Wilhem & Jan (business) Willink to John Adams, December 8, 1789

Amsterdam 8, Decem r: 1789.—

Sir.—

Shortly after we had the pleasure of paying you our respects
under date of the 30 April, we were honor’d with your Letter of 2 Decem r: A.P.; 1 for
it’s contents we pray you to be assured of our Sincere thanks, & to do us the
Justice to believe that we shall with pleasure embrace every opportunity that may
present for cultivating our private Correspondence, that you express such a desire of
continuing.—

We have as yet only been enabled to send the first Volume of your
defence of the American Government to the several Gentlemen as desired, instead of
receiving the compleat sett from M r: Dilly, we have only
recẽd the first & third Volumes; on which we addressed him, requesting to be
furnished with the Second Volume that we might comply with your directions without
delay, in reply he informed us that fifty Copies of that volume were Shipp’d us per
the Margaretha in Sept r: 87. & that as he cou’d not
find the Capt ns: receipt for the parcell, he presumed it
had been transmitted us, We immediately made enquirey of the Ships Broker who informed
us that she arrived here the 5 Oct: 87. but that he cou’d get no intelligence of any
such parcell having been on board, which we wrote M r: Dilly desiring he wou’d send us fifty other Copies, as it was not natural to suppose that you shou’d suffer thro’
any neglect or omission of his, for had he given us proper Information in due time of
the Shipping, we shou’d have taken the necessary care to have made application for
them on the Vessels arrival, he now informs us in reply to this, that he can say
nothing further respecting the Books, but that he will write you concerning them, in
which case you will now be enabled to give him a reply.

The present Political Situation of Europe renders it rather
difficult to ground any opinion on the future events that may arrive, we hope nothing
will tend to involve our Republick into a War, the blessings of Peace are invaluable
at all times, but especially when we see them at the greatest distance, at least they
are rendered the more so then, because the impossibility of enjoying them is
greater.—

We are highly gratified to observe that the chief offices under
your new Government, are filled by such Characters as give universal Satisfaction,
& shall be truly happy to learn the continuation of such Steps, as will procure a
great degree of respectability to your Executive, as well as Legislative
authority.—

Our Ladies consider themselves particularly obliged by your kind
remembrance of them, & have requested to join us in best respects to you &
M rs: Adams.—

With assurances of our Sincere respect & Esteem, we have the
honor to Subscribe ourselves / Sir.— / Your most obed t: & hble Servants.

Wilhem & Jan Willink

M r: Dilly never wrote us the least
word at the time of his Shipping the Copies of the Second Volume, thus it was not in
our power to have made enquirey respecting them ’till we recẽd information of the
Transaction—