Papers of John Adams, volume 15
In my Letter to you of Yesterday, I hinted in Confidence at an Application to the House of Hope. This is a very delicate Measure. I was induced to think of it merely by a Conversation which Mr Van Berkel who will be Soon with you as he Sailed the 26 June from the Texel, had with Mr Dumas.— it would be better to be Steady to the three houses already employed, if that is possible.1 You will now be able to converse freely with that Minister upon the Subject. I Should not advise you to take any decisive Resolution at Philadelphia but leave it to your Minister to Act as shall appear to him best upon the Spot. The Houses now employed are well esteemed and I 101hope will do very well. But no House in the Republick has that force in the Reins of that of Hope.
All depends, however, upon the Measures to be taken by Congress and the States for ascertaining their Debts and a regular discharge of the Interest.— The Ability of the People to make such an Establishment cannot be doubted: and the Inclination of no Man who has a proper Sense of publick Honour can be called in Question. The Thirteen States in Relation to the discharge of the Debts of Congress, must consider them Selves as one Body, animated by one Soul.— The Stability of our Confederation at home, our Reputation abroad, our Power of Defence, the Confidence and affection of the People of one state towards those of another all depend upon it. Without a Sacred Regard to publick Justice no Society can Subsist. it is the only Tie which can unite Mens Minds and Hearts in pursuit of the common Interest.2
The Commerce of the World is now open to Us, and our Exports and Imports are of So large amount, and our Connections will be so large and extentensive that the least Stain upon our Character in this respect will loose Us in a very short time Advantages of greater pecuniary Value than all our Debt amounts to.— The Moral Character of our People is of infinitely greater worth than all the sums in question. Every hesitation every Uncertainty about paying or receiving a just Debt, diminishes that Sense of the Moral Obligation of publick Justice which ought to be kept pure and carefully cultivated in every American Mind. Creditors at home and abroad, the Army the Navy, every Man who has a well founded Claim upon the Publick, has an unalienable Right to be Satisfied, and this by the fundamentable Principles of Society. Can there ever be Content and Satisfaction? can there ever be Peace and order? Can there ever be Industry, or Decency without it.? To talk of a Spung3 to wipe out this Debt, or of reducing or diminishing it, below its real Value in a Country so abundantly able to pay the last farthing, would betray a total Ignorance of the first Principles of national Duty and Interest.— Let Us leave these odious Speculations to Countries that can plead a Necessity for them, and where Corruption has arrived at its last Stages. Where Infamy is Scarcely felt, and Wrong may as well assume one Shape as another Since it must prevail in Some.
I have &c
LbC (Adams Papers); internal address: “Hon R. Morris Esq. / Superintendant of Finances.”; notation by John Thaxter: “July 11th. delivered to Capt. / Barney.”; APM Reel 108.
The proposal that the Willinks alone be entrusted with a new loan was made by Pieter Johan van Berckel in a conversation with C. W. F. Dumas that Dumas related in his 30 May letter to JA (vol. 14:508–512). See also JA’s 5 June reply to Dumas, and note 1, above.
Morris copied a portion of this letter, comprising this paragraph and the following one, and enclosed it and an extract from
JA’s letter of 10 July, above, in his letters to John Hancock of 20 Sept. and Elias Boudinot of 12 Nov. (Morris, Papers
, 8:275–276, 533–535, 756–757; MHi:Sedgwick Family Papers). For Morris’ purpose in doing so, see his 20 Sept. letter to JA
, and note 1, below.
Or “sponge,” one meaning of which is a method to cancel or wipe out debts without payment (
OED
).
e.Juillet 1783.
En réponse à l’honorée vôtre du 26 Juin, j’ai déjà eu l’honneur de vous rendre compte dans une précédente, qui, j’espere, vous est parvenue, de l’Echange des ratifications. Voici copie de ma note sur ce sujet, concertée avec nos amis, & approuvée par eux, com̃e conforme à l’usage en tel cas; & de la résolution dont, à ma requisition, copie m’a été envoyée du Greffe depuis peu de jours.1
Voici une Lettre que je suppose d’Amérique.2 Puisse le contenu vous dédom̃ager amplement de l’ennui que vous causent les Sorcieres, en attendant que leur ami aux pieds fourchu les emporte.
Mr. Van Berckel a fait voile le 26 du passé avec son Escadre de 3 Vaisseaux de guerre & un Brig; & vraisemblablement ils sont plus près de l’Amerique à present que de l’Europe.3
Mr. Votre fils est en compagnie des Dames que vous lui avez recom̃andées, & vous assure de ses respects avec ma famille.
J’ai exécuté les com̃issions de Mr. Storer & aurai l’honneur de lui écrire la semaine prochaine.
Nos Amis, toujours in high Spirits, depuis huit jours absents, reviendront la semaine prochaine.4
On a découvert ici le nid du Ouderwetse patriot & du Post na den Nederrhyn. Le Libraire & l’Imprimeur, qui n’ont peut-être pas 3000 sols ensemble, ont payé chacun 3000 florins d’Amende, pour racheter leur fustigation; & l’Auteur s’est sauvé en poste à Cleves.5
J’ai été remercier ces Dames & Mr. Boylston, de la bonté qu’elles ont eue de se charger d’une boete que vous avez bien voulu, Monsieur, leur remettre de la part de notre Cousin Baron pour Made. Dumas, qui est sensible com̃e elle le doit à cette faveur.6
Je suis avec grand respect, De Votre Excellence / le très-humble & très-obéis / sant serviteur
Translation
In response to your esteemed letter of 26 June, I already have had the honor in a previous letter, which I hope that you received, of rendering you an account of the exchange of the ratifications. Here is a copy of my note on the subject, concerted with our friends and approved by them, as conforming to the usage in such an instance, and a copy of the resolution, which was sent to me by the greffier a few days ago at my request.1
Here is a letter that I suppose is from America.2 May the contents compensate amply for the troubles that the witches caused you, while waiting for their friend with the cloven hooves to carry them away.
Mr. Van Berckel sailed on the 26th of last month with his squadron of three warships and a brig, and they are likely by now closer to America than Europe.3
Your son is in the company of the ladies whom you recommended to him, and he sends you his respects, as does my family.
I executed the commissions of Mr. Storer and will have the honor of writing him next week.
Our friends, always in high Spirits, have been gone for eight days and will return next week.4
The nest of the Ouderwetse Patriot and of the Post naar den Neder-Rhyn was discovered here. The bookseller and the printer, who do not have perhaps 3,000 sols between them, each had to pay a fine of f3,000 to buy their way out of a beating, and the writer fled by post to Cleves.5
I thanked the ladies and Mr. Boylston for the kindness that they showed in carrying the box that you sent with them from our cousin the baron to Madame Dumas, who is thankful, as she should be, for this favor.6
I am with great respect, your excellency’s very humble and very obedient servant
RC and enclosures (Adams Papers); internal address: “Paris à Son Excellence Mr. Adams, Min. Pl.”; endorsed: “Mr. Dumas / 11th. July 1783.”
For Dumas’ account of the exchange of ratifications, see his letter of 24 June, and note 1, above. With this letter he enclosed copies of his 5 June letter to Hendrik Fagel announcing his readiness for the exchange and Fagel’s 24 June report (in French and Dutch) to the States General on the actual exchange.
This letter has not been identified.
Pieter Johan van Berckel reached Philadelphia on 9 Oct. and presented his credentials to Congress on the 31st (vol. 14:490). For an account of Congress’ reception of Van Berckel, see the president of Congress’ 27 Oct. letter to the commissioners, and note 5, below.
The States of Holland was in recess and would reassemble on 16 July (Gazette d’Amsterdam, 8 July).
The Gazette d’Amsterdam of 4 July indicated that publication of the Post van den Neder-Rhyn and the Post naar den Neder-Rhyn had been suspended. The first was ardently Patriot, while the second, a parody of the other, was ardently Orangist. In its issue of 15 July the Gazette reported that the bookseller Van Os and the printer Rogatsnick had each been fined f3,000. It also indicated that Philippe Verbrugge, presumably the author of the Ouderwetse Patriot, or old-fashioned patriot, had been arrested.
The Dumas’ cousin has not been identified.