Papers of John Adams, volume 18

To John Adams from Richard O’Bryen, 25 July 1786 O’Bryen, Richard Adams, John

From Richard O’Bryen

Sir. Algiers July the 25th. 1786—

your letter by Mr. Lamb I received and wrote you shortly Afterwards Informing you of the Unfortunate event of Mr. Lambs Voyage to Algiers. the particulars long Ere to this you have known.1

402

Mr. Lamb Signified to the Dey that he would try & Get the Money for our Redemption in four Months. but three is past and we have heared nothing particular Since But hopes that our Country will Shortly extricate us from our unfortunate situation. we the once sons of Liberty. at present In the fetters of Slavery.

the Dey of Algiers can do as he thinks proper with us if it is Not his pleasure to let us go— on the same terms that he Lets other nations go for. we Cannot help it.

If it is not the pleasure of Congress, to Redeem us at the price the Dey asks here we Unfortunate Americans Must Remain—

the Algerines has been out on a Cruise and has taken, five saile of shiping on boarde of the prizes was in all 86 Men. the are fitting out at present, and will saile about the 10th. August I belive five of the Largest will go out of the streights. the are not affraid of any of the Cruisers, of those nations in the Mediteranian that the are at war with. the Count D Expelly is in spain &c. I belive Mr. Carmical will have the best Information from the Count Respecting, the Policy of the Algerines and the Method we should fall on in making a peace with this Regency—

I really think Mr. Lamb a very unfit man to Negotiate and affaire of so Much Importance & by his—Unpolitical proceedings in Algiers he Enhanced our price His particular Intimacy with the British Consul whom I have very Great Reason to belive is &c. Inviterate Enemy To the Interest of the Americans

so that I am shure Congress Could not have got a More unfit man

the foundation of all treaties should be laid by some one in Algiers and then very private

the Commercial nations, would not wish that the Americans would obtain a peace here

Which I am shure you are fully sensible of We are treated very sivilly by the Count & french Consul2 and has no Connections with Mr. Logie—

I remain your Most obt. & very humble servant.

Richd. OBryen

the uncertainty of these letters will not admit me to write you of some particulars but I have wrote by a safe Oppertunity to Mr. Jefferson3

RC (Adams Papers); addressed: “John Adams Esqr. / Minister Plenipotentary. / for the United States of America / at the Court of G Britain / London”; endorsed: “Capt. Richard Obryen / July 25. Algiers / ansd sept 29. recd 28. 1786.”

403 1.

JA’s letter to O’Bryen carried by John Lamb was of 6 Oct. 1785 (vol. 17:499). No reply by O’Bryen to that letter has been found, but see note 3.

That is, the Conde d’Expilly, French consul Jean Baptiste Michel Guyot de Kercy, and British consul Charles Logie. O’Bryen’s opinion of Logie had changed from that in a 27 Aug. 1785 letter (vol. 17:367–368), but his fellow prisoner Isaac Stephens wrote in a 24 Oct. 1787 letter (Adams Papers) that “Consul Logie is the Most friendly at this time … then any other Consul hear.”

On 8 June 1786, O’Bryen, Zaccheus Coffin, and Isaac Stephens wrote to Thomas Jefferson, providing him with a very long and detailed account of Lamb’s arrival, his negotiations with the dey, and the state of the American prisoners (Jefferson, Papers , 9:614–622). That letter and another of 12 July to Jefferson from O’Bryen were as pessimistic as this one concerning the probable fate of the enslaved Americans (same, 10:131–132).

From John Adams to John Jay, 30 July 1786 Adams, John Jay, John

To John Jay

Dear Sir London July 30. 1786

I have received, the Letter you did me, the Honour to write me, on the Sixth of June, with the Ratification of the Treaty with Prussia. As the Term limited, is near expiring, I Shall go over to Holland or Send Col Smith, to make the Exchange1

Mr Penn, a Member of the House of Commons, whose Character is well known in America and in England as a Steady Friend, to our Country will be the Bearer of this, and will be able to acquaint you with the present Disposition of this Court and Nation, and I believe his Information altho a British Subject and Senator will not be materially different from mine.2

I cannot but lament from my inmost Soul, that Lust for Paper Money which appears in some Part of the United States: there will never be any Uniform Rule, if there is a Sense of Justice, nor any clear Credit public or private, nor any Settled Confidence in publick Men or Measures, untill Paper Money is done away.

It is a great Satisfaction to me, to learn that you have recd in my Letter of the fourth of March the Answer of this Court to the Memorial respecting the Posts. As that is a Dispatch of more importance than all others you have recd from me, I Shall be anxious to know your Sentiments upon it. You will not expect me to answer Lord Carmathens Letter,3 nor to take any further Steps concerning it untill I shall receive the Orders of Congress.

I wish for the Instructions of that August Body concerning a Requisition in their Name for the Negroes. Whether I am to demand Payment for them; at what Prices; and for what Number.

With great Regard I have the Honour / to be &c

John Adams 404

RC (PCC, No. 84, VI, f. 343–344); internal address: “Mr Secretary Jay.” LbC (Adams Papers); APM Reel 112.

For JA’s visit to the Netherlands, in part to exchange ratified copies of the Prussian-American treaty with the Baron Friedrich Wilhelm von Thulemeier, see John Adams Visits the Netherlands, 3 Aug. – 6 Sept., Editorial Note, below.

Richard Penn (ca. 1734–1811), grandson of William Penn and former lieutenant governor of Pennsylvania, was elected to Parliament in 1784 from Appleby and served continuously for that constituency and others until 1806 (Namier and Brooke, House of Commons ). JA had met Penn when he attended the first Continental Congress in 1774 at Philadelphia. Although Penn did not support the American cause, he did have some sympathy for the American claims and was charged by Congress with carrying the 1775 Olive Branch Petition to England. Since arriving in England, JA had seen Penn numerous times. Penn reached New York City in mid-Sept. 1786, but nothing is known of his visit or whether he conferred with Jay (vol. 3:70–71; JA, D&A , 2:140, 151; 3:179; AFC , 7:13, 16, 21, 24; DAB ; Boston Independent Chronicle, 28 Sept.).

Of 28 Feb., above.