have furnished him, which will show that Congress cannot depend on such pecuniary assistance from this nation as they expected. Mr. Jay's situation has been particularly disagreeable; the sum allotted by Congress by no means accords with his necessary expenses, even if he received his salary as it became due. I do not complain, although I have been obliged since my departure from America to expend more than six hundred and fifty pounds sterling, and have not as yet received more than two hundred pounds of my salary. Almost every thing that passes, even in Congress, is known here, either by intercepted letters or otherwise. You, gentlemen, will conceive how delicate Mr. Jay's situation must be, if he delivers faithfully his sentiments of men and measures. I must repeat again, however, that there is a great appearance of candor and good faith. The Count de Florida Blanca and M. Galvez speak with much apparent civility and frankness, and seem desirous of doing all that is possible to succor us consistent with the actual situation of their finances, the former particularly. I have sent a copy of this via Bilboa, and another from Cadiz. I have not yet had the pleasure of receiving one letter from any one member of Congress. I have the honor to be, &c., WILLIAM CARMICHAEL. TO THE COMMITTEE OF FOREIGN AFFAIRS. Madrid, July 17th, 1780. Gentlemen, Since writing the preceding letter, bills to the amount of about fifteen thousand dollars have been presented, and at a time when the news of our misfortune at Charleston made an impression much to our disadvantage. These bills, however, are accepted, and the Count de Florida Blanca appears to interest himself more than ever in contributing to aid us, repeating, in the strongest manner, his Catholic Majesty's favorable intentions. What he hinted at with respect to the attempts of the enemy to thwart Mr. Jay's negociations has proved true. A Mr. Cumberland, Secretary to Lord George Germain, has obtained permission to come to Madrid, and is actually here at present. But as his Excellency has promised to communicate his proposals, whatever they may be, on the subject of an accommodation, we cannot entertain a doubt but that he will do it with the same frankness with which he made known to us those of Sir John Dalrymple. The Count de Montmorin, Ambassador for France here, is not the least alarmed by the reception of this gentleman, and that Court is full as much interested as we are in the object for which he is sent. Mr. Jay will transmit to Congress a narrative, which I have given him, of this gentleman's motions. We have likewise received an account of the death of M. Miralles. He will soon have a successor, by whom we shall write more fully, and I hope more to the satisfaction of Congress. Nothing can hurt us here, or in Europe, so long as we are united, firm, and vigorous. I experienced at first a little coldness from the foreign Ministers at this Court, after the news of the surrender of Charleston, but that is worn off. The public papers will announce the disturbances which have lately arisen at London; all is at present quiet in that quarter, and Government seems to have acquired fresh confidence and vigor. The Count d'Estaing is expected at St. Ildefonso the 1st of next month, to go from thence to take the command of the united fleets, which will consist of thirty-six sail-of-the-line, from Cadiz, including the French from Toulon, and other French ports, and twelve or fifteen from Brest. The last advices import that the English squadron amounted to twenty-eight, chiefly capital ships; they left port about the 20th ultimo. The rest of Europe is in the same situation that I have already mentioned. Since writing my letter of the 28th of May, I received a letter. from the Baron de Schulenburg,* of which the enclosed is a copy, in answer to a civil letter which I wrote him on my arrival here, representing the situation of our affairs in a favorable light. I daily expect another letter from him more particular, in consequence of an address which I have transmitted to him, by which he may write to me in safety. I have cultivated the friendship of the foreign Ministers and their Secretaries as often as I have had occasion, and as I have always avoided an appearance of prejudice, I flatter myself that I have been listened to with attention. My conduct has been the same with those of this nation with whom I have found means to be acquainted, and I doubt not, with time and patience, we * Missing. shall ultimately succeed. I cannot speak too highly of the conduct of the Count de Montmorin, personally or politically. M. Gerard, in his letters to me, expresses the same attachment as ever to our cause, and his late acquisition of dignity and consequence puts it more in his power to be useful to us. As yet, Mr. Jay has received but one letter from Congress, which conveyed their resolves respecting the bills of exchange drawn on him. I beg leave to acknowledge the receipt of a letter from Mr. Houston last week, which I shall answer, if possible, by this opportunity. I have the honor to be, &c., WILLIAM CARMICHAEL. TO THE COMMITTEE OF FOREIGN AFFAIRS. Gentlemen, St. Ildefonso, August 22d, 1780. In the course of this month, I did myself the honor of writing to you by the General Pickering from Bilboa, and the Captain Kyan from Cadiz, as also via France. In these letters I informed you of the situation of our affairs here, and of that of Europe in general; since which we have advanced very little. The Minister had informed Mr. Jay, on the 5th of July, that he had sent for a person to succeed M. Miralles, and that, on his arrival, arrangements would be made with respect to the bills presented to Mr. Jay for payment, and that he would then enter into discussions on the other objects of Mr. Jay's mission. Before and since that period, bills to the amount of thirty thousand dollars have been presented, of which Mr. Jay has accepted for fourteen thousand, by the direction of the Minister, and none of the others have as yet been protested. You will see, by a state of the finances of this country, which, in compliance with Mr. Jay's instructions to me at my departure from Cadiz, I have had the honor to give him, that their revenues and resources, since the war, have greatly diminished, and that, previous to that period, they were by no means so flourishing as Congress had reason to suppose. In most of the conferences with the Minister, the scarcity of cash has been objected, more than the want of inclination, and hints have been thrown out that it would be much more convenient for the Court to grant the United States aids in money from their possessions in America than in Europe. Although hopes have been as constantly given that a part of the sum drawn for would be furnished, at the end of the present year or commencement of the next, and that measures in the mean time might be taken to prevent embarrassments, in case of the arrival of bills after that period, great surprise has been expressed that Congress should take such a step without previously informing the Court of their intentions, and obtaining its approbation of the measure. Congress will therefore judge of the propriety of disposing of any bills that may remain unsold, until it is fully ascertained that they will be punctually paid. Mr. Jay, now at Madrid, where the death of his child, and the consequent distresses of his family, detain him a few days, will undoubtedly transmit more ample intelligence on this subject, with the various papers in his possession necessary to explain it. This Court has been obliged to make considerable loans for their own current expenses, the nature of which I hope to be able to explain in a future letter. It has lately obtained seven millions five hundred thousand current dollars in France and elsewhere. The loan is for nine millions, and from the nature of it will create a temporary paper circulation to that amount in this Kingdom. I shall transmit to Congress, as soon as it becomes public, a full detail of its operations. Mr. Cumberland, whom I mentioned in my last, and whose name you will find in all the European gazettes, is still at Madrid, from whence he has lately had permission to send a courier to London, but as the Spanish Minister has engaged to impart any serious proposals he may make, and as the French Ambassador expresses no uneasiness from the residence of this gentleman in Spain, although this circumstance at this crisis is extraordinary, we cannot presume there can be solid ground for apprehension. Considerable revolu tions, however, have happened in the system of politics of this country, ever since the accession of the House of Bourbon, and where Governments are often more influenced by the counsels, and sometimes the caprices of individuals, than from regard to the real and permanent interest of a nation, there is always something to fear. Congress, judging from the assurances of the Minister, and the King's character, which is remarkable for steadiness, on the one part, and from the circumstance of Mr. Cumberland's residence here, and the constant endeavors of our enemies by every insidious art to misrepresent our situation, on the other, will be best able to draw conclusions from the whole. The treaty proposed by Russia to the neutral maritime Powers to secure their commerce and protect their navigation, has been or will be acceded to by Sweden, Denmark, the Hanseatic towns, and Holland, and a Russian squadron is expected in the Channel daily. Portugal, it is said, influenced by England, will not accede to this treaty, which will put a stop to the piratical conduct of that country. France and Spain exclaim against the partiality of Portugal to Great Britain, and I have been informed, but I do not pretend to vouch for the authenticity of the intelligence, that strong representations have been made to that Court, either to shut its ports against the armed vessels of the nations at war, or to take a part in it. The French Minister to that Court said something to the same purpose to me at Madrid on his way to Lisbon. The English at present sell their prizes there without the formality of condemnation. The Count d'Estaing is now here, and on every occasion manifests the strongest attachment to the United States and their interests. The general opinion gives him the command of a part, if not the whole of the combined fleets, which amount to thirty-six sail-of-the-line, now at sea, commanded by M. Cordova. The English fleet under Geary, is also cruizing between Ushant and Cape St. Vincent, to prevent the junction of the ships from Brest and Ferrol with the Spanish Admiral, and to protect their outward and homeward bound convoys, and to intercept those of the allies. I had written thus far, when a courier arrived with the important news of the combined fleets having fallen in with and taken fifty-six sail out of sixty, destined to the East and West Indies, Madeira, and Quebec. I have requested Mr. Harrison at Cadiz to enclose to the Committee a list of the prizes, and the nature of their cargoes, as it has not yet been received here. This will be severely felt in England, and will occasion more clamor against the Ministry than all their naval losses since the war. Mr. Jay has heard from Congress but once since we have been in Spain, and very seldom from our other correspondents. The last letters from Paris mention that Messrs. Franklin, Adams, and Dana were well, and that Mr. Adams was going to Holland. I have the honor to be, &c., WILLIAM CARMICHAEL. |