A Collection of State-Papers, Relative to the First Acknowledgment of the Sovereignty of the United States of America Part 5

GUELDERLAND.

_EXTRACT from the Reces of the ordinary Diet, holden in the City of Nimeguen, in the Month of April 1782. Wednesday, 17 April 1782._

The requisition of Mr. Adams, to present his letters of credence to their High Mightinesses in the name of the United States of America, having been brought to the a.s.sembly and read, as well as an ulteriour address made upon this subject, with a demand of a categorical answer by the said Mr. Adams, more amply mentioned in the registers of their High Mightinesses of the date of the 4th of May 1781, and of the 9th of January 1782; moreover the resolutions of the Lords the States of the five other provinces, carried successively to the a.s.sembly of their High Mightinesses, and all tending to admit Mr. Adams in quality of Amba.s.sador of the United States of America to this Republic; upon which their n.o.ble Mightinesses, after deliberation, have resolved to authorise the deputies of this Province at the States General, as they authorise them by the present, to conform themselves in the name of this Province to the resolution of the Lords the States of Holland and Westfriesland, and to consent, by consequence, that Mr. Adams may be acknowledged and admitted in quality of Amba.s.sador of the United States of America to this Republic. In consequence, an extract of the present shall be sent to the said Deputies, to make as soon as possible the requisite overture of it to the a.s.sembly of their High Mightinesses.

In fidem extracti.

_Signed_

J. IN DE BETOUW.

THE STATES GENERAL.

_EXTRACT from the Register of the Resolutions of their High Mightinesses the States General of the United Provinces. Friday 19 April, 1782._

Deliberated by resumption, upon the address and the ulteriour address, made by Mr. Adams the 4th of May 1781, and the 9th of January of the current year to Mr. the President of the a.s.sembly of their High Mightinesses, to present to their High Mightinesses his letters of credence in the name of the United States of North America; and by which ulteriour address the said Mr. Adams hath demanded a categorical answer, to the end to be able to acquaint his Const.i.tuents thereof; it hath been thought fit and resolved that Mr. Adams shall be admitted and acknowledged in quality of Amba.s.sador of the United States of North America to their High Mightinesses, as he is admitted and acknowledged by the present.

_Signed_

W. BOREEL, _President_.

_Lower down_

Compared with the aforesaid Register.

_Signed_

H. f.a.gEL.

_EXTRACT from the Register of the Resolutions of their High Mightinesses the States General of the United Provinces, Monday, 22d April, 1782_.

Mr. Boreel, who presided in the a.s.sembly the last week, hath reported to their High Mightinesses, and notified to them, that Mr. John Adams, Amba.s.sador of the United States of America, had been with him last Sat.u.r.day, and presented to him a letter from the a.s.sembly of Congress, written at Philadelphia, the first of January, 1781, containing a credence, for the said Mr. Adams, to the end to reside in quality of its Minister Plenipotentiary near their High Mightinesses: Upon which having deliberated, it hath been thought fit and resolved, to declare by the present: "That the said Mr. Adams is agreeable to their High Mightinesses; that he shall be acknowledged in quality of Minister Plenipotentiary; and that there shall be granted to him an audience, or a.s.signed Commissioners, when he shall demand it." Information of the above shall be given to the said Mr. Adams, by the Agent van der Burch de Spieringshoek.

_Signed_

W. VAN CITTERS, _President_.

_Lower down_

Compared with the aforesaid Register.

_Signed_

H. f.a.gEL.

MEDAL.

TO THE n.o.bLE AND MIGHTY LORDS, THE STATES OF FRIESLAND,

The Society of Citizens, established at Leeuwarden, under the motto, "By Liberty and Zeal," most humbly represents, that it desires to have an opportunity of testifying publicly, by facts, to your n.o.ble Mightinesses, the most lively, but, at the same time, the most respectful sentiments of grat.i.tude, which not only animate them, but also, as they a.s.sure themselves, all the well intentioned Citizens, especially, with relation to the resolutions equally important, and full of wisdom; which your n.o.ble Mightinesses have taken upon all the points, in regard to which the critical circ.u.mstances, in which our dear country finds itself plunged, have furnished to your n.o.ble Mightinesses, objects equally numerous and disagreeable, particularly, at the ordinary Diet of the year 1782, and at the extraordinary Diet holden in the month of April last; resolutions which bear not only the characters of wisdom, but also those of the best intentioned solicitude, and the purest love of our country; and which prove, in the most convincing manner, that your n.o.ble Mightinesses have no greater ambition than its universal prosperity; a.s.siduously proposing to yourselves, as the most important object of your attention, of your enterprises, and of your attachment, the rule, _Salus Populi suprema Lex esto_; resolutions, in fine, which ought perfectly to re-a.s.sure the good Citizens of this Province, and encourage them to persevere in that full and tranquil confidence which has hindered them from representing to your n.o.ble Mightinesses the true interests of the country, and to exhort them, at the same time, by their supplications, to act with courage, and to fulfil their duties; considering that the said resolutions have fully a.s.sured them, that their possessions, with that which is above all things dear to them, their Liberty (that right which is more precious to them than their lives; to which the smallest injury cannot be done, without doing wrong and dishonour to humanity; a right, nevertheless, which, if we consider the world in general, has been, alas! almost every where equally violated) are deposited in safety, under the vigilant eye of your n.o.ble Mightinesses.

The Society has thought that it might accomplish its wishes, in the most convenient and decent manner, in causing to be stricken, at its expence, a Medal of silver, which may remain to posterity a durable monument of the perfect harmony which at the present dangerous epoch has reigned between the government and the people. It has conceived, for this purpose, a sketch or project, as yet incomplete, according to which one of the sides of the Medal should bear the Arms of Friesland, held by an hand, which descends from the clouds, with an inscription in the following terms: _To the States of Friesland, in grateful Memory of the Diets of February and of April, 1782, dedicated by the Society_ LIBERTY AND ZEAL. An inscription, which would thus contain a general applause of all the resolutions taken in these two Diets; whilst upon the reverse, one should distinguish, more particularly, the two events which interest the most our common country, in regard of which your n.o.ble Mightinesses have given the example to the States of the other Provinces, and which merit, for this reason, as placed in the foremost situation, to shew itself the most clearly to the fight: to wit, "The admission of Mr.

Adams in quality of Minister of the United States of America to this Republic; and the refusal of a separate peace with Great Britain."

Events which should be represented symbolically by a Frisian, dressed according to the ancient characteristic custom of the Frisians, holding out his right-hand to an inhabitant of North America, in token of friends.h.i.+p and brotherly love; whilst with the left-hand he rejects the peace which England offers him. The whole with such convenient additions, and symbolical ornaments, which the Society, perhaps, would do well to leave to the invention of the medalist, &c.

[_The remainder of this request relates to other subjects._]

Done at Leeuwarden the 8th May, 1782.

The Society "BY LIBERTY AND ZEAL."

_Signed at its request_

W. WOPKENS,

_in the absence of the Secretary_.

AN

ESSAY

ON

CANON AND FEUDAL LAW.

BY JOHN ADAMS,

AMBa.s.sADOR PLENIPOTENTIARY