Adams Papers Digital Edition

Papers of John Adams, volume 7

186 Benjamin Franklin and John Adams to J. D. Schweighauser, 1 November 1778 Franklin, Benjamin JA Schweighauser, John Daniel Benjamin Franklin and John Adams to J. D. Schweighauser, 1 November 1778 Franklin, Benjamin Adams, John Schweighauser, John Daniel
Benjamin Franklin and John Adams to J. D. Schweighauser

Passy, 1 November 1778. Dft, heavily damaged, MH-H: Lee PapersBenjamin Franklin and John Adams asked Schweighauser to help Mme. Gerard, wife of the French minister to the United States, obtain the return of portraits of herself and her son that she had attempted to send to her husband. According to the attached copy of a letter of 26 Oct. from Mme. Gerard to the Commissioners, the portraits were put on board a vessel chartered by Jonathan Williams that was taken and sent into Guernsey. Schweighauser, because his son-in-law was a native of that island, thus seemed to be the logical person to render assistance. No further mention of the matter has been found.

Dft , heavily damaged, (MH-H: Lee Papers).

The Commissioners to John Ross, 3 November 1778 Franklin, Benjamin Lee, Arthur JA First Joint Commission at Paris Ross, John The Commissioners to John Ross, 3 November 1778 Franklin, Benjamin Lee, Arthur Adams, John First Joint Commission at Paris Ross, John
The Commissioners to John Ross
Sir Passy Novr 3 1778

We have received yours of the twenty seventh of October,1 inclosing a Copy of a Resolution of Congress of the 11. Aug. 1778.2

We shall conform ourselves exactly pay the strictest Attention and Obedience to this Resolution of Congress, and to all others, as far as shall be in our Power; and shall be always ready to receive your Accounts and to settle them, and pay the Ballance if any should appear due,3 out of the Proceeds of the Cargoes mentioned in the Resolution, as soon as We shall receive them.4 We have But we had not heard the Reason of y 5

In Relation to the affair of the Le Brune6 As We are strangers to the Nature and Circumstances of it, We are not qualified to form any opinion, and if We were fully informed, We have no Authority to give any Advice, concerning it.7 If it is in a Course of Law, We cannot with Propriety interfere, unless in case of flagrant Injustice, which must be made clearly to appear, and even then We can interfere, only by Application to the King or his Ministersry. We return you all the Papers relative to this affair, and, are, with due Respect, sir, your most obedient humble servants

LbC (Adams Papers).

1.

Not found.

 2.

In this resolution of I Aug., not the nth, the congress resolved that the Commissioners were to pay Ross' expenses in regard to The Queen of France, formerly La Brune, from the proceeds of the cargoes of the tobacco ships Speedwell, Braxton, Governor Johnson, and Morris ( JCC , 11:739–740).

 3.

Benjamin Franklin interlined the preceding five words for insertion here.

 4.

Ross continued his efforts to obtain reimbursement without first submitting his accounts, as is indicated by the Commissioners' reply of 29 Dec. (LbC, Adams Papers) to his letters of 15 and 24 Dec. (not found). The Commissioners restated their position there in essentially the 187same words used here.

 5.

The canceled passage was in Benjamin Franklin's hand.

 6.

See Ross to the Commissioners, 8 Oct., and note 2 (above).

 7.

The following sentence was written below the closing and marked for insertion at this point.