Papers of John Adams, volume 16
van Staphorst, and De la Lande & Fynje
r.1784
By the honour of your Excellencies favour we observe, that our letter, of whch. we annex the Copy must not have reached you, whch. acknowledged the receipt of your Truncks.1
since your Excellency has not taken the Last acct. with you, we inclose also the copy of it, together with the account of the sums we payed for you till this date, and whch. we have now charged in acct. to the United States to the amount of—ƒ9616:6:8
We also inclose account of the Sums payed and charged directly at the proper date in acct. to the United States, in conformity of your Excellencies order.
We have no doubt, but Your Excellency’ll find these pieces right and explicit to enable You, to settle with Mr Barcly; and all agree with the acct. Sent to his Excellency Robt. Morris Esqr.
Hitherto we have not received the Least notice of this Super Intendent of Finance, either concerning the payment of all the drafts, nor abt. the New Loan, we Shall be pleased to hear if your Excelly. has received letters abt. it.
Since the first Lotery of the premiums of the New Loan in conformity of your Excellencies Obligation must be drawn Next month, we beg leave to pray you to order us to perform it, either in the beginning or at the end of october, we Should think the Latter end of the month preferable.
Your Exellency Will remember, you reserved the option to the United States, to paÿ the premiums in obligations, or in cash, we think not Amiss to offer to your Consideration, as the premiums to be drawn Amount only at this period to a Sum of ƒ50,000—:— that it Should tend greatly to confirm and edify the American Credit, to qualify us to advertise by the advertissement of the day fixed in octbr. for drawing the Premiums.
“that we are expressely ordered to pay the premiums to the holders of the Obligations, whose No. shall draw the Same in ready money the Pmo. febry. the day the first year intrest falls due on the Loan”2
We are persuaded this Will operate favourably, as the Money Lenders will Consider, that the intention is to discharge the debt punctually, and that however the States could make the payment in Obligations payg. after 17 Years, resolve to pay it in ready money, as more to the mind of the Lenders whch. Shall greatly encrease their Confidence for America.
as all our endeavours tend to promote this, your Excellency’ll find a new proof in our proposals of it, whch. we readily Submit to your better Judgment, on whh. we Shall expect your opinion and orders, how to direct the Same.
We are happy to See Your Excellency enjoys with Your Family a good health, bÿ whc. we hope you may Long be preserved, and bring your Commission at a stand to your and your Committants Satisfaction.
We have the honour to be with respectfull Attachement / Sir / Your Excelly’s: Most Humb & Ob Servants
Nic
s.& Jacob van Staphorst.
de la Lande & Fynje
RC (Adams Papers); internal address: “To his Excellency John / Adams Esqr Paris.”
The consortium enclosed a copy of their 10 Aug. letter, above, which had not reached JA at London; see note 1 to that letter. It also enclosed an updated statement of JA’s account with the United States as well as a list of items that JA charged directly to the account of the United States, neither of which has been found. Thomas Barclay did not finally settle JA’s account for this period until 10 Oct. 1785, and then it was current through 1 Aug. 1785, not 9 Aug. 1784 as indicated in vol. 15:233 (DNA:RG 39, Foreign Ledgers, Public Agents in Europe, 1776–1787, Microfilm, Reel 1, f. 266–267; to Thomas Barclay, 26 Oct. 1785, LbC, APM Reel 111).
For this provision, which promised to save the United States a considerable amount of money, see the contract for the second Dutch loan, [9 March], and note 5, above. For JA’s approval of the consortium’s proposal, see his reply of 16 Sept., below.
e.7
br.1784.
La besogne que vous trouverez, ci-joint, c’est à dire la copie & traduction d’une Résolution aussi importante, m’empeche encore de répondre cet ordinaire en détail à votre faveur du 25 du passé, com̃e je me l’etois proposé. Je crois qu’il importe autant que V. E. & Mess. vos Collegues voient cela en passant que le Congrès, pour votre governe.1
Mes respects à Auteuil & à Passy. Je suis avec grand respect & en hâte / De Votre Excellence / Le très-humble & très-obeissant / serviteur
La fameuse Caat Mossel, & sa Conseillere intime Zwarte Keet, ou Blak-Keet, sont coffrées à Rotterdam. C’est le premier effet de la Com̃ission à Rotterdam.2 J’écris à notre ami Turq, pour le complimenter de l’entrée de ces Belles dans son Serrail, & je lui recom̃ande de ne pas tout garder pour lui seul, mais de penser que Mr. Visscher est sans Sultane.3 Com̃e elles ont chacune au moins
313
30
łb.
de chaque côté par le haut, & le reste à proportion, ils y trouveront leur compte tous les deux.
The work that you will find enclosed, that is to say the copy and translation of such an important resolution, still prevents me from responding in the usual detail to your letter of the 25th of last month, as I had intended. I believe that it is as important for your excellency and your colleagues to see this for your information as it is for Congress.1
My respects to Auteuil and to Passy. I am with great respect and in haste your excellency’s very humble and very obedient servant
The famous Kaat Mossel and her intimate advisor Keet Zwenke, or Blak-Keet, are behind bars at Rotterdam. This is the first effect of the commission at Rotterdam.2 I am writing to our friend the Turk to compliment him on the entry of these beauties into his harem, and I am recommending that he not keep all for himself but remember that Mr. Visscher is without a sultana.3 As each woman has at least thirty pounds atop each side, and the rest in proportion, both men will find there all they need.
RC (Adams Papers); internal address: “A S. E. Mr. Adams.”
Dumas enclosed his 3 Sept. letter to the president of Congress, with which he sent the States General’s 30 Aug. resolution in response to the Comte de Barbiano-Belgiojoso’s 23 Aug. memorial to the Dutch plenipotentiaries at Brussels, for which see JA’s 25 Aug. letter to Dumas, note 2, above. The resolution firmly rejected Austrian demands that navigation of the Scheldt River be totally free and that Austrian vessels have access to Dutch ports in Europe and the East and West Indies (PCC, No. 93, III, f. 65–68, 137–140; No. 115B, f. 41, 48–50;
Dipl. Corr., 1783–1789
, 3:511–515).
Catharina Mulder, nicknamed Kaat Mossel, was a Rotterdam vendor and inspector of mussels, while Cornelia Toppen, known as Keet Zwenke, ran a secondhand shop and alehouse in the same city. Both women were leaders of Orangist popular resistance among the working class of Rotterdam. In early 1784, after the local Patriot militia was incorporated into the civic guard, Orangist mobs continually harassed the watch, ultimately provoking an incident in which four people were killed and many wounded. An investigatory commission empowered by the States General and backed by a considerable military force arrested Mulder and Toppen for sedition. Dumas kept Congress informed of the course of events throughout the spring and summer (Huygens Institute of Netherlands History, Online Dictionary of Dutch Women, www.inghist.nl; Wayne Ph. te Brake, Rudolf M. Dekker, and Lotte C. van de Pol, “Women and Political Culture in the Dutch Revolutions,” in Harriet B. Applewhite and Darline G. Levy, eds., Women and Politics in the Age of the Democratic Revolution, Ann Arbor, Mich., 1990, p. 114;
Dipl. Corr., 1783–1789
, 3:486, 490, 492, 493, 500, 501, 503, 511).
The identity of “the Turk” has not been determined. Carel Wouter Visscher, pensionary of Amsterdam, although a member of the commission at Rotterdam that arrested Mulder and Toppen, advocated leniency toward the two women, including the immediate termination of criminal proceedings. Visscher married Anna Anthonia van Muiden in 1759 but became a widower ten years later and remained so until his death in 1802 (Gazette d’Amsterdam, 15 Oct. 1784; H. Wildeboer,
314
“Carel Wouter Visscher (1734–1802): Portret van een patriots pensionaris,” in Eenentachtigste jaarboek van het genootschap Amstelodamum, Amsterdam, 1989, p. 140).