Papers of John Adams, volume 16

Benjamin Franklin to John Adams, 5 February 1784 Franklin, Benjamin Adams, John

From Benjamin Franklin

Sir, Passy, Feb. 5. 1784—

I received the Letter you did me the Honour of writing to me the 24th past.1 You have had a terrible Passage indeed, taking it all together from London to Amsterdam. The Season has been, and continues, uncommonly severe, and you must have suffered much. It is a Pity that the good Purpose of your Voyage, to save if possible the Credit of Mr Morris’s Bills could not be accomplished, by your obtaining a Loan from the Regency. I do not wonder at their declining it, nor at the Stop you mention as put to the general Loan by the News of the Diversity of Sentiments among the States about the Plan of Impost. I hope these mischievous events will at length convince our People of the Truth of what I long since wrote to them, that the Foundation of Credit abroad must be laid at home. 2 When the States have not Faith enough in a Congress of their own chusing, to trust it with Money for the Payment of their common Debt, how can they expect that that Congress should meet with Credit when it wants to borrow more Money for their Use from Strangers?—

Your Excellency saw in England, the Instructions brought to us by Capt. Jones from the Congress, and which you forwarded to me.3 Expecting your & Mr Jay’s speedy Return hither, I took no Step in consequence of them. Mr Jay is now return’d. And we are both desirous of knowing whether it is your Intention to join us again here, in order to execute those Instructions; because in that Case we should wait your Arrival.4

I have the honour to be, / Your Excellency’s most obedient / & most humble Servant

B. Franklin 17

RC (Adams Papers); internal address: “His Excellency John Adams, Esqr.”; endorsed: “Dr Franklin Feb 5 / ansd 11. 1784.”

Of 24 Jan., vol. 15:467–468.

Franklin paraphrases a passage from his 23 Dec. 1782 letter to Robert Morris. There he was complaining about newspaper reports of American opposition to taxes that were affecting U.S. credit in Europe (Franklin, Papers , 38:487–489).

These were Congress’ 29 Oct. 1783 instructions to the commissioners—JA, Franklin, and John Jay—that were enclosed in a 1 Nov. letter from the president of Congress. Brought by John Paul Jones, JA received them on 5 Dec. at London and, after copying them, forwarded the letter and instructions to Franklin (vol. 15:329, 331–334, 337, 339, 387–388).

JA did not return to Paris until Aug. 1784, and by then a new joint commission, composed of JA, Franklin, and Thomas Jefferson, had been named to negotiate treaties with the nations of Europe and North Africa.

Dennis DeBerdt to John Adams, 6 February 1784 DeBerdt, Dennis Adams, John

From Dennis DeBerdt

Sir London Feby: 6th: 1784

I have now the Honor to forward you a letter from my friend Mr: Edward Browne of Ostend, which respects the business we had the Honor to converse on when you was last in London

Shoud the contents of his letter meet your Ideas, I am confident no Gentleman residing at Ostend more eligible for the purpose, & I beg leave to recommend the business to your particular attention1

My Brother Mr Reed is safe arrived in England, & shoud you return to this Place, ere he goes again to the Amn: Continent I shall hope for the pleasure of your company to dinner2

Mr Laurens is confined to his Room wth: the Gout in his Head, & very unwell

We have as yet no Ministry!! Mr Fox’s party has outvoted Mr Pitt & his friends, & the Lords & Commons are at variance in the arrangement of a New Ministerial Union—& God only knows what awaits this distracted Kingdom3

My earnest wish is, that while the Sun of Glory & greatness in this Country is setting it may be rising in the Western World, & shine More & More to a perfect Day—

I have the Honor to be / sir Your Most Obedt: Servt:

Dennis De Berdt4

RC (DLC:Charles Thomson Papers); addressed: “The Honble: John Adams Esqr / American Minister / at the Hague”; internal address: “The Honble: John Adams”; endorsed: “M Dennis de Berdt / London Feby. 6th: 1784 / ansd 27 March.”

Edward Browne, about whom nothing else is known, wished to be appointed the American consul at Ostend. His letter of 27 Jan. has not been found, but JA indicated in his 27 March replies to Browne and DeBerdt that he was enclosing Browne’s letter and DeBerdt’s recommendation with his 27 March letter to Benjamin Franklin and John Jay (both LbC’s, APM Reel 107). There JA requested that his colleagues, if they approved, send the letters to Congress. Franklin replied on 16 April, below, that he would 18 do so, but there is no indication that Congress took any action regarding Browne’s request or DeBerdt’s recommendation.

For the mission of Joseph Reed, DeBerdt’s brother-in-law, to England in company with John Witherspoon, president of Princeton College, to raise money for the institution, see Reed’s 30 Jan. letter to JA, vol. 15:472–473, and JA’s 11 Feb. letter to Reed, below.

For the constitutional crisis to which DeBerdt refers, namely that while William Pitt had formed a ministry, forces allied with Charles James Fox retained a majority in the House of Commons, see John Stockdale’s letter of 20 Jan., note 3, vol. 15:466, and William Bingham’s letter of 19 Feb., and note 2, below. The crisis was resolved only with Parliament’s dissolution on 25 March and new elections that resulted in a majority for Pitt ( Parliamentary Hist. , 24:774–775; Cannon, Fox-North Coalition , p. 206–227).

DeBerdt was a London merchant and son of Dennys DeBerdt, the London colonial agent for Delaware and Massachusetts at the time of the Stamp Act ( DAB ).