TO THE U. S. COMMISSIONERS TO SPAIN.1

(CARMICHAEL AND SHORT.)

J. MSS.

PHILADELPHIA Nov 3, 1792.

GENTLEMEN,--I wrote you on the 14th of last month, since which some other incidents and documents have occurred bearing relation to the subject of that letter. I therefore now inclose you a duplicate of that letter.

Copy of a letter from the Govr. of Georgia, with the deposition it covered of a Mr. Hull & an original passport signed by Olivier wherein he stiles himself Commissary for his Catholic majesty with the Creeks.

Copy of a letter from Messrs. Viar & Jaudenes to myself, dated Oct. 29. with that of the extract of a letter of Sep. 24. from the Baron Carondelet to them. Copy of my answer of Nov. 1. to them, and

Copy of a letter from myself to the President, stating a conversation with those gentlemen.

From these papers you will find that we have been constantly endeavoring by every possible means to keep peace with the Creeks, that in order to do this we have even suspended & still suspend the running a fair boundary between them & us, as agreed to us by themselves, & having for object the precise definition of their & our lands, so as to prevent encroachment on either side, & that we have constantly endeavored to keep them at peace with the Spanish settlements here; that Spain on the contrary, or at least the officers of her governments, since the arrival of the Baron de Carondelet, has undertaken to keep an Agent among the Creeks, has excited them, & the other Southern Indians to com'Washington wrote to Jefferson concerning this as follows:

“PHILADELPHIA Nov! 3o 1792.

"DEAR SIR,-Your letter to Messrs. Carmichael and Short (now returned) is full & proper.-I have added a word or two with a pencil, which may be inserted or not as you shall think best.-The intention of them is to do away the charge of Sovereignty over more than are within our own territory.

"The erazures from the Speech as you advise are made, except exchange the word 'high' for 'just.' If facts will justify the former (as I think they indubitably do), policy, I conceive, is much in its favor :-For while so many unpleasant things are announced as the Speech contains, it cannot be amiss to accompany them with communications of a more agreeable nature.—I am always-Yours."

VOL. VI.-9

mence a war against us, has furnished them with arms & ammunition for the express purpose of carrying on that war, and prevented the Creeks from running the boundary which would have removed the source of differences from between us. Messrs. Viar & Jaudenes explain the ground of interference on the fact of the Spanish claim to that territory, and on an article in our treaty with the Creeks putting themselves under our protection. But besides that you already know the nullity of their pretended claim to the territory, they had themselves set the example of endeavoring to strengthen that claim by the treaty mentioned in the letter of the Baron de Carondelet, and by the employment of an Agent among them. The establishment of our boundary, committed to you, will, of course, remove the grounds of all future pretence to interfere with the Indians within our territory; and it was to such only that the treaty of New York stipulated protection; for we take for granted that Spain will be ready to agree to the principle that neither party has a right to stipulate protection or interference with the Indian nations inhabiting the territory of the other. But it is extremely material also with sincerity & good faith to patronize the peace of each other with the neighboring savages. We are quite disposed to believe that the late wicked excitements to war have proceeded from the Baron de Carondelet himself, without authority from his court. But if so, have we not reason to expect the removal of such an officer from our neighborhood, as an evidence of the disavowal of his proceedings. He has produced against us a serious war. He says in his letter indeed that he has suspended it. But this he has not done, nor possibly can he do it. The Indians are more easily engaged in a war than withdrawn from it. They have made the attack in force on our frontiers, whether with or without his consent, and will oblige us to a severe punishment of their aggression. We trust that you will be able to settle principles of friendly concert between us & Spain with respect to the neighboring Indians: & if not that you will endeavor to apprize us of what we may expect that we may no longer be tied up by principles which, in that case would be inconsistent with duty & self-preservation.

TO THE U. S. MINISTER TO FRANCE.
(GOUVERNEUR MORRIS.)

J. MSS.

PHILADELPHIA, Nov. 7, 1792.

DEAR SIR,-My last to you was of the 15th of Oct since which I have received your Nos. 1, 2, 3, 5, 6, 7. Tho' mine went by a conveyance directly to Bordeaux, & may therefore probably get safe to you, yet I think it proper, lest it should miscarry, to repeat to you the following paragraph from it.

* *

I am perfectly sensible that your situation must, ere this reaches you, have been delicate & difficult: and tho' the occasion is probably over, and your part taken of necessity, so that instructions now would be too late, yet I think it just to express our sentiments on the subject as a sanction of what you have probably done. Whenever the scene became personally dangerous. to you, it was proper you should leave it, as well from personal as public motives. But what degree of danger should be awaited, to what distance or place you should retire, are circumstances which must rest with your own discretion, it being impossible to prescribe them from hence.-With what kind of government you may do business, is another question. It accords with our principles to acknolege any government to be rightful which is formed by the will of the nation substantially declared. The late government was of this kind, & was accordingly acknoleged by ali the branches of ours. So any alteration of it which shall be made by the will of the nation substantially declared, will doubtless be acknoleged in like manner. With such a government every kind of business may be done. But there are some matters which I conceive might be transacted with a government de facto; such for instance as the reforming the unfriendly restrictions on our commerce & navigation. Such cases you will readily distinguish as they occur. With respect to this particular reformation of their regulations we cannot be too pressing for it's attainment, as every days continuance gives it additional firmness & endangers it's taking root in their habits & constitution: and indeed I think they should be told, as soon as they are in a condition to act, that if they do not revoke the late innovations, we must lay additional & equivalent burthens on French ships, by name.-Your conduct in the case of M. de Bonne-Carrere is approved intirely.

We think it of great consequence to the friendship of the two nations to have a minister here in whose dispositions we have confidence.-Congress assembled the day before yesterday. I inclose you a paper containing the President's speech whereby you will see the chief objects of the present session. Your difficulties as to the settlements of our accounts with France, & as to the payment of the foreign officers will have been removed by the letter of the Secretary of the Treasury, of which, for fear it should have miscarried, I now inclose you a duplicate. Should a conveyance for the present letter offer to any port of France directly, your newspapers will accompany it. Otherwise I shall send it through Mr. Pinckney, & retain the newspapers as usual for a direct conveyance.

TO THOMAS PINCKNEY.

J. MSS.

PHILADELPHIA Nov. 8, 1792.

DEAR SIR,-Having at the moment I was induced to undertake my present office, determined to retire from it as soon as decency would permit, & very early after, fixing on the termination of our first federal period of 4. years as the proper epoch for retirement, I now contemplate the approach of that moment with the fondness of a sailor who has land in view. The object of this private letter is to desire that you will be so good as to direct your future public letters to the Secretary of State by that title, & not by name till you know who he will be, as otherwise all letters arriving after the 3rd of March should incur the expense, delay and risk of travelling 600. miles by post. -The prospect of resuming the direction of my farm induced me to trouble you with the commission for the threshing machine, which I shall be happy to receive, and shall take the most effectual methods of rendering public.

I may perhaps, with your permission, take the liberty of troubling you sometimes with a line from my retirement, and shall be ever happy to hear from you, & give every proof of the sincere esteem & respect with which I have the honor to be Dear Sir your most obedt Servt.

P. S.-We received information yesterday of the conclusion of peace with the Wabash & Illinois IndiThis forms a separation between the Northern & Southern war-tribes.

ans.

TO THE PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES.

J. MSS.

Nov. 16, 1792.

Th: Jefferson has the honor to inform the President that the papers from Johanna Lucia Henriette Hendrickson, a Danish subject, state that she is entitled to inherit from her brother Daniel Wriesburg deceased two tracts of land in New Jersey & New York and she petitions Congress, & the states of New Jersey & New York to have justice done her, offering, if they will pay her the reasonable rents during her life and an indemnification for the detention hitherto, that she will cede to them the remainder after her death for the establishment of a charitable institution for the benefit of poor military persons, the plan of which she leaves to the President of the U. S. to settle.

Th: Jefferson is of opinion that the incompetence of the General government to legislate on the subject of inheritances is a reason the more against the President's becoming the channel of a petition to them: but that it might not be amiss that Th: J. should inclose to the Governors of New Jersey & N. York the petitions addressed to their states, as some advantages are offered to them of which they will take notice, or not, at their pleasure. If the President approves of this, & will return the petitions they shall be inclosed accordingly.