Papers of John Adams, volume 15
I have never found so much difficulty in prevailing upon myself to do any indifferent action, as in this of convincing myself that it is not too great a presumption to address a few lines to you, with the little present of game which will wait your acceptance about the same instant:1 In truth I could willingly have sent the gift, without at all disclosing the giver, could I, at the same time, have been less sensible of that awkward distress which the ingenerous mind ever feels, on finding itself obliged to an unknown benefactor; and it is upon this consideration, Sir, added to the faith which the whole world warrants me to place in that candour and liberality of Sentiment which illustrate the solid parts of your great character, that I am induced to avail myself of the same oppertunity to profess the duty and respect I owe to you, both as my relation,2 and as the most eminent patriot and statesman of the age:
But Sir, I may not thus trespass on your delicacy or your time: Suffer me only to intreat that you will have the goodness not to reject my humble present; nor, if possible, this my still humbler overture towards obtaining the honor of being known to you; and permit me to add, that if I can render you any service during your stay in Europe, I shall esteem it no less a pleasure to execute, than an honor to receive, any commands you may think proper to oblige me with.
I am, most respectfully, and with best wishes for your good health & welfare, / Sir / Your obedient / Humble Servant
P.s. As I cannot repress the vanity of imagining that you may possibly think me not unworthy of some slight inquiry, it is expedient I should request you to direct any letter you may be pleased to favor me with, “To mr. Cranch, an attorney, at Axminster, in Devonshire;”—and any question concerning my character or situation, to my agent mr. Harrison senr. to be heard of at his son’s chambers in Barnard’s Inn.
I have a strong inclination (but, without your permission, cannot presume so far) to send you a copy of an interesting letter that I have received by this day’s post from a friend of mine just settled in Cascobay: By “interesting” I would be understood to mean peculiarly so to yourself, as a principal guardian and patron of the interests of the illustrious Republic:3
RC (Adams Papers); endorsed: “Mr John Cranch / Axminster in Devon- / shire. 17. Jan. ansd 31. 1784.”
With this letter Cranch sent a basket containing two hares, for which see John Stockdale’s letter of 20 Jan., below. Cranch continued his contributions of food for the Adamses’ table when they took up residence in London following JA’s appointment as minister to Great Britain (
AFC
, 6:382–383; 8:31).
At this point Cranch inserted an asterisk in reference to a note in the left margin: “Mr. Cranch of Braintree is my uncle.”
JA requested a copy of the letter in his reply of 31 Jan., below, and received it as an enclosure to Cranch’s letter of 11 Feb. (Adams Papers). The letter was from Thomas Hopkins, who wrote from Falmouth, Mass. (now Portland, Maine). Hopkins had first gone to Boston and Braintree, where he met Richard Cranch, who recommended that he go to Falmouth in pursuit of his business interests. Hopkins’ letter is a commentary on the opportunities for Anglo-American trade, the unfortunate policies leading to Britain’s loss of its American colonies, and the bright prospects for the new nation.
I had the satisfaction to lay before Your Exellency by the Letter, I took the Liberty to address your Exellency the 31 July last, a Plan of a Glass Manufactory which I intended to Establish in one of the United Provinces of Nord America for your Consideration and beg’d most Humbly from Your Exellency the favor to grant me your Skilful Advise on that head, but am hetherto deprived of the honour to receive any Reply from Your Exellency, but this does not prevent me to venture again to address of Your Exellency a second Letter, flattering myself that what ever concerns the Prosperity and Extension of Your good Country will be agreabel received from Your Exellency and there fore have the honour to inform you that three other 461Gentlemen with me Considered most Earnestly on that Plan all the time since and taking every things back and forwards find that it can’t but be very avantageous as well to Your good Country, as likewise to the Concerners to Errect a Glass Manufactory in some part of the United States, and we chased Maryland to be the properest Country for it, beeing a spot of Land where by all the Discription we Read it groes the most plenty of Wood, one of my three friends Mr. John fried: Amelong who had the Manage of a Glass manufactory here in Germany will go himself in the spring by the first Vessell over to Baltimore and take the Direction of the intended Establishing Glass-Manufactory, he Carries besides him 80 more families all Experiented to our purpose in the Vessell for Baltimore,2
I can’t but Expect that our Ardent wishes to encrease our Connection with the United States can’t but be satisfactory to Your Exellency, and this gives me the agreabel Aspects that you’ll grant us Your Kind Assistance and Protection in our Undertaking, and inform us to who our friend Mr. Amelong must make his first Aplication at Baltimore or in the State of Maryland, to Errect the Manufactory and to receive some part of Land fit for the Establishment directed and Your Exellence Opinion would be the best Guide for us if we may Expect that Government will grant us every Assistance and give certain Priviledges, and a part of Land at rent to it, or if we must purchase the latter and perhaps not find the Reception to full fill our wishes, and according as such Considerabel Undertaking merits, I can’t but expect it by what I Know that the Congress wishes are to enlarge, and Populate the United States and I am assured Our small transport or may I call it establishing Colonie will give both Pleasure to the Congress and Honnor to us, as they are all People of the best Conduct Virtue, and understanding, and not like many others which [. . .] in America, beeing Rejected in Germany, I shall there[fore] most Humbly beg from Your Exellency the favor to grant our Mr. Amelong some of the best Letters of Introduction & Recommandation for the states of Maryland that he may meet a agreabel Reception, and not be detained at his arrival to bring our Speculation to an Accomplishment and Perfection, and through this exposed to a very Considerabel loss by mentaining the many families with out Emploiing them to our Intention
Give me leave to assure your Exellency of my most devoted Respects and of my sincere Regard with I have the honnour to Remain / Sir / Your most Obedt humbl Servt.—
RC (Adams Papers); addressed: “To / his Excellency John Adams Esq / Ambassador of the 13 United / States of Nord America / residing at the / Hague”; endorsed: “Mr Herman Heyman / ansd Jan. 30. 1784.” Some loss of text where the seal was removed.
On 19 Jan., Heyman wrote a nearly identical letter to Benjamin Franklin and for the same reason (PPAmP:Franklin Papers). That is, Franklin had not yet replied to his previous letter of 31 July 1783.
John Frederick Amelung (1741–1798) is one of the most noted early American glassmakers. Having previously worked at his brother’s mirror-glass factory in Grünenplan, Germany, Amelung sailed for America in 1784 with 68 German glassmakers and associated equipment. He established his glass-house near Frederick, Md., calling it the New Bremen Glassmanufactory. There he produced window glass and other products, but he is best known for his signed and dated engraved presentation pieces. Following a stroke in 1794, he ceased his glassmaking activities, and in 1795 he went bankrupt (Grove Dicy. of Art
). In his pamphlet, Remarks on Manufactures, Principally on the New Established Glass-House, Near Frederick-Town, in the State of Maryland [Frederick, Md.], 1787, Evans, No. 20189, Amelung gave a brief history of glassmaking and the establishment of his factory and, as Heyman did, sought public support for the undertaking. There Amelung also noted that he went to America with letters of recommendation from JA and Franklin to leading figures in Maryland. In JA’s case this probably refers to his 30 Jan. 1784 reply to Heyman, below, which JA said Amelung could take with him as an introduction.