Papers of John Adams, volume 9

To the Comte de Vergennes, 30 March 1780 JA Vergennes, Charles Gravier, Comte de

1780-03-30

To the Comte de Vergennes, 30 March 1780 Adams, John Vergennes, Charles Gravier, Comte de
To the Comte de Vergennes
Sir Paris March 30th 1780 Hotel de Valois Rue de Richelieu

I have the honour of your Excellency's letter of this day, in answer to mine of the 21st. of this month. Untill the receipt of it, I had taken it for granted that the presentation of every Ambassador was regularly inserted in the Gazette of France; and untill very lately, several days since the date of my letter to your Excellency of the 21st. of this month, I had supposed that the presentations of Ministers Plenipotentiary were constantly inserted likewise. The information that your Excellency has given me, that the presentations neither of Ambassadors nor Ministers Plenipotentiary have ever been inserted, has perfectly satisfied me, and I doubt not will equally satisfy my Countrymen who have heretofore been under the same mistake with myself. I approve very much your Excellency's proposition of inserting my presentation, in the Mercury of France, and I shall take measures to have it repeated in the foreign gazettes.1 I have the honour to be with the most entire consideration your Excellency's most obedient and most humble Servant,

John Adams

RC in Francis Dana's hand (Arch. Aff. Etr., Paris, Corr. Pol., E.-U., vol. 11;) endorsed: “30 Mars Article a ete envoyé au Mercure.” LbC (Adams Papers;) notation by John Thaxter: “N.B. all the past Letters have been sent to Congress.” That is, all of the letters exchanged with Vergennes since JA arrived at Paris.

1.

Although JA states that he is satisfied with the announcement to be inserted in the Mercure de France, his letters of 2 April to Jeremiah Allen, John Bondfield (first letter), Edmund Jenings (and note 1), and William Lee (all below) indicate that he did not believe the announcement in the Mercure to be explicit enough concerning his powers to negotiate. For the clearest indication of JA's rejection of the Mercure piece as a guide for announcements in “foreign gazettes,” see his letter to Jenings of 2 April (and note 1, be-100low), which formed the basis for the announcements that appeared in various London newspapers during the second week of April.

To Arthur Lee, 31 March 1780 JA Lee, Arthur

1780-03-31

To Arthur Lee, 31 March 1780 Adams, John Lee, Arthur
To Arthur Lee
Dear Sir Paris March 31st. 1780

I have recieved your's of the 26th, and that of the 15th. of this Month. I inclose a Copy of the Letter You desire.1

Mr. Garnier is gone into the Country, and I have not seen him since I arrived here. Mr. Iz. however has seen him and will give You a satisfactory Account of what he says.2

If I were to apply to the other Gentleman,3 You know what would be the Consequence. It would fly very soon to you know where,4 and I should have only the Credit of meddleing unnecessarily with Disputes, which I have kept out of, as much as I could, and which it is certainly now the public Interest and consequently my Duty to keep out of as much as I can. I had therefore rather be excused. The Gentleman himself would probably give You the same Answer to a Letter from You directly to him, as he would give to me, unless I should use Arts with him, which would be unworthy of You as well as me, and which I cannot use with any Body.

I shall have enough to do to steer my little Bark, among the Rocks and Shoals. I shall have perplexities enough of my own which I cannot avoid, and Dangers too. These I shall meet with a steady Mind, and perhaps none of them will be greater than that which I think my Duty of avoiding things that dont belong to me.

Scarcely ever any Minister executed a Commission for making Peace, without ruining his own Reputation, in a free Government. No Minister that ever existed had a more difficult and dangerous Peace to make, than I have.5 Add to this, we who are and have been in Trusts abroad are all envied. I shall be envied more than any other. To be Minister at the Court of St. James's, is an Object that will tempt Numbers who would not care much about any other. Nothing less than this is the Amount of my present Commission. I was not envied when shipwrecked in the Gulf Stream, nor when chased for forty eight hours by three British Men of War at a time, nor when sailing in a Ship that leaked seven feet of Water in an hour, nor when devoured with Vermin, among Mules and Swine upon the Mountains of Gallicia: but the Idea of my residing in London, and approaching the exalted Steps of the British Throne, I know can never be patiently born by some People.

101

The Malice and Madness of the British Court, however, will protect me from this Envy a long Time; perhaps longer than my Constituents will confide to me the Trust. But the Idea of my having such a Trust, the thought that so much Confidence is now placed in me, will naturally stir Passions enough, to make me take Care, how I conduct myself, and particularly to keep out of the Departments of others, and above all from meddling in personal Disputes, that have no Relation to mine.

The Gentleman6 you mention has hitherto been very still, but he has been well recieved, by all that I have learnt.

Adieu John Adams

RC in John Thaxter's hand (Adams Papers.) LbC (Adams Papers;) notation by Thaxter: “Delivered Capt. Landais 1st of April 1780. Hotel de Valois Rue Richelieu.” For an explanation of how this letter came to be in the Adams Papers, see Arthur Lee to JA, 10 Oct. 1778, descriptive note (vol. 7:127–128).

1.

The enclosure has not been found, but see Lee's letter of the 15th, and note 1 (above).

2.

This and the following paragraph refer to Lee's dispute with William Carmichael. See Lee's letters of 15 March, note 2 (above), and 12 April (below).

3.

Ferdinand Grand.

4.

Probably Benjamin Franklin.

5.

The remainder of this paragraph and all of that which follows do not appear in this letter as edited by Jared Sparks (Diplomatic Correspondence of the American Revolution, 12 vols., Boston, 1829–1830, 4:448–449), CFA (JA, Works , 7:142), and Francis Wharton (Dipl. Corr. Amer. Rev., 3:584). JA's statement is the first indication that he saw his commission as establishing him as the likely American minister to Great Britain and that the opening of negotiations for treaties of peace and commerce would confirm him as such in fact.

6.

Conrad Alexandre Gérard.