ministry had abandoned, it is possible.”  A similar surmise has come in a letter from a person in Rotterdam to one at this place.  I am satisfied that the King of England believes the mass of our people to be tired of their independence, and desirous of returning under his government; and that the same opinion prevails in the ministry and nation.  They have hired their news-writers to repeat this lie in their gazettes so long, that they have become the dupes of it themselves.  But there is no occasion to recur to this, in order to account for their arming.  A more rational purpose avowed, that purpose executed, and when executed, a solemn agreement to disarm, seem to leave no doubt, that the re-establishment of the Stadtholder was their object.  Yet it is possible, that having found that this court will not make war in this moment for any ally, new views may arise, and they may think the moment favorable for executing any purposes they may have, in our quarter.  Add to this, that reason is of no aid in calculating their movements.  We are, therefore, never safe till our magazines are filled with arms.  The present season of truce, or peace, should, in my opinion, be improved without a moment’s respite, to effect this essential object, and no means be omitted, by which money may be obtained for the purpose.  I say this, however, with due deference to the opinion of Congress, who are better judges of the necessity and practicability of the measure.

I mentioned to you, in a former letter, the application I had made to the Dutch ambassadors and Prussian envoy, for the protection of Mr. Dumas.  The latter soon after received an assurance, that he was put under the protection of the States of Holland; and the Dutch ambassador called on me a few days ago, to inform me, by instruction from his constituents, ’that the States General had received a written application from Mr. Adams, praying their protection of Dumas:  that they had instructed their greffier, Fagel, to assure Mr. Adams, by letter, that he was under the protection of the States of Holland; but to inform him, at the same time, that Mr. Dumas’s conduct, out of the line of his office, had been so extraordinary, that they would expect de l’honnetete de Mr. Adams, that he would charge some other person with the affairs of the United States, during his absence.’

Your letter, of September the 8th, has been duly received.  I shall pay due attention to the instructions relative to the medals, and give any aid I can, in the case of Boss’s vessel.  As yet, however, my endeavors to find Monsieur Pauly, avocat au conseil d’etat, rue Coquilliere, have been ineffectual.  There is no such person living in that street.  I found a Monsieur Pauly, avocat au parlement, in another part of the town; he opened the letter, but said it could not mean him.  I shall advertise in the public papers.  If that fails, there will be no other chance of finding him.  Mr. Warnum will do well, therefore, to send some other description by which the person may be found.  Indeed some friend of the party interested should be engaged to follow up this business, as it will require constant attention, and probably a much larger sum of money than that named in the bill inclosed in Mr. Warnum’s letter.