Papers of John Adams, volume 21
Without any of your excellency’s esteemed favors, we wish
to give you in consideration whether it would not be convenient & proper
to appoint a Consul here, as we are assured is in Hambg.
1 as your Capns. may have frequent occasions for legal
assistance, as Likewise germans to Settle in your Country, if your
Government may find it usefull, we Should be happy if one of us was
appointed thereto as we should consider it, as a flattering proof of
confidence.—
We need not especially expose to your Excellency our
manifested Zeal for the intrest of the U S, whch. our vigilant exertions will always promote to the Utmost of
our power.
We Leave entirely to your Excellency to Judge abt. the conveniency of this Subject & to act
accordingly, and we have written to nobody on the matter, Since we Should be
too Sensible to an unsuccesfull sollicitation.
We beg Leave to pay our best Respects to your Lady, and have the honor to be with great esteem. / Sir / Your most obed. Humble servant
RC (Adams Papers); internal address: “His Excelly: / John Adams Esqr / Phila:.” Dupl
(Adams Papers).
The consortium had not yet received JA’s
30 April
letter, above. George Washington nominated British-born
merchant John Parish (1742–1829) to act as U.S. vice consul at Hamburg
in 1790, but Parish declined to serve until he received the powers of a
full post in 1793. James Greenleaf served as the first U.S. consul at
Amsterdam, from 1793 to 1795 (vols. 14:429,
20:448; Washington, Papers,
Presidential Series
, 12:189, 16:588–589).