Papers of John Adams, volume 17
N
o.2.
th.1785
In answer to your Letter of yesterday, you will give me leave to say, that your assistance and advice, has been at all times so usefull and agreable to me, that I should loose the advantage of it with reluctance if it were only for a few Weeks, or even day’s— nevertheless the month of august is so dull and so disgusting & unwholesome in London the Place is so deserted by Men of Business as well as others, that I believe it will be the best time to take an Excurtion, on all accounts
The General Review of the Prussian Army, is an Object Worthy of your Ambition to see, and therefore I will chearfully consent to your making the tour, and will only ask the favour, of your return, as soon as may be— I shall only add a request, that you would enquire in every City where you go, concerning the Prohibitions & Duties which are imposed on our American Commodities of all Sorts, particularly Tobacco & Oil, and whether we cannot obtain Marketts, where monopolies & exclusions are less Idolized— You would do well to enquire too how the Cities are illuminated, and what Manufactures may be had, especially in Prussia, with whose soveriegn we have just concluded an honourable Treaty—3
302with great Esteem—I have the Honour to be Sir / your most obedient and most / humble Servant
FC in WSS’s hand (PCC, No. 92, I, f. 19); internal address: “Coll Smith.”
This “Copy” was enclosed with WSS’s 6 Dec. letter to John Jay, which also covered a copy of his 4 Aug. letter to JA (
Dipl. Corr., 1783–1789
, 3:9).
On 9 Aug. JA wrote letters introducing WSS to C. W. F. Dumas and to the loan consortium (both LbC’s, APM Reel 111). On the 15th, WSS presented JA’s letter to the Amsterdam bankers, who approved a line of credit for WSS’s travel needs, to be charged to the United States as “part of his Salary” (Archivo del general Miranda, ed. Vicente Dávila and others, 24 vols., Caracas, 1929–1950, 1:360). See also the consortium’s letter of 8 Nov., and note 2, below.
JA acknowledged WSS’s initial letters in his of 19 Sept., below, but most of WSS’s infrequent letters have not been found, and none of those that have survived contain the information requested here.
A Treaty of Amity & Commerce between the United States of America & his Majesty the King of Prussia having been arranged with the Baron de Thulemeyer his Majesty’s Envoy Extraordinary at the Hague specially empowered for this Purpose and it being inconsistent with our other Duties to repair to that Place ourselves for the Purpose of executing & exchanging the Instruments of Treaty, we hereby appoint you special Secretary for that Purpose.
You recieve from Colo Humphries Secretary of our Legation, the original of our full Powers, & a Copy of the same attested by him; the full Powers heretofore communicated to us by the Baron de Thulemeier, & the two Instruments of Treaty arranged between us, each in two Columns, the one in English & the other in French, equally originals. From us you recieve a Letter to Charles Dumas Esqr.
2 for the United States at the Hague, associating him with you in the Objects of your Mission.
You will proceed immediately to the Hague & being arrived there will deliver the Letter to mr. Dumas & proceed conjunctly with him in the Residue of your Business which is to be executed there.
The original of our full Powers is to be exhibited to the Plenipotentiary of his Majesty the King of Prussia & the attested Copy is to be left with him, you taking back the original. You will in like Manner ask an Exhibition of the Original of his full Powers, & also a Copy duly attested: you will compare the Copy with the Original & being satisfied of its Exactness you will attest it, return the Original & keep the Copy. That you may be under no Doubt whether the full powers exhibited to you be sufficient or not, you recieve from Colo.
303Humphries those which the Baron de Thulemeier heretofore sent to us. If those which shall be exhibited agree with these in Form or Substance, they will be sufficient.
The full powers being approved on each Side & exchanged, you will obtain the Seal & Signature of the Prussian Plenipotentiary to the two Instruments of Treaty with which you are charged, & yourself & mr. Dumas will attest the same. One of these original Instruments will remain in the Hands of the Prussian Plenipotentiary, the other you will retain.
You will ask that the Ratification of his Majesty the King of Prussia be made known to us as soon as it shall have taken Place, giving an Assurance on our Part that that of Congress shall also be communicated so soon as it shall have taken Place. When both Ratifications shall be known Measures may be concerted for exchanging them. You will confer with the said Plenipotentiary on the Expediency of keeping this Treaty uncommunicated to the Public until the Exchange of Ratifications, & agree accordingly.
You will then return to Paris, & redeliver to the Secretary of our Legation our original full Powers, the Copies of those of Prussia beforementioned, & the original Instrument of the Treaty which you shall have retained.
Th: Jefferson
RC (DLC:William Short Papers); internal address in JA’s hand: “William Short Esqr.” FC (Adams Papers); filmed at 28 July.
This letter, and another to C. W. F. Dumas of this date (private owner, 1956), are in Short’s hand, although the datelines and internal addresses in both letters are by JA. The letter to Dumas authorized him to act in conjunction with Short in the exchange of the signed Prussian-American Treaty of Amity and Commerce. Jefferson likely signed the two letters on 28 July, for he enclosed them, leaving space for JA’s signature, with his letter of that date, above. JA signed and dated both letters on 5 Aug., the same day on which he signed the Prussian-American treaty, which is calendared at 10 Sept., below, the day on which the Baron von Thulemeier signed the treaty at The Hague.
Blank in MS, apparently for Dumas’ title.