moment. me of the means of making a full return for the intelligence you communicate. Our attention is at present turned to an object which, though apparently small, promises to have consequences of some You will find in the papers enclosed an account of the execution of a militia officer, Captain Huddy, by a band of Tories, on some false pretences. The General has demanded the perpetrators of this crime, or threatened to retaliate upon some British officer of equal rank. As his letter does him honor I enclose a copy, which you will be pleased to show to Mr. Jay. Clinton is reduced to great straits; he has already been the means of one officer's dying on a gibbet. He would be execrated by the army should he occasion the ignominious death of another. On the other hand, he is already very unpopular with the Tories. Should he give up those of the refugee corps who are concerned in this business, which has probably been done by the direction, or at least the connivance, of their board of directors, he will be embroiled with them. They form a kind of imperium in imperio. The directors being in a great measure independent of the commander-in-chief, have the custody of their own prisoners, regulate their own exchanges, divide the plunder they make according to their own rules, and correspond regularly with the Ministry; which circumstance alone is sufficient to excite a kind of rivalry between them and the commander-in-chief. Several propositions have been made for the exchange and comfortable support of prisoners, all of which have proved abortive, from the resolution of the British not to pay arrears they have incurred, which amounts to near £300,000 sterling. Some measures which will surprise them not a little, will be taken. I shall write particularly to Mr. Jay on this subject, because it will need explanation in Europe. You will consult Mr. Jay on the propriety of publishing the affair of Huddy in the European papers; and if he shall think it may be of any use, take measures for the purpose. I have the honor to be, &c., ROBERT R. LIVINGSTON. Sir, TO ROBERT R. LIVINGSTON. Madrid, June 12th, 1782. On the 5th instant I had the honor to address you, enclosing a copy of a letter which I wrote to Mr. Jay soon after his departure from Madrid.* The Court is now here, but the Ministers are generally so harassed by business and visits during their short stay in the capital, that there are few opportunities of having access to them. Before I left Aranjues I frequently reminded M. Del Campo of the promises made me to pay attention to the different offices passed from Mr. Jay, interesting to various citizens of the United States. I was well received, and had those promises reiterated. I judged it more proper to solicit the notice of the Ministry to these objects in person than by writing, because I could have small hopes of success from memorials, when I reflected how little attention had been paid to those written by a man so much my superior in that mode of address. Besides, frequent conferences perhaps develop better the opinions and dispositions of men than deliberate answers to requests or remonstrances, however clearly or however strongly they may be stated in writing. In my conversations with the Minister and the gentleman abovementioned, they seemed to think the work of peace to be in a fair way. I have, however, some reason to suppose that neither their instructions to their Ambassador at Paris for this object, nor those for him to treat with Mr. Jay, are yet forwarded; and there are grounds to conjecture that this Court would have retarded the negociation as much as possible, had not the defeat of the Count de Grasse blasted their hopes of taking Jamaica. Even now they will be desirous of knowing the fate of the siege of Gibraltar before they agree to any treaty which does not put them in possession of that important fortress. The neutral Ministers here seem to wish to intermeddle in the proposed pacification. There is a general jealousy among them of the House of Bourbon, and a particular animosity against this branch of it. This I have long remarked, and I have now more frequent occasions than heretofore. I am afraid the rumors of peace will slacken the preparations of the Dutch for war. The hopes of a speedy general pacification, and a sense of complaisance and apprehension of the Empress of Russia, may procrastinate the treaty between the United States and them. I write these conjectures with diffidence, as indeed I do all which depend on my own judgment. The letter here referred to is missing. Mr. Jay left Madrid for Paris about the 20th of May. I am busy at present in arranging the public accounts. The projected bank employs so much of M. Cabarrus's time, and that of his clerks, that it is possible I may be obliged to follow the Court to St. Ildefonso, to which place the King removes the 14th instant, before I can obtain such a settlement of them as may enable me to transmit the general account to Mr. Jay for his approbation. In the mean time, I draw, and shall still be obliged to draw, on Doctor Franklin, to enable me to discharge the public bills accepted by Mr. Jay. Exchange is every day more to our disadvantage. The depreciation of the royal billets is now at 34 to 3 per cent., and I make no doubt will be at 6 per cent. in two months. The Court has been again obliged to apply to the Gromios for assistance, whose privileges, it appears from the establishment of the bank, it meant to deprive them of. This circumstance marks their distress for money, and, as some say, the want of system in their conduct. The Duc de Crillon has set out for the camp before Gibraltar. The operations, however, will not seriously commence before the month of August, if in all that month. The expectations of success are sanguine. I heard the Duke himself speak with great confidence on the subject. The combined fleet left Cadiz the 4th instant; it consists of thirty-two sail-of-the-line and some frigates, and proceeds immediately to the British Channel. I avail myself of a courier from the French Ambassador to forward copies of this letter to the ports of France. The Count de Montmorin continues to give the same proofs of attachment to the interests of the States and of personal kindness to myself that I have ever experienced since my arrival in Spain. I beg leave to remind you to send me a cypher, and to entreat your instructions and intelligence addressed directly to myself; otherwise I have few opportunities of manifesting my zeal for the public service or of acquiring your personal esteem. I have the honor to be, &c., Sir, WILLIAM CARMICHAEL. ROBERT R. LIVINGSTON TO WILLIAM CARMICHAEL. Philadelphia, July 6th, 1782. Since my letter of May last, I have been favored with yours of the 18th and 27th of February. As they contained many things of importance which we had received through no other channel, I communicated their contents to Congress, to whom I have reason to think they were very acceptable. The great changes that have taken place in the administration of Britain make us extremely desirous of learning minutely the measures they are pursuing. Unfortunately it is long since we have received any other information from Europe than that contained in the public prints. Our Ministers abroad do not keep up such a communication with the sea-ports as to avail themselves of the opportunities that are almost weekly afforded, by which means the intelligence they transmit, if not of a private nature, is almost always forestalled. We are at present in a state of absolute inactivity here. We are not sufficiently strong to attack the enemy in their works without some naval aid; nor can they attack us with any prospect of success. Congress employ the present leisure in forming and enforcing a system of finance, which, notwithstanding all the difficulties it has to struggle with, will, I hope, shortly place our affairs on a more respectable footing; particularly if any of those Powers who are interested in supporting us shall afford the aid we have a right to expect. Among other changes that have taken place, there is one I believe you will be pleased with; in the payment of your salaries, which in future will be paid here upon my certificate, I, as your agent, will vest the money in bills, and remit them to you or Dr. Franklin, with orders for him to remit the money to you or pay it to your order. This will render your payments more regular, and free you from the appearance of dependence, which must be disagreeable to you. I remit by this conveyance to him the amount of one quarter's salary, commencing the first of January last, and ending the 1st of April, which I have vested in bills at the present rate of exchange, which is six shillings three pence this money for five livres, by which you gain almost five and a half per cent. You will be charged here two and a half per cent. premium, which is the usual commission, and I shall consider myself as your agent in this business unless you should choose to appoint some other. Your accounts for the next quarter will be made up immediately; the money vested in a bill upon Dr. Franklin, which I will remit him by the next opportunity. Send me a general state of your account, that I may get it settled for you, and the arrears, if any, discharged. I could wish much to have a cypher with you, but find it very difficult to send one. Let me have one, if you have a safe conveyance; if a favorable opportunity offers from here, I will transmit you one. I am, with great esteem and regard, &c., ROBERT R. LIVINGSTON. Sir, TO ROBERT R. LIVINGSTON. St. Ildefonso, July 8th, 1782. On the 5th and the 12th ultimo I did myself the honor of addressing you from Madrid. On the 2d instant I came to this place, having waited in the capital some days longer than I intended, for the purpose of arranging finally the public accounts with M. Cabarrus; but finding that that gentleman's occupations prevented him from stating them in the manner directed by Mr. Jay, and having by my stay, in compliance with his request, convinced him that the settlement and discharge of the balance still due depended on himself, I judged it proper to follow the Court hither, in order to have frequent opportunities of pressing the Minister to pay attention to the different memorials presented by Mr. Jay, of which copies have been transmitted by him to Congress, and to procure such information as it might be proper to lay before you. I did not strongly urge the settlement of the accounts abovementioned, because Dr. Franklin had requested Mr. Jay to give him as much time as possible for the payment of the sums due here, although I am persuaded the delay will be prejudicial, as it is probable the exchange will be more to our disadvantage every day. On the 3d instant, I waited on the Count de Florida Blanca and M. Del Campo. I found the former in conference with the French Ambassador, and as that had been long, and I knew he would be much fatigued, and also that he expected the Russian Minister and the Ambassador of the Emperor, who have of late received frequent couriers, I shortened my visit, which passed in amicable assurances on his part, and hopes on mine that his Excellency would put it as much in my power as it was my inclination to contribute to a lasting harmony between the two countries, by enabling me to inform Congress of the favorable disposition of his Majesty, and at the same |