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Browsing: Papers of John Adams, Volume 11
Docno: ADMS-06-11-02-0063
Recipient: Adams, John
Date: 1781-01-31
From Edmund Jenings
[dateline] Brussels Janry 31. 1781
[salute] Sir
Four mails arrived yesterday, by them we find that Eleven East Indiamen are arrived
at Brookhaven in Ireland. A Ship is arrived from N York, but no news transpires. The
English Minister seems to be ready to pardon the Dutch on condition they submit. He
treats them as He did the Americans, and will I Hope receive the same Treatment as
from our Countrymen. One of the Court news papers says there is an appearance of matters
being settled with Holland, as England will deliver out no more letters of Marque.
If this is true, it may perhaps be produced by the remonstrance of the Russian Minister,
who is abused grosely in the English Papers. The Troops are shipped for the fleet
going to America as I beleive those are for the East Indias. Lille and Antwerp are
too near to one Another. A Correspondence may be easily Kept up between those two
towns.1 It ought to be attended to.
I am Sir Your Excellencys most faithful & obt. Hb. Sert
[signed] Edm: Jenings
Be pleased to turn over.
P.S. I find the Translation of the Memorial &c. is published in England.2 It comes out in a good Time. A very Hearty good sensible Friend desires He may have
the Authors leave to publish Notes and Additions, if it goes to a Second impression—his
Integrity Principles and Knowledge may I think be trusted.3
RC (Adams Papers).
2. This is JA's A Translation of the Memorial to the Sovereigns of Europe upon the Present State of
Affairs Between the Old and New World into Common Sense and Intelligible English, London, 1781. For its origins and JA's drafting of it, see vol. 9:157–221; Descriptive List of Illustrations, No. 2, above; and JA's letter to Jenings of 11 Feb., below.
3. Jenings may be referring to the publisher of the pamphlet, John Stockdale, but the
Translation received no second printing.
Docno: ADMS-06-11-02-0064
Recipient: Adams, John
Date: 1781-01-31
From William Lee
[dateline] Bruxelles 31 Jany. 1781
[salute] Dear Sir
I had the Honor of writing to you the 28th. but omitted answering your Quere about
the Southern States determining to embody Ne• { 94 } | view { 95 } groes as an Army.1 I never heard of such an Idea but in the letter forged, as from Genl. Clinton,2 nor do I immagine such a one will ever be entertain'd seriously in those States,
for exclusive of many reasons against it that appear unanswerable, those who know
the nature and talents of those people, know well that all the art of Man can never
make them even tolerable Soldiers.
It is said that France has lately engaged to guarantie all the Dutch Possessions;
if so, as a Quid pro Quo, surely it has been insisted on by France that the States
General shall immediately acknowlege the Independence of America: if this has been
omitted it will not be a subject of much pleasure to me. We have here the London papers
to the 26th. by which it appears that on the 25. public dispatches had been received
from N. York to Decr. 20, but not a syllable good or bad had transpir'd that I see,
tho' former ministerial papers say, an advice from N. Y. the 20 Nov. that all the
Grenadeirs, and light Infantry of the British Army were immediately to embark to the
number of 5 or 6000 Men for So. Carolina and we see that the reinforcements from England
for N. York are already embark'd at Portsmouth to sail with Darby and all the Ships
of Force they can muster, which will not exceed 20 or 25 Ships of the Line at the
utmost, as a Convoy; The East India Ships and the expedition under Govr. Johnstone
and Genl. Meadows and supplies for the W. Indias go at the same time; when Darby has
seen this valuable Convoy, perhaps the most valuable and important that has sail'd
from England during the War, to a certain distance, he is either to attempt the releif
of Giberalter or to convoy back the 11 East Indiamen lately arriv'd safe in Ireland,
to the value of above 3 Millions sterling, while the French and Spanish Fleets, each
of them singly superior to anything England can put to Sea in Europe, are Snug in
Cadiz and Brest.3
The Dutch War hardly created a Debate in the Ho. of Comns. where the address to the
King, promising support &c., as usual, was carried with[out] even a division.4 There was some debate in the Ho. of Lords, but the address passed there by a greater
majority than on many other occasions lately and from the general complexion of their
minds, I am apt to beleive they have determin'd already to attack unawares, the Russian
Swedish and Danish Ships, as they have done those of Holland, if they find that those
3 Powers, mean to take any part with the Dutch. Nothing but sound beating will recover
these Madmen from their Frenzy.
[salute] Adieu
P.S. I have lately observ'd that they have imprison'd in England some Captains and
Sailors taken with American Commissions as Pirates and have order'd them to be tryed
as such.
RC (Adams Papers); endorsed by John Thaxter: “Mr. W Lee 31st. Jany. 1781.”
2. The forged letter from Lt. Gen. Sir Henry Clinton to Lord George Germain, dated 30
Jan. 1780 at Savannah, was widely published in Europe and the U.S. It reported that
North Carolina had determined to augment its forces by using slaves as soldiers. For
the letter and its publication, see vol. 9:331, and references there.
3. The Channel Fleet, commanded by Adm. George Darby and composed of 28 ships of the
line, 2 of fifty guns, and several frigates, was being sent to relieve Gibraltar.
It sailed on 13 March. Accompanying it part way was a smaller force commanded by Como.
George Johnstone composed of 2 ships of the line, 3 fifty-gun ships, and several frigates.
It was to attack the Dutch colony at the Cape of Good Hope and carried three infantry
battalions under the command of Gen. William Medows. Owing to various delays, Johnstone's
expedition did not reach the Cape until after a French squadron under Bailli de Suffren
had arrived and landed its troops, thereby making a seaborne assault a dubious venture
at best. The only positive result of the expedition from the British standpoint was
that Medows, having learned of the outbreak of the Second Mysore War and the dire
situation of the British forces, acted on his own initiative and took his troops to
India (Mackesy, War for America, p. 388–390). For lists of the vessels making up the two task forces, see the London Chronicle of 13–15 March.
4. For George III's message of 25 Jan. “relative to the Rupture with Holland,” its supporting
documents, and the debates in both Houses of Parliament, see Parliamentary Hist., 21:960–1106. In fact, both Houses approved the message without division.
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, 2017.
http://www.masshist.org/apde2/
http://www.masshist.org/apde2/