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

MESSRS. WILLINK AND OTHERS TO JOHN ADAMS. - John Adams, The Works of John Adams, vol. 8 (Letters and State Papers 1782-1799) [1853]

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. 8.

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

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MESSRS. WILLINK AND OTHERS TO JOHN ADAMS.

Amsterdam, 23 December, 1783.

Sir,—

We do ourselves the honor, in answer to your Excellency’s esteemed favor of 14 December, to hand you copies inclosed of the letters both of Dr. Franklin and M. Grand, by which you will be pleased to observe that the contents are by no means favorable to our purpose.

By the Washington packet, we have again been favored with his Excellency Robert Morris’s letters, with advice of new drafts to the amount of seven hundred and fifty thousand florins, which is nothing less than an augmentation of the difficulties we labor under to dispose the undertakers and moneylenders to take obligations, which is all to no purpose, since they seem informed that the Emperor and Russia, after the example of Sweden, will augment the interest; which expedient France actually sets on foot with its loan to open in January, of one hundred million of livres. This has already induced us to offer them some higher premium, to which we thought ourselves fully authorized by the circumstances and the drafts of Mr. Morris. To prevent their being protested (when due) for non-payment, which his Excellency writes us to prevent at all events, we have taken into consideration, whether it was not proper to apply to the regency of our city to obtain for the undertakers some facilities, by which means we might move them to take obligations enough to enable us to do due honor to all the drafts of the superintendent of finance. We are, therefore, sorry to see your Excellency is uncertain whether you will come to Holland, since we suppose that a proper application made in your especial quality to our regency might prove not unsuccessful.

However, as no time can be lost, to leave space to our regency for deliberating on this subject, and to have their resolution before the bills become due, we take the liberty to pray your Excellency, in case you are not to come here very soon, to favor us with a letter in your public capacity, for our pensionary, Van Berckel, by which you pray him to dispose favorably of the request we present to the regency, to promote the course of the loan, which condescension will be looked upon by congress as a real proof of our city of their friendship to the United States, who will not fail to put the right value on the same.

If this expedient should not prove successful by this application to the magistrate, there remains one way left, and the only one; that your Excellency be pleased to authorize us to make a new loan of four millions of florins, of which the interest comes out to six per cent. per annum, in which case we should not be destitute of hopes of succeeding. But, without doubt, we fear to be obliged to allow to the undertakers some more premium, which we shall not do, except from the greatest necessity, and with particular economy.

And as Mr. Morris mentions to us that he pays said interest in America, we venture to suppose that he can have no objection to allow us the same here; and the more, as not only all his drafts would be honored by it, and a considerable sum over become at his disposal, whilst there is no prejudice to credit in augmenting the interest. This is only following the example other powers have given, and to which our state, admiralties, East India Company will be obliged to come, to find money for the large loans they stand in need to make. Hence we conclude that those powers who resolve the first to augment the interest will succeed, and leave it very uncertain for those who follow to be equally happy.

In case your Excellency approve of our ideas, and judge it proper to send us at all events an authorization, we pray to add an assurance to it, that the loan done in consequence will be duly approved and ratified by congress. We shall inform his Excellency Mr. Morris, of this our application to your Excellency, and hope to convince hereby both you and him of our uninterrupted endeavors for the interest of congress.

We have the honor to be, &c.

Wilhem and Jan Willink,

Nic. and Jacob Van Staphorst,

De la Lande and Fynje.