Proposed Changes in Translation of the Treaty with Prussia, [ca. 1 March? 1785]
Proposed Changes in Translation of the Treaty with Prussia
[ca. 1 Mch.? 1785]
We submit the following passages to the consideration of the Baron De Thulemeyer, collating the English expressions, the French translation and the changes which we think should be made to yeild the true sense.1
| English expression2 | Passages in the translation where the sense seems changed2 |
Corrections hazarded2 |
| Art. X. shall succeed to their said personal goods | succederont à leurs biens | succederont à leur dits biens personelles |
| such care shall be taken of the said goods and for so long a time as would be taken of the goods of a native in like case until the lawful owner may take measures for receiving them. | on prendra pendant ce temps les memes soins des biens qui leur sont echus, qu’on auroit pris en pareille occurrence des biens des natifs du pays: à moins que le proprietaire legitime n’ait pris des arrangemens pour recueiller l’heritage. | on prendra des biens qui leur sont echus les memes soins et pour le meme temps qu’on auroit pris en pareille occurrence des biens des natifs du pays, jusques à ce que le proprietaire legitime aura pris des arrangemens pour recueillir l’heritage. |
| and where on the death of any person holding real estate within the territories of the one party, such real estate would by the laws of the land descend on a citizen or subject of the other, were he not disqualified by alienage, such subject shall be allowed &c. | et si par la mort de quelque personne possedant des biens-fonds sur le territoire de l’une des parties contractantes, les biens- fonds venoient à passer selon les loix du pays à un citoyen ou sujet de l’autre partie, celuici, s’il est gualifié à aliener les dits biens, obtiendra &c. | et si par la mort de quelque personne possedant des bien-fonds sur le territoire de l’une des parties contractantes, les biensfonds viendroient à passer selon les loix du pais à un citoyen ou sujet de l’autre partie s’il n’etoit pas inhabilité comme etranger, celui-ci obtiendra &c. |
| 17. or by a pyrate3 | ou par un Armateur | ou par un pirate |
| 19. arrested, searched | ni arretées ni saisies | ni arretées, ni visitées |
| 23. | et en general tous ceux | we concur in adopting this expression as being more extensive than the original and for a good purpose. |
| private armed vessels | armateurs | vaisseaux armés en course |
| 24. in some part of their dominions | omitted | assignera ‘dans leurs territoires’ |
| and all others | aux simples soldats | à touts les autres |
| necessaries | douceurs | we like the word ‘douceurs’ better than the word ‘necessaries’ which we had proposed and for which we had therefore rather substitute ‘comforts’ |
| 26. yeilding the compensation where such nation does the same | accordant la meme compensation qu’aura eté agréée pour d’autres nations. | en accordant la même compensation si la concession est conditionelle. |
MS (DLC); entirely in TJ’s hand. Undated, but certainly done after 24 Jan. and before 28 July 1785. This collation of texts may have been among the notes that TJ sent to Adams and Franklin on 1 Mch. 1785. It is not known when this memorandum was transmitted to De Thulemeier, but it must have been made available to him in some form, for some of the “Corrections hazarded” or modifications of them appeared in the final text of the treaty. Text appears to be a fair copy, though with some alterations made probably after consultation among the Commissioners.
1. This caption was interlined at head of page after the collation of texts had been made; it was done in connection with deletion indicated in note 2.
2. This phrase deleted in connection with the foregoing alteration.
3. The following deleted at this point in the three columns: (1) “public or private purpose,” (2) “usage public ou particulier,” and (3) “objet public ou particulier.”