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

TO B. STODDERT, SECRETARY OF THE NAVY. - John Adams, The Works of John Adams, vol. 9 (Letters and State Papers 1799-1811) [1854]

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. 9.

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

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TO B. STODDERT, SECRETARY OF THE NAVY.

My thoughts and feelings are exactly in unison with yours, expressed in your favor of the 17th.2 I would propose that our envoys be landed at Lisbon, and take an overland journey to Paris, through Madrid. This will give them an opportunity of gaining much information, useful to their country. In this case the frigate may take Mr. Smith and carry him to Constantinople, or the envoys may be landed at Bilbao or Bessarabia. The frigate in either case may cruise, and take up the envoys on their return at Lisbon or Bilbao, or we can send another vessel for them to any place. It will be total ruin to any of our frigates to lie in French harbors all winter. I hope our envoys will not be long in negotiation. Their instructions will be precise, and they may be as categorical as they please.

[2 ]Mr. Stoddert had proposed that the frigate United States should carry out the new ministers to France, and return without a detention of more than a fortnight. But he goes on to say;—

“Talking on this subject with some of the heads of department, I find that it is the expectation that the vessel which carries the ministers, will wait to bring them back, and for this purpose will wait till the spring to avoid a winter passage.

In this view of the subject I see many objections to employing the United States in this service.”