The Diplomatic Correspondence of the American Revolution Volume VII Part 21

FOOTNOTE:

[17] See this letter above, dated February 24th, p. 210.

DE NEUFVILLE & SON TO JOHN JAY.

Amsterdam, April 6th, 1780.

Sir,

We beg leave to congratulate your Excellency on your safe arrival in Europe. By principle warmly attached to the American cause, we could wish that we saw our States in a situation to acknowledge the independence of their sister Republic, and though we could only cultivate private connexions as yet, we took the liberty to address some intelligence to your Excellency when President of Congress. We should reckon ourselves extremely happy to know whether our letter came to hand before your Excellency left Philadelphia, and whether we may form any hopes that our zeal may prove successful for the benefit, as we intended, of both countries.

Meanwhile we have the honor to be, with all possible regard, &c.

JOHN DE NEUFVILLE & SON.

ANSWER TO DE NEUFVILLE & SON.

Madrid, April 27th, 1780.

Gentlemen,

I have had the pleasure of receiving your favor of the 6th instant, and am much obliged by your kind congratulations on my arrival in Europe.

The letters you mention to have written to Congress had been received before I left Philadelphia, and referred to a committee. This mark of attention was justly due to the interest you take in the American cause, and the disposition you manifest to serve it. I presume that the committee soon made a report, and that answers to your letters have been written, although perhaps the many hazards to which letters from America are exposed may have prevented their reaching you.

When the rulers of your republic recollect in what manner and on what occasion they became free, I am persuaded they cannot but wish duration to our independence, nor forbear considering it as an event no less interesting to every commercial nation in Europe than important to America. These and similar considerations, added to the injustice they daily experience from England, will, I hope, induce them to call to mind that spirit of their forefathers, which acquired a glorious partic.i.p.ation in the empire of the ocean, and laid the foundation of the commerce, affluence, and consideration they transmitted to their posterity.

Permit me to a.s.sure you that I shall consider your correspondence as a favor, and that I am, with great respect, &c.

JOHN JAY.

TO THE PRESIDENT OF CONGRESS.

Madrid, May 26th, 1780.

Sir,

Since my departure from America I have had the honor of writing the following letters to your Excellency, viz. 20th, 22d, 24th, 25th, 25th, 26th and 27th of December, 1779, from Martinique; and 27th of January, 20th, 28th and 29th of February, and 3d of March, 1780, from Cadiz. I am still uncertain whether any, and which of them, have come to your hands, and request the favor of particular information on this subject.

Of such of them as respect immediately the business committed to me I now send duplicates, as well as copies of such other papers as, taken collectively, will give Congress a full and accurate state of their affairs here.

This packet, of which an exact copy goes by another vessel, will appear voluminous. It will nevertheless be found interesting. I have interspersed such observations as to me appeared proper for the purpose of explanation.

On the 22d of January, 1780, I arrived at Cadiz, without letters of credit or recommendation to any person there. The Chevalier Roche (a pa.s.senger with us) was so obliging as to procure me credit for about two hundred pounds sterling with a relation of his, to whom I was obliged to give a bill on Dr Franklin at a more than usual short sight. I afterwards became acquainted with the house of Le Couteulx and Company, who offered me what money I might want, and furnished me accordingly, with great cheerfulness. I was very disagreeably circ.u.mstanced.

Finding reports ran hard against American credit, and that bills on Dr Franklin were held very cheap, by reason of his having, as was there said, postponed, delayed, and in some instances refused payment of them, on very frivolous pretences, I did, on the 26th of January, 1780, inform him by letter of my arrival, and of these reports.

In answer to this, the Doctor, on the 7th of April, 1780, wrote me a very friendly letter, a.s.serting these reports to be false, and enclosing a certificate of his banker, which proved them to be so. Of this I have made the proper use, and as the same reports prevailed in Martinique, and probably in the other islands, I wish the remedy to be as extensive as the mischief, and therefore transmit the following extract from his letter on that subject, and a copy of the certificate mentioned in it.

_Extract of a Letter from his Excellency Dr Franklin, dated April 7th, 1780._

"The reports you tell me prevail at Cadiz, that the Loan Office Bills, payable in France, have not been duly honored, are wicked falsehoods. Not one of them, duly endorsed by the original proprietor, was ever refused by me, or the payment delayed a moment. And the few not so endorsed have been also paid on the guarantee of the presenter, or some person of known credit. No reason whatever has been given for refusing payment of a bill, except this very good one that either the first, second, third or fourth of the same set had been already paid. The pretence that it was necessary for the whole set to arrive before the money could be paid, is too absurd and ridiculous for anyone to make use of, who knows anything of the nature of exchange. The unexpected large draughts made upon me by Congress and others, exclusive of these from the Loan Office, have indeed sometimes embarra.s.sed me not a little, and put me to difficulties. But I have overcome those difficulties, so as never to have been obliged to make the smallest excuse, or desire the least delay of payment from any presenter of such bills. Those reports must therefore have been contrived by enemies to our country, or by persons who proposed an advantage to themselves by purchasing them at an under rate. Enclosed I send you a certificate of our banker in refutation of those calumnies."

_Copy of the abovementioned Certificate._

Translation.

"I, the subscriber, banker at Paris, and alone charged with the payment of the bills of the Loan Office, declare, that I have paid, without exception or delay, all such bills to this date, accepted by his Excellency Dr Franklin; that, to my knowledge, no such bill has been refused payment; but that several have been presented after they had been once paid.

"I declare further, that whatever is contradictory to this present is false.

"In testimony of which I have here signed my name at Paris, this 15th of March, 1780.

GRAND."

It appearing to me of importance that I should as soon as possible be informed of the measures, which Mr Arthur Lee might have taken leading to a treaty between the United States and Spain, I did, on the 26th of January, 1780, write him a letter, of which the following is a copy.[18]

Mr Lee, in answer to this, wrote me a polite letter on the 17th of March, 1780. The following is a copy of it.[19]

As, for reasons, which will appear in the course of the following papers, and which I hope will meet with the approbation of Congress, it became proper for me to remain in Spain, I apprised the Court of France of it by a letter to his Excellency the Count de Vergennes, on the 27th of January, 1780, of which the following is a copy.[20]

The Count's answer to this is in the following words.

Translation.

"Versailles, March 13th, 1780.

"Sir,

"I have received your favor of the 27th of January, and I am fully sensible of the confidence you have reposed in me, by communicating to me the object of your mission. You know too well the attachment of his Majesty to the United States, not to feel a.s.sured that he sincerely wishes you success, and will be eager to contribute to it. The Count de Montmorin has received instructions accordant with this disposition, and I do not doubt that your confidence in him will enable him to fulfil them to your entire satisfaction.

"I have the honor to be, &c.

DE VERGENNES."

On the 9th of May, 1780, I replied to the Count as follows.

"Aranjues, May 9th, 1780.

"Sir,

"The letter which your Excellency did me the honor to write me, on the 13th of March last, was delivered to me by the Count de Montmorin on my arrival at Madrid.