A Collection of State-Papers, Relative to the First Acknowledgment of the Sovereignty of the United States of America

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• Publié le: 08 décembre 2010
• Nombre de lectures: 30
• Langue: English

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Title: A Collection of State-Papers, Relative to the First Acknowledgment of the Sovereignty of the United States of America Author: John Adams Release Date: January 6, 2010 [EBook #30872] Language: English Character set encoding: ISO-8859-1 *** START OF THIS PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK COLLECTION OF STATE-PAPERS ***

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A COLLECTION OF STATE-PAPERS. [Price Two Shillings.]

A COLLECTION OF STATE-PAPERS. Relative to the First Acknowledgment of the Sovereignty of the United States of America, And the Reception of their Minister Plenipotentiary, by their High Mightinesses the States General of the United Netherlands. To which is prefixed, the Political Character of JOHN ADAMS, Ambassador Plenipotentiary from the States of North America, to their High Mightinesses the States General of the United Provinces of the Netherlands.

B Y   AN A MERICAN .

LIKEWISE, A N E SSAY   ON C ANON   AND F EUDAL L AW , B Y JOHN ADAMS, E SQ ;

LONDON: Printed for J OHN F IELDING , No. 23, Pater-noster-row; J OHN D EBRETT , opposite Burlington-House, Piccadilly; and J OHN S EWELL , No. 32, Cornhill. 1782. [Entered at Stationers-Hall.]

INTRODUCTION A lwdeeg deva kconinces hated Proveht inU arenfo ltetaGes  tS She rt aytaefo a, aericade nd mo  ftase hmAoNtr Uhe tofStd tenipedni eht  ycnedne commerce with them, it may not be improper to prefix a short account of John Adams, Esq; who, pursuing the interests of his country, hath brought about these important events. Mr. Adams is descended from one of the first families which founded the colony of the Massachusets Bay in 1630. He applied himself early to the study of the laws of his country; and no sooner entered upon the practice thereof, but he drew the attention, admiration, and esteem of his countrymen, on account of his eminent abilities and probity of character. Not satisfied with barely maintaining the rights of individuals, he soon signalized himself in the defence of his country, and mankind at large, by writing his admirable Dissertation on the Canon and Feudal Laws; a work so well worth the attention of every man who is an enemy to ecclesiastical and civil tyranny, that it is here subjoined. It showed the author at an early period capable of seconding efficaciously the formation of republics on the principles of justice and virtue. Such a man became most naturally an object of Governor Barnard's seduction. The perversion of his abilities might be of use in a bad cause; the corruption of his principles might tarnish the best. But the arts of the Governor, which had succeeded with so many, were ineffectual with Mr. Adams, who openly declared he would not accept a favour, however flatteringly offered, which might in any manner connect him with the enemy of the rights of his country, or tend to embarrass him, as it had happened with too many others, in the discharge of his duty to the public. Seduction thus failing of its ends, calumny, menaces, and the height of power were made use of against him. They lost the effect proposed, but had that, which the show of baseness and violence ever produce on a mind truly virtuous. They increased his honest firmness, because they manifested, that the times required more than ordinary exertions of manliness. In consequence of this conduct, Mr. Adams obtained the highest honours which a virtuous man can receive from the good and the bad. He was honoured with the disapprobation of the Governor, who refused his admission into the council of the province; and he met with the applause of his countrymen in general, who sent him to assist at the Congress in 1774, in which he was most active, being one of the principal promoters of the famous resolution of the 4th of July, when the colonies declared themselves FREE   AND   NITNEDNEPED   STATES . This step being taken, Mr. Adams saw the inefficacy of meeting the English Commissioners, and voted against the proposition; Congress, however, having determined to pursue this measure, sent him, together with Dr. Franklin and Mr. Rutledge, to General Howe's head quarters. These Deputies, leading with them, in a manly way, the hostages which the general had given for their security, marched to the place of conference, in the midst of twenty thousand men ranged under arms. Whether this military shew was meant to do honour to the Americans, or to give them an high idea of the English force, is not worth enquiry. If its object was to terrify the Deputies of Congress, it failed; making no more impression on them, than the sudden discovery of elephants did upon certain embassadors of old. The utmost politeness having passed on both sides, the conference ended, as had been foreseen, without any effect. Mr. Adams having been fifteen months one of the Commissioners of the War department, and a principal suggestor of the terms to be offered to France, for formin treaties of alliance and commerce, he was sent to the court of

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s , es oasrsVellaiipotentiers Plen eiMintseno  fht urt  ,tsr ehrutethh  iisormpntta eherh  eons ooen ned to America; w setatS d c retfA . tofy arteni Uhe nievmi ew titsdenuinontime tg so urope. Il over E vauoer dh f  eneed m.Hie  H ulyn poi dela t sahniag ountis cof hove  s s cu  eah,nh yremt  ibyn aibt otol dna meetse eht zine ssih sig erat object. He so ht ,ah enipp sse hof Fe is owllit-C atikdnreub tgn ,ell it fmateulti ton thgu ruonoh s hi tins u ouduar dnuoH .snenarg td anrmpeju, , stnoc elrao  fla le rightsblish th rof ;flesmih ot leabeegr aremos niseb sunia ey dmplo ver e s nee wa f M  o saasuschs et  nopt ybS ehetat he was called u rpaeprade ,htna  matth,  taes htigog fo metnemnrevrminn fosystg a t  oaB,ytsi sais n oa l ateiaocegeht rof yenom foUnitthe  of  use  dot ;natase de tS tntm,heep rsereiM rtsin sa iehtpotentiaer PleniehriH giyr ,ott  sissa otyna ta trefeon c icwh esnc hg t himepenebo r thd fotable esmhsi tnep foecaean; had sed  hntmi ,osno faet,ro ther powers to n  sebniseb suattnmporis i y. Th s da oitcafsitas eht tod telempcog in E rupo,eb e ca kot , he camn of all rgno sserf sC mo pllerowit wfuh  w th knore cey ade ;ecdehtyeof r fim hto che tori ylfeih detbedn e State of Massa notstituoi nfo ht sitndtaats hi tsuhc ste,yaB sa  d ofdrea pow her ihhc re w , relag ne meom cnd Eofe rc ,dnalgn eht dna rest that many ha dnit ehf nusda  a r rtcen ait sem fo ,ne ehtetni tfooCruht eo  f ovees's Jam St. tnuoc taht fo sr ceenlunf e i Th. ryoi,nt ahih simsshe affain were t ht o pah eisimt gn ontif  o epycuxe om neeb orpnu ercog inthvehad ulH lo lni ,onaldnn hi ed. Orivas ar  ecnw si llecalp, ematthon cdefi  rfoe exucitgn ht y; and his mannetruncos hiy  bldeh si eh noitami estwhat in hew, ts s st urattnpmroSu.  ichviroesnctinUP de fo  eht Generale Statessees shtM h githni na ic ontias wre tdetaag ,h evg mireat advantages voret ehE gnilhs e Th. lyptemntcotlusni ,oiv dna e, wlencwhicith  ehw hhteBgllo e ffa edroiniMyrtspp otuorhid anm hsweni ginyto  f ore open himself m cs saw egdelwonkd,reuicq alycear udtcc e no  nhtw eh ish Britthe  of  dnc ahartcre sfoate of things, a ihT en sssec yrae thadleg inn.me ah dh )  eni gonht but ast  fewby a tni enimts eht obuo  dtoxa etot   Unknownpection.c riucsm eh tuomts(a, let otnnedicrif u tsna ,ta d Provthe out ought rhlideeravylp  tthwit aco  timh degilbo ,secni