Papers of John Adams, volume 11
1781-01-31
Four mails arrived yesterday, by them we find that Eleven East Indiamen are arrived at Brookhaven in Ireland. A Ship is arrived from N York, but no news transpires. The English Minister seems to be ready to pardon the Dutch on condition they submit. He treats them as He did the Americans, and will I Hope receive the same Treatment as from our Countrymen. One of the Court news papers says there is an appearance of matters being settled with Holland, as England will deliver out no more letters of Marque. If this is true, it may perhaps be produced by the remonstrance of the Russian Minister, who is abused grosely in the English Papers. The Troops are shipped for the fleet going to America as I beleive those are for the East Indias. Lille and Antwerp are too near to one Another. A Correspondence may be easily Kept up between those two towns.1 It ought to be attended to.
I am Sir Your Excellencys most faithful & obt. Hb. Sert
Be pleased to turn over.
P.S. I find the Translation of the Memorial &c. is published in England.2 It comes out in a good Time. A very Hearty good sensible Friend desires He may have the Authors leave to publish Notes and Additions, if it goes to a Second impression—his Integrity Principles and Knowledge may I think be trusted.3
Jenings' meaning here is unclear. He may be referring to a possible correspondence between Sir Joseph Yorke, who had been at Antwerp (from Dumas, 15 Jan., above), and the Duke of Brunswick-Wolfenbüttel, whom Jenings had reported to be at Lille in his letter of 24 Jan., above.
This is JA's A Translation of the Memorial to the Sovereigns of Europe upon the Present State of Affairs Between the Old and New World into Common Sense and Intelligible English, London, 1781. For its origins and JA's drafting of it, see vol. 9:157–221; Descriptive List of Illustrations, No. 2, above; and JA's letter to Jenings of 11 Feb., below.
Jenings may be referring to the publisher of the pamphlet, John Stockdale, but the Translation received no second printing.
1781-01-31
I had the Honor of writing to you the 28th. but omitted answering your Quere about the Southern States determining to embody Ne- 94 image 95 groes as an Army.1 I never heard of such an Idea but in the letter forged, as from Genl. Clinton,2 nor do I immagine such a one will ever be entertain'd seriously in those States, for exclusive of many reasons against it that appear unanswerable, those who know the nature and talents of those people, know well that all the art of Man can never make them even tolerable Soldiers.
It is said that France has lately engaged to guarantie all the Dutch Possessions; if so, as a Quid pro Quo, surely it has been insisted on by France that the States General shall immediately acknowlege the Independence of America: if this has been omitted it will not be a subject of much pleasure to me. We have here the London papers to the 26th. by which it appears that on the 25. public dispatches had been received from N. York to Decr. 20, but not a syllable good or bad had transpir'd that I see, tho' former ministerial papers say, an advice from N. Y. the 20 Nov. that all the Grenadeirs, and light Infantry of the British Army were immediately to embark to the number of 5 or 6000 Men for So. Carolina and we see that the reinforcements from England for N. York are already embark'd at Portsmouth to sail with Darby and all the Ships of Force they can muster, which will not exceed 20 or 25 Ships of the Line at the utmost, as a Convoy; The East India Ships and the expedition under Govr. Johnstone and Genl. Meadows and supplies for the W. Indias go at the same time; when Darby has seen this valuable Convoy, perhaps the most valuable and important that has sail'd from England during the War, to a certain distance, he is either to attempt the releif of Giberalter or to convoy back the 11 East Indiamen lately arriv'd safe in Ireland, to the value of above 3 Millions sterling, while the French and Spanish Fleets, each of them singly superior to anything England can put to Sea in Europe, are Snug in Cadiz and Brest.3
The Dutch War hardly created a Debate in the Ho. of Comns. where the address to the King, promising support &c., as usual, was carried with
P.S. I have lately observ'd that they have imprison'd in England some Captains and Sailors taken with American Commissions as Pirates and have order'd them to be tryed as such.
JA apparently asked this question in his letter of 20 Jan., which has not been found.
The forged letter from Lt. Gen. Sir Henry Clinton to Lord George Germain, dated 30 Jan. 1780 at Savannah, was widely published in Europe and the U.S. It reported that North Carolina had determined to augment its forces by using slaves as soldiers. For the letter and its publication, see vol. 9:331, and references there.
The Channel Fleet, commanded by Adm. George Darby and composed of 28 ships of the line, 2 of fifty guns, and several frigates, was being sent to relieve Gibraltar. It sailed on 13 March. Accompanying it part way was a smaller force commanded by Como. George Johnstone composed of 2 ships of the line, 3 fifty-gun ships, and several frigates. It was to attack the Dutch colony at the Cape of Good Hope and carried three infantry battalions under the command of Gen. William Medows. Owing to various delays, Johnstone's expedition did not reach the Cape until after a French squadron under Bailli de Suffren had arrived and landed its troops, thereby making a seaborne assault a dubious venture at best. The only positive result of the expedition from the British standpoint was that Medows, having learned of the outbreak of the Second Mysore War and the dire situation of the British forces, acted on his own initiative and took his troops to India (Mackesy, War for America
, p. 388–390). For lists of the vessels making up the two task forces, see the London Chronicle of 13–15 March.
For George III's message of 25 Jan. “relative to the Rupture with Holland,” its supporting documents, and the debates in both Houses of Parliament, see
Parliamentary Hist.
, 21:960–1106. In fact, both Houses approved the message without division.