Papers of John Adams, volume 19
On my return from an Excursion to Devonshire with my Family, where We have been to fly from the Putrefaction of a Great City in the Summer heats, I had the Pleasure to find your favours of 17. & 23. of July.1
a Million of Guilders are borrowed on a new Loan in Holland, and I went over lately to Subscribe the Obligations, a Punctillio which the Brokers were pleased to think indispensible, to gratify the Fancies
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of the Money Lenders. But as I had no fresh Authority from Congress, nor any particular new Instructions, I have been and am Still under Serious Apprehensions of its meeting with Obstacles in the Way of its Ratification.— if it is ratified, Congress may if they please, pay the Interest and Principal too, out of it, to the French officers.— I presume, that if Mr Grand, Should refuse your Usual draughts for your Salary Messrs Willinks and Vanstaphorsts, will honour them to the amount of yours and Mr Shorts Salaries, without any other Interposition than your Letter. But if they Should make any difficulty, and it Should be in my Power to remove it, you may well Suppose, I shall not be wanting.— to be explicit, I will either Advise or order the Money to be paid, upon your Draught as may be necessary. so that I pray you to make your Mind perfectly easy on that Score.
Mr Barclay, I agree with you, took the wisest Course, when he embarked for America, tho it will lay me under Difficulties in Settling my affairs finally with Congress.
The French Debt, and all the Domestic Debt of the United States might be transferred to Holland, if it were judged necessary or profitable, and the Congress or Convention would take two or three preparatory Steps. All the Perplexities, Confusions and Distresses in America, arise not from defects in their Constitutions or Confederation, not from a Want of Honour or Virtue, so much as from downright Ignorance of the Nature of Coin, Credit and Circulation.— While an annual Interest of twenty thirty and even fifty Per Cent, can be made, and a hope of augmenting Capitals in a Proportion of five hundred Per Cent is opened by Speculations in the Stocks, Commerce will not thrive. Such a State of Things would annihilate the Commerce, and overturn the Government too in any nation in Europe.
I will endeavour to Send you a Copy, with this Letter of the Second Volume of the Defence &c. if Frouillé the Bookseller has a Mind to translate it he may, but it may not Strike others as it does Americans. Three Editions of the first Volume have been printed in America.— The Second Volume contains three long Courses of Experiments in Political Philosophy. every Tryal, was intended and contrived to determine the Question whether Mr Turgots System would do. The Result you may read.2 it has cost me a good deal of Trouble and Expence to Search into Italian Rubbish and Ruins. But enough of pure Gold and Marble has been found to reward the Pains.— I shall be Suspected of Writing Romances to expose Mr Turgots Theory. But I assure you, it is all genuine History. The vast Subject of,
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Confederations remains: but I have neither head heart, hands, Eyes, Books, or Time, to engage in it. besides it ought not to be Such an hasty Performance as the two Volumes already ventured before the Public.
With perfect Esteem, your sincere Friend
RC (DLC:Jefferson Papers); addressed by WSS: “To / His Excellency / Thos: Jefferson— / Minister Plenipotentiary / &c. &c. &c. / Paris—”; internal address: “His Exy. Mr Jefferson.”; endorsed: “Adams John.” LbC (Adams Papers); APM Reel 112.
From 20 July to late August, JA accompanied AA, AA2, and infant William Steuben Smith on a 600-mile tour, via Plymouth, of the southwestern county of Devonshire, which included a visit with Richard Cranch’s “charming” family in Exeter. Both JA and AA briefly resumed their diaries, recording historical sites and rural scenery. They also sampled Anglican, Presbyterian, and Baptist religious services, toured the colleges at Oxford, and viewed Blenheim Castle (
AFC
, 8:xxiii, 461; JA, D&A
, 3:203–211). This marks JA’s first official letter back in London since his last to Jefferson of 10 July, above.
Jefferson acknowledged neither this letter nor the enclosed second volume of JA’s Defence until 13 Nov. 1787, after WSS had sent another copy of this letter on 8 Oct. (Jefferson, Papers
, 12:56).
Nous aurions desiré, Monsieur, lire dans votre langue l’exemplaire de votre ouvrage, nous avons prié un de nos amis qui sçait l’anglois de nous en faire l’extrait et de nous en dire son sentiment— nous avons vou avec satisfaction que vous prouvez jusqu’à l’evidence tout ce que vous y avancez et nous avons sçu par notre ami que cet ouvrage estimable étoit digne de vous et de votre philosophie. nous desirons qu’il soit traduit dans notre langue pour en connoitre tous les details qui ont echapé à l’ami qui nous en a fait l’extrait.
vous scavez, Monsieur, ce qui se passe chez nous depuis l’assemblée des notables. Le parlement de paris siege à Troye. ce Corps de Magistrats persiste à demander les états generaux et à avouer Son inconpetence pour l’enregistrement des impots. tous les tribunaux Superieurs de la Capitale et des provinces demandent la meme chose, toute la nation joint ses voeux à leurs demandes, dans cet état de choses nous esperons d’avoir bientot les états gèneraux. tout alors rentrera dans l’ordre, l’esprit national se formera et les Ministres seront contenus. jusqu’aujourdhui ils ont été les maitres absolus parce que personne ne les surveilloit ils étoient placés par lintrigue et deplacés par elle, leur bonne ou mauvaise 135 administration n’y influoit en rien; tout alloit au gré de leurs caprices; des pensions enormes étoient toujours la recompense des bons et des mauvais ministres.
L’heureux Constitution de votre pais vous met à l’abri de tout ce qui se passe chez nous. conservez precieusement votre liberté, le sang qu’elle vous a couté est inestimable, rien dans l’univers ne pourroit vous dedommager de sa perte. vous cesseriez d’etre heureux si vous cessiez d’etre libre. la mort est preferable à l’esclavage. ne nous enviez pas notre commerce, notre richesse et notre lune. le travail de la terre et l’heureuse pauvreté sont le soutien de la liberté; vous le Scavez mieux que nous, vous, Monsieur, qui avez medité les grandes verités et qui avez contribué par vos talents et votre courage à la revolution qui vous a rendu libres.
on nous a dit que votre retour dans votre patrie étoit fixé au milieu de l’année prochaine. nous esperons que d’ici à cette epoque vous ferez une voyage à Paris avec Mde. Adams Mde. votre fille et M. votre gendre. nous sommes trés empressés d’avoir l’honneur de vous revoir, de vous assurer de vive voix des sentiments d’estime et d’amitié que vous nous avez inspirés et avec lesquels nous ne cesserons d’etre Monsieur / vos très humbles / et très obeissants Serviteurs
nous prions Mde. Adams et Mde. votre fille de nous permettre de leur presenter nos hommages respectueux, et nous faisons nos sinceres compliments à M. votre gendre.
We would have liked, sir, to read a copy of your work in your language and have entreated one of our friends who knows English to make us a summary of it and to give us the general idea. We observed with satisfaction that you demonstrate very clearly everything you put forward and we understood through our friend that this commendable work is worthy of you and your philosophy. We want it to be translated into our language in order to know every detail that escaped the friend who extracted it for us.
You are aware, sir, of what is happening here since the Assembly of Notables. The Paris parlement is seated at Troyes. This body of magistrates continues to demand a meeting of the Estates General and to profess its incompetency to register taxes. Every superior tribunal of the capital and of the provinces demands the same thing. The entire nation joins her wishes to their demands. In this state of affairs we hope soon to have the Estates General. Everything will then fall into place, the national spirit will 136 materialize and the ministers will be contained. Up until now, they have been the absolute masters. Because no one was watching over them they were seated and unseated by intrigue, upon which their good or bad administration had no impact whatsoever. Everything followed the way of their whims. Enormous pensions were always the reward for good and bad ministers alike.
The felicitous Constitution of your country shelters you from everything that is happening here. Preserve your liberty as you would something precious. The blood it cost you is priceless, and nothing in the world could compensate you for its loss. You shall cease to be happy if you cease to be free. Death is preferable to slavery. Do not envy us our commerce, our riches and our vicissitudes. Laboring in the earth and joyful poverty are the backbone of freedom; you know it better than we, sir, you, who have pondered great truths and who have contributed by your talents and your courage to the revolution that has rendered you free.
We have been told that your return to your homeland was set to take place midway into next year. We hope that between now and then you will take a trip to Paris with Mrs. Adams and with your esteemed daughter and son-in-law. We are very eager to have the honor to see you again and to assure you in person of the feelings of respect and friendship which you have inspired in us and with which we shall not cease to be, sir, your most humble and most obedient servants
We pray Mrs. Adams and your esteemed daughter to allow us to present to them our humble respects, and we offer our sincere regards to your esteemed son-in-law.
RC (Adams Papers); endorsed: “Les Abbies Chalut et Arnoux”; and by AA2: “August 28th 1787—”