John Adams to John Hanson, December 25, 1781

Amsterdam, 25 December 1781. RC in John Thaxter’s hand (PCC, No. 84, III, f. 442–444). printed : Wharton, ed., Dipl. Corr. Amer. Rev. description begins The Revolutionary Diplomatic Correspondence of the United States , ed. Francis Wharton, Washington, D.C., 1889; 6 vols. description ends , 5:71–72. This letter consists of an English translation of Prussia’s declaration of 8 Dec., intended to remove any questions about the identity of Prussian ships trading in accordance with its previous ordinances of 30 April and 3 November. For the ordinance of 30 April, which stated that Prussia would maintain a strict neutrality according to the principles set down in the declaration of the armed neutrality, see JA to the president of Congress, 21 May , calendared (vol. 11:327). For the 3 Nov. ordinance establishing rules for identifying Prussian ships, see Scott, ed., Armed Neutralities of 1780 and 1800 description begins The Armed Neutralities of 1780 and 1800: A Collection of Official Documents Preceded by the Views of Representative Publicists , ed. James Brown Scott, New York, 1918. description ends , p. 414–417.