part of the campaign prevented me from sending letters regularly from that port. Five vessels, by which my letters were forwarded, have been taken by the enemy, and others, which I was constrained to send by post to L'Orient and other ports of France, taking all the means in my power to prevent their being inspected, although sent from hence in the months of July and August, were not received by my correspondents until the 16th of October. I have received several packets of newspapers from your quarter, without any letters. I must confess to you that this kind of intelligence is very expensive, every packet costing me from five to ten dollars, and we have no allowance for extraordinaries. Since my last, of the 31st ultimo, I have repeatedly insinuated to those who have the confidence of the ministry my apprehensions that the conduct of Spain would oblige Congress to take steps very different from what were their intentions when they sent Mr. Jay and myself to this court; that I saw with pain the use which Great Britain hoped to make of our resentment; and, to give weight to these insinuations, I availed myself of the letters which the Marquis de la Fayette has done me the honor to address me from Cadiz. I know that these hints have been conveyed to the ministry, and am assured, underhand, that I shall have soon reason to be satisfied. To these assurances I replied that, with all the desire I had to contribute to a lasting harmony between the two countries, it would be impossible for me, consistent with propriety and the idea I had of the dignity of my constituents, to remain here longer unless received formally in the character with which I had been honored by Congress; adding that I should not be surprised to receive letters of recall. The methods taken to persuade me to be tranquil a little longer prove that the court thinks seriously of its situation with respect to the United States; but it will always be with reluctance and an ill grace that it will consent to do what it ought long ago to have done generously. Some small circumstances persuade me that M. Gardoqui will shortly be despatched. He applies himself to the French language with much assiduity, and throws out hints that he shall soon pay a visit to his wife, whom he has not seen for two years and a half. I am also told by a lady much esteemed by M. Del Campo that he means shortly to leave Spain, for he has promised her that, at his departure, he will give her a set of horses to which he is much attached. It is possible that he may be sent to aid the Count d'Aranda to arrange the commercial articles of the peace, of which the preliminary articles are supposed by this time to be signed. The two last-mentioned gentlemen have frequently spoke to me of the disadvantages of their commercial connexions with England; and I have seized the opportunity of endeavoring to convince them that, by according certain advantages to our fisheries, and by contracting with us for tobacco, &c., instead of taking the latter article from Portugal, they may at the same time prejudice their natural enemies, and perpetu ate a future good understanding with America. Similar representations have been made by me with respect to such articles furnished by the northern powers, and which the States can supply. However, I trust more to the interest I have with the perpetual directors of the bank to obtain these advantages than to any influence of either of these gentle men. I have just been shown a copy of the proclamation of pardon and indemnity granted to those concerned in the insurrection at Santa Fé and the adjacent provinces; it was published the 12th of August, 1782. Although the viceroy endeavors to preserve the dignity and honor of the crown in the expressions of this peace, yet, in fact, it accords all the concessions demanded by the malcontents. These disturbances, and the expensive expeditions of the Galvez family, have not only consumed the revenues of the crown in Spanish America received during the war, but mortgaged them for some years to come. I am also informed that the Court means soon to publish a new tariff on the imports to this country. I know that such a measure has been more than two years in agitation, and I believe it will bear hard on the commerce of other nations. I refer you to former letters for particulars respecting the negociations for peace. I will only add that the ministry now desire the conclusion of the war, and even are apprehensive of the duplicity of the British cabinet, which apprehensions it is the interest of others to excite and increase. I converse often with those who have their confidence; I know their wants and their fear of not having resources for the continuance of the war, aud I am confident they desire peace and fear the reverse. The expedition from Cadiz would not be ready until towards the end of the month, if it shall be found necessary to despatch it. Fortyeight sail of the line, and from eighteen to twenty thousand men, and not from ten to twelve, as mentioned in my last, are to be employed in this expedition. The siege of Gibraltar is obstinately and unprofitably continued, and the King is made to believe that in the course of the year it will be taken by sap. I have received letters from Paris which advise me that bills for my salary had been mentioned by you to have been sent, but that they had not come to hand. Your letters, and one I received from Mr. Morris, give me the same information. I could wish that my salary should be transmitted directly to me from your department; but as it does not appear convenient, I have directed Mr. John Ross to receive it; and I hope you will have the goodness to facilitate him the means of doing it. A mistake, which is not yet corrected, by Messrs. Drouilliet, our bankers here, in the account they delivered me some time ago, prevents me from transmitting the public accounts with this letter; but in the course of a few days I hope they will be complete, when I will do myself the honor of forwarding them, together with my account against the public. I am in much distress for the arrears. I conclude with fervent wishes that every future year may present the affairs of the United States in the same favorable point of view in which they appear at the commencement of the present; and with sincere thanks for your indulgence hitherto, I have the honor to be, &c., WILLIAM CARMICHAEL. Vaughan to Franklin.* PARIS, January 18, 1783. MY DEAREST SIR: I can not but in the most earnest manner, and rom recent circumstances, press your going early to Versailles to-morrow; and I have considerable reason to think that your appearance there will not displease the person whom you address. I am of opinion that it is very likely that you will have the glory of having concluded the peace by this visit; at least I am sure if the deliberations of tomorrow evening end unfavorably, that there is the strongest appearance of war; if they end favorably, perhaps little difficulty may attend the rest. After all, the peace will have as much that is conceded in it as England can in any shape be made just now to relish, owing to the stubborn demands, principally of Spain, who would not, I believe, upon any motive recede from her couquests. What I wrote about Gibraltar arrived after the subject, as I understand, was canvassed, and when it of course must have appeared impolitic eagerly and immediately to revive it. You reproved me, or rather reproved a political scheme yesterday, of which I have heard more said favorably by your friends at Paris than by any persons whatever in London. But do you, my dear sir, make this peace, and trust our common sense respecting another war. England, said a man of sense to me the other day, will come out of the war like a convalescent out of disease, and must be reëstablished by some physic and much regimen. I can not easily tell in what shape a bankruptcy would come upon England, and still less easily in what mode and degree it would affect us; but if your Confederacy mean to bankrupt us now, I am sure we shall lose the great fear that would deter us from another war. Your allies, therefore, for policy and humanity's sake, will, I hope, stop short of this extremity; especially as we should do some mischief to others, as well as to ourselves. I am, my dearest sir, your devoted, ever affectionate, and ever obliged, B. VAUGHAN. * 2 Sparks' Dip. Rev. Corr., 414. Franklin to J. Adams.* PASSY, January 19, 1783. SIR: Late last night I received a note from Count de Vergennes, acquainting me that it is very essential he should have a conference with us, and requesting that I would inform my colleagues. He desires that we may be with him before ten on Monday morning. If it will suit you to call here, we may go together in my carriage. We should be on the road by eight o'clock. With great regard, I have the honor to be, &c., B. FRANKLIN. Jay to La Fayette.t ROUEN, January 19, 1783. DEAR SIR: Accept my thanks for your obliging letter of the 26th December last, which the Marchioness was so kind as to send me yesterday. I congratulate you on your safe arrival at Cadiz, and you have my best wishes that the same good fortune you have hitherto experienced may continue to attend you. The state of my health making a change of air and exercise advisable, I left Paris ten days ago on an excursion into Normandy. Hence, I suppose, it has happened that I have neither heard of nor seen your letters to Dr. Franklin. If I am not mistaken, a copy of the American preliminaries has been sent to Spain, and I flatter myself that Count de Montmorin will think them perfectly consistent with our engagements to our allies. It appears to me singular that any doubts should be entertained of American good faith; for, as it has been tried and remains inviolate, they can not easily be explained on principles honorable to those who entertain them. America has so often repeated and reiterated her professions and assurances of regard to the treaty alluded to, that I hope she will not impair her dignity by making any more of them, but leave the continued uprightness of her conduct to inspire that confidence which it seems she does not yet possess, although she has always merited. Our warmest acknowledgments are due to you for the zeal you mani. fest to serve America at all times and in all places; but, sir, I have little expectation that your plan of a Spanish loan will succeed. I confess that I am far from being anxious about it. In my opinion America can with no propriety accept favors from Spain. My absence from Paris has deprived me of the means of information, and, therefore, I can not at present gratify either your wishes or my own on that head. God knows whether or not we shall have peace. variety of contradictory reports daily reach me, but they deserve little * 2 Sparks' Dip. Rev. Corr., 415; 8 Bigelow's Franklin, 251. A credit. It is again said that Charleston is evacuated-that may be. It is also said the enemy have left New York; but I adhere to my former opinion, and do not believe a word of it. Mrs. Jay writes me that Mr. Oswald is gone to London, but for what purpose I am ignorant. Thus, my dear sir, are we held in a state of suspense, which nothing but time can remove. I purpose to return next week to Paris, and shall then write to you again. Adieu. I am, &c., JOHN JAY. Morris to J. Adams.* OFFICE OF FINANCE, January 19, 1783. SIR: Although I have not yet been honored with any letters from your excellency, I can not omit the occasion of writing which offers itself by Mr. Jefferson. Having already congratulated you on the acknowledgment of our independence by the States-General, and on the rapid success of your labors, equally splendid aud useful, I hope when this letter shall have reached your hands I may have the additional cause of congratulation that the loan you have opened in Holland shall have been completed. This is a circumstance of great importance to our country, and most particularly so to the department which I have the honor to fill. Whatever may be the success of it, whether general or partial, I pray your excellency to favor me by every conveyance with every minute detail which can tend to form my judgment or enlighten my mind. For the more perfect security of our correspondence I do myself the honor to enclose the counterpart of a cipher, to the use of which you will soon become familiarized; and I hope you will be convinced that any confidence with which you may honor me shall be safely reposed and usefully employed for the public benefit. I have the honor to be, &c., ROBERT MORRIS. Dumas to Livingston.t THE HAGUE, January 20, 1783. SIR: This morning M. Thulemeyer, envoy of Prussia, presented the memorial hereto annexed to their high mightinesses. I shall say nothing about it, because I should have too much to say, and because it is better to see what they will say whom it concerns. To-morrow the chamberlain, Baron de Heide, will set out for Paris, * 6 Sparks' Dip. Rev. Corr., 582. + MSS. Dep. of State; 5 Sparks' Dip. Rev. Corr., 366. |