Papers of John Adams, volume 6
I arived Yesterday in 26 days from Boston,1 with a packet for Your Excellencys With Positive Orders to deliver the Same with my Own Hands, which should have done with greatest Pleasure, but my Ill State of Health Prevents me that Honour. Therefore have desir'd Mr. Texier, a friend off Mr. Bondfield, to take the Charge, Which he Readily Accepted, and make no doubt will Come Safe to hand. I trust I shall grow Well Soon, and as I have a Commission, as Captain in the Continental Navy, if Anything 334turns Out, shall be glad to be Employd in my Own line of Duty, if not, Shall Wait Your Orders, and have the Packet Allways Ready. I am with the Greatest Respect Your Hble Servt.
Ayres' vessel was the Arnold Packet.
Versailles, 29 July 1778. LbC (Adams Papers, French text of both letter and enclosure). For other contemporary copies of the French text of the letter and regulations, the latter as transmitted and later amended as a result of the Commissioners' letter of 13 Aug. (below), and for English translations of the two documents made at the same time, see PCC, No. 83, 11, f. 467, 46Q–476. For printed translations of both the letter and regulations, the latter again as received and later revised, see Wharton, ed., Dipl. Corr. Amer. Rev.
, 2:673, 685–687. After commenting favorably on the Commissioners' letter of 16 July (calendared above) concerning aid to the islands of St. Pierre and Miquelon, Sartine sent the Commissioners a draft set of regulations on the sale of prizes and disposal of prisoners. He noted that the difficulties in these two matters experienced by American privateers in French ports would, with the Franco-American treaties, cease in France. He assumed that reciprocal arrangements could be made concerning French privateers in American ports and offered the proposed regulations to insure that such would be the case as well as to prevent future problems.
On 22 Feb. 1779 the congress received the regulations, which took effect on 27 Sept. in France, and referred them to the Committee on Appeals (
JCC
, 13:219; PCC, No. 59, 11, f. 109–116). No further mention of them has been found.
I thank you for your favours of 25 and 27. the last of which I recived this Moment. The Baltimore Paper of the 6th. of June I had before received, from the Printer who was kind enough to think of me, but I am not the less obliged to you.
335 336I wish you Joy of the News, this Moment received from Versailles, of a Battle between D'orvilliere and Keppel, in which the former, had the Honour, and the Advantage.1 All Paris is rejoicing. We have not the Detail but a Battle between two such Fleets, without a Tryumph to G. Br. is a terrible Event to her. As France, has at land a superiority over her so indisputable, When the Superiority of naval Power comes to be problemetical it is high Time for G. B. to think, which she has never once done for fifteen Years.
I am extreamly Sorry that any of our Americains should express themselves so unkindly of their Commissioners here. I hope they have not Reason. I am really surprized to find, that a failure in a punctual Return of a Visit, or in giving an Answer to a Letter of no Importance to the Public, should give so much Miff, as it does. I can Say with Truth, that if The Commissioners should make it a rule to return all Visits and answer all Letters, no Part of the Public Business would be done.
Would the Gentleman you mention, (I know him not) wish that the Commissioners should every Time they receive any News, write Letters to every Part of this Kingdom to acquaint every Man with it? However, enough of this.
In one of your Letters you say that you had several Things to say to me, but had not then time. I hope you will find an opportunity soon.
This was the indecisive Battle of Ushant fought on 27 July, in which, although there were over a thousand casualties, no vessels were captured or sunk.