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Mr. Adams, on Thurfday, March the 28th.-Zealand 1782. the fame on the 4th of April:-Overyffel on the 5th: -Groningen on the 9th:-Utrecht on the 10th:-and Guilderland on the 17th of April. On Friday the 19th, it was refolved by the deputies of the States General, that Mr. Adams be admitted and acknowledged. The next day he waited on Mr. Boreel who prefided that week, and presented to him a letter from congress, dated Jan. 1, 1781, containing a credence. On Monday the April 22d it was refolved, "That the faid Mr. Adams is 22. agreeable to their high mightineffes; that he shall be acknowledged in quality of minifter plenipotentiary; and that there fhall be granted to him an audience, or affigned commiffioners, when he shall demand it."

"Do not you think that the Dutchmen have behaved bravely at laft? It is a great deal for them, after fo long a neglect of all enterprife, and fuch a fettled devotion to gain, to aspire at being the second power in Europe to acknowledge American independence, which they have done with great eclat. They never did any thing with more good will. They think it with reafon one of the brightest periods of their hiftory. It was the naval battle of Dogger's Bank which raised their courage. When they found that the fingers of their marine war riors had not forgotten to fight, they began to think that they might venture upon a political manœuvre *."

The Dutch are chagrined with the intelligence from Baffora, contained in the London Gazette of April the 13th, and are apprehenfive that their fettlements of Sadras, Hulicat and Bimlipatam, with fome other places to the northward of Madras, and Chinfura in Bengal, * A letter from the Hague. R

VOL. IV.

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principal fettlement on emily in the poželion weeks before heard of the ceen carried on against res on the west coast of rom the British publica_overed Demarara and If= ek of January. The fame Aer Ally had been fo retu, is to be obliged to retreat

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of the year 1782, promifing that they fhall enjoy the 1782. fame benefits as thofe who, on account of religion, had quitted the place of their birth, and taken up their abode in other provinces belonging to his faid majefty." His majefty has moreover abolished feveral religious orders. His edict for the abolition of various convents has taken place at Prague, Brunn, Olmutz, &c. and the nuns and friars are freed from their vows. The poffeffions of the already abolished monafteries exceed what could be imagined. It is faid to be the intention of his majesty, to appropriate all the money he may obtain by the abolitions to charitable uses.

The emperor has caufed a refcript to be circulated throughout his dominions, containing the reafons and principles which have induced him to disclaim all fubordination to the pope in fecular affairs. They are in fhort thefe-"That it is the highest abfurdity to pretend that the fucceffors of the apoftles had a divine right to more authority than they themselves ever exerted : nor is any man ignorant, that our Lord Jefus Chrift only charged them with functions entirely spiritual: 1ft, With the preaching of the gofpel. 2dly, With the care of the propagation of it. 3dly, With the administration of the facraments, (that is, of those which are spiritual.) 4thly, With the care of the church." They are the fame principles as were published by father Paul in his Rights of sovereigns and subjects: or to afcend to a much higher authority, in the Books of the New Teftament, by the Supreme Head of the chriftian church, who declared, my kingdom is not of this world.

The measures adopted and perfifted in by the emperor, occafioned great commotions at Rome.

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1782. pope had several conferences on the fubject with his cardinals, in which, notwithstanding his great age, he determined on a journey to Vienna. This was notified to his most dear fon in Jefus Chrift, Jofeph, illuftrious apoftolic king of Hungary, alfo of Bohemia, king elect of the Romans, in a brief addressed to him, and given at Rome by Pope Pius VI. on the fifteenth of December 1781, and of his pontificate the 7th year. Jofeph in his answer told his most holy father, that he should receive him with all the refpect and attention due to his exalted station; but that the journey would be fuperfluous, as he was abfolutely determined in his judgment. The journey was however undertaken; and the fovereign Roman pontiff arrived at Vienna March the 22d, where he remained till April the 22d, when he fet out on his return to Rome, fully convinced that his moft dear fon had fent him a true answer.

LETTER VIII.

Roxbury, May 23, 1782.

Feb.

23.

THE

HE acts of congrefs demand our first attention, On the 23d of February, they refolved to authorize the commander in chief to agree to the exchange of earl Cornwallis, by compofition, provided that the

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honorable Henry Laurens efq; fhall be liberated and pro- 1782. per affurances obtained, that all accounts for the support of the convention prifoners, and all other prifoners of war, shall be speedily fettled and discharged.

The fuccefs which had attended the operation of the allied forces in Virginia, and other favorable appearances confpiring, the French court turned their attention toward the procuring from congrefs the appointment of thofe American commiffioners for negotiating a peace, and with those instructions, that would be perfectly agreeable to them. Sundry communications from their minister plenipotentiary were laid before that auguft body of delegates from the United States, which were referred to the fecretary for foreign affairs, who on the 8th of February delivered in a report, part of which was agreed to, and the remainder referred to a committee. Mr. John Adams was fo far from being approved of by Monf. de Vergennes, as the fole negotiator in that important bufinefs, that the French minifter labored to have him wholly excluded; and complained heavily of his stiffness and tenacioufnefs. Letters had paffed between them upon the fubject of the refolve for fixing the paper money at forty for one, which Vergennes confidered as an act of bankruptcy. Mr. Adams perfifted in defending the proceeding with fo much refolution, that the French minifter at length informed him, that the king enjoined filence for the future on the fubject. The measures which had been pursued in Holland by Mr. Adams, were alfo difpleafing, as they traverfed the policy of the French court. Letters were at length fent to the French plenipotentiary at Philadelphia, expreffing the opinion of his court, that they should

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