Beschreibung:

ADAMS, JOHN QUINCY President . Autograph letter signed ("John Q. Adams") as United States Minister to Prussia, to Joseph Pitcairn, U.S. Consul at Hamburg, Berlin, 12 March 1799. 1 1/4 page, 4to, 230 x 190mm. (9 1/2 x 7 1/2 in.), docketed on verso . Fine. JOHN QUINCY ON THE GATHERING OF INTELLIGENCE FOR HIS FATHER, THE PRESIDENT The twenty-three year old American Minister to Prussia discusses the high price of muskets and advises an apparent political colleague: "...Though I am persuaded it would give the President [John Adams] pleasure to receive from you letters of news, and speculation upon public events, I do not imagine he could be displeased at not receiving them. Your situation at Hamburg indeed puts you often in possession of interesting intelligence, which you have opportunities of communicating earlier than any other of the public officers in Europe, and it is perhaps a desirable object to the Government to have the different views of several persons upon the same circumstances. So that I think it may be useful for you to write occasionally either to the President, or to the Secretary of State [Timothy Pickering], though there is no reason to be uneasy that you have not done it hitherto. Mr. Swan has not engaged the 3000 muskets, of which I wrote you some time ago: and now they are offered to me though at an extravagant price. They ask 11 dollars of this currency (about 33 shillings sterling) a piece for them, delivered at Hamburg or Altona, and to pay for the cases, besides. While the price of muskets here delivered at the public arsenals, is only 7 1/2 dollars, and or about 23/sterling. I suspect that these now offered might be had cheaper than 11 dollars, but made no offer, and wait to hear again from you, to know whether you want them, and to what price you would go..." President Washington had appointed the young Adams Minister to Prussia in 1797, but by the time of his arrival in Europe, his father, John Adams had assumed the Presidency.