Papers of John Adams, volume 14
e.May 1783
Mardi dernier nous fumes dîner à Rotterdam chez Mr. Van Berckel, qui nous avoit invités avec Mr. Votre fils.—1 Le départ de ce Ministre est fixé vers le 15 du mois prochain, avec le Vaisseau tout neuf doublé en cuivre l’Overyssel de 68 p. de canon, com̃andé par le brave & patriotique Capitaine Riemersma.2 Si vous êtes sûr, Monsieur, de retourner en Amérique cette année, il est facheux que le lambinage de la pacification gene. vous prive mutuellement des agrémens de la compagnie les uns des autres.
Je me recom̃ande pour avoir une copie du Traité avec la Suede, & votre permission, s’il est à propos de le publier, pour favoriser notre bon ami Luzac des prémices de cette publication, ou, du moins, pour pouvoir en donner une copie à Mr. Van Berckel, qui voudroit l’emporter avec lui.
Mr. votre fils se porte bien, & nous réjouit tous par sa bonne humeur. Nous nous amusons à lire ensemble le Caligula de Suétone, le Pseudolus de Plaute, & la Didon amoureuse & mourante, ou le Livre IV de Virgile. Il sent ce qu’il lit d’une maniere qui n’est donnée qu’à peu de monde: ce qui fait qu’il y a du plaisir à lire avec lui.3
Nos Amis vous prient, Monsieur, lorsque l’occasion s’en présentera Sans vous compromettre, d’insinuer dans vos conversations avec les Ministres Brit., que le renvoi ici de Sir J. Y., dont on fait courir le bruit, ne seroit ni agréable à cette nation, ni utile à aucune des deux Puissances, puisqu’il ne serviroit qu’à recommencer les 488anciennes intrigues, & par conséquent à irriter de plus belle les esprits.4 On a fait faire la même priere à Mr. le Duc de la V——
Hier nous allames tous dîner au milieu des Dunes de Scheveling. L’une de ces Dunes nous servit de Siege & de table, le bruit de la mer de Symphonie, un vaste horison de salle à manger, & l’air pur de Cuisinier, qui assaisonna au goût de chacun les petites provisions dont nous nous étions chargés.5
En revenant mardi de Rotterdam, nous trouvames vos faveurs du 16.6 Le passé me fait juger, que vos épaules ne seront pas plus embarrassées des charges que vous paroissez appréhender, que vos temples de l’honneur qui leur est dû, de la part de vos concitoyens.— Votre paix de 1782, 83, 84, &c. me réjouit, & réjouira nos amis, qui seront de retour mardi.
Depuis 9 ans j’ai chez moi le sort de Tantale; & l’amour platonique, qui seul m’est permis, aussi aisé de loin que de près, ne nous donne ni le même droit à l’héroisme pro bono publico, qu’à Mr. & Made. Adams, ni les mêmes récompenses, que nous leur souhaitons cordialement Made. Dumas & moi.
Dans ce moment je reçois vos ordres du 19 en conséquence desquels j’ai ouvert le paquet, contenant la Lettre que voici de Mr. Livingston, avec les Traité & Convention du 8 Oct. dernier de retour, munis de leurs ratifications, desquelles je joins ici copie. Je tiendrai, com̃e vous l’ordonnez, ces Traité & Convention ratifiés sous la Clef, jusqu’à-ce que vous m’honoriez de vos ordres ultérieurs là-dessus. J’ajouterai seulement, com̃e mon opinion, sauf votre meilleur avis, qu’il paroît convenable que ces deux pieces puissant être remises le plutôt le mieux,7 com̃e on s’y attend ici, si ce n’est par Votre Exce. même, au moins par moi de votre part; non seulement parce que le terme des 6 mois fixé pour l’Echange des ratifications est échu depuis près de 2 mois, mais aussi parce qu’il semble à propos que cette affaire Soit entierement terminée avant le départ de Mr. Van Berckel.
Je Suis avec grand respect / De Votre Excellence / Le très humble & très / obéissant serviteur
Translation
Last Tuesday we went to dine in Rotterdam at Mr. Van Berckel's, who had invited us with your son.1 The minister's departure is set for around the 15th of next month, on the new copper-bottomed vessel the Overijssel
489of 68 cannon and commanded by the brave and patriotic Captain Riemersma.2 If you are certain, sir, of returning to America this year, it is unfortunate that the slow pace of the general pacification is depriving you both of the pleasures of each other's company.
I recommend that I receive a copy of the treaty with Sweden and your permission, if it is appropriate, to publish it and favor our good friend Luzac with the fruits of this publication—or at least to be able to give a copy to Mr. Van Berckel, who would like to take one with him.
Your son is well and cheers us all with his good humor. We are amusing ourselves reading together Suetonius’ Caligula, Plautus’ Pseudolus, and of Dido falling in love and dying in Virgil, Book IV. Your son has an exceptional feeling for what he reads, which makes it a great pleasure to read with him.3
Our friends are requesting, sir, that when the occasion presents itself, and without compromising yourself, you suggest in your conversations with the British ministers that the rumored return here of Sir Joseph Yorke would prove neither agreeable to this nation nor useful to the two powers in question, since it would serve only to stir up all the old intrigues and thereby exasperate people all the more.4 The Duc de La Vauguyon was asked to do the same.
Yesterday we all went to have dinner in the dunes of Scheveningen. One of the dunes served as table and chair, the sounds of the sea provided a symphony, the vast horizon served as dining room, and the pure air as cook, seasoning to each one's taste the little dishes we had brought.5
On returning Tuesday from Rotterdam, we found your favors of 16 May.6 The past makes me think that your shoulders will be no more burdened with the responsibilities you seem to dread than will your temples with the honor that is owed them by your fellow citizens. Your peace of 1782, ’83, ’84, etc., makes me rejoice and will gladden the hearts of our friends, who return on Tuesday.
For the past nine years I have suffered the torments of Tantalus at home. Platonic love, which is the only kind I am allowed and is as comfortable from afar as it is near, gives us neither the same claim to heroism pro bono publico enjoyed by Mr. and Mrs. Adams nor the same rewards, which Madame Dumas and I warmly wish them.
In accordance with your orders of 19 May, I have opened the packet containing the enclosed letter from Mr. Livingston and the treaty and convention of 8 October last, complete with their ratifications, a copy of which I also enclose. As instructed, I shall keep the ratified treaty and convention under lock and key until you honor me with further orders. I shall simply add, as my own opinion, and unless you have a better idea, that it seems to me that those documents should be delivered, the sooner the better.7 That is the expectation here, and if it is not your excellency who does so, then at least I should on your behalf—not only because the six-month limit for the exchange of ratifications elapsed almost two months ago, but because it seems proper that this matter be entirely concluded before Mr. Van Berckel departs.
490I am, with great respect, your excellency's very humble and very obedient servant
RC and enclosure (Adams Papers); internal address: “Paris à Son Excellence Mr. Adams Min. Plenipo: des E. U.”; endorsed: “M. Dumas. May 23 / ansd. 29. 1783.”
For his dinner with Van Berckel, see JQA's diary entry for 20 May and his letter to
JA of 24 May (JQA, Diary
, 1:174;
AFC
, 5:164–165).
Van Berckel sailed on 26 June aboard the Overijssel, accompanied by three other vessels (Gazette d’Amsterdam, 1 July). One of the squadron's vessels, the 56 gun Erfprins was lost off the coast of Massachusetts, for which see JA's 26 May letter to John Hancock, note 2, below. Van Berckel reached Philadelphia on 9 Oct. and presented his credentials to Congress, then meeting in Princeton, N.J., on 31 Oct. (Smith, Letters of Delegates
, 21:40; Wharton, Dipl. Corr. Amer. Rev.
, 6:719–720).
For JQA's accounts of his studies with Dumas to date, see his letters to JA of 12 and 24 May (
AFC
, 5:159, 164–165).
Parker's General Advertiser and Morning Intelligencer reported on 19 April that “Sir Joseph Yorke has received orders to hold himself in readiness to return to his former situation at the Hague”; and the London Morning Herald and Daily Advertiser of 6 May stated that “we hear that Sir Joseph Yorke is appointed his Majesty's Ambassador to the States-General, the terms of pacification being finally adjusted.” Yorke was wholly unacceptable to the Dutch Patriots—“Nos Amis”—because of his actions during a long tenure as minister to the Netherlands that ended only with the outbreak of war in 1780. Yorke was not reappointed, and Sir James Harris, former British envoy to Russia, was named to the post in 1784 (
Repertorium
, 3:166).
In his letter of 27 May JA advised JQA to visit Scheveningen, and in his Diary entry for 23 May JQA wrote: “Diné à Schevening sur les dunes” (
AFC
, 5:140–141; JQA, Diary
, 1:175).
Dumas presumably means the letters that JA sent on 16 May, which included the one of that date to Dumas, above, and those to JQA of 13 and 14 May, which JQA mentions receiving on the 20th in his letter of 24 May (
AFC
, 5:159–161, 164–165).
In his letter of 19 May, JA told Dumas that a package Dumas forwarded to him from The Hague contained only duplicates of letters already received. He instructed Dumas to open a second package and report on its contents, as he does in this letter (LbC, APM Reel 108). Dumas found Livingston's letter of 13 Feb., above, which transmitted the ratified copies of the Dutch-American Treaty and Convention of 8 Oct. 1782. For JA's action regarding the treaty and convention, see his 29 May letter to Dumas and his 30 May letter to Livingston, both below, and vol. 13:389–393.
th.1783.
I have the honor to inclose Copies to be laid before Congress of several Papers— 1. Mr. Hartley's full Powers of May 14.— 2. The Order of the King of Great Britain in Council, for regulating the American Trade, of the 14th. May. 3. Articles proposed by the American Ministers to Mr. Hartley, 29th. April— 4. Mr. Hartley's Observations left with us the 21st. of May. And 5. Mr. Hartley's Proposition of the same Day.1
This Proposition No. 5., however, upon Inquiry, we find Mr. Hartley does not incline to subscribe to, before he sends it to his Court 491for their Orders— So that we have not yet given him our Opinion of it. He has sent a Courier to London, before whose Return we hope to have further Intelligence from Philadelphia—
The present British Ministry discover an Indecision and Timidity, which indicate their Instability. Some Persons from England imagine, that my Ld. Shelburne will come in again.— The Change would produce a longer delay; but I think would be no disadvantage for America. If he had continued in Power, I think we should have finished, or been ready to finish before now with Mr. Oswald— Mr. Hartley's Dispositions, however, are very good, and, if left to his own Judgment, would be liberal and fair.—
The Idea of reviving the Trade, upon the Plan of the Laws of Great Britain before the War, altho’ those Laws were calculated so much for the Advantage of that Country, and so little for that of ours, might be admissible for a few Months, until Ministers could be appointed on both Sides to frame a Treaty of Commerce; provided no Advantage should be ceded by it, in the Negociation of such Treaty, and provided that such a temporary Convention for Trade should neither delay nor influence the definitive Treaty. It is much to be wished that the definitive Treaty of Peace, and a permanent Treaty of Commerce could be signed at the same time. This however seems now to be impossible, & therefore some temporary Regulation of Commerce seems unavoidable. But we are yet too uncertain of the Sentiments of the Court of St. James's, to be able to foresee, whether we shall agree with them. Mr. Hartley has been here four Weeks, and nothing has been done, altho’ he was very sanguine before he left London, that he should send home a Convention in less than half of four Days.
Congress will see, by Mr. Hartley's Commission that they are become the “good Friends” of the King of Great Britain.2 Mr. Hartley, upon his first Arrival here, communicated to us in form, an Invitation from the Ministers, with the Knowledge and Consent of the King, to all of the American Ministers to go to London, with an Assurance, that we should be there presented at Court and treated in all Respects, like the Ministers of any other Sovereign State. He also communicated the Desire of his Court, that the two Powers should interchange Ministers, as soon as possible. I hope that the first Ship will bring a Minister for that Court, or a Commission to some one to go there, because I think it would have been useful to us, to have had one there three Months ago, & that it would not be less useful now.— The permanent Treaty of Commerce, 492nevertheless, should not be hastily concluded, nor before Congress shall have had an Opportunity to judge of the Project, suggest their Amendments & transmit their Orders.
No Preliminaries are yet signed with the Dutch, & I am very anxious for their Lot.
With great Respect, I have the honor / to be, / Sir, / your most obedient / & most humble Servant
RC in John Thaxter's hand and enclosures (PCC, No. 84, IV, f. 359–388); internal address: “Robert. R. Livingston Esqr. / Secretary for Foreign Affairs”; endorsed: “Mr Adams / 24 May 1783.” LbC (Adams Papers); APM Reel 108.
For items 1 and 2, David Hartley's commission and the Order in Council, see JA, D&A
, 3:129–131. Item 3 is calendared above at 29 April, while items 4 and 5 appear in a memorial by Hartley calendared above at 21 May. For Hartley's commission, see also his letter of 25 April, and note 1, above; and for the Order in Council, see the calendar entry for Hartley's memorial of 21 May.
Hartley's commission twice refers to “our good Friends the United States of America”—first in terms of the preliminary treaty already negotiated and second regarding the expeditious negotiation of the definitive treaty.