Papers of John Adams, volume 11
Could you kindly attach the enclosed postscript to my last letter for Congress.1
Two people, whom I can trust, have promised to keep me informed of the fate of your memorial to the High Mightinesses. Mr. Visscher believes that it was given by the president to the secret committee of the High Mightinesses, which is always composed of the first deputies of each province. If you are at Leyden, I could visit you at the end of this week.
I am with very great respect, sir, your very humble and very obedient servant
This was Dumas' letter to Congress of 22 March (Wharton, ed., Dipl. Corr. Amer. Rev.
, 4:322–323). There he commented on the agreement of the Dutch provinces to Russia's mediation offer, the impending court decision regarding the role of the Regency of Amsterdam in the Lee-Neufville treaty, the capture of St. Eustatius, and rumors that Britain had refused the Russian mediation offer. In the postscript, dated 2 April, Dumas indicated that he was expecting interesting news from St. Petersburg and noted a proposal by Amsterdam merchants to send representatives to Britain to plead for the return of goods seized at St. Eustatius, a course of action the merchants of Rotterdam rejected.