Papers of John Adams, volume 16
Nous avons l’Honneur de Vous accompagner L’ouvrage de Mr. De Mablÿ, d’après La Promesse que nous fimes à Votre Excellence.1 Voÿlà la premiere Exemplaire qui Sorte de nos mains et que nous refusons à toute autre; Une Epreuve de la Confiance particulière que nous avons pour vous, Monsieur, et comme il nous importe de Beaucoup de prevenir la Contrefaction nous reposons dans les 94 assurances, que votre Excellence a bien Voulu donner, que l’exemplaire ne Sortira pas de vos mains jusqu’à ce que nous aurons l’Honneur de vous envoyer les 24 Exemplaires que vous nous avez demandées.
Monsr l’Abbé de Mablÿ nous a écrit de commencer par l’envoÿe de 12 Exemplaire au Libraire Le Sieur Alexandre Jombert jeûne à Paris afin de mettre à l’Epreuve La facon d’agir des Censeurs Il ÿ ajoute, que Si on les retient qu’on prendra des mesures pour les faire passer par une aûtre Voÿe.2
Nous Sommes avec Respect / Monsieur! / Vos très humbles & très obeissants / Serviteurs
We have the honor of delivering to you the work of Mr. Mably, according to the promise we made to your excellency.1 Here is the first copy that is leaving our hands, and which we are giving to no one else, a proof of the special trust that we have in you, sir, and as it is very important to us to prevent any pirating, we rely on the assurances that your excellency was so good as to give us, that this copy will not leave your hands until we have had the honor of sending you the 24 copies that you requested.
Monsignor the Abbé de Mably wrote us to begin by shipping twelve copies to the bookseller Mr. Alexandre Jombert the Younger in Paris in order to test the reaction of the censors. He adds that if they are held back, measures will be taken to send them by another route.2
We are with respect, sir, your very humble and very obedient servants
RC (Adams Papers).
Abbé de Mably’s Observations sur le gouvernement et les loix des États-Unis d’Amérique, Amsterdam, 1784.
Mably’s fear that Observations might be held up at the French border was owing to the fact that the author, and JA, had failed to obtain permission for its publication in France (vol. 15:313–314; from Antoine Marie Cerisier, 21 Feb., note 1, above).
I have received the Almanack you were pleased to Send me, and I beg of you to accept of my Thanks for it. I beg your Acceptance also of a Couple of Medals, which the Baron de Thulemeier has been So good as to convey for me to you. These Medals were not Struck by any publick Authority. They are the Invention and Execution of the 95 Medalist Holtzhey of Amsterdam Solely. Another has been Struck by the Society Liberty and Zeal in Friesland, but I have it not.1
You ask my Opinion of Some Things you have in Contemplation for next Year, and you shall have it, with Candor and Sincerity. General Washington never was, and, unless my Countrymen run generally mad, never will be Summoned by Congress, to become, the Legislator of America. The Legislation of America, has been long Since compleat, but if it were not, She has hundreds of Citizens better qualified, than any officer of her Army to be her Legislators.
No Town has been and perhaps none will be Surveyed for the Meeting of Congress.
The Portrait of Mr Hancock has some resemblance in the Dress and Figure, but none at all in the Countenance. I have not Mr Paines Portrait. I am sorry you have any Marks of an order of Cincinnatus which is the first Step taken to deface the Beauty of our Temple of Liberty.
We have had three grand Objects in View, in all our political Transactions. 1. Political and civil Liberty. 2. Liberty of Commerce. 3. religious Liberty, whatever tends to illustrate these, would be proper for your Use. These are our real Glory. But perhaps it might contribute more to the Sale of your Almanack to insert Some Things which arise more from our Vanity and Folly.
My poor Head is Scarcely worth preserving even in an Almanack, but as you request it, if I can conveniently get it done, you may perhaps have it, before the Year comes about.
I have &c.
LbC (Adams Papers); internal address: “Mr Charles Spener Bookseller / to his Majesty of Prussia.”; APM Reel 107.
For the medals by Jean George Holtzhey commemorating Dutch recognition of the United States and the Dutch-American Treaty of Amity and Commerce, see vol. 13:xiv–xv, 538; 14:161. For the medal issued by the Société Bourgeoise of Leeuwarden to commemorate Friesland’s recognition of the United States, see vol. 14:xiv, 463.