TO THE FRENCH MINISTER. J. MSS. BALTIMORE, Feb. 7, 1783. SIR, The Chevalier de Ville-Brun was so kind as to communicate to me yesterday your Excy's Ire to him of Jan., together with the intelligence therein referred to. I feel myself bound to return you my thanks for your orders to the Guadeloupe frigate to receive me if I should think a passage should be hazarded under present circumstances. According to this information (which is the most worthy of credit of any we have received here) it would seem that our capture would be unavoidable were we to go out now. This therefore is a risk to which I cannot think of exposing his majesty's vessel & subjects, however I might be disposed to encounter personal hazards from my anxiety to execute with all the promptitude in my power a service which has been assigned to me. I shall therefore wait with patience the arrival of the moment when the Chevalr. de Ville-brun shall be of opinion that the one or the other of the vessels may venture out without any greater risk than he shall think proportioned to her proper object independantly of mine. It has been suggested to me this evening that perhaps their safe departure might be greatly forwarded by their falling down to York or Hampton, there to be ready at a moment's warning to avail themselves of those favorable circumstances which the present season sometimes offers. But of this yourself will be the proper judge. I cannot close my lre without expressing to VOL. III-20 you my obligations to the Chevalr. de Ville-brun for the particular attention he has shown to my accommodation on board his ship. The apartments he has had constructed for me are ample & commodious & his politeness & merit as an officer are an agreeable presage of everything that shall depend on him. I have delivered to him the two large packets you were pleased to put into my hands, & he will dispose of them accordg. to your orders. I have the honr to be with the highest sentiments of esteem yr Excy's mo obedt & mo hble servt. TO THE SECRETARY FOR FOREIGN AFFAIRS. (ROBERT R. LIVINGSTON.) J. MSS. BALTIMORE, Feb. 7, 1783. SIR, I arrived here on the 30th of the last month, & had a short interview the same evening with the Chevalr. de Ville-Brun, commander of the Romulus. There appeared at that time little apprehension but that we might sail in a few days; but we were not very particular in our conference as we expected so soon to see each other again. The severity of the cold however which commenced that night obliged the Chevalr. de Ville-brun to fall 12 miles below this place & excluded all correspondence with him, till yesterday, when I found means to get through the ice on board his ship. He then communicated to me by direction of his Excy the minister of France intelligence as to the number & force of the cruisers now actually watching the capes of the Chesapeake. I must acknolege that these appear such as to render a capture certain were we to hazard it. The minister was pleased at the same time to submit the Guadeloupe to my wishes if I chose to adventure. I take the liberty of troubling you with a copy of my letter to him on that subject. I should certainly be disposed to run very considerable risks myself to effect my passage; but I should think it an unfortunate introduction to an ally who has already done so much for us, were I to add to his losses & disbursements that of a valuable ship & crew. I wish that the present delay offered some period less distant than the lassitude of an avaricious enemy to watch for prey. Perhaps you may be able to put me in some more expeditious mode of passage than the one under which I am acquiescing at present. I shall be much pleased to adopt any such which may come recommended from you without regard to personal risk or trouble. In the meantime any intelligence which you can collect & will be pleased to give me as to the state of our coast will be of utility in determining whether & when we shall depart hence.1 1 On Feb. 14th Livingston replied: "I have delayed in answering your favor of the 7th. instant till I could obtain the sense of Congress on the matter it contains. I conceive it hardly possible, while the british cruisers retain their present station, for you to elude their vigilance in either of the Ships offered to your choice. This concurring with the late advices from England, has induced Congress to pass the enclosed resolution." The resolution enclosed was: "February 14, 1783. "That the Secretary for Foreign Affairs inform Mr. Jefferson, that it is the pleasure of Congress, considering the advices lately received in America and the probable situation of affairs in Europe, that he do not proceed on his intended voyage until he shall receive their further instructions." TO THE SECRETARY FOR FOREIGN AFFAIRS. (ROBERT R. LIVINGSTON.) J. MSS. BALTIMORE Feb 14, 1783. SIR, I apprised you in my former letter of the causes which had so long delayed my departure. These still continue. I have this moment received a printed copy of his Brit. Majty's speech to his Parliamt. by which we learn that preliminaries between America & Gr Br, among which is one for the acknowlegment of our independency, have been provisionally agreed to on his part. That the negotiations with the other powers at war were considerably advanced & that he hoped in a very short time they would end in terms of pacification. As considerable progress has been made in the negotiations for peace since the appointmt with which Congress were pleased to honour me, it may have become doubtful whether any communications I could make, or any assistance I could yield to the very able gentleman in whose hands the business already is, would compensate the expense of prosecuting my voyage to Europe. I therefore beg leave through you Sir to assure Congress that I desire this question to be as open to them now as it was on the day of my appointment, and that I have not a wish of my own either to go or to stay. They will be pleased to weigh the economy of the one measure against the chance which the other may offer of my arriving in such time as that any communications which have been confided to me may produce effect on definitive articles. I shall continue here for the prosecution of my voyage under the orders before received, or for it's discontinuance should that be more eligible to Congress and be signified at any moment for my departure.1 TO JAMES MADISON.2 MAD. MSS. BALTIMORE, Feb. 14. 1783 DEAR SIR,-Yours of the 11th came to hand last night. From what you mention in your letter I suppose the newspapers must be wrong when they say that Mr. Adams had taken up his abode with Dr F——. I am nearly at a loss to judge how he will act in the nego-n. He has F, he has Jay, he has the French, he has the English, to whom will he adhere? His vanity is a lineament in his character which had entirely escaped me. His want of taste I had observed. Notwithstanding all this he has a sound head on substantial points, and I think he has integrity. I am glad therefore that he is of the commission & expect he will be useful in it. His dislike of all parties, and all men, by balancing his prejudices, may give them some fair To this Livingston replied: PHILADELPHIA, 18th February, 1783. "SIR,-I was honoured yesterday with your favour of the 14th, which I shall lay before Congress this morning. As you have by this time received their resolution which I had the honour to send you by the last Post, and again enclose; you will be relieved in some measure from your embarrasments, tho' not entirely from your suspense with respect to their final determination. But that cannot be long doubtful, since the negotiations have certainly arrived at such a crisis, as either to terminate soon in a peace, or a total rupture, in the latter case you will necessarily be obliged to proceed on your voyage, as Congress seems anxious to avail themselves of your abilities and information in the negotiations, unless they are fully assured that a speedy peace will preclude them from that advantage." The parts in italics are in cipher in the original. |