hese he added
direct publication of his own, afterward many times reprinted, and now
to be found in volume VII of his collected works under the title of
'Twenty-six Letters upon Interesting Subjects Respecting the Revolution
in America.' He had commenced negotiations for a loan when his labors in
that direction were interrupted by the sudden breach between England and
Holland, consequent upon the capture of Laurens and the discovery of the
secret negotiation carried on between him and Van Berkel, of Amsterdam,
which, though it had been entered into without authority of the Dutch
States, was made an excuse by the British for a speedy declaration of
war.

Adams was soon after appointed minister to Holland in place of the
captured Laurens, and at the same time was commissioned to sign the
articles of armed neutrality which had just made their appearance on the
political scene. Adams presented memorials to the Dutch government
setting forth his powers in both respects; but before he could procure
any recognition he was recalled in July, 1781, to Paris, by a notice
that he was needed there, in his character of minister, to treat for
peace.

Adams' suspicion of Vergennes had, meanwhile, been not a little
increased by the neglect of France to second his applications to
Holland. With Vergennes the great object was peace. The finances of
France were sadly embarrassed, and Vergennes wished no further
complications to the war. Provided the English colonies should be
definitely separated from the mother-country, which he considered
indispensable to the interest of France, he was not disposed to insist
on anything else. It was for this reason that he had urged upon, and
just about this time had succeeded in obtaining from Congress, through
the French Minister at Philadelphia--though the information had not yet
reached Paris--not only the withdrawal of Adams' commission to treat of
commerce, and the enlargement to five of the number of commissioners to
treat for peace, but an absolute discretion intrusted to the negotiators
as to everything except independence and the additional direction that
in the last resort they were to be governed by the advice of Vergennes.
The cause for sending for Adams, who still occupied, so far as was known
at Paris, the position of sole negotiator for peace; the offer of
mediation on the part of Russia and the German empire; but this offer
led to nothing.

Great Britain haughtily rejected it on the g