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

TO WILLIAM S. SMITH. - 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.

About Liberty Fund:

Liberty Fund, Inc. is a private, educational foundation established to encourage the study of the ideal of a society of free and responsible individuals.


TO WILLIAM S. SMITH.

London, 11 April, 1787.

Dear Sir,—

Congress, by their resolutions of February the 3d, 1787, determined that the letter to the Queen of Portugal herewith delivered you, should be transmitted to her Faithful Majesty by your hands. You will, therefore, prepare yourself as soon as conveniently may be, and proceed to Lisbon. In your way, as you pass through France and Spain, you will of course pay your respects to the ministers of the United States residing at those Courts, and to the ministers of foreign affairs of those sovereigns, and endeavor to collect intelligence of any kind, commercial or political, in which the United States may be interested. When you shall arrive at Lisbon, you will make your court to the minister of foreign affairs, and communicate to him the object of your mission, and take his advice concerning the delivery of the letter to her Most Faithful Majesty. If it should not be judged advisable to desire an audience, the minister himself will deliver the letter to his mistress.

In whatever country, or at whatever Court, you will remember to make your court to the ambassadors of all those sovereigns with whom the United States are in alliance, France, Holland, Sweden, Prussia. To all ministers, consuls, agents of these powers, you will pay a particular regard, while you show a respectful politeness to all others.

In all places, you will endeavor to collect information concerning the Barbary powers, and the situation of our unfortunate countrymen in captivity at Algiers, especially from Mr. Carmichael and Mr. Barclay in Spain, if you should chance to meet the latter.

At Lisbon, you will inform yourself particularly of the state of the war between Portugal and those piratical states; that of Venice with the same and Naples, and whether there is a prospect of peace; the force of the Algerines; the probability of their coming out of the straits this summer; the force of the Portuguese that is to cruise against them.

You will also inform yourself particularly of the state of the commerce between the United States and Portugal, and by what means it might be extended, improved, and increased, to the mutual advantage of both nations. You will make particular inquiries concerning sugars, the prices and qualities of Brazil sugars, raw or manufactured, to satisfy yourself whether our countrymen might not purchase those sugars to advantage, even for manufacture and exportation; an experiment has been made in France of a purchase of raw sugars for Boston, and it is suspected might be made to greater advantage in Lisbon, for Philadelphia and New York, as well as Boston.

You will please to inquire whether the treaty, which was signed last May, between the American ministers and the Chevalier de Pinto, has been agreed to by his Court; and if not, what are the objections, and whether there is a prospect of a renewal of the negotiation. You will inquire particularly whether rice and indigo may be expected to obtain admission to Portugal from Carolina and Georgia, as they did before the late war; whether flour has any chance to be admitted; and what is the state of the trade of salt fish. As the whole of the negotiations with Portugal, as well as with the Barbary powers, for the last two years, have passed under your eye, and indeed through your hands, you are already acquainted with every particular, which renders any further instructions in detail unnecessary.

The languages of Europe are now become of much importance to us, and every gentleman employed under the United States, in the diplomatic department, ought to take all reasonable methods to acquaint himself with them. You will have, in this journey, a great opportunity of perfecting yourself in French, and of improving yourself in Spanish and the Portuguese, which is but a dialect of the Spanish, and in the Italian.

In the article of expenses, you will observe as much economy as possible, consistent with the comfort of your journey, the decency of your character, and the honor of your country. You will transmit your account to congress, or the Board of Treasury, or Mr. Barclay; and you will neglect no opportunity of writing to the secretary of foreign affairs. I know very well that the situation of your family, as well as your attention to the public service, will be motives sufficient to induce you to lose no time unnecessarily, and to return with as much expedition as the execution of the design of your journey will admit. The interest, the honor, and dignity of the United States will never be out of your thoughts; nor will any opportunity to promote either be neglected.

I wish you as pleasant a journey as the season promises, and a happy return to your friends and your services at this Court.

With great regard, &c.

John Adams.