Page:The Presidents of the United States, 1789-1914, v. I.djvu/110

80 LIVES OF THE PRESIDENTS would doubtless have proved more than his match) , he went straight to the duke de la Vauguyon and bluntly told him that he saw plainly what he was up to and that it was of no use, since "no advice of his or of the count de Vergennes, nor even a requisition from the king, should restrain me." The duke saw that Adams meant exactly what he said, and, finding that it was useless to oppose the negotiations, "fell in with me, in order to give the air of French influence" to them. Events worked steadily and rapidly in Adams s favor. The plunder of St. Eustatius early in 1781 had raised the wrath of the Dutch against Great Britain to fever heat. In November came tidings of the surrender of Lord Cornwallis. By this time Adams had pub lished so many articles as to have given the Dutch some idea as to what sort of people the Americans were. He had some months before presented a petition to the states general, asking them to recog nize him as minister from an independent nation. With his wonted boldness he now demanded a plain and unambiguous answer to this petition, and fol lowed up the demand by visiting the representa tives of the several cities in person and arguing his case. As the reward of this persistent energy, Mr. Adams had the pleasure of seeing the independence of the United States formally recognized by Hol land on April 19, 1782. This success was vigor-