close
From John Bondfield
Docno: PJA11d177
Recipient: JA
Date: 1781-03-17
[dateline] Bordeaux 17 March 1781
[salute] Sir
As we doubt not of your having Letters by the Alliance our advices of course will serve only as repetition to relate. I shall therefore inlieu of giving request from you information. The Honble. J. L——s is he to superceed the D——r or Is his Buissness confined to a perticular object.
{p. 207 | view }
His bringing with him Mr. Jackson1 as secretary would give room to suppose him a residence. In that case the D<octo>r will of course go back in the Alliance. She will return positively the middle of April and will take all the ships then ready under her Convoy. Could Comodore Gillon get round in time to Join them would be a great reenforceir to this little Squadron which will consist of the Alliance
| The Marquis de lafayet | 28 | eighteen Pounder |
| The Luzern | 18 | |
| The Aurora | 20 | |
| The franklin | 20 | |
| The Venus | 14 |
beside four of five Armd Schooners and Briggs. And as the Marquis de lafayet will have what is of so much consiquence to the States the Cloathing their Arrival is of very great Moment.
The Venus will sail from hence at the end of the Month to join them.2 She goes to Boston the other Ships to Philadelphia.
We learn your Loan goes on to your Satisfaction. We are rejoiced to find the Dutch so ready to Acquiess in your demands which proves their regarding your welfare attatcht to their own. By last post we are advised they have offerd 12 milion florens to France to defray the Expence of a Stipulate Force of Ships and Men to go to the East Indies to Act in consort in them Seas against the Common Enemy.
Mr. T. Pain came passenger by [the A]lliance.3 His errand must be urgent to engage his Crossing the Atlantic at this time.
Can you point out any Line for young Vernon?4 He is a smart Youth but wants opportunity to improve should any opening offer for Petersburg or the other Northern States but particularly to that, as a secretary to an Envoy. His figure is in his favor and his Letters wish application in a line to his tast would soon be conform to his Station.
[salute] With respect I have the Honor to be Sir Your very hhb Servant
[signed] John Bondfield
We are affraid Mr. Palfrey is lost as the ship he embarked in saild from the Delaware the 21 Dcember and is not yet heard of on these Coasts.
RC
Adams Papers
; addressed: “A Son Excellence John Adams Esq Ministre plénipotentiaire des Etats-unis à Amsterdam”; endorsed by John Thaxter: “John Bondfield 17th. March 1781.” A slight tear has resulted in the loss of all of one word and part of another.
1. Maj. William Jackson of South Carolina was captured at the fall of Charleston in the spring of 1780 and exchanged later in the year. He then joined John Laurens on his mission to Europe, serving first as Laurens' secretary and then as his agent charged with getting the
{p. 208}
South Carolina ready for sea. When the frigate sailed in July, Jackson was aboard and JA entrusted him with the care of CA, his fellow passenger. Jackson later served as George Washington's secretary and as surveyor of customs at Philadelphia, but is best known as the secretary of the Constitutional Convention (
DAB
).
3. Thomas Paine accompanied John Laurens as an unofficial secretary and returned with him to the U.S. at the end of May (
DAB
).
From C. W. F. Dumas
Docno: PJA11d178
Recipient: JA
Date: 1781-03-17
[dateline] LaHaie 17e. Mars 1781
[salute] Monsieur
Je n'eus le temps hier au soir que de vous envoyer la Lettre que S. E. Mr. l'Ambr. de France m'avoit fait remettre pour vous en réponse de celle du 8e. courant que je lui avois remise de votre part.1 Mrs. les P—— d'A—— D—— et H—— m'ont tous chargé de vous témoigner leur reconnoissance de la bonté que vous avez eue de leur communiquer la Résolution du Congrès;2 et ceux d'A—— en particulier leur regret de ce que les circonstances actuelles ne leur permettent pas de répondre formellement aux Lettres que vous leur avez écrites. Celui de D—— étoit convenu avec moi, que nous ferions aujourd'hui un tour à Leide ensemble, et que j'aurois l'honneur de vous le présenter pour faire connoissance. Mais il a dû partir hier pour Dort. Ainsi ce sera pour une autre fois.
Le Contremanifeste de la Rep. à celui du Roi Britannique vient enfin de paroître.3 Vous le verrez bientôt paroître traduit dans les Gazettes françoises: ainsi je puis me dispenser de vous l'analyser. Il est long. Est-il aussi vigoureux que long? C'est ce dont vous jugerez. Je suis avec un grand respect, Monsieur Votre très humble & très obeissant serviteur
[signed] Dumas
Pardonnez la liberté que je prends de joindre ici un petit billet, pour que votre Domestique le remette à Mr. Luzac.4
C. W. F. Dumas to John Adams: A Translation
Docno: PJA11d179
Recipient: JA
Date: 1781-03-17
[dateline] The Hague, 17 March 1781
[salute] Sir
I did not have the time last evening to forward to you the letter that His Excellency the French Ambassador gave me in response to your letter to him of the 8th instant.1 The Pensionaries of Amsterdam, Dordrecht, and Haarlem have all asked me to thank you for your kindness in sending them Congress' resolution.2 Those from Amsterdam, in particular, regret that the present circumstances did not permit them to respond formally to your letters. The one from Dordrecht agreed with me, that we should go to Leyden together, and that I would have the honor of introducing you to him. But yesterday he had to leave for Dordrecht. Perhaps another time.
{p. 209 | Because the image on this page
does not belong to the Massachusetts Historical Society, it is not available for viewing
online. }
illustration
read description:
{p. 210}
The countermanifesto of the republic to that of the British king has finally appeared.3 You will see the translation soon in the French gazettes, so therefore I will refrain from analyzing it. It is long. Is it as vigorous as it is long? You be the judge. I am with great respect, sir, your very humble and very obedient servant
[signed] Dumas
Pardon the liberty that I take in enclosing a small bill that your servant presented to Mr. Luzac.4
1. Dumas enclosed La Vauguyon's letter of 14 March, above, with a brief note of 16 March (Adams Papers).
2. For these letters to Engelbert François van Berckel and Carel W. Visscher (both LbC's, Adams Papers), see JA's letter of 8 March to La Vauguyon, and note 1, above.
Cite web page as: Founding Families: Digital Editions of the Papers of the Winthrops and the Adamses, ed.C. James Taylor. Boston: Massachusetts Historical Society, 2007.
http://www.masshist.org/ff/
http://www.masshist.org/ff/