Adams, John as Minister Plenipotentiary

Letter in the hand of John Adams's secretary, John Thaxter Jr. , signed ("J. Adams"), 4 pages (8 1/2 x 7 1/4 in.; 215 x 187 mm), [Paris], 27 May 1780 [but 17 May 1780, the date 27 May applies solely to the postscript], to Edmé Jacques Genêt; top margins scorched with some losses to text, extended, general dampstaining, leaves silked.

Papers of John Adams 9:321–324

Adams's elegant polemic in support of the Franco-American Alliance. In his letter to publisher Edmé Jacques Genêt, Adams writes: "[Genl. Con]way in his Speech in the House of Commons, on the 6^th [of  May, affirms that] the Alliance between France and the United States is not natural."  General Henry Seymour Conway proposed a bill for reconciliation with America in a speech on 5 May, which was published in the London newspapers on 6 May. Conway asserted that parliamentary and ministerial mistakes had alienated Americans from Great Britain but believed that by 1780 they had grown disillusioned with the alliance with France. He believed that the Americans could be won back to the Crown if that government offered generous concessions.

With piercing logic, Adams refutes the major premises of the general's argument, most notably differences arising from the effects of distance, language, religion, and commercial relations. "The general Observes 1^st that Nature, has raised a Barrier between France and America, but Nature has raised no other Barrier, than the Occean, and the Distance, and this Barrier is equally great between England and America. ... The General observes further that Habit, has raised another Barrier between France and America. But he should have considered, that the habit of Affection or of Enmity between nations, are easily changed, as Circumstances vary, and as essential Interests alter.

"The 3d. material of which the Generals Barrier is created is Language." But Adams asserts that French was being studied in America as enthusiastically as English was in France. Adams next turns to the issue of religion. "The Alliance with France, has no Article respecting Religion, France neither claims nor desires any Authority, or Influence over America in this respect: whereas England claimed, and intended to exercise Authority, and force over the Americans, at least So far as to introduce Bishops, and the English society for propagating the Gospel in foreign parts, has in fact for a Century sent large sums of Money to America to support their religion there, which really operated as a Bribe upon many minds and was the principal source of Toryism." Genêt returned the letter underscoring the words "society" and "Toryism" as well "undulating" and "Majority" in the last two paragraphs which were illegible. Adams corrected his secretary's sloppy penmanship and added a note at the bottom: "I will never send you another so badly written."

Adams tackles the last two points regarding commerce and territorial boundaries. "... Circumstances of Modes, Language and Religion, have much less [Influence in deter]mining the friendship and Emnity of nations, than other more essential I[nteres]ts. Commerce is all these and many more. ... America will take away or at least diminish the Trade of the English in ship building, in Freight, in the Whale fisheries, in the Cod Fisheries in Furs and Skins ... In this respect America will not interfere with France, but on the Contrary will facilitate and benefit the french Commerce ... Here then will be a perpetual rivalry and Competition between England and America, and a continual source of Animosity and War." In this passage, Adams was deeply influenced by Thomas Pownall's A Memorial, Most Humbly Addressed to the Sovereigns of Europe. In this pamphlet Pownall  asserts that the colonies were irrevocably lost and were becoming a sovereign nation with vast economic resources. Britain would necessarily have to adopt the principles of free trade and establish a commercial relationship with America if it were to retain its own place as a major economic power.  

Territorial boundaries also become "a constant source of disputes. If a Peace should unhappily be made leaving England in Possession of Canada, Nova Scotia, the Floridas ... they will be perpetually encroaching upon the states of America: whereas France, having renounced all territorial Jurisdiction in America, will have no room for Controversy." A French translation of Adams's letter to Genet was published in the Mercure de France 3 June.