The fever here is still diffusing itself, it is not quite as fatal. Colo. Hamilton and mrs. Hamilton are recovered. The consul Dupont is dead of it. So is Wright. The consul Hauterive has sent me an answer to my circular letter, as proud as could have been expected, and not very like a desisting from the acts forbidden. As I shall probably be with you as soon as this letter, I shall add nothing further than assurances of the high respect and esteem with which I have the honor to be sincerely dear sir your most obedient and humble servant. TO THE FRENCH MINISTER. J. MSS. [September 15, 1793.] SIR, The correspondence which has taken place between the Executive and yourself, & the acts which you have thought proper to do, & to countenance, in opposition to the laws of the land, have rendered it necessary in the opinion of the President to lay a faithful statement of them before the government of France, to explain to them the reasons & the necessity which have dictated our measures, to renew the assurances of that sincere friendship which has suffered no intermission during the course of these proceedings, and to express our extreme anxiety that none may be produced on their part. This has accordingly been directed to be done by the Min. Pleny. of the US at Paris, in a letter a copy of which I now enclose to you; and, in order to bring to an end what cannot be permitted to continue, there could be no hesitation to declare in it the necessity of their having a representative here disposed to respect the laws and authorities of the country, & to do the best for their interest which these would permit. An anxious regard for those interests, and a desire that they may not suffer, will induce the executive in the meantime to receive your communications in writing, & to admit the continuance of your functions so long as they shall be restrained within the limits of the law as heretofore announced to you, or shall be of the tenor usually observed towards inde pendent nations by the representative of a friendly power residing with them. The President thought it respectful to your nation as well as yourself to leave to yourself the restraining certain proceedings of the Consuls of France within the US, which you were informed were contrary to the laws of the land, & therefore not to be permitted. He has seen with regret however that you have been far from restraining these proceedings, & that the duty has devolved on him of suppressing them by the authority of the country. I enclose to you the copy of a letter written to the several Consuls & Vice-consuls of France, warning them that this will be done if any repetition of these acts shall render it necessary. To the Consul of France at Boston, no such letter has been written. A more serious fact is charged on him, which if proved as there is reason to expect, will render the revocation of his Exequatur an act of immediate duty. TO JAMES MADISON. J. MSS. SCHUYLKILLL, Sep. 15. Ham. I have to acknolege yours of Aug. 27. & Sep. 2. The fever in town is become less mortal, but extends. Dupont the Fr. Consul is dead of it. So is Wright the painter. His wife also. Lieper is said to be dead, but that is not certain. J. Barclay ill. and his wife recovered. Willing on the recovery. The banks are not shut up, as I had been falsely informed when I wrote you last. I have some expectation to set out tomorrow, and shall make it eight days to your house; but it is very possible I may yet be detained here two or three days. The arrangement on which I had consented to remain another quarter was that the President was to be absent three weeks, and after that I was to be absent 6. weeks. This got me rid of 9. weeks of the 13. and the remaining 4. Congress would be setting. My view in this was precisely to avoid being at any more councils as much as possible, that I might not be committed in anything further. This fever by driving me off sooner, will bring me back sooner, & so far counteract my view.-But I need not take the trouble of writing on this subject, as I shall see you as early as you will get this letter. Adieu. TO THE BRITISH MINISTER. (GEORGE HAMMOND.) J. MSS. September 22, 1793. SIR,-I have yet to acknowledge the receipt of your favor of the 12th instant, covering an additional instruction to the commanders of British armed vessels, and explaining its principles; and I receive it readily as a proof of your willingness to anticipate our inquiries on subjects interesting to us. Certainly none was ever more so than the instruction in question, as it strikes at the root of our agriculture, and at the means of obtaining for our citizens in general, the numerous articles of necessity and comfort which they do not make for themselves, but have hitherto procured from other nations by exchange. The paper has been before communicated to the President, but instructions immediately sent to our minister at London, to make proper representations on the subject, in the effect of which we have all that confidence which the justice of the British Government is calcuated to inspire. That "all provisions are to be considered as contraband in the case where the depriving an enemy of these supplies is one of the means intended to be employed," or in any case but that of a place actually blockaded, is a position entirely new. However, the discussion having been transferred to another place, I forbear to enter into it here. We had conjectured, but did not before entirely know, that the distinction which the instruction makes between Denmark and Sweden on the one hand, and the United States on the other, in the case of vessels bound to ports blockaded, was on the principle explained by you, that what was yielded to those countries by treaty, it is not unfriendly to refuse to us, because not yielded to us by treaty. I shall not contest the right of the principle, as a right to its reciprocity necessarily results to us. A Question whether Mr. G. has threat to appeal from the Pr. to the people of the US. has excited considble. attention from the public has been thot worthy of call forth the evidence of the highest officers of the govmt. to bear testimony to it, & to justify the disclosure of the secret private consultations of the Exve. The performce. of an official duty having implicated me in the transaction, I have made me necessarily made me a party in the operation having connected me with the matter in question I have been vouched in affirmation of the charge. It is with much regret that I enter for anything in so disagreeable an altercn. but consider it's present ground, silence on my part might beget surmises which would not be just. I had conversons. on the Sunday the 7th of July with Mr. Genet and Mr. Dallas as has been stated in the public papers. I had a private consultn with the Secry of the Treasury & was on the next Monday to decide what she be done in the event of the L. S's attempting to depart and it was then I made my communication to them. The Pr. ret on the Wednesday, & on that day I committed the same communications to writing in a Report to him a full detail of what has passed. I did this when the transactions were fully in my mind, & particular circumstances of the moment conversations led me to detail with more minuteness than usual every circum 1 Evidently prepared for the press, but never used. It refers to the paper printed in vol. i., p. 237. stance which I could recolleet thought worthy any the least notice. I did this when it was impossible to I could not foresee then foresee that the question altercation which has now arisen to nor consequently give to the statem! any hue which might reflect on that, and under no other view than that of aspect respecting it. My only object was to giveing to the Pr. a circumstantial & faithful relation of what he had a right to know. And I did it with with a sacred regard to truth. I have since heard the same transactions matters spoken of on different occn. & by different persons, that my memory Ie not trust to my insomuch that I should fear to attempt from memory alone for to distinguish at this time what I have heard from one person & on what occasion & what from another, what on one occn. or what on another. I think it therefore safest to give the whole statement, report, without attempting of a the suppression of a tittle of it. There are. As it contains many things in it which relate not at all to the present question, & some which it will be obvious it might be imagined that to be made public. Had these been omitted Were these however now omitted it m! have been thought that tho' the parts given forth were in the very words of the report & consequently not stated with a view to the present case, yet that it has it might be imagined that their suppression the aspect of what would remain might be sensibly affected by it. been. I chuse then to throw my self on the indulgencies of those who may need it, rather than to incur their suspicions, and therefore give a verbal copy of the whole report as follows. TO THE PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES. D. S. MSS. MONTICELLO Oct. 3. 1793. DEAR SIR, I have the honor to inclose herewith the following papers: 1. A Note from Mr. Coxe which covered a letter from Nassau. 2. A letter from George Nicholas which covered his commission, returned. 3. A letter from Mr. Gore, relating to Mr. Duplaine, & the communications between him & Gov! Hancock, which I asked at the desire of the Secretary at war, & which are for him. VOL. VI.-28 |