Papers of John Adams, volume 12

From Henry Grand, 11 March 1781 Grand, Henry JA From Henry Grand, 11 March 1781 Grand, Henry Adams, John
From Henry Grand
Paris March 11th. 1782 sir

I do presume from my repeated Aplications to Dr. franklin, and your Silence, that your former misunderstanding concerning the sum you requested me to pay to Mr. Dana is cleared up, by an equal Allowance made you in reimbursmt thereof.

315

The Doctor having requested me to inform messrs. fizeaux Grand &c. that you would draw on him for your Appointments, I accordingly returned them your last Receipt for £400 str. to be exchanged against your draft, either for the whole, or only for that part exceeding the Ballance I owe you as Stated on the other Side. I hope this Arrangement will meet your Aprobation and shall be glad to hear it.

I heartily congratulate your Excellency and America on the late Resolutions of Parliament, my only wish now is to see you soon enjoying the Blessings of your Independency, and to see us soon restored to a general peace.

With best Compliments to all your young Gentlemen I remain with due Respect sir Your most obt. hble servt. Grand
Ballance due to your Excellency on the 10th. of Sept last as p At. 2557. 16
the 24 do. I paid to Chevanne de la Giraudiere lt31. 4 } 63. 4
19 of Oct I paid to ditto 32.
at 52 3/4 Bof 1096.11 Lt2494. 12

RC (Adams Papers); addressed: “A Monsieur Monsieur John Adams Ministre plenipotentiaire de Etats unis de L’Amerique A Amsterdam”; endorsed: “Mr Grand. March 11 1782 ansd March 16.”

From David Hartley, 11 March 1782 Hartley, David JA From David Hartley, 11 March 1782 Hartley, David Adams, John
From David Hartley
London March 11 1782 Dear Sir

Having been long informed of your benevolent Sentiments towards peace I writt a letter to you on the 19th of last month thro the hands of Mr Laurens junr1 to renew that subject with you because I was aware at that time from conferences and correspondencies to wch I had been a party that the topic of peace wd soon become general. I understand that Mr Jay Dr Franklin Mr Laurens and yourself are impowered by a special commission to treat. I hope the powers of that commission will soon be called forth in to action and that success may attend. The public proceedings of parliament and the proposed bill to enable the Crown to conclude peace or truce with America are or will certainly be made known to you. The first object will be to procure a meeting of authorized persons and to consult upon the preliminaries of time place and manner, but the requisites above all others are mutual good dispositions to conciliate316 and to accommodate, in the confident hope that if the work of peace were once well begun it wd soon become general. Permitt me to ask whether the four gentlemen above specified are empowered to conclude as well as to treat and whether jointly so or severally. The bill now depending in Parliament on the part of this Country is to conclude as well as to treat. As to other provisions of it I cannot speak positively but I understand (from the best authority) that the general scope of it is to remove the parliamentary obstructions now subsisting, wch would frustrate the settlements wch may be made at the termination of the war—I heartily wish success to the cause of peace.

I am Dear Sir with great respect Your most obedt Servt. D Hartley

PS Mr Digges who will deliver this to you will explain many things of great importance on the Subject of peace.2 I have been witness of the Authority upon wch they have been delivered to him. When the first application was made to him he consulted me as knowing that such topics had more than once passed thro my hands. I have recently had many conferences on my own part with the Ministry here relating to the mode of entering in to negotiations of peace, and am fully informed of the subject of Mr Digges’s commission to you. You may therefore be assured that it comes to you from the highest Authority.

RC (Adams Papers); endorsed: “Mr D. Hartleys Letter to me by Mr Digges.”

1.

JA received this letter and a duplicate of the 19 Feb. letter as enclosures in Thomas Digges’ letter of 20 March , below. The copy carried by Henry Laurens Jr. probably did not reach JA until young Laurens visited JA in mid-April (to Benjamin Franklin, 16 April, below).

2.

Hartley also wrote to Benjamin Franklin on 11 March and provided considerably more detail on the origins and purpose of Thomas Digges’ mission to visit JA in the Netherlands (Franklin, Papers , 36:684–685).