Papers of John Adams, volume 16
th.1784.
I have done myself the Honor of Answering your Excellencys Letter of the 10th of Febry by two different Posts, as far as was then in my Power.1 I have now to give your Excellency Information of the only Metter which remained Unanswered.
I am told an Express is Arrived from Congress brought by a Mr or Major Franks announcing the ratification of the Treaty on the 14 of Febry,— The Major is believe gone on to Paris.2
the Elections are carrying on with great Violence, it is generally believd they will run against the Coalition— Mr Fox is likely to lose His in Westminster. & Lord John Cavendish is thrown out of the City of York.3
Mr Barclay is just returned to Paris. and Mr Ridley is now in London, Mr Chace talks of returning to America soon.
Give me leave to Ask whether the Abbè Mablys Book is published in Holland.
When does your Excellency expect Mrs Adams,?
I beg to be remembered most kindly to your Son
I am with the greatest Consideration / Sir / Your Excellencys / Most Obedient Humble Servant
Old Slaughters Coffee House
S
tMartins Lane.
RC (Adams Papers).
On 15 Jan., the day after it named Col. Josiah Harmar to carry the original, Congress appointed Lt. Col. David Salisbury Franks to carry a triplicate of the ratified definitive treaty to Europe. Harmar reached Paris on
120
29 March; Franks arrived at London on the 30th. Franks remained in Europe and later served as Thomas Barclay’s secretary during his mission to Morocco that resulted in the 1786 Moroccan-American Treaty of Peace and Friendship (
JCC
, 26:29, 34–35; Jay, Unpublished Papers
, 2:706; Morris, Peacemakers
, p. 448;
AFC
, 6:312; Miller, Treaties
, 2:185–219).
Lord John Cavendish lost his seat in the 1784 election, and Charles James Fox’s return to his seat in Westminster was delayed until March 1785 by a prolonged scrutiny of the vote, forcing him in the interim to sit for the constituency of Tain Burghs (Namier and Brooke, House of Commons
, 2:203, 205, 455, 460).
I thank You for your obliging Letter of the 2d. Inst—& congratulate you on the Recovery of your Health, as well as on the Success of your measures for preserving our Credit, for which you certainly merit the Acknowledgmts. of the United States in general, and of their Financier in particular.
It seems to me that this Climate would be at least as propitious to your Health as that of Holland; & therefore if nothing remains to be done there, I think your Presence here would be Seasonable—
Our Dispatches by Col. Harmar are such, that I think others must soon follow; and I wish you may be here when they arrive. Those Dispatches are silent on several Subjects, on which Congress will not in my Opinion, leave us long uninformed of their Sentiments.
Little is at present on the Carpet, & that little but little advanced—if you was here it would probably be sooner ripened. To write by the post, is to write to others as well as to You.
Carmichael is at Length arrived with the public Accounts, but Mr Barclay who is to settle them, is still absent tho’ daily expected.1 As soon as they are settled I shall embark for America; and I should greatly regret leaving Europe without some previous Conversation with You.
The mention made of me by your Correspondents is consolatory, and it is kind in you to communicate it— My best Compts. to your Son. and with great and sincere Esteem & attachmt. I am / Dear Sir / Your Friend & Servt
RC (Adams Papers); internal address: “His Exy John Adams Esqr.”
Congress’ instructions to the commissioners of 29 Oct. 1783 authorized Jay to “direct” William Carmichael, who served as Jay’s secretary while he was minister to Spain, to bring the mission’s accounts to Paris from Madrid so that they could be settled with Thomas Barclay (vol. 15:333, 334).