May 21. 1778
But I find the other Gentlemen have expended, from three to four Thousand a
Year each, and one of them from five to six. And by all the Enquiries I have
been able to make, I cannot find any Article of Expence, which can be retrenched.
The Truth is, in my humble Opinion, our System is wrong in many Particulars.
1. In having three Commissioners at this Court. One in the Character of Envoy
is enough. At present each of the Three is considered in the Character of a
Public Minister; a Minister Plenipotentiary, which lays him under an absolute
Necessity of living up to this Character. Whereas one alone would be obliged to
no greater Expence, and would be quite sufficient
for all the Business of a Public Minister. 2. In Leaving the Salaries of these
Ministers at an Uncertainty. You will never be able to obtain a satisfactory
Account, of the public Monies, while this System continues. It is a Temptation
to live at too great an Expence, and Gentlemen will
feel an Aversion to demanding a rigorous Account. 3. In blending the Business
of a public Minister with that of a Commercial Agent. The Businesses of various
departments, are by this means so blended and the public and private
Expences so confounded with each other, that I am
sure no Satisfaction can ever be given to the Public, of the disposition of
their Interests and I am very confident that jealousies and Suspicions will
hereafter arise against the Characters of Gentlemen, who may perhaps have Acted
with perfect Integrity and the fairest Intentions for the public Good.
My Idea is this, seperate the Offices
ofcommercial agent Public Ministers from those of commercial
Agents.... Recall, or send to some other Court, all the Public Ministers but
one, at this Court. Determine with Precision, the Sum that shall be allowed to
the remaining one, for his Expences and for his
Salary, i.e. for his Time, Risque, Trouble &c., and
when this is done see that he receives no more than his allowance.
The Inconveniences arising from the Multiplicity of Ministers and the
Complications of Businesses are infinite.
Remember me, with the most tender Affection to my worthy Colleagues, and to
all others to whom you know they are due. I am your Friend and Servant
John Adams
The Honourable Samuel Adams
This Letter was received by Mr. Adams in due Season,
who and by him communicated
to Mr. Richard Henry Lee and others. Mr. R. H. Lee wrote me immediately that he had seen it and was entirely of my Opinion. It was communicated to so many members of Congress that it produced the Revolution which followed, My Friends and the Friends of Mr. Arthur Lee uniting with those of Dr. Franklin, Mr. Deane and Mr. Izzard, in introducing the new Plan.
to Mr. Richard Henry Lee and others. Mr. R. H. Lee wrote me immediately that he had seen it and was entirely of my Opinion. It was communicated to so many members of Congress that it produced the Revolution which followed, My Friends and the Friends of Mr. Arthur Lee uniting with those of Dr. Franklin, Mr. Deane and Mr. Izzard, in introducing the new Plan.
The representation in my Letter of the Expences
of the Commissioners, related only to the State of Things before my Arrival. My
Expences were very trifling. I had no House rent to
pay seperate from Dr. Franklins. I
kept no Carriage and used none but that of Dr. Franklin and
that only when he had no Use for it. I had very little Company more than
Dr. Franklin would have had, if I had not been there. But
before my Arrival, Mr. Deane had his House and Furniture and
Establishment of Servants as well as his Carriage in
Paris, and another Establishment for his Appartments in the
Country at
Passy and another Carriage and Set of Horses and Servants,
besides his Libertine Expences. Mr.
Lee had an House, furniture, Carriage and organization of Servants at
Challiot. Dr. Franklin had his in the Basse
Court de Monsieur Le Ray de Chaumont at what rent I never
could discover, but from the Magnificence of the Place it was universally
expected to be enormously high. Making the best Estimate I could from the
representations that were made to me I wrote as I then believed. But after a
longer Residence, more experience and further Inquiry, I was convinced that I
had admitted much exaggeration into the Account. Nevertheless the Expences of Mr. Deane never have been
known and never I presume can be known.
I had taken pains to perswade my Colleagues to
take a House in
Paris, and have but one establishment for Us all. Mr.
Lee, whose Opinion was that We ought to live in
Paris, readily consented but Dr. Franklin
refused. I proposed that Mr. Lee should take
Appartements with Us at
Passi, and there was room enough for Us all, and I offered to
resign my Appartments to him and take others which were not so convenient: but
he refused to live together unless it were in
Paris, where the Americans in General and the French too, seemed
to think We ought to live. All my proposals were therefore abortive.
Before I wrote the Letter to Mr. Adams I had many Things to
consider. What would be the Consequence if my Plan should be adopted?
Dr. Franklins Reputation was so high in
America, in the Court and Nation of
France and all over
Europe, that he would undoubtedly as he ought to be left alone
at the Court of Versailles. Mr. Lee held two
Commissions, one to the Court of
France and one to the Court of
Spain. If that to the Court of
Versailles should be annulled, the other to the Court of
Madrid would remain in force. It would therefore make little
Odds to him.
I had but one and that to the Court of Versailles. If this were annulled, what would become of me. There was but one Country to which I thought it possible Congress would send a Minister at that time, and that was Holland. But there was no hope that Holland would then receive a Minister, and I thought Congress ought not to send one there as yet. I thought therefore that there was no Alternative for me, but to return to America: and I very deliberately determined, that I had rather run the Gauntlett again through all the British Men of War in the Bay of Biscay, the British Channel and the Gulph Stream with all their Storms and Calms than remain where I was under a System and in Circumstances so ruinous to the American Cause. I expected however that Congress would make some provision for my return by giving me orders to receive Money enough for my Expences, and give me a Passage in a Frigate if any one should be in France. In this last expectation alone I was disappointed.
I had but one and that to the Court of Versailles. If this were annulled, what would become of me. There was but one Country to which I thought it possible Congress would send a Minister at that time, and that was Holland. But there was no hope that Holland would then receive a Minister, and I thought Congress ought not to send one there as yet. I thought therefore that there was no Alternative for me, but to return to America: and I very deliberately determined, that I had rather run the Gauntlett again through all the British Men of War in the Bay of Biscay, the British Channel and the Gulph Stream with all their Storms and Calms than remain where I was under a System and in Circumstances so ruinous to the American Cause. I expected however that Congress would make some provision for my return by giving me orders to receive Money enough for my Expences, and give me a Passage in a Frigate if any one should be in France. In this last expectation alone I was disappointed.
