Papers of John Adams, volume 19

To John Adams from Wilhem & Jan Willink and Nicolaas & Jacob van Staphorst, 15 May 1787 Willink, Wilhem & Jan (business) Staphorst, Nicolaas & Jacob van (business) Adams, John
From Wilhem & Jan Willink and Nicolaas & Jacob van Staphorst
Amsterdam 15th May 1787

We have your excellency’s esteemed favors of 7th: and two of 8 Instant transmitting us Letters from the Board of Treasury.1 The detention whereof later than others we received per the April Packet, has retarded the Business of a new Loan during a whole Week, A delay of utmost consequence at the eve of the June Interest falling due.—

We sincerely lament the Necessity Mr: John Rucker was in to leave England, and hope the Discredit such an Event must occasion will be but temporary. Your Excellency acted very properly in forwarding Protests only of the drafts upon him; but we recommend Duplicates should be sent.

Notwithstanding we adopted the Payment of the Sixty Thousand Guilders Premiums in pursuance of Your Excellency’s Advice; Had this been the only Deficiency in the Remittances for the June Interest, Our Zeal for the Credit and Interest of the United-States would have induced us to advance it; but the late considerable Disposals of Your Excellency and His Excellency Thos: Jefferson Esqr: have exhausted the Funds in our Hands much below the Statement of the Treasury-Board, exclusive of the f75000.— Bills on Mr: John Rucker contrary to its expectation not proving good, so that the sum required is of such a Magnitude as to preclude all thoughts of supplying it, by any other means than a fresh Loan, for effecting which the Time is very short indeed, besides the Bonds of the former Loans being now at a very low rate and People uncommonly sollicitous to sell them. A Panic we cannot account for, any other wise than by the Payment of the June Interest not being yet advertised. We have 74 assembled the principal Brokers and opened the matter to them. Under all the actual disadvantageous circumstances, they have promised to second our Exertions to raise Money by a new Loan, Which we shall be obliged to pay dear for and make of no less Sum than a Million, Whereof the Undertakers will however engage to receive only a certain Sum, that we shall endeavour may be sufficient for Payment of the June and February Interests and the Sums Your Excellency may want for his Salary and ordinary disbursments, the remaining Bonds to lie by us for Account of the United-States. Thus the Board of Treasury would not have to attend to any Remittances for this Country previous to the June Interest of 1788, by which Period we trust the Measures that will be devised by the Assembly of Delegates at Philadelphia, will have had the Operation necessary to secure punctual Remittances for the future Payment of the Interest on the Dutch Loans. We cannot yet flatter Your Excellency of success, but if we should be so fortunate, We rely upon Your Excellency’s readiness to pass immediately the requisite Instruments, and to strain all your Influence, that the Ratification of Congress may take place and be transmitted to us without any Procrastination.

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

Wilhem & Jan Willink Nics. & Jacob van Staphorst.2

RC (Adams Papers); internal address: “To His Excellency John Adams Esqr:—”; endorsed by AA2: “Willinks May 15th 1787—”

1.

See JA’s letter to the consortium of 8 May, and note 1, above.

2.

JA drafted his 21 May reply to the consortium, below, at the bottom of this letter.

To John Adams from Benjamin Franklin, 18 May 1787 Franklin, Benjamin Adams, John
From Benjamin Franklin
Sir, Philada. May 18. 1787.

I received by Dr White the Letter you did me the honour of writing to me the 27th of January, together with two Copies of your Defence of the American Constitutions, one for myself for which I beg you would accept my Thanks, the other for the Philosophical Society, whose Secretary will of course officially acknowledge the Obligation.1 That Work is in such Request here, that it is already put to Press, and a numerous Edition will speedily be abroad.2

My Son Beach and my Grandson3 are much flatter’d by your Remembrance of them, & join in presenting their Respects. Be pleased 75 to offer mine to Mrs. Adams and your amiable Daughter. With great Esteem, I have the honour to be, / Sir, / Your most obedient / & most humble Servant

B. Franklin

I shall write soon to Mr Dilly. My Compts. to Col. Smith4

RC (Adams Papers); internal address: “His Excellency / John Adams Esqr.

1.

See vol. 18:563. On 18 May the society, with Franklin presiding, acknowledged having received a copy of JA’s Defence of the Const. (Early Proceedings of the American Philosophical Society for the Promotion of Useful Knowledge, Compiled by One of the Secretaries, from the Manuscript Minutes of Its Meetings from 1744 to 1838, Phila., 1884, p. 147, 151).

2.

A Philadelphia edition of the Defence was printed by Hall & Sellers. Bound books were sold for seven shillings and copies “in blue covers” cost six (Pennsylvania Gazette, 30 May).

3.

Benjamin Franklin Bache and William Temple Franklin (vol. 18:563).

4.

The postscript was written vertically in the left margin.