Papers of John Adams, volume 9

To the President of Congress, No. 26, 26 March 1780 JA Huntington, Samuel President of Congress To the President of Congress, No. 26, 26 March 1780 Adams, John Huntington, Samuel President of Congress

To the President of Congress, No. 26

Paris, 26 March 1780. RC (PCC, No. 84, I, f. 357–360). printed: Wharton, ed., Dipl. Corr. Amer. Rev. , 3:573–576.

In this letter, received by Congress on 8631 July and read on 1 Aug., John Adams used material taken from British newspapers to describe the celebrations on 2 March at Dublin over the passage of the Irish Trade Bill and summarized in detail the addresses of both Houses of the Irish Parliament thanking the King for approving it. He also included the text of the instructions of 7 March from the “Freeholders of the County of Dublin” to their representatives, requiring them to seek the repeal of Poyning's Law and concluded with a summary of other events showing Ireland's determination to be free of domination by the British Parliament. For a discussion of Poyning's Law, see vol. 8:370–371.

RC (PCC, No. 84, I, f. 357–360.) printed : (Wharton, ed., Dipl. Corr. Amer. Rev. , 3:573–576.)

From Arthur Lee, 26 March 1780 Lee, Arthur JA From Arthur Lee, 26 March 1780 Lee, Arthur Adams, John

From Arthur Lee

Dear Sir L'Orient March 26th. 1780

I have but one moment to thank you, for your favor1 with one from London enclosd which I received on my return from Brest. We are likely to be detaind here by the prize-money for the Serapis &c. not being paid, without which the Crew of the Alliance threaten a Mutiny.2

If, as I apprehend it may, the application I requested you to make to Mr. Grand 3 should at all interfere with your plan, which I think very prudent, of keeping as free as possible from these disputes, which indeed are a reproach to us, I beg you will think no more of it. What has been Gerards conduct since his arrival and what his reception. He is a man to be observd narrowly. I dont mean on any account but on that of the public to which I think he will yet do much mischief, if he is listend to.

Farewell

RC (Adams Papers.)

Of 15 March (above).

The Alliance's officers and men had not received their prize money from the Bonhomme Richard expedition because of delays in the sale of the prizes and the refusal of the prize agent, Le Ray de Chaumont, to advance the money. Not until April did Benjamin Franklin provide them with one month's pay, the first they had received since sailing from America. The crew placed the blame for their situation squarely on John Paul Jones' shoulders. Ultimately Arthur Lee was able to use that discontent to displace Jones and put Pierre Landais in command (Morison, John Paul Jones , p. 274, 294–295; see also John Bondfield to JA, 12 April, below).

In Lee's letter of 15 March (above).

To the President of Congress, No. 27, 27 March 1780 JA Huntington, Samuel President of Congress To the President of Congress, No. 27, 27 March 1780 Adams, John Huntington, Samuel President of Congress

To the President of Congress, No. 27

Paris, 27 March 1780. RC (PCC, No. 84, I, f. 361–364).

In this letter, received by Congress on 31 July and read on 1 Aug., John Adams wrote that war “is now generally considered as a Contest of Finances; so that the Nation which can the longest find Money to carry on the War, can generally hold out the longest.” Adams believed that Great Britain, because of its 87heavy taxation since 1774, had nearly reached the end of its resources. In support of his claim, Adams included a British newspaper account of the proposals for new taxes that Lord North had presented to Parliament on 15 March. The additional revenue was intended to pay the interest on the twelve million pound loan to support the current budget that had been approved on 6 March ( Parliamentary Hist. , 21:154–171).

RC (PCC, No. 84, I, f. 361–364.)