Papers of John Adams, volume 19

Thomas Barclay to the American Commissioners, 13 July 1787 Barclay, Thomas American Commissioners
Thomas Barclay to the American Commissioners
Gentlemen L’Orient 13th. July 1787

I Do my self the honor to Inclose you the Books of 82 pages Containing All my Accounts respecting my Missions to Morocco, by which you will see that the amount of the Expences attending the Negociation Including the Presents and all the Travelling Charges of Mr. Franks and my self amount to Livres 95179:10.— which sum I shall place to the Debts of the United states.1

The Particulars of the Purchases made, and of the Appropriation of all the Presents, together with an Account of the articles remaining on hand make a part of these Accounts, and I do not know that any thing is left unexplained when I have told you that my reason for leaving the Lawns and Cambricks in the hands of Mr. Champion of this place for Sale, was because the Farmers General wou’d not permit me to Carry them out of the Town by land, Mr. Champion Died suddenly in April last, and at present Nothing is Done nor Can be Done in his affairs, which are all sealed up by the Judges and are likely to remain so some time. I shall Direct the Account of the Goods to be lodged in the hands of Mr. Loreilhe here in order that he may Claim them—

I annex an Account of Bills Drawn on Mr. Adams amounting to £4645 sterling— £100 of which in Favor of Mr Grand, he writes to me, was never sent forward for Acceptance, in which Case I have promised to Account with him for it and then the Amount will be £4544 Sterling, which supposing the Exchange to be on an average 24 livres the pound Sterling Clear of Negociating fees in Paris, the sum will be 109080 livr. So that upon this Account I shall Remain indebted to the United States (untill I make a Settlement with them, and untill I know what I am to Charge for my Voyage) 13901:11— I have Also some suspicion, that I must have drawn a Bill not Included in this Account but I am Not Certain as most of my papers are at Saint Germains.— M: Adams will be so good as to procure from the Banker who paid the Draughts, an Account of the particulars, and Transmit it to me under Cover to Mr. Jay at New York, Assuring himself that a Final Settlement shall be made to the Intire Satisfaction of Congress, and to that of You Gentlemen2

The Necessity I am under of hastening out to America shoud Not have prevented my waiting on Mr. Adams in London for his 117 Commands, had not Mr. Jefferson given Me a full Dispensation, on that head, and therefore I know Mr. Adams will Excuse Me

Before I take leave permit Me to thank you Both for the Many Marks of Esteem and Attention with which You have honor’d Me, and to Request earnestly a Continuance of that Regard which I sincerely Assure you is Very Precious to Gentlemen / Your Most obedient / and obliged servant

Thos Barclay

This Copy for Mr. Adams having sent one to Mr. Jefferson in Paris

ENCLOSURE
1785 Favor From
September 27th No: 1 Mr: Grand 120 ″ ″ } Paris
28 2 Mr: Darcel 100 ″ ″
3 Mr: Grand 100 ″ ″
October 22nd: 4 Ditto 200 ″ ″
November 3rd: 5 Ditto 100 ″ ″
6 Ditto 100 ″ ″
7 Ditto 100 ″ ″
23 6 Ditto 200 ″ ″
Decemr: 1st: 9 Mr: Darcel 200 ″ ″
2nd 10 Ditto 200 ″ ″
7th: 11 Mr: Grand 100 ″ ″
12 Ditto 200 ″ ″
1786 Jany: 15 13 Ditto 200 ″ ″
″    ″ 16 14 Ditto 200 ″ ″
″ February 24 A Ditto 100 ″ ″ Bayonne
″ April 15 Druilhet & Co 250 ″ ″ Madrid
″ May 26 Lynch & Bellew 300 ″ ″ Cadiz
″ June 13 Mrs: Barclay 100 ″ ″ Mogadore
″ August 11 Lynch & Bellew 750 ″ ″ D’aralbeyda
″ Decr: 3rd: Druilhet 400 ″ ″ Madrid
1787. Febry 10th: Francis Picquerez 150 ″ ″ Alicante
″    ″ Wm: Fredk: Ast 50 ″ ″ Ditto
″    ″ Mrs: Barclay #100.″ ″ Ditto
″ April 3rd: Lynch & Bellew 325 ″ ″ Barcelona
£4645 ″ ″ Stg:
#Probably this Bill was for £50 only—
118

RC and enclosure (Adams Papers); internal address: “Mr. Adams and Mr. Jefferson—”; endorsed by AA2: “Mr Barclay july 13 1787.”

1.

Barclay reconsidered sending his “Books of 82 Pages,” for he did not enclose them here, nor with a similar letter that he sent to Thomas Jefferson on the same day. He wrote to JA again on 15 July, explaining that the papers were “too extensive” to send securely (Adams Papers). Instead, he brought his full accounts with him when he returned to New York City on 2 October. Barclay requested compensation for his years of diplomatic work, providing Congress with a list of regular expenses as well as a detailed list of gifts made to the Moroccan court during the treaty negotiations of June–July 1786, which included silver watches, gold-inlaid pistols, ornate snuffboxes, crimson silk umbrellas, and silver flatware (Jefferson, Papers , 11:582–584; Roberts and Roberts, Thomas Barclay , p. 251).

2.

JA did not reply to Barclay until 4 Nov. 1788 (DLC:Madison Papers). Likely mindful of Barclay’s long quest to recover back salary from Congress, JA commended his diplomatic work. “I think it my Duty to join my Testimony to the very respectable ones you have obtained before, and to say that I have ever thought the Public greatly indebted to your Diligence, Judgment and Integrity in all the public Departments in which I have known You to Act,” JA wrote. Barclay pressed on with his claim, which won support in the House of Representatives on 6 Aug. 1790 but ultimately failed to pass. His widow, Mary, received the reimbursement in 1808 (Roberts and Roberts, Thomas Barclay , p. 256, 272). Mention of Barclay’s expenses also appears in John Adams’ Accounts in Europe: 1785–1788, for which see the appendix to this volume.

To John Adams from Thomas Jefferson, 17 July 1787 Jefferson, Thomas Adams, John
From Thomas Jefferson
Dear Sir Paris July 17. 1787 1

I have been duly honoured with your’s of the 10th. inst. and am happy to hear of the success of your journey to Amsterdam. there can be no doubt of it’s ratification by Congress. would to heaven they would authorize you to take measures for transferring the debt of this country to Holland before you leave Europe. most especially is it necessary to get rid of the debt to the officers. their connections at court are such as to excite very unfavorable feelings there against us, and some very hard things have been said (particularly in the Assemblée des Notables) on the prospects relative to our debts. the paiment of the interest to the officers would have kept them quiet: but there are two years now due to them. I dare not draw for it without instructions, because in the instances in which I have hitherto ventured to act uninstructed, I have never been able to know whether they have been approved in the private sentiments of the members of Congress, much less by any vote. I have pressed on them the expediency of transferring the French debts to Holland, in order to remove every thing which may excite irritations between us & this nation. I wish it may be done before this ministry may receive ill impressions of us. they are at present very well disposed. I send you by mr̃ Appleton some pamphlets2 and have the honour to be with 119 sentiments of very cordial esteem & respect Dear Sir / your affectionate humble servant

Th: Jefferson

RC (Adams Papers); internal address: “H.E. Mr. Adams.”; endorsed: “Mr Jefferson July 17. / ansd. Aug. 25. 1787.”; notation by CFA: “not published.” CFA presumably meant that the letter was not published in Jefferson, Correspondence, ed. Randolph.

1.

Jefferson also wrote to AA, on 1, 10, and 16 July, commenting on family news and French political affairs ( AFC , 8:106–107, 112, 123–124).

2.

The pamphlets were carried by Boston merchant John Appleton (vols. 9:338, 18:348–349; Jefferson, Papers , 21:21).