would think that the nation was nearly on the brink of a civil war.
Yet, I confess, I cannot think that there are any characters at
present in whom the nation have sufficient confidence, to venture
themselves any lengths under their guidance, and I believe that this
spirited conduct of the King will defeat the measures of the counties,
unless, indeed, in the course of the next campaign, his arms,
especially by sea, should meet with any signal defeat, which would
perhaps reanimate the people. But supposing the people go on and
succeed so far as to effect a change in the Ministry, the question is,
whether this would be an advantage to us or our allies? I am myself
very far from being convinced that it would.
There are none of the principal leaders of the people, who avow any
fixed principle, that we can depend upon. None that avow a design of
acknowledging our independence, or even of making peace.
By letters, which I have received from Brussels and Holland, since my
arrival, I am told that the late desperate step of the English in
seizing the Dutch ships has made a great change in the minds of the
people there, and the government too in our favor; even the Prince
declares he has been deceived by the English, and that he will promote
unlimited convoys; that an American Minister is much wished for, who,
although he might not yet be publicly received, would be able to do as
much good as if he was; that money might be borrowed there by such a
Minister directly sent by Congress, applying directly to solid Dutch
houses. I hope every hour to hear of Mr Laurens' arrival.
I have subscribed for the English papers, but have not yet received
any, which I am sorry for, because I can get none to enclose. As fast
as they come to me I will send them. I have the honor to enclose
another _Mercure de France_.
I have the honor to be, &c.
JOHN ADAMS.
* * * * *
TO DR COOPER OF BOSTON.
Paris, February 28th, 1780.
Dear Sir,
This will be delivered to you by the Marquis, your friend. Your
grandson is well and very contented. He has seen the world, to be
sure, such a part of it, that none of the rest can ever be
superlatively disagreeable to him hereafter.[57]
Instead of wishing and hoping for peace, my dear countrymen must
qualify themselves for war, and learn the value of liberty by the
dearness of its purchase. The foundations of lasting prosperity are
laid in great military talents and virtues. Every sigh for peace,
until it can be obtained with honor, is unmanly. If our enemies can be
obstinate and desperate in a wicked and disgraceful cause, surely we
can be determined and persevering in the most just, the most
honorable, and the most glorious cause, that was ever undertaken by
men.
I am, with great affection, &c.
JOHN ADAMS.
FOOTNOTE:
[57] Alluding to the journey through the north of Spain.
* * * * *
TO THE PRESIDENT OF CONGRESS.
Paris, February 29th, 1780.
Sir,
I have this moment received a letter from M. Genet, who is one of the
first Secretaries in the office of Foreign Affairs, and who has the
care of publishing all things relative to America, and has already
translated the constitutions of New York, New Jersey, Pennsylvania,
Maryland, Virginia, and South Carolina, requesting me to assist him in
procuring those of Georgia, North Carolina, Connecticut, Rhode Island,
Massachusetts Bay, and New Hampshire.
There is so great a curiosity through all Europe to see our new
constitutions, and those already published in the languages of Europe
have done us so much honor, that I thought I should be excusable in
making a direct request to Congress for their assistance in procuring
those, which M. Genet still desires.
Those of Rhode Island and Connecticut, being according to their
ancient charters, M. Genet has already; those of Massachusetts and New
Hampshire, whenever they shall be formed and established, will be
easily obtained. But those of North Carolina and Georgia, I could not
obtain when I was at Boston, and these are therefore the ones which M.
Genet wants at present, and which I have ventured to beg the aid of
Congress to procure.
I have the honor to enclose the gazette of the day, in which Congress
will see the news from England and Holland.
I have the honor to be, &c.
JOHN ADAMS.
* * * * *
TO THE PRESIDENT OF CONGRESS.
Paris, March 3d, 1780.
Sir,
The news of the day is, that Rodney has gone with his whole fleet to
the West Indies, that Du Chaffault is to command the French fleet in
America, and the Count d'Estaing in the channel; that a large force is
to go to America, either to the Islands or to the Continent, both of
ships and troops in two divisions; that the last letters from Holland
breathe a spirit somewhat warlike, and indeed the English have treated
them with so much indignity and contempt as well as injustice, that
one would think it was not always to be borne.
It is not agreeable to my principles, nor to my feelings, to injure
the character even of an enemy at war; but it is often possible to
draw important inferences from the true known character of a commander
of the forces of an enemy. It is therefore my duty to mention, that
Rodney is reported to be a man of dissipation and prodigality, a great
spendthrift, and virulent against us; that he has often declared, that
if he had a command in America, his mode to humiliate and subdue us
should be, to burn every town and every house, that he could come at
upon the seacoast.
That such a plan of military execution will be sooner or later adopted
by the Court of London, I have not the least doubt, from their known
principles, tempers, characters, and past conduct, provided it should
ever be in their power to attempt it in the whole or in part. And if
this is the disposition and system of their Admiral Rodney, the
appointment of him raises a presumption, that they have given him
express orders to this purpose at this time. An uncommon coincidence
of favorable circumstances has thrown the whole Caracas fleet into his
hands, and given a victory, although pretty dearly paid for, over a
much inferior fleet of Spanish men of war. If he is therefore a man of
such levity as is represented, and so malicious against us, and has
such malignant orders from his Court, and goes to America flushed and
giddy with success, we may expect he will do mischief if he can, and
we ought to be upon our guard.
My business is peace, but I think of nothing but war. While our
enemies think of nothing else, we ought not to think more of peace
than to be ready to treat of it, as soon as it shall be put into the
hearts of our foes to be willing for it. Americans must be soldiers,
they must war by sea and land, they have no other security.
I have the honor to enclose the gazette of the day, and to be with
much respect, &c.
JOHN ADAMS.
* * * * *
TO THE PRESIDENT OF CONGRESS.
Paris, March 4th, 1780.
Sir,
I have the honor to enclose the _Mercure de France_ of this day, which
contains among other interesting intelligence Admiral Rodney's
narration, after his good fortune on the 8th of January last in
meeting the Spanish Caracas fleet, which sailed from St Sebastian the
1st of January, under convoy of seven armed vessels belonging to the
Caracas company. The Guipuscoa, of sixtyfour guns, and five hundred
and fifty men; the San Carlos, of thirtytwo guns, and two hundred men;
the San Raphael, of thirty guns, and one hundred and fiftyfive men;
the Santa Theresa, of twentyeight guns, and one hundred and fifty
men; the Corbetta San Firmin, of sixteen guns, and sixty men; these
armed vessels were all taken, and the Guipuscoa was christened Prince
William, in honor of his royal highness, in whose presence she was
taken and given to one of the English captains, as a better ship than
his former one, the Bienfaisant.
The merchant vessels under this convoy are the Nostra Senora de
l'Ores, the San Francisco, the Conception, the San Nicholas, the
Jeronimo, the Divina Providentia, the San Gibilan, the San Pactora,
the San Lauren, the Bellona, and the Esperanza, all loaded with flour
and corn. The Cervidada de Merica, loaded with provisions for the
navy, the Amisted, the San Michael, loaded with anchors and cables,
and the Bilboa, loaded with tobacco. Those with provisions for the
navy, and that with tobacco, were sent to England under convoy of the
America and the Pearl, and those with corn and flour were carried into
Gibraltar.
This fleet seems to have been met at sea by the Admiral by perfect
accident, of which the English do not appear to have had the least
hope, nor the Spaniards the smallest fear. It must therefore be
allowed to be one instance of the good fortune of the English Ministry
and their Admiral, or rather as it is reported, of the King and his
Admiral.
Their good fortune, however, did not end here, for eight days
afterwards, on the 16th of January, they fell in with Don Juan de
Langura, with eleven vessels of the line, who being so much inferior,
could not hope for a victory. He fought the English, however, upon the
retreat with so much bravery, skill, and success, that they were able
to take only three of his ships. The Phoenix, of eighty guns, and the
Princessa, and Diligent, of seventyfour, were taken, and the San
Domingo blown up. The S. Genero, the S. Justo, and the Monarcha,
having separated before the battle, and the S. Juliano, the S.
Eugenio, the S. Augustine, and S. Lorenzo, having since arrived in
Cadiz, although in a bad condition.
Thus the English have been permitted, against probabilities and
appearances, to throw succor into Gibraltar, and perhaps Mahon, to
give a little fresh confidence to the Ministry, and make a few
bonfires for the populace, but have added very little to their riches
or their power. In the meantime, Rodney must have been retarded by
these lucky accidents, in his course to the West Indies, and given
opportunity to the Count de Guichen to arrive before him in the West
Indies, and prevent the reconquest of the Grenadas, and perhaps do
more, but of this Congress will be informed sooner than I.
These successes have not suppressed the independent spirit of Ireland,
which is going on in a regular train, deliberating upon bills for the
independence of the judges, the habeas corpus, the restriction, of
subsidies, and discipline of their troops, and they seem determined to
throw off all the authority of the British Parliament; nor that of the
Committees of Correspondence and petitioners in the counties of
England, which threaten associations, and, as the Ministry themselves
say, sedition, faction, tumults, and rebellion; nor provided a fleet
for the British channel for the ensuing summer, nor assuaged the
serious resentment of Holland, for the piracies committed in violation
of the faith of treaties, as well as the laws of nature and nations,
upon their commerce. As it is most interesting to us to know the
forces to be employed in America, by which word I comprehend the West
India Islands, as well as the coasts of the Continent, all these being
connected together in such a manner as to make but one whole, I beg
leave to lay before Congress in one view, the French force that is
intended to be in that service.
There are actually at Cape François, the Touant of eightyfour guns,
the Robuste, and the Fendant, of seventyfour, the Sphinx of sixtyfour,
and the Amphion of fifty, in all five. At Martinique, the Admirable,
the Magnifique, the Dauphin Royal, and the Diadème, of seventyfour;
the Réfléchi, the Vengeur, the Artisane, of sixtyfour, and the Fiers
of fifty. In all eight, making in the whole thirteen ships of the
line, reckoning as such two fiftys. If the Count de Guichen should
happily arrive, he has seventeen, which will amount to the number of
thirty, besides frigates. Six others are preparing at Brest with all
possible expedition, under the command of M. de Ternay. The Duc de
Burgone of eighty guns, the Neptune of seventyfour, M. Destouches; the
Magnanime of seventyfour, M. de Vaudreuil; the Eveille of sixtyfour,
M. de Trobuiand; the Jason of sixtyfour, M. de Marigny. With this
fleet the troops are to be embarked, and there are many conjectures,
that it is intended for North America. The Languedoc, the Cæsar, the
Provence, and the Fantasque, of the fleet of the Count d'Estaing, are
careened and refitted, and the Royal Louis of one hundred and ten
guns, the Northumberland, and the Astrea are to be launched
immediately.
In the course of my peregrinations, at Brest, L'Orient, and Ferrol, I
have had an opportunity to see most of these ships, and to be on board
many of them, and one would think there was force enough to protect
us, and quiet our fears, but the battle is not always to the strong,
and we must wait patiently for time to decide events.
I have the honor to be, &c.
JOHN ADAMS.
* * * * *
TO SAMUEL ADAMS.
Paris, March 4th, 1780.
Dear Sir,
This will be delivered to you by Mr Izard, who goes out in the
Alliance with Mr Lee, Mr Wharton, Mr Brown, and others. He will wait
on you of course, and will be able to give you good information
concerning the intentions of the English, and their military
preparations by sea and land, and those of the French and Spaniards,
at the same time. He will also give his opinion very freely concerning
American and other characters here, as well as measures.
In many things his opinions may be just, but in some and those not a
few, I am sure they are wrong. The great principle, in which I have
differed from him, is this, in the mode of treating with this Court.
He has been always of opinion, that it was good policy and necessary
to hold a high language to this Court; to represent to them the danger
of our being subdued, if they did not do this and the other thing for
us, in order to obtain money and other aids from them. He is confident
they would not have dared to refuse anything.
Although no man in America, or in the world, was earlier convinced
than I was, that it was the interest of France and Spain to support
the independence of America, and that they would support it, and that
no man is more sensible than I am of the necessity they are under to
support us, yet I am not, nor ever was, of opinion, that we could
with truth or with good policy assume the style of menace, and
threaten them with returning again to Great Britain, and joining
against France and Spain, even telling them that we should be subdued,
because I never believed this myself, and the Court here would not
have believed it from us. The Court have many difficulties to manage,
as well as we, and it is delicate and hazardous to push things in this
country. Things are not to be negotiated here as they are with the
people of America, even with the tories in America, or as with the
people of England. There is a frankness, however, that ought to be
used with the Ministry, and a candor with which the truth may be and
has been communicated, but there is a harshness, that would not fail
to ruin, in my opinion, the fairest negotiation in this country.
We are anxious to hear from you, having nothing since the beginning of
December, and very little since we left you.
Your friend and servant,
JOHN ADAMS.
* * * * *
TO THE PRESIDENT OF CONGRESS.
Paris, March 8th, 1780.
Sir,
Yesterday I went to Court, in company with the American Minister
Plenipotentiary, and had the honor to be presented to the King, by the
Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs, after which, I had the honor
to go round with all the foreign Ambassadors, and make a visit to the
Queen, the King's brothers, sister, aunts, and daughters, which are
all the branches of the royal family, and to be presented to each of
them in turn, and after them to the Count de Maurepas.
After these ceremonies were over, we were all invited to dine with the
Count de Vergennes.
As ceremonies of this kind are so much attended to in this and all
other countries of Europe, and have often such important effects, it
is proper that Congress should have information of them.
I have the honor to be, &c.
JOHN ADAMS.
* * * * *
TO THE PRESIDENT OF CONGRESS.
Paris, March 8th, 1780.
Sir,
I have the honor to enclose to Congress the gazettes of France, of the
Hague, and Amsterdam, of the 1st, 3d, and 4th of this month. They
contain all the news, which makes the subject of conversation at this
time, except that M. du Chaffault is to command in the West Indies,
and the Count d'Estaing in the Channel, which, although it is not
announced by the Court, seems to be very generally believed in the
world.
I have the honor to be, &c.
JOHN ADAMS.
* * * * *
TO THE PRESIDENT OF CONGRESS.
Paris, March 10th, 1780.
Sir,
Enclosed are the _Courrier de l'Europe_, of the 3d, and the _Gazette
de France_ of this day. The House of Lords and the House of Commons
are voting thanks to Admiral Rodney for his good fortune, for they all
seem to confess, that his brilliant successes were not owing to more
skill, valor, or vigilance than others have shown, but merely to his
good luck, which, by a report that spreads and gains credit today, did
not end with his advantage over Langara, and his safe departure from
Gibraltar. It is said that two French ships of the line and several
frigates with transports, bound to the Isle of France, in the East
Indies, have been doomed to fall in his way, and be taken.
Whether this is true or not, he has done enough it seems to be in a
fair way of paying his creditors some part of their demands for money,
which he has gambled away, and which they had despaired of ever
receiving. This run of good luck, however, could never have happened
to the gambler, if the game had been played otherwise by the opposite
party; if France and Spain, instead of keeping immense fleets in
Europe with nothing to do, or employed in blocking up Gibraltar, which
is a trifle, if taken in comparison of other objects in view, had but
employed but a fourth part of them in the American seas, where they
had, and still have, the enemies in their power, Rodney's creditors
had still been in despair, together with the British government and
nation.
I would not desire a better proof, that the English are in the power
of their enemies in the American world, than the list of the prizes
printed in the _Courrier de l'Europe_, as condemned by N. Cushing,
Judge of Admiralty for the middle district of Massachusetts Bay. I am
very glad to see this method taken of publishing to the world the
success of our privateers, because it will in time show our allies
where our strength lies, and the weakness of our enemies.
I have the honor to be, &c.
JOHN ADAMS.
* * * * *
TO THE PRESIDENT OF CONGRESS.
Paris, March 12th, 1780.
Sir,
It is an observation made some years ago by a great writer of this
nation, de Mably, that the project of being sole master of the sea,
and of commanding all the commerce, is not less chimerical nor less
ruinous, than that of universal monarchy on land, and it is to be
wished, for the happiness of Europe, that the English may be convinced
of this truth, before they shall learn it by their own experience.
France has already repeated several times, that it was necessary to
establish an equilibrium, a balance of power at sea, and she has not
yet convinced anybody, because she is the dominant power, and because
they suspect her to desire the abasement of the English, only that she
may domineer the more surely on the Continent. But if England abuses
her power, and would exercise a kind of tyranny over commerce,
presently all the States that have vessels and sailors, astonished
that they had not before believed France, will join themselves to her
in avenging her injuries.
The present conjuncture of affairs resembles so exactly the case here
put, that it seems to be a literal fulfilment of a prophecy.
A domination upon the sea is so much the more dangerous to other
maritime powers and commercial nations, as it is more difficult to
form alliances and combine forces at sea than at land. For which
reason it is essential, that the sovereign of every commercial State
should make his nation's flag respected in all the seas, and by all
the nations of the world. The English have ever acted upon this
principle, in supporting the honor of their own flag, but of late
years have grown less and less attentive to it, as it respects the
honor of other flags. Not content with making their flag respectable,
they have grown more and more ambitious of making it terrible.
Unwilling to do as they would be done by, and to treat other
commercial nations as they have insisted upon being treated by them,
they have grown continually more and more haughty, turbulent, and
insolent upon the seas, and are now never satisfied until they have
made all other nations see, that they despise them upon that element.
It is said by the Baron de Bielfield, that piracies and robberies at
sea are so odious, so atrocious, and so destructive to the interest of
all the European nations, that everything is permitted to repress
them. Providence has not granted to any people an exclusive empire
upon the seas. To aim at setting up a master there, to prescribe laws
to other free nations, is an outrage to all Europe.
I have quoted these authorities, because they contain the true
principle, upon which as I have ever conceived, the English began this
war, and upon which they will assuredly continue it, as long as they
can get men and money, which will be as long as they have success.
They contain also the true principles of France, Spain, and Holland,
and all the powers of Europe. The outrages committed upon the Dutch
commerce, and the insults offered to their flag, ought to be, and are,
alarming to all the maritime powers. The late successes of the English
will have no tendency to allay the fears of these powers; on the
contrary they will increase the alarm, by showing the precarious
situation they will all be in if England should finally succeed, which
some of them may perhaps apprehend from the late brilliant fortune of
Admiral Rodney.
One cannot but be struck with the rapid series of fortunate incidents
for the English, which have been published here in about the course of
three months, that I have been in Europe. The little affair of Omoa
began it, the repulse at Savannah succeeded, with all its
consequences, the Curraçoa fleet was next, Langara's fleet soon
followed; Gibraltar was relieved; Don Gaston's squadron was dispersed
by a storm; and Admiral Rodney had opportunity to get safe out of
Gibraltar. The French East India fleet brings up the rear. There is
hardly in history such a series of events, that no human wisdom could
provide against or foresee. Yet after all, the advantages gained are
by no means decisive, although no doubt it will raise the ambition of
the English, and in some degree damp the ardor of their enemies.
It must not have this effect however upon America. Let the maritime
powers fare as they will, we must be free, and I trust in God we shall
be so, whatever be their fate. The events of war are uncertain at sea,
more than even by land; but America has resources for the final
defence of her liberty, which Britain will never be able to exhaust,
though she should exhaust France and Spain, and it may not impossibly
be our hard fate, but it will be our unfading glory finally to turn
the scale of the war, to humble the pride, which is so terrible to the
commercial nations of Europe, and to produce a balance of power on the
seas. To this end Americans must be soldiers and seamen.
It is proper, however, to keep constantly in sight, the power against
which we have to contend; the English have in all the ports of
England, in a condition for actual service, or at least given out and
reported to be so, twenty ships of the line. In the course of the
spring and the month of June, eight others which are now repairing,
and three new ones in the course of the year. The whole squadron for
the Channel will be thirtyone. The squadron of Arbuthnot, at New York,
consists of five. That of Jarvis at the Western Islands is two,
including the Dublin, which was detached from Admiral Rodney, and is
now in bad condition at Lisbon. One only at Jamaica, for the Lion is
too far ruined to be counted. The fleet at the other islands, joined
by the Hector, detached from Rodney, the Triumph and the Intrepid,
lately sailed from England, are nineteen, seven of which at least are
in too bad a condition for actual service. That of India, including
two which serve for convoys, consists of ten, two of which however are
returning to be repaired or condemned; the Lenox is a guard ship in
Ireland.
Rodney entered Gibraltar with four Spanish ships of the line, the
Phoenix of eighty guns, the Monarca, the Princessa, and the Diligente
of seventy, besides the Guipuscoa, now the Prince William, of
sixtyfive, which he took with the convoy on the 8th of January. He
entered, also, with the Shrewsbury of seventyfour, which joined him
from Lisbon. His squadron must therefore have consisted of twentyfour
ships of the line. If he left the Panther and another at Gibraltar, he
must have gone out with twentytwo.