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Subject Area: Political Theory
Topic: The American Revolution and Constitution

THOMAS JEFFERSON TO JOHN ADAMS. - John Adams, The Works of John Adams, vol. 8 (Letters and State Papers 1782-1799) [1853]

Edition used:

The Works of John Adams, Second President of the United States: with a Life of the Author, Notes and Illustrations, by his Grandson Charles Francis Adams (Boston: Little, Brown and Co., 1856). 10 volumes. Vol. 8.

Part of: The Works of John Adams, 10 vols.

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THOMAS JEFFERSON TO JOHN ADAMS.

Paris, 11 October, 1785.

Dear Sir,—

Colonel Franks and Mr. Randolph arrived last night. This enables me to send copies of all the Barbary papers to congress by the Mr. Fitzhughs, together with the Prussian treaty. They wait till to-morrow for this purpose.

Considering the treaty with Portugal, as among the most important to the United States, I some time ago took occasion at Versailles to ask the Portuguese ambassador if he had yet received an answer from his Court on the subject of our treaty. He said not; but that he would write again. His secrétaired’ambassade called on me two days ago, and translated into French, as follows, a paragraph of a letter from his minister to the ambassador.

“Relativement à ce que votre excellence nous a fait part de ce qu’elle avoit parlé avec le ministre de l’Amérique, cette puissance doit être déjà persuadée par des faits de la manière dont ses vaisseaux ont été accueillis ici; et par conséquence sa Majesté auroit beaucoup de satisfaction à entretenir une parfaite harmonie et bonne correspondance avec les mêmes États Unis. Mais il seroit à propos de commencer par la nomination réciproque des deux parties des personnes qui, au moins avec le caractère d’agens, informeroient réciproquement leurs constituants de ce qui pourroit conduire à la connoissance des intérêts des deux nations sans préjudice de l’un ou de l’autre. C’est le premier pas qu’il paroit convenable de donner pour conduire à la fin proposée.”

By this, I suppose, they will prefer proceeding as Spain has done, and that we may consider it as definitive of our commission to them. I communicate it to congress, that they may take such other measures for leading on a negotiation as they may think proper.

You know that the third article of instructions, of October 29, 1783, to the ministers for negotiating peace, directed them to negotiate the claim for the prizes taken by the Alliance, and sent into Bergen, but delivered up by the Court of Denmark. You recollect, also, that this has been deferred, in order to be taken up with the general negotiation for an alliance. Captain Jones, desiring to go to America, proposed to me that he should leave the solicitation of this matter in the hands of Dr. Bancroft, and to ask you to negotiate it through the minister of Denmark at London. The delay of Baron Waltersdorf is one reason for this. Your better acquaintance with the subject is a second. The Danish minister here being absent, is a third. And a fourth, and more conclusive one, is, that, having never acted as one of the commissioners for negotiating the peace, I feel an impropriety in meddling with it at all, and, much more, to become the principal agent. I therefore told Captain Jones I would solicit your care of this business. I believe he writes to you on the subject.

Mr. Barclay sets out in two or three days. Lamb will follow, as soon as the papers can be got from this ministry. Having no news, I shall only add, &c. &c.

Thomas Jefferson.