Papers of John Adams, volume 18
I have received with a great deal of Pleasure, the Letter, which your Lordship did me, the honour to write me, on the thirtieth of last Month.2
I will take the earliest Opportunity, My Lord, to communicate Mr Ansteys Appointment to the members of Congress, and to recommend him to their Protection and Countenance in the Execution of the Business with which he is charged.3
And if your Lordship or Mr Anstey, should apprehend that it might be of any Service to him in his publick or private Capacity, I will with Pleasure give him Letters of recommendation to the Governors of the Several States, or to any other Characters to whom he may wish to be introduced, whenever Mr Anstey will do me, the Honour to call upon me.4
With great Respect, I have the Honour to be / My Lord, your Lordships, most obedient / and most humble Servant
RC (PRO:FO 4, State Papers, vol. 3, f. 367–368); internal address: “The Right Honourable The Marquis of Carmarthen.”; endorsed: “Grosvenor Square, / Decr. 2d: 1785 / Mr. Adams.” LbC (Adams Papers); APM Reel 111.
In the Letterbook AA2 misdated this letter “Novr 2d 1785,” probably because it appeared directly below her copy of Carmarthen’s 30 Nov. letter.
In his letter, Carmarthen, the British foreign minister, announced the appointment of London lawyer John Anstey to go to the United States to investigate loyalist claims. He asked JA to inform Congress of Anstey’s mission (vol. 17:625;
AFC
, 7:26–27).
See JA’s 2 Dec. letter to John Jay, below.
On 18 Dec. JA wrote a circular letter “To The Govrs. of the several States” in which he quoted from Carmarthen’s letter and noted that “as I conceive, that Mr. Anstey’s honorable reception in america & the facilities afforded him by Government in the execution of this employment, will redound to the honor & Interest of the U. S. I beg leave to recommend him to your Excellency, and to every Countenance, Protection, & aid, which the Service may require & which your Excelly. may with propriety give” (LbC, APM Reel 112). Anstey visited JA at Grosvenor Square on at least three occasions and impressed AA2 as the “handsomest, politest best bred Englishman I have yet seen” (
AFC
, 7:17).
r.2. 1785
Inclosed are Copies of private Letters, which have passed between Lord Carmarthen and me relative to the Appointment of Mr Anstey.1
The End of this Appointment, is to prevent Impositions upon the Commissioners, in ascertaining the Claims of the Loyalists. Mr. Anstey will have Occasion for Copies of publick Records, to which I suppose there can be no Objection in any State, and as his friendly Reception, will have a Tendency to Conciliation, I made no Scruple to promise to recommend him.
I might have written a Letter, to this purpose to the Honourable, the Delegates of each state and it is not from any Want of sufficient Respect to them, but merely for Want of Time, that I have not done it. I hope therefore that the Gentlemen will excuse it, and accept of this General Recommendation of Mr Anstey, to all the Members of Congress in the Execution of his Business.
To give the Loyalists facilities in procuring Evidence of their Losses, in order that they may be compensated by Great Britain, is to take away from them all reasonable Ground of Complaint so that I hope I Shall not be thought to have gone beyond my line, in so readily complying with his Lordships request.
With great Respect I have the Honour to be / Sir your most obedient and humble / Servant
RC (PCC, No. 84, VI, f. 1–2); internal address: “His Excellency John Jay Esq. / Secretary of State for / foreign Affairs.” LbC (Adams Papers); APM Reel 111.
These are the Marquis of Carmarthen’s 30 Nov. letter (vol. 17:625) and JA’s 2 Dec. reply, above.