Papers of John Adams, volume 18

To John Adams from Thomas Jefferson, 30 May 1786 Jefferson, Thomas Adams, John

From Thomas Jefferson

Dear Sir Paris May 30. 1786.

In my letter of the 11th. instant I had the honour of inclosing you copies of letters relative to the Barbary affairs. others came to hand three days ago, of some of which I now send you copies, & of the 325 others the originals. by these you will perceive that mr̃ Randall and mr̃ Lamb were at Madrid, that the latter means to return to Alicant & send on a courier to us. mr̃ Randall does not repeat that he shall come himself. when either he or the courier arrives we shall have information to decide on. but these papers have strengthened my idea of desiring them to repair to Congress. I am anxious to know your sentiments on this. these papers came in time for me to send copies to mr̃ Jay by the packet which will sail from l’Orient the day after tomorrow.1

The inclosed paper from the Academy of chirurgery was put into my hands to be forwarded to you.2

I have the honor to be with sentiments of the most perfect esteem & respect Dear Sir / Your most obedient / & most humble sevt

Th: Jefferson

P.S. I shall be much obliged to Colo. Smith for a copy of the treaty with Portugal as soon as it is signed. I am of opinion we had better send Luzac a copy as soon as it is signed. what think you?

RC (Adams Papers); internal address: “Mr. Adams.”; endorsed: “Mr Jefferson May 30 / ansd June 6. 1796”; docketed by JQA: “T. Jefferson. 30. May 1786. / 6. June Ansd:”

The enclosures, which Jefferson sent to John Jay with his second letter of 27 May, are Paul R. Randall’s 14 May letter to the commissioners, above; letters to Jefferson from William Carmichael of 16 and 18 May, and from Randall of 18 May; and a 20 April letter from the Conde d’Expilly to Carmichael enclosed in Carmichael’s 16 May letter (Jefferson, Papers , 9:538–540, 546–548, 590). Note that Jefferson included the enclosures that he had received with the 14 and 16 May letters from Randall and Carmichael. JA enclosed the documents received with this letter and that of 11 May in his 6 June letter to Jay, below.

This was presumably an extract from the registers of the Académie royale de chirurgie at Paris that JA enclosed with his 26 June letter to Edward Augustus Holyoke, president of the Massachusetts Medical Society, below.

To John Adams from Arthur Lee, 30 May 1786 Lee, Arthur Adams, John

From Arthur Lee

My dear Sir Newyork May 30th. 1786

My Nephew Thos. Lee Shippen wishes to be recommended to your patronage; & I am satisfyd he cannot be under better protection.1 I therefore entreat you to let him find favor in your sight, & that you will have the goodness to assist him with your advice, in the conduct of his legal Studies which he purposes to finish at the Temple.

Our finances are unhappily at as low an ebb, as they who think riches are a curse can possibly wish. And if Mr. Whitfield was right 326 in his opinion that poverty leads to heaven, thither we shall assuredly go; for no people can be poorer.2 Commerce is almost prostrate— Money scarce & demands pressing. This has driven most of the States to the fatal resource of issuing paper-money. Virginia & Massachusetts still resist the infection. The misfortune is that the continental & state Securities already deluge the States with paper, & prevent the only real remedy for our distresses—industry & frugality. To acquire depretiating paper is a poor incentive to Industry, & extravagance has been the invariable concomitant of a profusion of paper-money. We are however young & vigorous, with good sense & good stamina; these are what support my hopes, in a situation otherwise inconsolable.

Please to remember me to Mrs. Adams & your Daughter & beleive me to be, with very great esteem / Dear Sir / Yr. most Obedt. Servt.

Arthur Lee

RC (Adams Papers); endorsed: “Dr. A. Lee. / May 1786.”

Thomas Lee Shippen, a law student at the Middle Temple, was the son of Dr. William Shippen Jr., former director general of the Continental Army’s hospitals, and Arthur Lee’s sister Alice ( ANB , entry for W. Shippen). The younger Shippen, whom his father introduced in a 26 July letter (Adams Papers), reached London in August and was frequently with the Adamses there ( AFC , 7:303, 304, 332, 412).

Rev. George Whitfield, the English Methodist evangelist, frequently preached from Matthew, 5:3: “Blessed are the poor in spirit: for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.”