We have Your Excellency’s favor of 1st: Inst: advising it as most safe and prudent in your Opinion from what you had learned of the 186 unfortunate and critical Situation of public Affairs in our Republic and particularly in this City, that we should pay into the Bank of Amsterdam, the Money we have in hand belonging to the United-States; A Measure dictated no doubt by Your Excellency’s Zeal for the Interest of the United-States, without attending to the very triffling sums the Commissioners of Congress have in Cash, and that they must be better Judges of the Propriety of such a Step, from their local Situation and Connexions, than Your Excellency possibly could understand from exaggerated News-paper Accounts, which describe this Republic a Scene of Danger and Confusion, now that Tranquility is re-established except in this City, where every thing will be settled in a few days, and such Precautions have been taken, as to all appearance will secure the public Peace. But was it otherwise, We esteem it the duty of careful Men, to guard against popular Tumults, so as to shield their Valuable against every thing but universal Pillage, when the Bank will be exposed as well as all other Property. We adopted this Prudence fortunately without necessity; And you may rely, that had we judged it conducive to the Interest or safety of the United-States, We would have divested ourselves of the Charge of its Cash. Not having our Books at present with us, We are unable to ascertain exactly the Balance due to the United-States, but from Messrs. Puller’s late drafts for Payments made you, His Excelly: Thos: Jefferson’s Bill for Bo: f 3201:1:— and f 2000:—:— Furnished Mr: Dumas for Six Months Salary and towards Repairs of the Hôtel, It cannot be so much as f 20,000:—:— in hands of both Houses, which is liable every day to be called for, and too inconsiderable an Object, to create such Alarm as flying Reports seem to have inspired you with. Besides was the Sum of much greater Magnitude, considering that even the total Plundering of our Houses could not shock our Solidity, and that we are the immediate Debtors and answerable to Congress for all its Monies in our possession, We should not deem ourselves justifiable, in loading the United-States with the very high Agio now paid for Bank-Money and as it is likely to lower shortly, without a well grounded Conviction in our own Minds, that a Transfer in Bank would add to the Security of Congress Funds, Which is by no means the case in this Instance.—

The Bills on Mr: John Rucker shall be regularly presented for Payment; Which with you we Doubt not will be effected.—

We shall confer with Mr: dumas respecting the Repairs necessary to the Hôtel of the United-States, conformable to your Letter to us of 1st Inst: forwarded thro’ that Gentleman.

We are respectfully / Your Excellency’s / Most obedient and very / humble servants

Be it Remembered that the within Contract or Engagement entered into by the honble: John Adams, Minister Plenipotentiary of the United States of America to their High Mightinesses the Lords the States General of the United Netherlands in behalf of the said States with sundry Money Lenders for a Loan of One Million of Guilders dutch Current Money, dated at Amsterdam the first day of June 1787, hath been read in Congress, approved and ratified and declared obligatory on the United States of America.

Done in the City Hall in the City of New York, by the United States in Congess Assembled this Eleventh day of October in the Year of our Lord one thousand seven hundred and Eighty seven and in the Twelfth year of our Sovereignty and Independence.—

Amidst the Buzzling of Interior and foreign Affairs, I am glad to find an Opportunity to Remind you of Me, Which May Be free from the Rogueries of french and English Post offices— I Have Been Sometime in Auvergne, Attending a preliminary Assembly in that My province, the journal of which I Have once directed, and am Now Again Sending to you altho’ it Contains Nothing interesting— My stay in Paris is But short, and I am Returning Again to Auvergne for five weecks—letters that would Arrive after the 23d, [instant], and Before the fifteenth of Decembr Could not probably Be delivered into My Hands.

A New Regulation Had Been framed to fix the functions of the Assemblies and those of the intendants—it Had also Been directed that the printing of our journals Be Submitted to Certain formalities— Complaints Have Been Made About all that, and we are Going to obtain Conditions Much More favourable.

the Affairs of this Country, Considered in a Constitutional light, are Mending fast— the Minds of the Nation Have Made a Great progress— Opposition is Not, I Confess, free from party Spirit— Many things are done or Said Which are Not Much to the purpose— But While desultory Expeditions are Rambling about, the Main Body Moves slowly on the Right Road— this Country shall within twelve or fifteen years Come to a pretty good Constitution—the Best perhaps that Can be framed, But one—May that one, the only one truly Consistent with the dignity of Man, Be for ever the Happy lot of the Sons of America? But I think a Representation will be obtained in France, Much Better than the one Now Existing in England.

You know as much of the present politics, and Even more than I do— I Can’t Bear the thought of the late transactions in Holland— this Ministry Have Been Most Compleatly taken in—deceived also they Have Been with Respect to Ottoman affairs— I am afraid England will Cheat them too, Under the Appearance of Negociations— we are However Making Ready for war—and as the Prime Minister is a Man of Genius,1 and of very brillant as well as Sound parts, I think that, if one launched He will Act Vigourously— He Can Borrow Monney—the only thing is to know on What Conditions? But it Matters not with Respect to the operations—and the more they will afterwards want taxes, the Sooner we Get a National Assembly

I Have Been thinking What our trans Atlantic Country ought to do, in Case there is a war— to take A part in it is very Brillant, But in My Humble Opinion Ought not to Be the plan— America May favour Her allies as far as a friendly, Helping Neutrality Can Go— But Not farther—Circumstanced as She is, a war would lay Her Under Great Expense with a little Profit— Such a Neutrality as I Point out to Myself will Be Beneficial to Her— But it Appears to me that would Be time to insist with England for a Restoration of the forts— Should they Make war to France, it Seems to me that they Cannot for the Sake of those forts Risk to Quarrel with the United States

I Hear that the Convention Have finished their Business— But do Not know the Result, and Am very Anxiously waiting

Adieu, My dear Sir, My Best Respects wait on Mr̃s Adams and the Rest of the family— md̃e de lafayette is still in the Country— Most affectionately and Respectfully / Yours