of 9 Sept., 27 Oct., and 2 Dec. (all below).
Probably William V, the Stadholder, see vol. 6:51.
That is, there was little point in having naval vessels protect Dutch ships in the Mediterranean against the Barbary pirates, when the British were seizing them in the English Channel and the North Sea.
Left blank in MS. The object of Dumas' suspicions cannot be determined with certainty, but he may have been referring to the British or their agents.