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

TO T. PICKERING, SECRETARY OF STATE. - 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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TO T. PICKERING, SECRETARY OF STATE.

Quincy, 13 May, 1799.

Sir,—

I have received your favor of the 6th, and considered the copy of instructions to Mr. King,2 which have been examined and unanimously approved by the heads of department. I am very well satisfied with them, on the whole, though I wish that in the tenth article you would introduce another idea in corroboration.3 As “a principal means of annoying a maritime nation would be our privateers,” so our strongest motive, and fullest justification for using it, would be that our extensive commerce, spreading and branching all over the seas, is more exposed than that of any other nation to depredations, both of pirates and maritime powers.

I pray you to send a copy of these instructions to Mr. Adams at Berlin, and give him fresh instructions to agree with Prussia and Sweden both, in this instruction relative to the article of contraband of war, or to agree to the old article of contraband in our former treaties with those powers. I am determined to make no farther difficulty with either of these powers about the article of contraband, provided they will agree to the old one.

As I presume you have a copy of your draught of instructions to Mr. King, I shall keep the one you inclosed to me.

[2 ]To negotiate a treaty with Russia.

[3 ]The tenth article stands as follows;

10. “The twenty-third article of our treaty with Prussia forbade the commissioning of privateers to take or destroy the trading vessels, or to interrupt the commerce of the contracting parties, in case a war should arise between them. But in the renewal of the Prussian treaty, if it should be renewed, this article is to be omitted. The lawfulness of privateering will not be questioned; but all possible precautions should be taken to prevent abuses. The policy of privateering is peculiarly applicable to the United States. Our public naval force is, and for some time to come will be, inconsiderable; but we are strong in the number of our seamen, in private wealth, and in the uncommon enterprise of our citizens. Hence, a principal means of annoying a maritime commercial enemy would be our privateers.”