not only to treat but conclude upon all the subjects in question, and although we have no apprehension that it is inconsistent with the dignity of the United States to treat in any third place, and although it would be inconvenient for us to leave Paris, where we have already commenced negotiations with several other Powers, for any long time, yet we are so desirous of showing a respect to the sentiments of your Court, that we would readily repair to London, as we are not limited by our commission nor instructions to any place.

We shall, therefore, wait for further information from your Grace, and from his Majesty's Ministers; and if it shall appear to be their desire to meet us in London, we shall do ourselves the honor of paying our respects to them in person without loss of time.

In our letter of November 11, we had the honor of laying before Congress a state of our proceedings till that date. As from that it would appear that the last communication had passed from us to the other parties, we can now only add the answers of such of them as have yet answered, and our replies—these are the Courts of Portugal, Tuscany, and Great Britain. No. 1 is a copy of the communication from the Ambassador of Portugal to us; No. 2, a copy of our reply; No. 3, a copy of a draught of a treaty which we enclosed to him; No. 4, is a copy of a letter from the Chargé d'Affaires of Tuscany, and No. 5 our answer, which enclosed a copy of the same draught of a treaty, only changing the style of the other party. We must observe that the draught of a treaty which has accompanied our letter to Baron Thulemeier, the Prussian Minister at the Hague, which letter was enclosed in our last to Congress, but without the plan of the treaty, was verbatim the same with those to Portugal and Tuscany, with only a like change in the style of the other party. No. 6 is a copy of a letter to us from the British Ambassador here, and No. 7, of our reply.

We received information from the public papers that an American vessel, which had just sailed from Cadiz, was captured on the 11th of October by a frigate of the Emperor of Morocco, being one of the five which he had cruising in the ocean, and that she was carried into Tangiers on the 16th of October. This intelligence is confirmed in a letter from Mr. Carmichael, who adds that the vessel captured belonged to the State of Virginia. We think it our duty to mention this event to your Excellency, as it will show the necessity that immediate measures be taken with the piratical States for the preservation of our trade to the Mediterranean, to Spain, and to Portugal, and perhaps to countries still more distant, as their vessels may extend their cruising grounds.

With the most perfect consideration and respect, we have the honor to be, &c.,

JOHN ADAMS,

B. FRANKLIN,

THOS. JEFFERSON.

FROM M. DE SOUZA TO THE COMMISSIONERS.

Translation.

Paris, December 22, 1784.

Gentlemen,

I have received the letter you did me the honor to write, with the plan of a treaty which the United States of North America propose to the Queen, my Sovereign, all of which I transmitted to the Court of Lisbon.

I have the honor to be, &c.,

DE SOUZA, Ambassador of Portugal.

FROM BARON DE THULEMEIER TO THE COMMISSIONERS.

Gentlemen,

The Hague, December 10, 1784.

The letter you have done me the honor to write to me, dated November 10th, reached me on the 26th of the same month by a Dutch courier. I have transmitted to the King a French translation VOL. I.-35

of the project of a treaty of commerce, to be concluded for the reciprocal advantages of the subjects of his Majesty and of the citizens of the United States of America, to which the recent orders of Congress have compelled you to make some alterations in opposition to the project I had the honor to place in the hands of Mr. Adams on the 9th of April of the present year.

As soon as the orders from my Court reach me I shall lose no time, gentlemen, in informing you of the observations which the King will think proper to make on this new project. The twentythird article is dictated by the purest zeal in favor of humanity. Nothing can be more just than your reflections on the noble disinterestedness of the United States of America. It is to be desired that these sublime sentiments may be adopted by all the maritime Powers without any exceptions. The calamities of war will be much softened, and hostilities, often provoked by the cupidity and inordinate love of gain, of more rare occurrence.

Allow me, gentlemen, to bring to your recollection the requisition which I had the honor to make to you in the last lines of my letter of 18th of October of the present year.

The King having expressed to me that he would learn with pleasure the choice which the United States might make of any city for the exchange of commerce between the merchants of the two nations, I desired you, accordingly, to let me know your ideas on this subject. I added that Stettin and Embden, both Prussian maritime places, or even some French or Dutch ports, might fulfil this object.

I have the honor to be, &c.,

DE THULEMEIER.

FROM THE COMMISSIONERS TO BARON DE THULEMEIER.

Sir,

Passy, January 21, 1785.

We have received the letter you did us the honor to write us on the 10th day of December last.

We supposed that the principles contained in the project of a treaty, which we had the honor to transmit to you, were a virtual answer to the requisition in the last lines of your letter of the 18th of October. By the second and third articles, the citizens and subjects of each Power may frequent all coasts and countries of the

other, and reside and trade there in all sorts of produce, manufactures, or merchandizes, paying no greater duties than the most favored nation. By the fourth article, each party shall have a right to carry their own produce, manufactures, and merchandizes in their own vessels, to any ports of the dominions of the other, where it shall be lawful for all the subjects or citizens of that other party to purchase them; and thence to take the produce, manufactures, and merchandize of that other, which all the said citizens or subjects shall in like manner be free to sell them, paying, in both cases, such duties, charges, and fees only as are or shall be paid by the most favored nation.

But if by a city for the commerce of exchange between the merchants of the two nations be meant a port more free than any intended in the said second, third, or fourth articles; that is to say, a port absolutely free from all duties and charges, or a port where merchandize may be landed and stored, and afterwards reëmbarked and exported, without paying any imposts or duties, we submit to your consideration whether it will not be for the interest of Prussia that both Embden and Stettin, at least, should be made such; however, should it be thought otherwise, and be still desired to elect one of the two ports, we should ask for time to communicate the proposition to Congress, and to receive their instructions thereon.

We have the honor to be, &c.,

JOHN ADAMS,
B. FRANKLIN,
THOS. JEFFERSON.

The Baron de Walterstorff having personally informed each of the American Ministers that he had obtained permission to return to Copenhagen, and that he had it in charge to solicit such communications as they should judge it might be useful to make, on the 1st February, 1785, announced the same officially in the following letter:

"Gentlemen,

Translation.

"Paris, February 1, 1785.

"Monsieur the Count de Bernstorff, in communicating to me the permission of the King to make a visit to Copenhagen, where my

private affairs demand my presence at this time, has recommended that I should request of the American Ministers to be pleased to furnish me with such ideas as they may judge useful to hasten the end we have in view. I have nothing so pressing on hand as the conveying to you the information of the little voyage I am about to make. I have even had the honor of seeing Messrs. Adams and Franklin, and I have now that of informing you that I have fixed upon Friday next as the day of my departure, if by that time you can prepare the documents with which I am to be entrusted. Permit me, gentlemen, in the meantime, to assure you that I shall always regard the having made your acquaintance as one of the greatest advantages of my residence at Paris. I hope that events will be sufficiently favorable to my prayers, to find other occasions of cultivating it, and of repeating the assurances of my perfect attachment, and the consideration with which I have the honor to be, &c., "DE WALTERSTORFF,

"Ambassador of Denmark.”

FROM THOMAS JEFFERSON TO THE BARON DE WALTERSTORFF.

Paris, February 3, 1785.

Sir,

I had the honor of receiving yesterday the letter you were pleased to address to me, wherein you mention (as you had before done to Mr. Adams and Doctor Franklin) that the Count de Bernstorff, in communicating to you the permission of your Sovereign to pay a visit to Copenhagen, had desired you to ask of the American Ministers their proposition for forwarding the objects respecting the two nations. I immediately communicated your letter to Mr. Adams and Dr. Franklin, and in consequence thereof have now the honor of enclosing to you the draft of a treaty of amity and commerce, in such form as we would wish to see established between our two sovereigns. To emancipate commerce from the shackles which oppress it, to increase the general happiness, and lessen the miseries of mankind, are the objects of these propositions; and we flatter ourselves that the means proposed are founded in the most perfect equality and reciprocity of right. We shall attend, with great respect, to such improvements as your Court may wish to make, for the furtherance of the same good objects.