Papers of John Adams, volume 7
J'eus l'honneur de vous écrire Mardi 27 une Lettre très intéressante. L'adresse dont elle vous portoit copie a déjà fait divers grands effets. 1.° L'Assemblée d'hollande, dont ils croyoient ici être débarrassés aujourdhui, reprendra ses Séances mercredi prochain; en attendant Mrs. d'Amsterdam feront un tour chez eux, pour revenir Mardi avec quelques nouvelles instructions. 2.° Le Corps des Nobles de la Province, qui avoit déjà fait imprimer un Contre-avis, pour l'opposer dans l'Assemblée à celui d'Amsterdam, l'a prudemment supprimé. 3.° Un grand personnage,1 jaloux, avec raison, de l'amour du peuple, voyant par cette requête qu'il ne s'agit pas d'un simple faction parti dans la Régence d'Amsterdam, comme on cherche à le lui persuader, mais que le mécontentement augmente et devient général, paroît allarmé; le parti Anglois est consterné; Sir Y. envoya Dimanche un Exprès en Angleterre dans un Pinque de Pêcheur de Scheveling, apparemment pour leur faire part de ce qui se passe, et leur conseiller de baisser de ton et filer plus doux.
M. le G. p., en lisant hier à l'Assemblee la réponse de Suffolk, témoigna par son ton et ses gestes qu'elle lui déplaisoit. J'ai fait part à quelques marchands d'Amsterdam de cette reponse, avec un bon Commentaire pour leur governe.
Dans ma Lettre du 232 j'ai parlé à Mr. Franklin en gros d'une démarche que j'avois faite. J'ai le plaisir aujourdhui de pouvoir vous la dire avec son bon effet. Vous savez, Messieurs, par mes précédentes, qu'il restoit encore un prétexte à Mr. le Gp. pour rester dans l'inaction, savoir qu'il ne pouvoit communiquer le Traité sans votre consentement: pour lui ôter ce prétexte, j'ai demandé à
“We have made Overtures to the G. p. We took that to be a regular 180
and Kind mode of proceeding. We expect an answer. If he gives us none, we shall naturally conclude, that there is no disposition in their HH. M. to have any connection with the United States of America; and I believe we shall give them no farther trouble. At least that would be my opinion. I know your nation, having been frequently there, and much esteeming the people, and wishing for a firm Union between the two republics. On the other Side, our Virgin State is a jolly one, and, though at present not very rich, will in time be a great fortune to any suitor; and where she has a favourable predisposition, it seems to be well worth cultivating.”5
Les endroits soulignés sont les petites additions que j'ai faites pour lier et approprier les morceaux extraits.6
Il lut attentivement, et marqua par un sourire agréable que la fin lui plaisoit. Je lui dis en me levant, que j'étois prêt à faire passer tout ce qu'il voudroit me remettre pour vous Messieurs, et que je le priois de me considérer comme aussi zélé pour le bien et la prosperité de cette republique, dans le sein de laquelle je me plaisois depuis si longtemps, qu'ami des Américains. Il me répondit, Je n'en doute pas. J'allai de là rendre compte à notre ami; et en lui donnant le double de l'Extrait ci-dessus, avec attestation comme quoi il étoit conforme à celui remis le même jour à Mr. le G. p., je lui fis entendre, que je remettois-là à sa Ville de quoi pouvoir faire un jour des reproches bien graves, si l'on supprimoit l'ouverture. Il en convint, et me remercia beaucoup.
Les choses en resterent là jusqu'au 28 au matin, qu'une personne de poids, et en qui nous pouvons avoir toute confiance, en exigeant que je ne vous la nommasse pas à présent, m'a dit ce qui suit: “Vous êtes requis, de prier Mr. Franklin, de ne point trouver étrange ni incongru de la part de Mr. le Gr. P. s'il ne répond pas encore à la Lettre; et de lui faire entendre qu'il y a des raisons fortes, mais secrettes, qui imposent la nécessité de différer.”
Je me suis apperçu, au reste, que notre Ami, jusque-là irrité contre le Gp., s'est assez radouci sur son sujet.
J'ai bien reçu les papiers interessants, dont Mr. Lee m'a favorisé en date du 22 Oct.; et après en avoir communiqué le contenu à certaines personnes ici, j'en ai envoyé Copie au Gazettier de Leide, afin qu'il puisse rectifier dans son supplément, ou dans une feuille suivante, les inexactitudes où ses autres Correspondants l'ont fait tomber sur les mêmes articles dans sa gazette d'aujourdhui.7 Je me recommande à la continuation de ces faveurs, et de son bon souvenir et amitié, et suis avec un très grand respect, Messieurs Votre très humble et très obéissant serviteur
P.S. J'allois fermer, lorsqu'on m'a apporté une brochure hollandoise de 180 pages in 8vo. qui vient de sortir de dessous la presse, et qui est annoncée publiquement en vente chez tous les Libraires de la Republique sous ce titre: Examen de la Conduite de la Grande-Bretagne à l'égard de la Hollande, depuis l'origine de la République jusqu'à ce jour; Par un Hollandois bien intentionne; Pour servir à faire connoître le Caractere des Anglois8 dans leur conduite envers les Américains. Cette Piece, bien faite, est tout ce qu'on peut imaginer de plus violent contre les Anglois. Ce que j'ai fait paroître, est la douceur-même en comparaison. Elle chagrinera certainement beaucoup le parti Anglois, et est très propre à irriter la Nation de plus en plus centre l'Angleterre. Tout ceci doit vous faire comprendre combien la fermentation gagne en ce pays; et aussi la conduite qu'on doit tenir ici pour bien manoeuvrer.
On Tuesday, the 27th, I had the honor to send you a very interesting letter. Already the address, a copy of which was enclosed, has had several important results. I. The Assembly of Holland, which people here thought would be finished today, will resume its sessions next Wednesday. In the meantime, the gentlemen from Amsterdam will go home in order to return Tuesday with some new instructions. 2. The Corps of Nobility of the province, which had already printed up a counter-address, to oppose that of Amsterdam in the Assembly, has prudently withdrawn it. 3. An important personage1 with good reason to be jealous of the people's affection and seeing that this petition does not come from a mere party in the Regency of Amsterdam, as people around him have sought to persuade him, but rather expresses a discontent that is increasing and becoming general, seems to be alarmed. The English party is also concerned: on Sunday, Sir Joseph Yorke sent an express to England in a fisherman's pink from Scheveling, apparently to inform them of events and advise them to moderate and soften their tone.
Yesterday, as he read Suffolk's reply to the Assembly, the Grand Pensionary showed by his tone and gestures how much it displeased him. I informed some merchants from Amsterdam of this with a full commentary for their guidance.
In my letter of the 23d,2 I spoke to Mr. Franklin in general terms of the demarche that I had undertaken. Today, I have the great pleasure to inform you of its good results. You are aware from my previous letters, gentlemen, that the Grand Pensionary's sole excuse for remaining inactive was that he could not communicate the treaty without your consent. To deprive him of this pretext I asked
“We have made Overtures to the Grand Pensionary. We took that to be a regular and Kind mode of proceeding. We expect an answer. If he gives us none, we shall naturally conclude, that there is no disposition in their High Mightinesses to have any connection with the United States of America; and I believe we shall give them no farther trouble. At least that would be my opinion. I know your nation, having been frequently there, and much esteeming the people, and wishing for a firm union between the two republics. On the other Side, our Virgin State is a jolly one, and, though at present not very rich, will in time be a great fortune to any suitor; and where she has a favourable predisposition, it seems to be well worth cultivating.”5
The underlined portions are the little additions that I made to tie together the excerpted passages and make them coherent.6
He read it carefully and by a smile indicated that the ending pleased him. As I arose, I told him that I was prepared to convey to you anything he might like and beseeched him to consider me as zealous for the welfare and prosperity of this Republic, in which I have enjoyed living for so long, as I am a friend of the Americans. He answered, / do not doubt it. I then went to render an account of this interview to our friend and to give him a copy of the aforementioned excerpt, with an attestation of its conformity to the one delivered the same day to the Grand Pensionary. I gave him to understand that I was thereby giving his city something that might one day be used to raise some serious charges if this overture was repressed. He agreed and thanked me profusely.
There things stood until the morning of the 28th, when an important person in whom we can have full confidence, but who requested anonymity, told me the following: “You are requested to please tell Mr. Franklin that he should not find it strange or incongruous on the part of the Grand Pensionary if he does not answer the letter just yet and to make him understand that there are important, but secret, reasons which impose the need for delay.”
Moreover, I have noticed that our friend, who until now had been greatly irritated by the Grand Pensionary, has rather softened his attitude toward him.
I had the honor of receiving the interesting papers that Mr. Lee favored me with under the date of 22 October. After communicating their 183content to certain people here, I sent a copy to the printer of the Gazette at Leyden so that he can correct in his supplement, or in the following issue, the inaccuracies contributed by his other correspondents on the same subjects in today's paper.7 I recommend myself to his good remembrance and friendship and request a continuation of these favors, and am with great respect, gentlemen, your very humble and very obedient servant
P.S. I was about to close when I received a Dutch book of 180 pages in octavo. Fresh from the press, it is advertised publicly as being on sale at all the bookstores of the Republic under the title: Examen de la Conduite de la Grande-Bretagne à l'égard de la Hottande, depuis l'origine de la République jusqua'à ce jour; Par un Hollandois bien intentionné; Pour servir à faire connoître le Caractere des Anglois8 dans leur conduite envers les Américains. This piece is well done and, as one might expect, is very violent against the English. What I had published is mildness itself by comparison. Certainly it will greatly embarrass the English party and is well suited to arouse this nation even more against England. All this should help you gauge the degree to which the ferment increases in this country, as well as the conduct that should be followed to take advantage of it.
Presumably the Stadholder, William V.
In that letter Dumas stated that he had made a demarche that he thought would greatly embarrass certain men and provide the friends of the American cause with a powerful weapon of great potential (PPAmP: Franklin Papers).
Supplied from the Letterbook copy; Dumas left a blank space in the recipient's copy.
The Commissioners to van Blieswyck, 28 April, in which they promised to transmit a copy of the Treaty of Amity and Commerce (vol. 6:61–62).
The recipient's copy of Franklin's letter has not been found. However, in an enclosure to this letter Dumas supplied a much more extensive extract from the Franklin letter than he inserted above. From that it is clear that Dumas' presentation to the Grand Pensionary was accurate, but with two significant differences. The first was Franklin's continuation of the fifth sentence which there reads: “At least that would be my opinion; for I think that a young State like a young Virgin, should modestly stay at home, and wait the Application of Suitors for an Alliance with her; and not run about offering her Amity to all the World, and hazarding their Refusal.” The second was his request for Dumas' advice on whether, if he should undertake a mission to The Hague as proposed by JA and Arthur Lee, he would be received as “a Minister of the States of America.” See also the Commissioners' letter to van Berckel of 29 Oct. (above).
This sentence was written in the left margin beside the quoted passage.
The “papers” sent by Lee were printed in the Gazette de Leyde of 3 Nov. and comprised an extract from a letter dated 3 Oct. at La Coruna (apparent recipient's copy at ViU: Lee Papers) and a captured letter by a British officer at Sandy Hook dated 23 Aug. The Coruna letter reported the arrival of the American privateer Vengeance with numerous prisoners taken in the capture of the British packets Harriot and Eagle, while that from America dealt with the French fleet's ar-184rival in American waters and blamed Estaing's inability to gain a decisive victory over Adm. Howe on chance and bad weather. The officer also stated that the British position was greatly weakened by the absence of Byron's fleet and might, if that situation continued in the presence of a French fleet of superior strength, result in the abandonment of New York as well as other American possessions.
Lee's “papers” were important to Dumas because the Gazette of 30 Oct. had printed a letter from La Coruna dated 3 Oct., which noted the arrival of the Vengeance, but also contained a very critical account of Estaing's actions by Wingate Newman, captain of the Vengeance. Newman believed that Estaing's unwillingness or inability to engage and defeat the British fleet under Howe stood in the way of a prompt end to the war. See also Dumas' letter to the Commissioners of 4 Nov. (below) and an extract of a letter from Newman on the voyage of the Vengeance printed in the Boston Gazette of 11 Jan. 1779.
The remainder of this title was interlined for insertion at this point. The whole title is Dumas' translation from the Dutch: Onderzoek van Groot-Brittanjes Gedrag, ten Opzichte van Holland. Zedert de Opkomste der Republicq tot nu toe. Door een welmend Hollander. Dienende tot opmaking van het Nationale Character der Engelschen in haar gedrag me de Americaanen (1778). This pamphlet had originally been published in French in 1756, ostensibly at Paris but actually at The Hague, and is attributed to Louis Joseph Plumard de Dangeul, with the first full Dutch translation appearing in 1757. With the exception of the introduction, to which material had been added to bring it up to date, the version published in 1778 was identical to those of 1756 and 1757 (W. P. C. Knuttel, Catalogue van de Pamfletten-Verzamel berustende in de Koniklijke Bibliotheek, 7 vols., The Hague, 1889–1920).