Papers of John Adams, volume 20
th.1789
Success you say, in yours of the 15th.
stamps a substantial value upon measures, Yet the Motto under a Picture of O. Cromwell,
is not without its Justice
It is a saying in France, “We can never be ruined, for if our ruin had been possible, it would have been accomplished long ago, since the wisest Heads in France have been these hundred Years employed in doing all they could to effect it”— Something very like this may be said with great truth of our own Country.
Tho I think we are not out of danger of divisions, yet upon the
whole I rest with you in an humble Confidence that we all will end well— I am settled on
the beautiful banks of the Hudson and expect Mrs. Adams
daily— Tho I shall be as happy as a Priest I shall have no Objection to as good a
Residence on the Schuylkill or Delaware, if my superiors should command me to remove
Yet we have so much to do, that it would be a pitty to interrupt our deliberations with any questions about Place at present—
I am Sir, with great esteem— / Your Most Obedient
LbC in WSS’s hand (Adams Papers); internal address: “The Honble. Richard Peters”; APM Reel 115.
“Let him come to naught, I pray, / who thinks the deed should be
condemned from its result” (Ovid, Heroides, transl. Grant
Showerman, Cambridge, 2014, Letter II, lines 85–86).
th.1789
I have received your Letter of the 10th. and in answer to your question, I have no scruple to say, that on your
arrival in Holland you appeared to me to take as effectual measures as any man could
then have taken to obtain a loan to the state of Pensylvania: But that such was the
situation of Affairs, that it was next to Impossible to obtain any considerable Loan for
the United states Jointly or severally. I could take up your time for an hour in
relating the 32 mortifications suffered by myself in many
ineffectual attempts in behalf of the United states— The invariable answer to me was
“nothing can be done till the States General have acknowledged your Independence” in
consequence of which, I most earnestly endeavoured to impress upon Congress in all my
dispatches the Policy and necessity of sending a minister to that Republic. and it was
not till a full Power was sent by Congress and acknowledged by their High Mightinesses
that I was able to obtain money for the United States— Till then I could persuade nobody
to undertake to open a Loan, except Mr. De Neufville1 and all the effect of His efforts and my
own—were 4000 Guilders obtain’d by him and 3000 by myself— I never heared or suspected
any neglect of the interests of your Constituents or any dishonour brought upon them by
your Conduct— You did me the honor to consult me very frequently, upon the Business of
your mission according to your instructions: but it was not in my Power to give you
better advice than I gave myself or could procure from others: and it all proved
ineffectual in my own Case as well as yours—
I have the honor to be with much esteem Sir. / Your most Obedient & most Humble servant
LbC in WSS’s hand (Adams Papers); internal address: “Mr. Searle”; APM Reel 115.
JA’s first attempt at a Dutch loan, a 1781 contract for 1 million florins with the Amsterdam banking firm of Jean de Neufville & Fils, failed to attract investors (vols. 11:xv, 102; 12:434–435; 16:93).