Papers of John Adams, volume 14
rSir
r, 18
th.1782
According to Your request I have to inform You, that the letters intrusted to my care to go by the Ships Cicero & Buccaneer I have Deliver'd to the Captns. Hill & Phearson, I should have wrote You before but the Captns. having both been at Nantz for Some time and not chusing to deliver them to any other Person, prevented me, their Sailing is still Very uncertain,— I am waiting with the Greatest Impatience for your final Dispatches, and hope to have them in a few days, what an amasing change Mr. Adams since I had the pleasure of Seeing You, And with what pleasure Shall I carry the News to America of freedom, Oh how I long to congratulate You in 135Person, on the Occasion for it is Owing to Your Wisdom, and a few others that this Mighty change has been Brought about—1 hoping Soon to hear from You I am Sir with / the Greatest Esteem / Your Most Obt. / Servt.
Joshua Barney
Two Days ago a Ship Arrived from Phila. but nothing New she left it the 20 Novr.—
My respectfull compliments to the Gentls
RC (Adams Papers).
Capt. Joshua Barney of the packet General Washington had been at Paris in mid-November. Among the original and/or copied letters to be carried to America by Barney or the Massachusetts privateers Cicero and Buccaneer, Capts. Hugh Hill and Jesse Fearson, respectively, were those of 6 Nov. to Benjamin Lincoln, 6 and 11 Nov. to Robert R. Livingston, 6 and 7 Nov. to Robert Morris, and 7 Nov. to Benjamin Rush (all above). Also carried was an 8 Nov. letter to AA
. The Cicero may also have conveyed letters from John Thaxter to AA of 10 and 14 Nov. (
AFC
, 5:28–30, 33–35, 40–41). See also the commissioners’ letter to Livingston, 14 Dec., note 1, above.
r.19
th.17821
The Preliminary Articles are only to take place, when France & G. Britain shall have agreed: but as they are not yet published by the British Ministry, it is not proper that We should publish them as yet— Your Dispatch to Mr Livingston, which I recd. Yesterday, I gave to Mr. Franklin who sends it off to day.2
I don't know what to say about Mr. Van Arp's Passport—it is not necessary, if the Vessel carries nothing improper. I will send him one however, depending upon it, that there is no design to send British Manufactures.3
There are curious Transactions passing at the Hague—but I hope they will go no further. If Peace should take place, I suppose they will stop. Whether we shall have Peace or not, I cannot say— By some Intimations that are given out, it looks probable—but one can never be certain of such an Event until it happens.
The King of Sweden has done himself the Honor to be the first Crowned Head, indeed the first Power, who has proposed to the United States a Treaty with them. This however must not be published nor communicated but in Confidence to Friends. You may make my Compliments to Mr. D’Asp, & tell him, that We shall take Care to remember, that his master has been the first to do Us this Honor.4
My best Respects to Mr. Van Berckel, Mr. Gyselaer & Mr. Vischer as well as to your good Family.—
LbC in John Thaxter's hand (Adams Papers); internal address: “Mr. Dumas.”; APM Reel 108.
This letter is a reply to Dumas’ letters of 10 and 12 Dec., both above.
Probably Dumas’ letter to Livingston of 12 Dec. (Wharton, Dipl. Corr. Amer. Rev.
, 6:128–130).
Although the passport promised by JA has not been found, in early Jan. 1783 Dumas wrote to J. W. van Arp to state that in consequence of the letter he had received from Van Arp the previous day assuring him that the vessel would carry no English manufactures, he would send the passport (Nationaal Archief:Dumas Papers, Microfilm, Reel 1, f. 479–480).
For Asp's reaction to JA's comments on the Swedish-American Treaty, see Dumas’ first letter of 31 Dec., below.