Papers of John Adams, volume 21

the Earl Wycombe to John Adams, 1 March 1794 Earl Wycombe Adams, John

From the Earl Wycombe

Dear Sir London. March 1. 1794.

I trust you will excuse the liberty I take in introducing to your acquaintance Mr. Talleyrand de Perigord who is preparing to seek an asylum in America.1 As you are no doubt acquainted with his family and with the distinguished part he acted in the Constituent Assembly of France it is unnecessary for me to say more than that he has recieved an order to quit this country in consequence of a power vested in Ministers by the Alien Bill passed last sessions. This bill has been made in a variety of instances subservient to purposes of private pique, and of unmerited persecution; I believe in no one case more clearly so than in that of Mr. de Talleyrand who is required to depart not upon account of any conduct imputed to him here, but at the instigation of a foreign court.

He will I am well convinced meet with a more liberal reception in the United States than he has experienced here with every claim to attention which high birth, uncommon talents, and accomplished manners can bestow. He is accompanied by Mr. Beaumetz likewise a 266 distinguished member of the Constituent Assembly, whom I also beg leave to reccommend to your notice. It is unnecessary for me to say how ready I shall at all times be to recieve your commands on any similar occasion or how truly I am / Dear Sir / Your Obedient & Obliged Humble Servant

Wycombe.

RC (Adams Papers); endorsed: “Earl of Wycombe / March 1. Ansd / May 3. 1794.”

John Henry Petty, Earl Wycombe (1765–1809), wrote on behalf of Charles Maurice de Talleyrand-Périgord (1754–1838), formerly the bishop of Autun, who had served as the French ambassador to Great Britain since 1792. The French diplomat toured North America seeking business opportunities and traversed Maine and western New York before returning to France in 1796. His travel companion was Bon Albert Briois de Beaumez (b. 1759), who briefly served as president of the French National Assembly in 1790 and sought to reform the nation’s criminal law code ( AFC , 10:162, 163; Madison, Papers, Congressional Series , 15:259; Washington, Papers, Presidential Series , 16:17).

John Stockdale to John Adams, 3 March 1794 Stockdale, John Adams, John

From John Stockdale

Dear Sir Piccadilly, London March 3rd. 1794

I received your favour,1 and return you my sincere thanks for your condescention in complying with my request: the work is now published, and I hope it will answer my purpose; but of this I cannot be certain, but whether it does or not, I am equally oblijed to you.— War hurts my business much, and prevented me printing it in 4to.—

With this, you will receive a Copy, of which I beg your acceptance: the portrait is engraved by one of our first Artists; it pleases much many of your friends, as it is a most excellent likeness & well executed.—

I was much pleased with your Opinion relating to France, and so were several of our great Men, to whom I in confidence, shewed that part of your letter: the political Opinions of great and leading Men in all countries are very acceptable; the leading men in this, as well as yours, I am convinced mean well, though there are some very bad ones on both sides the Atlantic, and who would rejoice to see us at War again, but I trust & hope their hellish spirits will not be gratified, as it is much the interest of both Countries to be on the most friendly footing.— I shall at all times be much pleased to receive a few lines from you.—

Mrs. Stockdale desires her kind respects, and I beg you to present mine to the whole of your family—and in particular to your eldest Son, of whom I have the pleasure to hear a very favourable Account;—

I am / Dear Sir, / With the greatest respect & esteem, / Your Much Oblijed, and / Very Humle. Servt

John Stockdale 267

P.S. You will also receive half a Dozen Portraits of Mr. Adams, which will be very Acceptable to any of your Absent children.—2

RC (Adams Papers); addressed: “John Adams Esqr. / Vice President of / the United States, &c / Boston.”; endorsed: “Stockdale / 1794.”

Of 12 May 1793, above.

These portraits, not found, likely derived from the engraving that Stockdale printed on the frontispiece of JA’s Defence of the Const. , London, 1794, which drew on John Singleton Copley’s 1783 painting of JA ( AFC , 5:xvi–xvii).