Papers of John Adams, volume 18
y1786
I had your very agreeable Letter of the 1st. Octobr in course after it’s date, which I have not before acknowledged nor the very obliging Note from Miss Adams accompanying it—1 you will please for me & Mr Tracy to thank that Lady for her kind Enquiries & good Wishes espressed for us & our families & to return their & our affectionate Compliments to Mrs. & Miss Adams— I hope that the Ladies enjoy the Air & Society in which they are placed—that they have Health & Peace of Mind—
I wrote to you in Octr & then took the Liberty to introduce to your Acquaintance Mr Escott & his Partners, who were a Society with which I enjoyed as much real Sociability, & by whom I was treated with as much Hospitality as by any persons while abroad— if agreeable to you I hope that an Acquaintance is commenced between you & that you find them as I described them—
Mr Parkinson is a Man of Information & Ingenuity— Had I been sure that to your Ladies it would have been agreeable, I should have proposed to Mrs. Reed an Acquaintance with them, tho’ mine with
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her would perhaps scarcely authorize it— she is a Lady I got quite attached to for her very pleasing & agreeable manners— she is more of a domestic Woman than the fine Ladies of England commonly are, & was she & your Ladies to slide into an easy Acquaintance with each other I think they would both be pleased & enjoy it—
I am writing to Mr Escott by this Conveyance & again meddling with what perhaps is impertinent— I have hinted to him my Wish that your Ladies & Mrs Reed should be brõt to Know each other—2if my Interference should be construed by either of you to be impertinent, you will attribute it I hope to a well intentioned Zeal that others should enjoy like pleasures as I have—
My Partner Mr Higginson wrote to you by one of the last Ships & anticipated every thing I could furnish you in the political Line & with much more Perspicuity & Method—3
I wish more than I expect to hear of a speedy & agreeable Termination of the Pursuits committed to your Charge, both with the Country you are placed in, & with the States of Barbary—
By the time you return you will be practised I imagine in the Arts of defence, & get accustomed to the Attack of Scribblers & Party-Men, & with perfect Composure will be able to meet the most impudent unfounded Assertions— even Kings in the Country you are in must learn to live easy under these or not to be easy at all— in this respect it is an extraordinary people— while I was in their Country I never heard of but one person of importance enough to attack & vilify that had escaped the Arrows of Detraction—& that was said to be their present Queen, indeed it was once attempted on her but an universal Disapprobation of it had discouraged a Renewal— from all that was said of her I was led to think her a valuable domestic Character— indeed it was generally said that she had the Discretion never to meddle with their Politics, which if true is much in her favour, & a rare instance I believe in the Courts of Europe—
When you have Leisure my good Sir your Communications upon any Subject you may think worthy your pen will always be most agreeable to me— I have very seldom seen your Son since his Arrival— I am told that he is a very hard & close Student & confines himself to Haverhill almost entirely at present—4
If you meet Doctr Price & Mr Benja Vaughan5 at any time you will oblige me to present them with my respectfull Compliments—
With great respect & esteem / I am dear Sir / your friend & most obedt Servt
aJackson
RC (Adams Papers); internal address: “The Honble. / Mr Adams”; endorsed by AA2: “Mr Jackson Feb / 1786—”
Vol. 17:484–485. AA2’s note has not been found.
In his 24 Oct. 1785 letter (Adams Papers), Jackson introduced the London and Málaga wine merchant John Kirkpatrick Escott (d. 1799), his wife Deborah (d. 1818), and Mrs. James Reed, the wife of Escott’s partner, who died in November. “Mr Parkinson” was probably John Parkinson, who was also associated with the firm (Edward Wedlake Brayley, The History of Surrey, 5 vols., London, 1841–1844, vol. 2, part 1, p. 200; The Pedigree Register, 2:307 [Sept. 1912]; John B. Bosanquet and Christopher Puller, comps., Reports of Cases Argued and Determined in the Courts of Common Pleas, and Exchequer Chamber, and in the House of Lords, 3 vols., Phila., 1805, 1:349; Journal of the Barbados Museum and Historical Society, 12:27 [Nov. 1944]). There is no evidence that the Adamses ever socialized with Jackson’s friends.
Stephen Higginson’s letter was of 30 Dec. 1785, above, to which JA replied on 18 Feb. 1786, below.
JQA was studying for his entrance into Harvard, under the tutelage of his uncle Rev. John Shaw (vol. 17:60, 61). Adhering to a rigorous reading schedule, JQA wrote that he would “seldom retire before 1 in the morning, and rise, between 8 and 9” (JQA, Diary
, 1:408).
Benjamin Vaughan was a London merchant and protégé of the Earl of Shelburne whom JA first met at Paris in 1782 (JA, D&A
, 3:53, 54;
AFC
, 5:464, 466–467). Vaughan frequently dined at No. 8 Grosvenor Square, for which see the indexes to
AFC
, vols. 6 and 7.
The Expences of Insurance on American Vessells; the Obstructions of their Commerce with Spain Portugal and Italy: and Compassion for our Fellow Citizens in Captivity: all occasioned by Apprehensions of the Barbary Corsairs, must excite Solicitude in every Man capable of thinking or Feeling. it is nevertheless certain that too great an Alarm has been Spread, Since no more than two Vessells have been taken by the Algerines, and one by Morocco. Artificial Allarms might be diminished, by discontinuing the Practice of insuring in England. Loyds Coffeehouse has made a great and clear Profit, because no Vessell has yet been taken, which has been there insured. if the American Merchants would open offices at home the Præmium would be saved to the Country, and they would find a large Ballance in their favour.1 The Ballance of Trade with the English is so much against Us, that We ought not unnecessarily, to make ourselves tributary to them.
Mr Lamb drew upon me Bills for 2000£, at Madrid the 24th of January, and assures me in his Letter of Advice that I shall hear from him soon at Barcelona. This Gentlemans Motions are Slow: what can have detained him So long, I know not.— an entire Stranger to him as I am having never Seen him, nor heard of him
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untill he was announced in your Letter, I can Say nothing of his Character or Conduct. Mr Jefferson understood him to be recommended by Congress and he was certainly the Bearer of their Orders, and I could not but concur in the Sentiment of my excellent Colleague, and in his Construction of the Intentions of Congress. —Since the Appointment was made and became irrevocable, I have heard Such Opinions and Reports of him, as have astonished me.2 he has with him in Mr Randall an ingenious worthy Man, who, may Supply any deficiencies, as We hope, and We must now wait with Patience, untill they inform Us of their Proceedings.
Mr Barclay, and Mr Franks are at length departed from Paris. Their Delay was occasioned by Mr Beaumarchais.—3 It will be so late before these Gentlemen can arrive at Morocco, that the Emperor may be out of Patience and Send out his Frigates.
If the Agents were arrived, there would be little reason for Confidence in their Success. The Sum of Eighty Thousand Dollars, it is much to be feared will not be Sufficient to procure Treaties of Peace. We may find the whole Sum consumed, and the Difficulty of making Peace augmented. Congress will take all these Things into Consideration, and transmit their Orders both respecting the Sums to be given as Presents, and the Funds from whence they are to be drawn. without a fresh Loan in Holland, the Treasury of the United States in Europe will Soon be exhausted.
The American Commerce can be protected from these Affricans, only by Negotiation or by War. if Presents should be exacted from Us, as ample as those which are given by England, the expence may amount to Sixty Thousand Pounds sterling a Year, an enormous Sum to be Sure, but infinitely less than the Expence of fighting. two Frigates of 30 Guns each would cost as much, to fitt them for the Sea besides the accumulating Charges of Stores, Provisions, Pay And Cloathing. The Powers of Europe generally Send a Squadron of Men of War, with their Ministers, and offer Battle at the Same time tat they propose Treaties and promise Presents. Mr Barclay and Mr Lamb are armed only with Innocence and the Olive Branch: and there is some reason to expect, that the Emperor, and Dey will feel their Dignity hurt by the Appearance of Deputies not immediately appointed by Congress. Time will clear up all doubts, and Subsequent Arrangements may be taken accordingly.
an Envoy from Tripoli is here at present.4 I Saw him at Court but have not made him a Visit. He wishes to See me, as is Supposed 164 from what he Said Yesterday to a Gentleman. He Said “that most of the foreign Ministers, had left their Cards, but the American had not. We are at War with his Nation, it is true, and that may be the Reason of his not calling. We will make Peace with them however for a tribute of an hundred Thousand Dollars a Year. Not less.”
He Speaks no European Language, except a little of the Lingua Franca, and perhaps a little Italian. to go with an Interpreter would occasion Speculation, and Suggest to him Schemes which he might not otherwise think of. to treat with him before any Measures are taken with Morocco and Algiers might offend them.
With great Respect, I have the Honour / to be, Sir your most obedient and / most humble servant
RC (PCC, No. 84, VI, f. 95–100); internal address: “His Excellency John Jay / Secretary of State for the / Department of foreign Affairs.” LbC (Adams Papers); APM Reel 112.
The depredations of Barbary corsairs, both real and imagined, led the underwriters at Lloyd’s to charge American ships double the insurance rate charged British ships (William M. Fowler Jr., Jack Tars and Commodores: The American Navy, 1783–1815, Boston, 1984, p. 5). As early as 1752, American marine insurance houses existed in Philadelphia, but the industry did not begin to flourish in other U.S. ports until 1787 (Edwin J. Perkins, American Public Finance and Financial Services, 1700–1815, Columbus, Ohio, 1994, p. 289, 291, 300–301, 303–304). For additional comments by JA regarding the cost of insurance, see vol. 17:16–17, 201, 486, and
JA’s 18 Feb. 1786 letter to Stephen Higginson, below.
John Lamb, whom JA had first heard of in Jay’s 11 March 1785 letter to the commissioners reporting Congress’ revised plans for Barbary negotiations, left Paris on 6 Nov. and arrived in Madrid by 10 Dec. 1785 (vols. 16:559–563; 17:586). For Lamb’s expenditures at Madrid and Barcelona on his way to Algiers, see his letters of 24 Jan., 16 Feb., and 7 and 8 March 1786 (all Adams Papers). For a full account of Lamb’s movements, see his secretary Paul R. Randall’s 17 Feb. report to JA , below.
Thomas Barclay and his secretary, Lt. Col. David S. Franks, left Paris on 15 Jan. and, after stops in Lorient, Bordeaux, and Bayonne, France, arrived in Madrid on 10 March (from Barclay, 24 Feb., Adams Papers; 27 March, below; Jefferson, Papers
, 9:234).
The appearance of Sidi Haji Abdrahaman, Tripoli’s ambassador, at the Court of St. James stirred talk among the ministers and comment in the British press. Describing Abdrahaman, who presented his credentials on 27 Jan., AA wrote that he was a man “of a copper coulour and was drest in the stile of his own Country, with a Turban upon his Head sandles upon his feet and a Mantle with a Beard of no small length. … He was attended by two secretaries, who were permitted to wear only whiskers. By his interpretor he appears a sensible candid well disposed Man. I am not at liberty to say more respecting him at present. Tripoli is one of the largest of the Barbery states, and has great influence with the rest, but the Money, the Money, where can it be had” (
Repertorium
, 3:457;
AFC
, 7:34, 72, 136).
To JA, Abdrahaman’s arrival in London signaled a new route to liberating the American sailors held in Algiers, and a new opportunity to open commercial negotiations with the Barbary States. For meetings between JA and Abdrahaman, see JA’s letters of 17 Feb. to Thomas Jefferson and of 20 and 22 Feb. to Jay, all below.