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Subject Area: Political Theory
Topic: The American Revolution and Constitution

TO B. FRANKLIN. - John Adams, The Works of John Adams, vol. 7 (Letters and State Papers 1777-1782) [1852]

Edition used:

The Works of John Adams, Second President of the United States: with a Life of the Author, Notes and Illustrations, by his Grandson Charles Francis Adams (Boston: Little, Brown and Co., 1856). 10 volumes. Vol. 7.

Part of: The Works of John Adams, 10 vols.

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TO B. FRANKLIN.

Sir,

I was duly honored with your Excellency’s letter of the 8th of October, by Mr. Searle.

I thank you, sir, for inclosing the resolution of congress respecting my salary and Mr. Dana’s. I wish I could see a prospect of relieving you from this burden, as well as that of the bills of exchange drawn upon Mr. Laurens, but at present there is not a prospect of obtaining a shilling. What turn affairs may take, it is impossible to foresee. Some gentlemen tell me, that a few months, or, indeed, weeks, may produce events which will open the purses to me; but I think our want of credit here is owing to causes that are made permanent. I never had any just idea of this country, until I came here, if, indeed, I have now. I have received money of the house of Horneca, Fizeaux, and Grand, on account of Mr. F. Grand, of Paris, for my subsistence, and, if you have no objection, I will continue in this way.

Mr. Searle’s conversation is a cordial to me. He gives a charming, sanguine representation of our affairs, such as I am very well disposed to believe, and such as I should give myself, if interrogated according to the best of my knowledge. But we have a hard conflict yet to go through.

The correspondence you mention between his Excellency the Count de Vergennes and me, I transmitted regularly to congress in the season of it, from Paris, and other copies since my arrival in Amsterdam, both without any comments.

The letter I mentioned, I believe was from your Excellency to M. Dumas, who informs me that there has been none to the grand pensionary, but the one which your Excellency wrote when I was at Passy, which I remember very well.

The republic, it is said, for it is hard to come at the truth, have, on the one hand, acceded to the armed neutrality, and, on the other, have disavowed the conduct of Amsterdam.

This, it is hoped, will appease all nations for the present; and it may, for what I know. We shall see.

I should be the less surprised at Great Britain treating the United Provinces like an English Colony, if I did not every day hear the language and sentiments of English colonists. But if she treats all her Colonies with equal tyranny, it may make them all, in time, equally independent.

I have the honor to be, &c.

John Adams.

P. S. A gentleman here has received a commission from England, to hire as many vessels as he possibly can, to carry troops to America. This I have certain information of. It is also given out, that Sir J. Yorke has demanded and obtained permission of the States to do it; but this, I believe, is an English report. It is also said that the burgomasters of the city have signified abroad, that it would be disagreeable if anybody should hire the ships. But this may be only bruit. It shows the English want of shipping, their intention to send troops, and their cunning to get away from this nation both their ships and seamen.