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Browsing: Papers of John Adams, Volume 13
Docno: ADMS-06-13-02-0096
Recipient: Jenings, Edmund
Date: 1782-07-05
To Edmund Jenings
[dateline] The Hague July 5. 1782
[salute] Dear sir
Will you be so good as to inclose the inclosed to your Friend B and tell him that
your humble servant is not the ill natured Mortal that Anonimous Gentry represent
him.1
Pray what is the News about Peace? You know I presume the whole History of it. I know
nothing. Is Mr Jay arrived at Paris? Is, the U. S. of America a belligerent Power?
Where is the combined Fleet? Is Gibraltar to be relieved? Is common sense ever to
return to G. B.? Is the Pope about to abolish the Inquisition? The Celibacy of the
Clergy? &c dont the Emperor make another Journey this summer?
The States of Holland are assembled and next Wednesday go upon my Treaty—and they
Say We shall soon agree.2 The Dutch Fleet too they say is going out. What a Scourge to his Country is that
Rodney? His Countrymen, as soon as ever they begin to come to their senses, have their
Heads turned again by some of his Feats? But it cannot be always so—a few more thirty
Millions, will drain the Fountain.
Pray have you any certain Intelligence that Mr A. Lee is in Congress. I see by the
Papers Mr Izzard is chosen?3
Adieu
RC (Adams Papers).
2. That is, on 10 July. A printed copy of the report on the treaty that the Provincial
States of Holland and West Friesland adopted on 18 July is in the Adams Papers. There it is accompanied by a partial French translation in Dumas' hand. The focus
of the report was on the revision or omission of Arts. 22 and 23 of the draft treaty,
for which see The Negotiation of the Dutch-American Treaty of Amity and Commerce,
22 Aug. – 8 Oct., below.
3. Arthur Lee had been elected to Congress in Dec. 1781 and reelected in June 1782. He
served for lengthy periods in 1782, and in July he was in attendance in Philadelphia.
Ralph Izard was elected to Congress in Jan. 1782 and served through much of 1782 into
1783 (Smith, Letters of Delegates, 18:xxiii, xxii; 19:xxv, xxiv).
Docno: ADMS-06-13-02-0097
Recipient: Livingston, Robert R.
Date: 1782-07-05
To Robert R. Livingston
[dateline] The Hague July 5. 1782
[salute] Sir
Soon after my publick Reception by their High Mightinesses The Body of Merchants of
the City of Schiedam, were pleased to send a { 158 } very respectable Deputation from among their Members, to the Hague, to pay their Respects
to Congress and to me as their Representative, with a very polite Invitation to a
publick Entertainment in their City, to be made upon the occasion.1 As I had Several other Invitations from various Places and Provinces about the Same
Time, and had two many Affairs upon my Hands to be able to accept of them, I prevailed
upon all to excuse me, for Such Reasons as ought to be and I Suppose were Satisfactory.
The Deputies from Schiedam requested me to transmit from them to Congress, the inclosed
Compliment, which I promised to do. I was much affected with the Zeal and ardour of
these worthy Gentlemen and their Constituents, which with many other Things of a Similar
Kind, convinced me, that there is in this Nation a strong Affection for America and
a Kind of religious Veneration for her just Cause.2
With great Respect, I have the Honour to be sir, your most obedient & most humble
sert
[signed] J. Adams
2. The enclosed “compliment” was addressed to JA, dated 24 April, and signed by six deputies appointed by the merchants and traders
of Schiedam. Therein was recounted the Dutch struggle for independence against Spanish
tyranny, the remembrance of which required Dutch support for the American cause. The
merchants congratulated JA on being the representative of “l'Illustre Congrès Américain” and celebrated that
“Jour Glorieux” when the Netherlands recognized the United States and cemented a lasting
relationship between the two nations. The address ended with the merchants' expressing
their hope that the products of Schiedam could be imported into the United States
without being subjected to heavy duties. For an English translation of the address,
see Wharton, Dipl. Corr. Amer. Rev., 5:596–597.
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, 2015.
http://www.masshist.org/apde2/
http://www.masshist.org/apde2/