The Diplomatic Correspondence of the American Revolution Volume X Part 3

Former letters have acquainted Congress, that, upon my intending to leave France, I had been detained by their Commissioners. To my letter of the 3d of December I beg leave to refer them for a further account of my conduct.

Now the n.o.ble contest is ended, and I heartily rejoice at the blessings of peace. Fortynine ships of the line and twenty thousand men are now here, with whom Count d'Estaing was to join the combined forces in the West Indies; and during the summer they were to co-operate with our American army. Nay, it had lately been granted, that, whilst Count d'Estaing acted elsewhere, I should enter the St Lawrence river at the head of a French corps. So far as respects me, I have no regret, but, independent of personal gratifications, it is known that I ever was bent upon the addition of Canada to the United States.

On the happy prospect of peace I had prepared to go to America. Never did an idea please me so much as the hope to rejoice with those to whom I have been a companion in our labors; but however painful the delay, I now must defer my departure. In the discharge of my duty to America no sacrifice shall ever be wanting, and when it had pleased Congress to direct that their Ministers should consult with me, it became my first concern to deserve their confidence.

From my letter to Mr Livingston an opinion may be formed of our situation in Spain; my advice has been called for, and I have given it; my presence is requested, and instead of sailing for America, I am going to Madrid, being so far on my way; and as Mr Jay is in Paris, I think it is better for me to go there. But unless Congress shall honor me with their commands, I shall embark in the course of June, and am eager for the moment when I may again enjoy the sight of the American sh.o.r.es.

Now, Sir, our n.o.ble cause has prevailed; our independence is firmly settled, and American virtue enjoys its reward. No exertions, I hope, will now be wanting to strengthen the Federal Union.

May the States be so bound to each other, as forever to defy European politics. Upon that union their consequence, their happiness, will depend. This is the first wish of a heart more truly American than words can express.

With the highest respect I have the honor to be, &c.

LAFAYETTE.

TO THE COUNT DE FLORIDA BLANCA.

Translation.

Madrid, February 19th, 1783.

Sir,

Having had the honor to confer with your Excellency on the objects relative to the United States, and being soon to repair to the American Congress, I wish to be fully impressed with the result of our conversations. Instead of the indifference, and even of the divisions, which another nation would be glad to foresee, I am happy to have it in my power to inform the United States of your good dispositions. It is to you, Sir, I am indebted for this advantage, and in order to make it complete, and to make myself certain that I forget nothing, give me leave to submit to your Excellency the account which I intend to lay before Congress.

His Catholic Majesty desires, that a lasting confidence and harmony may subsist between him and the United States, and he is determined on his part to do everything that will be necessary to keep it up. The American _Charge d'Affaires_ is at this moment received as such, and your Excellency is going to treat of the interests of the two nations. As you wish to show Mr Jay every kind of regard, you wait only till the Count d'Aranda shall have notified your dispositions to him, before you present Mr Carmichael to his Majesty.

With respect to the limits, his Catholic Majesty has adopted those that are determined by the preliminaries of the 30th of November, between the United States and the Court of London. The fear of raising an object of dissension, is the only objection the King has to the free navigation of the river Mississippi. The Virginia tobacco, and the naval stores, may furnish matter for reciprocal conventions in the treaty, and by means of the productions of America, arrangements might be made which would be useful to her finances. When I had the honor to speak to you in favor of a diminution of the duties on codfish, you answered, that it would be necessary to give to France a similar advantage, and that by virtue of former treaties, the English might set up pretensions to the same; but that you will do in every respect all that will be in your power to satisfy America.

I would with very great pleasure touch upon every detail, which may enter into a connexion between Spain and the United States, but I am not to be concerned in this happy work. The Ministers of the United States, and the one whom you may send thither are to make it their business, and I content myself with reminding you of the general ideas you have given me. A word from you will satisfy me that I have not omitted anything. The dispositions of his Catholic Majesty, and the candor of your Excellency, will leave no pretexts for misrepresentations. The alliance of the House of Bourbon with the United States is founded on reciprocal interest; it will still acquire greater strength from the confidence which your Excellency wishes to establish.

Such, Sir, are the conclusions, which I have drawn from our conferences, and the account which I intend to give to Congress, without having any mission for that purpose. I am acquainted with the sentiments of Congress, and I am convinced they will set a just value upon your dispositions. In permitting me to acquaint them with these particulars, you will have a claim to my personal grat.i.tude. To the a.s.surance of this I join that of the respect, with which I have the honor, &c.

LAFAYETTE.

COUNT DE FLORIDA BLANCA TO M. DE LAFAYETTE.

Translation.

Pardo, February 22d, 1783.

Sir,

I cannot comply better with your desire, than by asking your leave to give you here my answer. You have perfectly well understood whatever I have had the honor to communicate to you, with respect to our dispositions towards the United States. I shall only add, that although it is his Majesty's intentions to abide, for the present, by the limits established by the treaty of the 30th of November, 1782, between the English and the Americans, yet the King intends to inform himself particularly whether it can be in any ways inconvenient or prejudicial to settle that affair amicably with the United States.

I have the honor to be, &c.

COUNT DE FLORIDA BLANCA.

TO THE COUNT DE FLORIDA BLANCA.

Translation.

Madrid, February 22d, 1783.

On receiving the answer of the Count de Florida Blanca, I desired an explanation respecting the addition that relates to the limits. I was answered, that it was a fixed principle to abide by the limits established by the treaty between the English and Americans, that his remarks related only to mere unimportant details, which he wished to receive from the Spanish commandants, which would be amicably regulated, and would by no means oppose the general principle. I asked him, before the Amba.s.sador of France, whether he could give me his word of honor for it. He answered me, he would, and that I might engage it to the United States.

LAFAYETTE.

TO ROBERT R. LIVINGSTON.

Bordeaux, March 2d, 1783.

Dear Sir,

Upon the news of a general peace, I had the honor to write to you, and took the liberty to address Congress in a letter, of which the enclosed is a duplicate. Those despatches have been sent by the Triomphe, a French vessel, and by her you will also have received a note of the general preliminaries.

The reasons of my going from Cadiz to Madrid being known to you, I shall only inform you, that upon my arrival there, I waited upon the King, and paid a visit to the Count de Florida Blanca. Independent of my letter to Mr Carmichael, of which you have a copy, I had very openly said, that I expected to return with him to Paris. So that after the first compliments, it was easy for me to turn the conversation upon American affairs. I did it with the more advantage, as I had beforehand fully conversed with Mr Carmichael, who gave me his opinion upon every point, and I was happy to find it coincided with mine.

In the course of our conversation, I could see, that American independence gives some umbrage to the Spanish Ministry. They fear the loss of their Colonies, and the success of our revolution appears to be an encouragement to this fear. Upon this subject their King has odd notions, as he has indeed upon everything. The reception of Mr Carmichael they wanted to procrastinate, and yet they knew it must be done. In offering my opinion to Count de Florida Blanca, I did it in a very free manner. I rejected every idea of delay. I gave a description of America, and of each of the States, of which Count de Florida Blanca appeared to know very little. While I abated their fears from our quarter, I endeavored to awaken them upon other accounts. It is useless to mention the particulars of this conversation, which lasted very long, and which he promised to lay before the King. In two days he said he should pay me a visit at Madrid.[2]

Agreeably to the appointment, I waited for Count de Florida Blanca, and there, in presence of the French Amba.s.sador, he told me that the King had determined immediately to receive the Envoy from the United States. Our conversation was also very long, and I owe Count de Montmorin the credit to say, that not only at that time, but in every instance where he could operate on the Count de Florida Blanca in our favor, he threw in all the weight of the influence of France.

It was on Wednesday that I received Count de Florida Blanca's visit.

In conformity with the Spanish style, he endeavored to delay our affairs. I took the liberty to say, that on Sat.u.r.day I must set out, and it was at last fixed that on Friday, Mr Carmichael should deliver his credentials, and on Sat.u.r.day would be invited to the dinner of the foreign Ministers.

As to more important matters, I conversed upon the affair of limits, and upon the navigation of the Mississippi, to the last of which points I found him very repugnant. I spoke upon the codfish duties. I wanted to have a preference engaged for in writing, upon all bargains respecting tobacco and naval stores; in a word, I did my best, and would have been more particular in point of money, had not the Minister's answer put it out of my power to do it in any other way, than such as was inconsistent with the dignity of the United States.

As Count de Florida Blanca was taking leave, I told him that my memory must be somewhat aided. I proposed writing to him, and getting from him an answer. To this he first objected, but afterwards consented, saying, however, that his word was as good as his writing. And as I had been sometimes a little high toned with him in behalf of America, he added, that Spain was sincere in her desire to form an everlasting friendship, but did not act out of fear. I had before observed, that it was on Spain's account that I wished for a good understanding between her and America.

The reading of my letter, a copy of which I enclose, will better inform you of the points that have been either wholly or partially granted. I endeavored to make the best of our conversations, and to engage him as far as I could. On the other hand, I kept our side clear of any engagement, which it was easy for me to do in my private capacity. I did not even go so far as general professions. But since I had been called there, I desired only to induce him into concessions that might serve the purposes of Mr Jay. My letter was delivered on Thursday. The next day I accompanied Mr Carmichael, who is much and universally beloved and respected in that country. On Sat.u.r.day, before dinner, I received the answer, which for fear of ambiguities, I had requested to be given at the end of the letter. A sentence of the answer I made him explain before the French Amba.s.sador. Herein are joined those copies, and I keep the original for Mr Jay, whose political aid de camp I have thus been. I have of course referred to him everything, and this negotiation, wherein he has exercised the virtue of patience, will now require his care and his abilities. The Ministers of some powers, Prussia among them, having asked me if Congress would be willing to make an advance towards them, I have answered, that the United States ought in my opinion not to make, but to receive advances.

At the same time I was employed in conversation with Count de Florida Blanca, I did not neglect speaking upon the same subject with the other Ministers. M. de Galvez, in whose department the Indies are, appears much averse to the English limit. He has for the present sent orders to the Spanish governors, to abide by those limits, and an official copy of those orders has been promised to me. But M. de Galvez was of opinion, that those limits would not do. I have therefore thought it proper, officially by writing, and before witnesses, so effectually to bind them, that the affair of limits cannot now but be settled on their side. Independent of their hand writing, France, through her Amba.s.sador, is a witness to the engagement; and yet, being in a private capacity, I took care not to engage America to anything.

Never was a man further from a partiality for Spain than I am. But I think I now have left them in a sincere and steady intention to cultivate the friendship of America. The French party at that Court will be for it. They labor under fits of occasional madness. They have an ill conducted pride. It is disagreeable to treat with them, and their own interest does not persuade them out of their prejudices. But though they had rather there were not such a place as North America, they are truly and earnestly desirous to maintain a good harmony and live in friendship and neighborly union with the United States. The Mississippi is the great affair. I think it is the interest of America to be well with Spain, at least for many years; and particularly on account of the French alliance; so that I very much wish success to Mr Jay's negotiations. I have advised Mr Carmichael to continue his conferences, and I think they will be of service.

On my arrival at this city, I hear that Lord Shelburne is out of place, and has been succeeded by Lord North. But I cannot give it as certain. The American flag has already made its appearance before the city of London.

Upon the principles of an unbounded zeal for America, can I be permitted to repeat, that every American patriot must wish that the federal union between the States may continue to receive additional strength? Upon that intimate national union their happiness and their consequence depend.