Papers of John Adams, volume 19
r:Sir
th.February 1787
Congress at length begins to do Business—seven States are represented, and Genl: St: Clair was three Days ago chosen President.—1
Since my last to you of 17th: Ult: I have not had the Pleasure of receiving any Letters from you.—2
You will herewith receive a Letter from Congress to the Queen of Portugal,3 which you will be pleased to transmit in the Manner suggested in my Report, of which you will find a Copy enclosed. The Colonel will I hope be pleased with the Commission. Being persuaded that your Instructions to him will comprehend every proper Object, I forebear suggesting any Hints on that Head.—4
A Report on your Correspondence with Lord Carmarthen relative to the Posts and Treaty of Peace, was made to Congress on the 13th. Day of October last,5 and you shall be informed without Delay of the Result of their Deliberations upon that and other Points arising from your Letters. As yet no great Progress towards a Decision on any of them has been made.—
I find myself too much constrained by the Reflection that this Letter is to go by the Packet to be very particular.—
With great and sincere Esteem and Regard I am &ca.
FC (DNA:RG 59, Microfilm, Reel 1, f. 236–237); internal address: “To the Honorable John Adams Esquire”; notation: “For the Letter and Report mentioned herein— See Book of Reports page 265. Vol: 2d.”
Congress achieved a quorum on 17 Jan., and on 2 Feb. it elected Gen. Arthur St. Clair (1737–1818), of Pennsylvania, a veteran of the Seven Years’ War and the Revolutionary War, as president. On 5 Oct. St. Clair was appointed governor of the newly formed Northwest Territory (
JCC
, 32:1, 11; 33:610;
ANB
).
Jay’s letter of 17 Jan. acknowledged JA’s letters of 3 and 27 Oct. 1786 (vol. 18:470–472, 490–492). There, Jay indicated that Congress had done nothing since 3 Nov., and that “foreign & indeed domestic Affairs must continue much at a Stand” until it achieved a quorum (
Dipl. Corr., 1783–1789
, 2:680).
In the left margin, marked for insertion at this point, is the notation “By hands of Col. Smith.” These words likely appeared in the RC, which has not been found, and may indicate that the letter to Maria I was either enclosed with Jay’s letter to WSS of this date (same, 3:53–54), or that the letters to JA and WSS were both sent under a cover addressed to WSS.
Jay reported to Congress on 25 Jan. 1787 (PCC, No. 81, III, f. 181–184) regarding JA’s first letter of 27 June 1786 (vol. 18:358–359). JA had suggested that Congress thank Maria I for her orders to the Portuguese Navy to protect American ships against Barbary depredations, which he learned of from Luiz Pinto de Balsamão, the Portuguese minister to Britain. Jay included with his report a draft letter to the queen, adding that “as this Communication was made by the Queen’s Envoy in London to Mr. Adams, your Secretary thinks this letter should be transmitted to him, and that the Compliment would be more delicate if his Secretary was commissioned to carry and deliver it. Perhaps too, so striking a Proof of Respect might among other good Consequences promote the Conclusion of the Treaty.” Congress approved the letter, and the means by which it would reach Maria I, on 3 Feb. 1787 (
JCC
, 32:16–17). See also WSS’s [11 April] commission and instructions for his mission to Portugal, both below.
For Jay’s 13 Oct. 1786 report to Congress on the Marquis of Carmarthen’s 28 Feb. reply to JA’s [30 Nov. 1785] memorial on the frontier posts, Congress’ response to that report, and JA’s communication of Congress’ response to the British foreign minister, see vols. 17:624–625; 18:190–192, 501, 503. See also Jay’s letter of 2 April 1787, below.
Your favors by Colo. Franks have come safely to hand.1 he will set out from hence the 8th. inst. the packet being to sail from Havre the 10th. I inclose you the copy of a letter lately received from mr̃ Barclay, & of the paper it inclosed.2 in a letter from mr̃ Carmichael is a postscript dated Dec. 25.3 in the following words “since writing the preceding, the Portuguese Ambassador has pressed me to hint that the present moment is favorable to push our treaty with his court.” in the body of the letter he sais “the Ct. d’Expilly has promised me to continue his attention to our prisoners during his stay at Algiers, & I have also engaged the Consul of Spain who remains there on
5
his return to take care of them. advances have been made for their support which ought to be refunded.” I suppose that these advances have been made by order of mr̃ Lamb, & that, his powers being at an end, it will be incumbent on us to take measures on that subject.4
the Count de Vergennes is extremely ill. his disease is gouty.5 we have for some days had hopes it would fix itself decidedly in the foot. it shews itself there at times, as also in the shoulder, the stomach &c. Monsr. de Calonnes is likewise ill: but his complaints are of a rheumatic kind which he has often had before. the illness of these two ministers has occasioned the postponement of the Assembly of the Notables to the 14th. & probably will yet postpone it. nothing is yet known of the objects of that meeting. I send you a pamphlet giving a summary account of all the meetings of a general nature which have taken place heretofore. the treaty between Russia & this country is certainly concluded; but it’s contents are not yet known.6 I shall set out for the waters of Aix on the 15th. instant, so that I am unable to say when & whence I shall have the honour of addressing you again. but I take measures for the conveying to me on my road all letters, so that should any thing extraordinary require it, I can at all times be recalled to Paris in a fortnight. I shall hope to hear from you at times as if I were in Paris. I thank you much for the valuable present of your book. the subject of it is interesting, & I am sure it is well treated.7 I shall take it on my journey that I may have time to study it. you told me once you had had thoughts of writing on the subject of hereditary aristocracy. I wish you would carry it into execution. it would make a proper sequel to the present work. I wish you all possible happiness & have the honour to be with sentiments of sincere esteem & affection Dear Sir, your most obedient & most humble servant
RC (Adams Papers); internal address: “H. E. / Mr. Adams”; notation by CFA: “Mr Jefferson. Feby. 6th 1787. / not published.” CFA presumably meant that the letter was not published in Jefferson, Correspondence, ed. Randolph.
These were JA’s 25 Jan. letter to Jefferson as well as signed fair copies of the 25 Jan. letter drafted by JA from the commissioners to Thomas Barclay, and a letter of [27 Jan.] to Sidi Haj Tahar Ben Abdulhaq Fennish, and a report to John Jay of 27 Jan. (vol. 18:557–558, 559, 565–566, 567–568).
Jefferson enclosed Barclay’s 6 Jan. letter to the commissioners, for which see Barclay’s 10 Feb. letter to the commissioners, and note 1, below.
William Carmichael’s letter was of 17 Dec. 1786 (Jefferson, Papers
, 10:606–608).
John Lamb, a Connecticut merchant and shipowner familiar with the North African coast, had been appointed the U.S. agent to negotiate in Algiers but proved inept at the task.
The Comte de Vergennes died of gout on 13 Feb. 1787, thereby delaying the opening of the Assembly of Notables for nine days so that King Louis XVI could mourn “the only friend … the only minister who never deceived me.” Jefferson wrote immediately to JA on
6
14 Feb., alerting him that Vergennes’ successor was Armand Marc, Comte de Montmorin de Saint Herem. Jefferson enclosed a letter of the same date for JA to forward to John Jay with the same news (Murphy, Vergennes
, p. 473; Jefferson, Papers
, 11:143, 144).
For the Franco-Russian commercial treaty of 1787, see the Marquis de Lafayette’s 7 Feb. letter, and note 4, below.
Jefferson referred to the first volume of JA’s
Defence of the Const.
JA likely enclosed a copy with his 25 Jan. letter to Jefferson, which was carried to Paris by Lt. Col. David S. Franks (vol. 18:544–550, 557–558).