Papers of John Adams, volume 14

Separate Article to the Preliminary Peace Treaty between the United States and Great Britain, 30 November 1782

Separate Article to the Preliminary Peace Treaty between the United States and Great Britain

[30 November 1782]1

Separate Article.

It is hereby understood and agreed that in Case Great Britain at the Conclusion of the present War shall recover or be put in Possession of West Florida, the Line of North Boundary between the said Province and the United States, shall be a Line drawn from the Mouth of the River Yassous, where it Unites with the Missisippi, due East to the River Apalachicola.

Done at Paris the thirtieth Day of November, one thousand seven hundred & eighty two.

(Signed)

Richard Oswald	L.S.
John Adams	L.S.
109
B. Franklin	L.S.
John Jay	L.S.
Henry Laurens.	L.S.

signed
attest	Caleb Whiteford, Secretary to the British Commission
attest.	W. T. Franklin, Secy to the American Commission

MS in a clerk's hand (Adams Papers); endorsed: “Separate Article.” This is page thirteen of a longer document, which almost certainly included the treaty proper also signed this day, above. At the top of the page, immediately preceeding the title “Separate Article” and in the same hand, are the names of Caleb Whitefoord and William Temple Franklin as witnesses to the full treaty, as they were to the separate article. LbC-Tr (Adams Papers); APM Reel 103.

For the arrival of this article and the remainder of the treaty at Congress on 12 March 1783, see the Preliminary Peace Treaty of 30 Nov., and note 1, above. For the failure of Congress to ratify this article, see Robert R. Livingston's 21 April 1783 letter to the commissioners, below.

To Wilhem & Jan Willink, Nicolaas & Jacob van Staphorst, and De la Lande & Fynje, 1 December 1782 Adams, John Staphorst, Nicolaas & Jacob van (business) Willink, Wilhem & Jan (business) La Lande & Fynje, de (business)

To Wilhem & Jan Willink, Nicolaas & Jacob van Staphorst, and De la Lande & Fynje

Gentlemen, Paris Decr. 1st. 1782.

The Preliminaries, to be inserted, in the definitive Treaty of Peace, when the other belligerent Powers shall be ready, were yesterday signed & sealed by the Minister Plenipotentiary of his Britannic Majesty on the one part, & the Ministers Plenipotentiary of the United States on the other.

This Fact I communicate to You in Confidence, that You may make the best Use of it You can, for the Interest and Honor of the United States. I leave You, Gentlemen, to make your own Reflections, and draw your own Inferences, only requesting You to be as secret as the Nature of the Thing requires—

I have the Honor to be, with great Esteem, / Gentlemen &c

LbC in John Thaxter's hand (Adams Papers); internal address: “Messs. Willinks, / Van Staphorsts & / De la Lande & Fynjé.”; APM Reel 108.

To Benjamin Franklin, 3 December 1782 Adams, John Franklin, Benjamin

To Benjamin Franklin

Sir Paris Decr. 3. 1782

The Moments we live in, are critical and may be improved, perhaps to advantage, for which purpose I beg Leave to propose to your 110Consideration, whether it is not proper for Us to write to Mr Dana at Petersbourg, acquaint him with the Signature of the Preliminaries, inclose to him an authentic Copy of them and advise him to communicate it to the Ministers of the Empress, and to all the Ministers of the neutral Powers at her Court, together with a Copy of his Commission to Subscribe to the Principles of the armed Neutrality. The present Seems to me, the most proper Time for this Step.

The United States are as much interested in the Marine Treaty as any Power, and if We take this Step We may with Propriety, propose, if not insist upon an Article in the definitive Treaty respecting this matter, which will be as agreable to France And Spain as to the United Provinces.

I have heretofore mentioned to Mr Jay a Similar proposal, who approved, it, and I will propose it again to day to him and Mr Laurens. If you approve the measure, you will be so good as to order an authentic Copy to be made of the Preliminary Treaty, that We may prepare a Letter the first Time We meet.1

I have the Honour to be, Sir, your / most obedient

J. Adams

RC (DLC:Franklin Papers); internal address: “His Exy. B. Franklin Esqr.” LbC (Adams Papers); APM Reel 108.

After writing this and a similar letter to Henry Laurens of the same date (ScL [ScU]: Kendall Coll.), JA indicated in his Diary that he visited Gerard Brantsen, the Dutch peace negotiator. The two men discussed at length the preliminary peace treaty and the prospects for Francis Dana's proposed negotiations with Russia and the other neutral powers. JA told Brantsen that should Dana be successful “we could then make common Cause with Holland, and insist on an Article to secure the Freedom of Navigation,” which is essentially the same position JA took in the second paragraph of this letter. JA then raised the subject of the letter to Dana with John Jay and Henry Laurens, his conversations with them apparently similar to that with Brantsen (JA, D&A , 3:85–88). Franklin replied affirmatively later on the 3d, as did Laurens on the 4th (both Adams Papers). The commissioners’ letter to Dana is dated 12 Dec., but see also JA's 6 Dec. letter to Dana, both below.