Thomas Jefferson Papers

To Thomas Jefferson from Delamotte, 9 March 1793

From Delamotte

Havre, 9 Mch. 1793. He encloses a copy of a letter from Gouverneur Morris announcing that the French colonies have been opened solely to ships flying the American flag, which can ply between them and France directly and pay no more in duties than French ships. France is at war with Germany, Prussia, Holland, Savoy, England, and Spain, leaving only American flag vessels to help extract our capital from the colonies. “Les tabacs valent 80.₶ le %. Le Riz 70.₶ do. Le Change Sur Londres est à 15⅛e.”1

RC (DNA: RG 59, CD); 1 p.; in French; in a clerk’s hand, signed by Delamotte; part of text torn away; at foot of text: “Mr. le Secretaire d’état à Philadelphie”; with notation by TJ (see note 1 below). Recorded in SJL as received 4 May 1793. Enclosure: Gouverneur Morris to Delamotte, Paris, 21 Feb. 1793, asking him to send word of the new French policy on American trade with the colonies to the United States by all opportunities, and especially to forward a copy of his letter to the Secretary of State (Tr in same, attested by Delamotte, at head of text: “Circular”; Tr in ViW, corrected and attested by Delamotte).

1TJ drew a line around the passage quoted here and penciled above it: “a letter from Havre of Mar. 9. quotes the following prices of American produce.” A translation of the passage, with this preface, was printed in the 8 May 1793 issues of the National Gazette and the Gazette of the United States.

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