Papers of John Adams, volume 21

Henry Knox to John Adams, 23 November 1791 Knox, Henry Adams, John

From Henry Knox

Sir, War Department, 23th November 1791

I have the honor respectfully to submit to the Senate, a Report on the petitions of the Widows, or the Children, or the Representatives of the Children of the following commissioned Officers, who were killed or who died in the service of the United States during the late war—to wit; Bernard Elliot,—Samuel Wise,—Benjamin Huger,—John Bush—Charles Motte,—and Richard Shubrick.—1

With the greatest respect / I have the honor to be, / Sir / Your most Obedt. / huml servt.

HKnox secy of War 83

RC and enclosure (DNA:RG 46, Records of the U.S. Senate); internal address: “The Vice-President / of the United States”; docketed: “2d. Cong: Sess: 1st: / Letter / from the Secretary / of War to the Vice / President, with a Re- / port on sundry Peti- / tions referred to him. / Novemr. 23d: / 1791.”

Petitions for compensation from the family members of Revolutionary War veterans flooded the office of Henry Knox, sent directly or via Congress. Throughout the autumn, the House of Representatives referred to Knox several petitions like those of the claimants listed here. On 31 Oct. it formed a committee to draft a bill addressing the issue. With this letter to JA, Knox enclosed a copy of his 23 Nov. report to the House recommending that all petitioners receive certificates for half-pay. Members of the House passed a bill to that effect on 1 Dec. and sent it to the Senate the same day. George Washington signed it into law on 27 March 1792 (U.S. House, Jour. , 2d Cong., 1st sess., p. 439, 440, 466; Annals of Congress , 2d Cong., 1st sess., p. 148, 1349–1350; Amer. State Papers , Claims, 1:30–31; U.S. Senate, Jour. , 2d Cong., 1st sess., p. 347, 402–403).

John Adams to Oliver Hart, 26 November 1791 Adams, John Hart, Oliver

To Oliver Hart

Sir. Philadelphia Novr: 26 1791:

I have received from you an agreeable present of your Thanksgiving Sermon; and have read it with pleasure; The text I think was very appositely chosen; for every Balaam in the world, I think, unless a more abandoned deceiver of himself than the original prophet of that name must cry, “How shall I curse, when God has not cursed,” when he is called upon to prophecy evil concerning America.1 Permit me to return you my thanks for your kind attention, and to request the favor of seeing you at my House when you come to Philadelphia.

I am Sir, with esteem, / your most humble Servt:

John Adams

LbC in TBA’s hand (Adams Papers); internal address: “The Revd / Oliver Hart”; APM Reel 115.

Born in Warminster, Penn., Hart (1723–1795) served as pastor of Baptist Church in Hopewell, N.J., from 1780 until his death. The subject of Hart’s sermon, which JA partially quoted here, was Numbers, 23 ( ANB ; Hart, America’s Remembrancer . . . A Sermon, Delivered in Hopewell, New Jersey, on Thanksgiving Day, November 26, 1789, Phila., 1791, Evans, No. 23428).

Thomas Jefferson to John Adams, 26 November 1791 Jefferson, Thomas Adams, John

From Thomas Jefferson

Sir Philadelphia Nov. 26. 1791.

Supposing that the first Consular convention agreed on with France, and not ratified by Congress, may explain as well as account for some articles in that which was last agreed on & ratified, I take 84 the liberty of inclosing, for the members of the Senate, copies of the Two conventions as they were printed side by side, to shew where they differed.1 these differences are not as great as were to be wished, but they were all which could be obtained. I have the honour to be with the most profound respect and esteem, Sir, / Your most obedient / & most humble servt

Th: Jefferson

RC (DNA:RG 46, Records of the U.S. Senate); addressed: “The Vice-President of the United / States / President of the Senate”; internal address: “The Vice president of the U.S. Presidt: of the Senate”; docketed: “2d: Cong: Sess: 1st: / Mr. Jeffersons letter / to the Vice President / of the United States / and President of the / Senate. / Novr. 26th. / 1791.”

For the development of the Franco-American consular convention, see vols. 16:501–502, 505; 17:248, 20:91–92. Jefferson’s enclosures, not found, were copies of the unratified 1784 consular convention and the ratified 1788 convention. Three days after Jefferson wrote this letter, the Senate passed the consular bill, which the House amended and George Washington signed into law on 14 April 1792. Under the act, Louis XVI’s title shifted from “Most Christian Majesty” to “King of the French,” and consuls were banned from participation in the carrying trade (Jefferson, Papers , 22:335–336; U.S. Statutes at Large , 1:254–257).