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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, 25 December, 1787.

Being without any of your Excellency’s esteemed favors unreplied to, the purport of the present is to acquaint you that, on the 22d instant, we received a letter from his Excellency Thomas Jefferson, minister from the United States at the Court of Versailles, notifying to us that Messrs. H. Fizeaux & Co., of this city, had applied to him for 51,000 florins to pay off so much borrowed by them for account of the United States, reimbursable the first proximo; punctuality in the discharge whereof, Mr. Jefferson conceiving to be highly interesting to the honor and credit of the United States, he presses us in the most energetic style to furnish the money, informing us he had wrote your Excellency to join in enforcing his warm solicitations. So that we expect to hear from your Excellency on the subject by the British mail, detained by contrary winds.

We sincerely regret the application has been so late that we are called to determine upon this matter without the necessary time to weigh its consequences with the requisite attention. Besides, we are deprived of any communications from the Board of Treasury respecting it, the official channel through which ought to issue the directions for payments of such a nature. This remissness on the part of the commissioners, even had we plenty of money of the United States, places us in the ever disagreeable predicament of assuming unnecessary responsibility. Wherefore, we request your Excellency to second our reiterated strong representations, to have greater punctuality shown us in future on similar occasions.

The funds we have in hand of the United States, will suffice to face the interest that will be payable by them the 1st February next, and leave a small surplus to discharge your and Mr. Jefferson’s monthly drafts for a short time. Thus, the payment of the 51,000 florins would be an actual advance of our own cash, there being but little or no probability the bonds of the last loan for the United States will sell, while there are so many loans open here for different countries, whose governments are firmly established, and punctuality has been long experienced. Our zeal and wish to serve the United States will, however, prompt us to do all that can be expected on the occasion; and we shall not fail giving you the earliest intelligence of our determination. In the mean time, we must entreat your Excellency to desist, for the present, from accepting any further drafts for account of the United States, and to confine your disposals of money to your personal wants, as we might otherwise be exposed to greater advances than the circumstances of the times incline us to. The disagreeableness this intimation is to us is greatly modified by our intimate persuasion that your Excellency’s truly patriotic principles will induce your acquiescence, without reluctance, to any measure dictated by a regard for the honor and interest of your country.

We are, very respectfully,

Wilhem and Jan Willink,

Nic. and Jacob Van Staphorst.

TO M. FAGEL.

London, 25 January, 1788.

Sir,—

The frequent civilities i have received from you have emboldened me to inclose to you a memorial to their High Mightinesses, and another to his Most Serene Highness, which I beg the favor of you to deliver. I hope there will not be judged to be any impropriety in this method of conveying these memorials, and that you will have the goodness to excuse the trouble of it.

I should have been happy to have had another opportunity of paying my respects to you, and of thanking you for all your politeness upon many and various occasions. I have signed two memorials to the States General; one in French, the other in my own native language, and the language of my country; you may deliver either of them, or both, at your discretion.

I am not critically skilled in French, and fear that the composition in that language will not be found elegant; but it expresses the sentiments of my heart, and therefore I hope it will be accepted.

Wishing every blessing to you and yours,
I am,

John Adams.