Papers of John Adams, volume 14
J’ai la satisfaction d’annoncer à Votre Excellence, qu’ayant été informé le 11 du courant de l’arrivée de Monsieur Adams votre fils, en cette Ville de Hambourg, venant de Copenhaguen, je me suis présenté aussitôt en son Hôtel pour avoir l’honneur de le saluer, lui offrir mes services & l’engager de faire une visite au Ministre de France. Le même jour je l’ai présenté au Premier Bourguemaître & Président du Senat de la ditte Ville de qui il a été trèsfavorablement acceuilli. Le jour suivant J’obtins l’agrément de le conduire au Senat où on désiroit le voir; il y fut également acceuilli.
Je lui ai donné pour société Messrs. C. Voght & Cie. une des plus puissantes Maison de Hambourg qui lui procurera pendant son séjour tous les amusemens possibles—1 Je me vois, avec peine, privé du plaisir de tenir compagnie plus longtems à Monsieur Votre fils, espérant faire voile incessamment pour l’Amérique tant pour y 340régler mes Comptes avec les Etats & les Particuliers, que pour prouver l’innocence de ma cause & l’injustice que j’ai supportée.
Persuadé que la Nation Américaine s’aura mieux apprécier ma conduite que ne l’ont fait mes compatriotes surtout les Negts. de Nantes, Ville où j’ai fait fleurer le Commerce par celui que j’ai introduit de la Nouvelle-Angleterre, & où pour récompense, j’ai supporté les plus affreux évènemens sans avoir pu jusqu’a ce moment obtenir aucune justice, pas même réponse au mémoire que j’ai eu l’honneur de vous communiquer à la Haïe.
Si vous avez des paquets à faire passer en Amérique, je m’en chargerai avec plaisir.
J’ay l’honneur d’être avec le plus profond Respect, / De Votre Excellence, / Le très-humble & très- / Obéissant serviteur.
Translation
I have the satisfaction to advise your excellency that, having been informed on the 11th of the arrival of your son, Mr. Adams, from Copenhagen, I immediately went to his hotel to have the honor of greeting him, offering my services, and urging him to visit the French minister. That same day I introduced him to the first burgomaster and president of the senate of our town, who accorded him a most favorable reception. The following day I had the pleasure of escorting him to the senate, where his presence was desired and he was similarly welcomed.
I introduced him to the firm of C. Voght & Co., one of the most powerful houses in Hamburg, who will arrange all possible entertainments during his stay.1 With regret, I find myself unable to keep him company longer, as I hope to set sail forthwith to America. I intend both to settle my accounts with the states and particular individuals and to prove the innocence of my cause and the injustice I have suffered.
I am convinced that the American nation will better appreciate my conduct than did my countrymen—especially the merchants of Nantes, a city to which I introduced a flourishing New England trade, receiving in return the most appalling treatment and being unable until now to obtain any form of justice, not even a reply to the memoir I had the honor of sending you at The Hague.
If you have packets to send to America, I shall attend to them with pleasure.
I have the honor to be, with the most profound respect, your excellency's very humble and very obedient servant
RC (Adams Papers); endorsed by John Thaxter: “Mr. P. Penet / 17. March 1783.”
JQA's Diary and letters contain nothing about his activities in Hamburg, despite the fact that he remained there almost a month (JQA, Diary
, 1:174). This makes Penet's report concerning his efforts on behalf of JQA of particular interest, but see also Lagau's letter of 4 April, and note 1, below.
Since 1775 Penet had involved himself in a series of unsuccessful ventures to provide the United States with military supplies, first in America and then at Nantes as part of the firm of Penet, da Costa Frères & Company. Forced into bankruptcy in 1782, he fled his creditors and was preparing to return to America to settle his affairs. Penet wrote to JA from Germany on 20 Oct. 1782, flattering JA with reports of Dutch and German esteem for him, asking JA for his continued personal support, and offering JA assistance in Germany while Penet awaited passage to America (Adams Papers). Penet's letter to JA was not, however, a defense in the same sense as his letter of the same day to Benjamin Franklin (Franklin, Papers
, 38:234–236), and no reply by JA has been found. For detailed accounts of Penet's activities, see Morris, Papers
, 2:321; Thomas J. Schaeper, “Pierre Penet: French Adventurer in the American Revolution,” Daughters of the American Revolution Magazine, 117:854–856 (Nov. 1983).
e.Mars 1783.
Mr. D’Asp me com̃uniqua hier 3 Lettres qu’on lui écrit de Stockholm, Elseneur & Gothembourg, par lesquelles Mr. votre fils avoit quitté Stockholm le 30 Dec. pour Gothembourg, d’où il étoit parti le 11 fevr. pour Coppenhague, où il comptoit rejoindre le jeune Comte de Grecco Capitaine au service du Duc de Modene, avec lequel il avoit fait le voyage de Petersbourg à Stockholm, afin de continuer delà ensemble le voyage par Hambourg en hollande. Ceci combiné avec ce que j’ai déjà eu l’honneur de vous com̃uniquer des autres Lettres reçues de Coppenhague & Hambourg, ne nous laisse plus de soucis; & nous attendons à toute heure à son apparition. Ces dernieres Lettres s’accordent toutes à louer beaucoup Mr. Adams de sa sagesse & intelligences, & à pronostiquer, qu’il figurera un jour com̃e Mr. son pere au Congrès.
L’incluse pour philadelphie est le duplicat de celle que j’ai déjà envoyée par l’orient sous couvert de Mr. Barclai. Quelqu’un m’a dit en confidence, que Mr. Livingston auroit résigné. Si c’étoit vrai, j’espere que la Com̃ission de Mr. Van Berkel (actuellement en affaires à Amsterdam) n’en Sera pas moins remplie, & que vous voudrez bien pour cet effet y ajouter un mot de recom̃andation, & acheminer la Lettre le plus promptement possible.1
Nous attendons ici le retour du Courier, avec l’Ultimatum des Anglois.
On m’a fait une autre confidence, savoir que j’aurai peut-être bientôt à vous complimenter, Monsieur, com̃e Ministre des Etats-Unis près de la Cour Britannique.
342J’attends l’honneur de votre réponse sur le compte de la poste ici pour les papiers Anglois. Ne voulez-vous pas Monsieur, que je contremande ces papiers Anglois pour l’avenir? Il me Semble qu’un ou deux suffiroient pour envoyer en Amérique. C’est une dépense qui va loin.
Agréez les respects de mes femelles avec celui de, Votre Excellence / le très humble & très obeis- / sant serviteur
Mr. Holtzhey le Medailleur d’Amsterdam, me demande à qui il faut S’adresser à Paris, pour avoir pour lui, & pour ses amis, de ces nouvelles Médailles que Mr. Franklin, selon les gazettes a fait frapper.2
Translation
Yesterday Mr. Asp communicated to me three letters written to him from Stockholm, Elsinore, and Göteborg, according to which your son had left Stockholm on 30 December for Göteborg, from which he departed on 11 February for Copenhagen. He hoped to meet up there with young Count Greco, a captain in the service of the Duke of Modena; they had traveled from St. Petersburg to Stockholm, intending to continue on together through Hamburg into Holland. This news, combined with the contents of letters received from Copenhagen and Hamburg that I already had the honor to pass on, leaves us no further cause for concern, and we expect him to appear at any time. These most recent letters all praise young Mr. Adams’ wisdom and intelligence and predict he will one day follow his father into Congress.
The enclosed letter for Philadelphia is a duplicate of the one I already sent via Lorient under cover of Mr. Barclay. Someone told me confidentially that Mr. Livingston had resigned. If that is true, I trust that the appointment of Mr. Van Berckel (currently on business in Amsterdam) will be no less acceptable and that you will kindly add a note of recommendation to this end and dispatch the letter as rapidly as possible.1
We are currently awaiting the return of the courier with the English ultimatum.
I was told something else confidentially, to wit, that I may soon be congratulating you on becoming minister of the United States to the British court.
I await the honor of your reply concerning the postal account here for the English papers. Would you like me to cancel the English papers, sir, for the future? It seems to me one or two would be enough to send to America. It is a continuing expense.
Please accept the compliments of my ladies, together with those of your excellency's very humble and very obedient servant
Mr. Holtzhey, the Amsterdam medalist, has asked me to whom he should address himself at Paris in order to obtain for himself and his friends some of the new medals which, according to the newspapers, Mr. Franklin has had struck.2
RC (Adams Papers); internal address: “Paris à S. E. Mr. Adams.”
Probably Dumas’ 5 March letter to Robert R. Livingston, in which he asked Livingston to procure a house, carriage, and horses for Van Berckel in advance of his arrival (Wharton, Dipl. Corr. Amer. Rev.
, 6:272–273). For JA's forwarding of the letter and his advice on its subject, see his reply of 28 March, below.
For the Libertas Americana medal commissioned by Franklin, see the Descriptive List of Illustrations, No. 8, above. The newspaper from which Holtzhey learned of the medal has not been identified, but the London Chronicle of 13–15 March reported that Franklin had struck a medal and described its appearance in great detail.