Papers of John Adams, volume 18

From John Adams to Thomas Jefferson, 21 February 1786 Adams, John Jefferson, Thomas

To Thomas Jefferson

Dear Sir Grosvenor Square Feb. 21. 1786. 1

I have desired Colonel Smith to go Express to Paris, to intreat you to come here without loss of Time.2 The Portuguese Minister has received his Instructions from his Court, and We may here together conduct and finish the Negotiation with him, I suppose in three Weeks. But there is another Motive more Important. There is here a Tripolitan Ambassador with whom I have had three Conferences. the Substance of what passed Colonel Smith will explain to You. —Your Visit here will be imputed to Curiosity, to take a Look at England and pay your Respects at Court and to the Corps Diplomatick. There is nothing to be done in Europe, of half the Importance of this, and I dare not communicate to Congress what has passed without your Concurrence. What has been already done and expended will be absolutely thrown away and We shall be involved in a universal and horrible War with these Barbary states, which will continue for many Years, unless more is done immediately. I am so impressed and distressed with this Affair that I will go to New York or to Algiers or first to one and then to the other, if you think it necessary, rather than it should not be brought to a Conclusion. Somebody must go to N York, one of Us, or Humphries or Smith in order to perswade Congress of the Necessity of doing more. Then somebody must go to Holland to obtain the means, and then somebody perhaps to Algiers to make Use of them. The Tripolitan might be perswaded to go with him. I refer you to the Bearer for all other 177 Particulars, and have the Honour to be with / great Esteem your Friend

John Adams

RC (DLC:Jefferson Papers); internal address: “Mr Jefferson.”; endorsed: “J. Adams.” LbC (Adams Papers); APM Reel 112.

JA wrote again to Jefferson on 25 Feb. to introduce Samuel Hartley, cousin of David, the British peace negotiator. For Samuel’s business in France, see David Hartley’s 5 March letter to Jefferson (Jefferson, Papers , 9:298–299, 315–316).

WSS departed for Paris on 21 Feb., delivering JA’s summons to Jefferson six days later. WSS and Jefferson left for London on 6 March and, despite a delay at Calais, arrived on the 11th (to John Jay, 22 Feb., below; AFC , 7:77; Jefferson, Papers , 9:307, 326, 362). In addition to WSS’s £200 secretarial salary, JA charged fifty guineas for his travel expenses (to Wilhem & Jan Willink and Nicolaas & Jacob van Staphorst, 24 March, LbC, APM Reel 112).

On 13 March JA wrote to the Marquis of Carmarthen to notify him of Jefferson’s arrival, and to schedule a joint meeting as they had “something to Communicate to His Lordship, relative to the affairs of the United States” (Jefferson, Papers , 9:327). For the outcome of that meeting, see the commissioners’ 4 April letter to Carmarthen, and note 1, below.

From John Adams to Matthew Robinson-Morris, 21 February 1786 Adams, John Robinson-Morris, Matthew

To Matthew Robinson-Morris

Sir Grosvenor Square Feb 21st. 1786.

My Friend Dr Price has kindly permitted me to read his Letter and to inclose mine with it—

before the Commencement of Hostilities in America a Pamphlet was presented to me at Boston in your Name, which I read with more pleasure than I ever received from any other. it was intituled Considerations on the Measures Carrying on &c—1 it has been a Constant sceurce of Astonishment to me that a Nation after the Publication of a Pamphlet Containing Views of their Empire so Comprehensive and Clear—and pointing out Consequences so obvious and Certain could support a Ministry in the Prosecution of a War. the Whole History of Which has been but a simple Relation of the Accomplishment of your Prophecies—

I read the Address to the Landed trading and funded Interests of England which appeard to me to be Demonstration as Clear, as the Considerations but recollecting the little Attention which was given to the latter, I trembled least the former should be equally ineffectual—2

I cannot but observe however that you have in a great measure overlookd the U— states of America and Dr Price in his Letter has not mentioned them— you may Possibly upon further reflection see Reasons to beleive that this Nation is now pursueing as Absurd a system towards America as it was when you wrote your 178 Considerations and that the Consequences may even be more fatal to your Country— Permit me to suggest to your Consideration whether it would not be wise to begin with the United states and open all the Ports of the British Empire to them in return for their opening theirs to the British! this alone would be such an Extension of the Commerce and Revenue of this Country as is not at Present Comprehended by Administration or opposition and would have greater Influence upon its Political Interest. than perhaps even you Sir are aware of—

Accept my thanks for the Entertainment you have given me and beleive me to be / with great respect / yours—

LbC in AA2’s hand (Adams Papers); internal address: “Mathew Robbinson Esqr. / Horton Hythe.— Kent.”; APM Reel 113.

Matthew Robinson-Morris, later 2d Baron Rokeby (1713–1800), politician and writer, represented Canterbury as M.P. from 1747 to 1761. He was known for his eccentric proclivities—such as taking long sea baths, making difficult hikes, and subsisting mainly on boiled beef—and kept sizable estates at Rokeby and at Monk’s Horton, near Hythe in Kent. Writing to Cotton Tufts on 11 March 1786, JA called him “an honest and Sensible Old Man of Fortune,” and through April carried on a wide-ranging correspondence with him regarding Anglo-American politics and trade ( AFC , 7:87–88; DNB ; Henry Wilson, Wonderful Characters: Comprising Memoirs and Anecdotes of the Most Remarkable Persons of Every Age and Nation, 3 vols., London, 1830–1832, 1:336–350). See also Descriptive List of Illustrations, No. 1, above.

JA refers to Robinson-Morris’ Considerations on the Measures Carrying on with Respect to the British Colonies in North-America, London, 1774. No reference to Robinson-Morris’ sending the pamphlet to JA has been found, but with his 13 Jan. 1775 letter to JA, the London bookseller Edward Dilly enclosed four copies (vol. 2:211). AA replied to Dilly’s letter on 22 May 1775, JA then being at Congress, thanking him for the pamphlets and comparing the author’s views with those of JA in his Novanglus essays, copies of which AA enclosed with her letter ( AFC , 1:202–204). The title page of one of the copies sent by Dilly appears in vol. 1 of AFC , opposite p. 241.

For Robinson-Morris’ recently published Address, see JA’s 9 Feb. 1786 letter to David Ramsay, and note 2, above. And for JA’s further comments on the pamphlet, see his 2, 4, and 23 March letters to Robinson-Morris, all below.