Papers of John Adams, volume 17
]112 September – 11 October 1785
Mr. Barclay will deliver you this letter in his way to Morocco.2
We have appointed him to this negotiation in hopes of obtaining the friendship of that State to our country, & of opening by that means the commerce of the Mediterranean, an object of sufficient importance to induce him to accept of the trust
We recommend him & Colo. Franks who goes with him to your attention & assistance, and we particularly desire you to interest the court of Spain in his favour if you think it practicable— Your success upon many occasions with the Spanish Ministers, gives us hopes that you may obtain for him, Instructions or Letters to Spanish Consuls or other Gentleman which may contribute both to the comfort of his travels & the success of his Mission
Any Dispatches, for us, which he may convey to you, your own just sense of the importance of them will induce you to transmit to us with all possible care—
We are informed of the friendly attention of the court of Madrid to the case of our fellow citizens late in captivity as well as on many other occasions, and if you think it will not be taken amiss, you will oblige us by expressing our grateful sense of it wherever you think proper.
440With great esteem / We have the honour to be / Sir / Your Most obedt & / Most humble Servts.
(signed)
London Septr 12 1785
T. Jefferson3
FC in David Humphreys’ hand (PCC, No. 87, I, f. 163–164); internal address: “Mr Carmichael Chargé des Affairs / Of the United States of America / at the court of Madrid—” LbC (Adams Papers); APM Reel 111.
The copy of the letter to Carmichael that the commissioners gave to Thomas Barclay has not been found, but there is no reason to think that the text given here is different from that which he carried on his journey. The dating of the letter, however, is more problematical. JA drafted this letter in response to Thomas Jefferson’s suggestion in his letter of 4 Sept., above. The date of 12 Sept., which also appears on JA’s LbC, can be assumed to be the date on which he drafted the letter and the date on the fair copy that he presumably sent to Jefferson, but it seems unlikely that Jefferson did not date his signature on the fair copy given to Barclay. The one difference between David Humphreys’ FC and JA’s LbC (see note 2) likely reflects JA’s belief at the time that he drafted the letter that Barclay would be negotiating treaties with all of the Barbary States. John Lamb’s arrival meant that changes had to be made in the letter to Carmichael, as had already been done in Nos. I and II, above. It seems likely, therefore, that when Humphreys made his copy, presumably also used as a model for a letter to Carmichael given to Lamb, he changed JA’s text to indicate that Barclay was going only to Morocco. This would have necessitated the preparation of a new fair copy of the letter to Barclay that was likely enclosed with Jefferson’s second letter of 24 Sept., below.
Several of the other revised documents that were sent with that letter were signed by JA on 1 Oct. and by Jefferson on 11 Oct. Carmichael indicated in a letter to the commissioners of 3 Feb. 1786 that the letter carried by Lamb (see note 3) was “dated from London the 1st, and from Paris the 11th of October” (
Dipl. Corr., 1783–1789
, 1:740–745). It seems likely that the letter carried by Barclay would have carried the same dates.
In the LbC, this phrase is rendered, “all the States of Barbary.”
Immediately below the signatures, Humphreys wrote, “(NB a similar letter was / given to Mr Lamb).” This letter (see note 1) has not been found, but presumably the letter to Lamb referred to Algiers and Lamb’s secretary, Paul R. Randall, rather than to Morocco and Barclay’s secretary, David Franks.
r.15 1785
We do ourselves the Honour to acquaint your Excellency, that We have appointed Thomas Barclay Esq the Consul General of the United States in France, to proceed to the coast of Barbary in Africa, there to enter into Negotiation and to endeavour to form Treaties, of Amity between the United States and the King or Emperor of Morocco or Fez; the Regencies of Algiers, Tunis and Tripoli, or with any of them; and also with every other Prince, State or Power, 441of the said coast,: & that Mr Barclay is ready to proceed upon his Journey for that purpose.
That he may have the better hopes of success, We do ourselves the Honour to request that his most Christian Majesty will be pleased to employ his good Offices and Interpositions, with those Powers, and their subjects, in such manner as to his Majestys Wisdom shall seem fit convenient in order to promote the Views of Mr Barclay in his Mission and in Order to provide as fully and efficaciously as possible for the Benefit, conveniency, and Safety of the said United States, and each of them, their subjects, People and Inhabitants and their Vessells and Effects, against all Violence, Insults Attacks or Depredations, on the Part of the Said Princes and States of Barbary, or their Subjects. and to this End that the Ministers Consuls, and Agents of France residing in those Countries may be instructed to Advice and assist Mr Barclay, according to the Spirit of the Eighth Article of the Treaty of Commerce, between his Majesty and the United states of America.
With great Respect We have the Honour / to be, Sir, your Excellencys most / obedient and most humble Servant
Dft in JA’s hand (Adams Papers); internal address: “His Excellency the Comte / De Vergennes, Minister and / Secretary of State for the / Department of foreign Affairs.”; endorsed: “Sketch to / C. De Vergennes.” LbC (Adams Papers); APM Reel 111.
This letter was drafted by JA in response to Thomas Jefferson’s request in his letter of 4 Sept., above. JA sent Jefferson a fair copy of this letter as an enclosure in his of 15 Sept., below. See No. IX, below, for the letter actually sent to Vergennes owing to the arrival of John Lamb.