Adams Papers Digital Edition

Papers of John Adams, volume 19

From John Adams to Thomas Jefferson, 6 September 1787 Adams, John Jefferson, Thomas
To Thomas Jefferson
Dear Sir. Grosvenor Square Sepr 6 1787

I am Sorry to give you the trouble of this Commission: but I fear it will not be effectually done but by you—and therefore let me beg 150 the favour of you to send for Mr de La Blancherie and withdraw my Subscription to the Society of whose affairs he has the direction, and put a stop to his sending me the Nouvelles de la Republique des Lettres et Des Arts.—1 he persuaded me at the Hague to Subscribe and I paid him a years Subscription— the society continued One year and then ceased & I thought I had done with it forever: but since I have been in England now and then a Bundle of those Gazettes are pourd in upon me— I have no use for them, and sometimes I am put to an enormous expence of Postage.— I am now determined at all Events to put a Stop to it forever and pray you to take Measures for that purpose, by paying him off and taking his Receipt—and by delivering him the inclosed Letter which Contains a Renunciation of my Subscription

With great Esteem I am &c &c

P S. when I subscribed I understood it to be for one year only— and accordingly paid him the four Guineas.— but I suppose he will now pretend that I am bound by that Subscription to pay for the Subsequent years. I will not dispute this with him—tho I am not bound in Law or Honour.— one year the Society and Paper ceased since which it has been revived two years, or nearly so that he may pretend that I am eight Louis D’ors in Arrear. Pay him this if you please and no more, and I will repay you immediately. But at all Events I will be cleared from all Connection with this Man and His society and Nouvelles for the Future—

J A—2

LbC in AA2’s hand (Adams Papers); internal address: “His Excellency Mr Jefferson”; and by JA: “Paris”; APM Reel 112.

 1.

Pahin Champlain de La Blancherie (1752–1811), of Langres, France, was the publisher of the Nouvelles de la république des lettres et des arts, and he directed the Agence générale de correspondance pour les sciences et les arts from 1778 to 1788. JA enclosed a letter to La Blancherie with this letter of the same date, asking La Blancherie to cancel his subscription and promising that Jefferson would pay the balance (vol. 7:360–361; AFC , 8:224; Hoefer, Nouv. biog. générale ; Jefferson, Papers , 12:317–318; DLC:Jefferson Papers). In a 20 Feb. letter to JA , below, Jefferson confirmed that he had settled the account.

 2.

Jefferson received this letter on 23 Sept. 1787, along with AA’s 10 Sept. letter. AA wrote that she was glad to hear Jefferson’s daughter Mary (Polly), whom the Adamses cared for during the summer, had reached Paris safely. AA thanked him for lace and gloves, adding that WSS would arrange delivery of Jefferson’s new harpsichord. AA mentioned the Mass. house of representatives’ 23 June vote against the emission of paper money, adding that Congress was not expected to reconvene until after the Constitutional Convention concluded in Philadelphia (vol. 18:528; AFC , 8:151–153).

 151