American Commissioners to De Souza, 30 November 1784
American Commissioners to De Souza
Passy November 30th. 1784
Sir
We have received the Extract of the letter from Monsieur de Sa of the 24th Octr. 1784 which your Excellency was pleased to send us by the hand of the Secretary of your legation.
“That in consequence of our letter your Excellency might assure us that Her Most faithful Majesty will be very glad to have the best correspondence with the United States, and that we may explain to your Excellency the intentions of Congress, to be communicated to your Court who will listen to them with much attention.”
Conformably to the desires of Her most faithful Majesty expressed in this extract of the letter of Her Minister we have the honour to enclose a draught1 of a project of a treaty of Amity and Commerce to be concluded between the two powers if this project should be approved by Her Majesty and a full power should be sent to your Excellency to conclude, we are ready to sign such a treaty on the part of the United States. If your Court have any objections or alterations to propose we shall give them all the attention and consideration consistent with the views of our Constituents. With great respect We have the honour to be Your Excellency’s Most obedient & Most humble Servants,
John Adams
B. Franklin
T. Jefferson
FC (DNA: PCC, No. 116). Enclosure: Copy of the same draft of a treaty sent to De Thulemeier, 10 Nov. 1784 (see note 1 below).
Extract of the letter from Monsieur de sa: Following FC of the American Commissioners to the President of Congress, 11 Nov. 1784, there is the following entry in the Minutes: “Immediately after dispatching the preceding letter to Congress the Plenipotentiaries received by the hand of the Secretary to the Portuguese Embassy the following ‘Copie de l’Article de la lettre de Mr. de Sá datee de Queluz 24 Octobre 1784 a Mr. de Souza. En consequence de ce que les Agens des Etats Unis de l’Amerique ont ecrit a Ve. Exce., elle peut les assurer que sa Majesteé T. F. sera fort aise d’avoir avec les Etats Unis la meilleur correspondence: Que les Agens peuvent s’expliquer avec Ve. Exce. et lui communiquer les intentions du Congrès pour en faire part á sa Cour, qui les ecoutera avec beaucoup d’ attention’” (DNA: PCC, No. 116, p. 126; RC of extract, DNA: PCC, No. 86).
1. There is an asterisk at this point in FC and another at the foot of the text, with the following: “N.B. The draught of the treaty was the same as that enclosed to the Baron Thulemeier.”