From Benjamin Franklin to Ernst Frederik von Walterstorff, 2 September 1784
To Ernst Frederik von Walterstorff
Press copy of AL: Library of Congress
On August 30 the three ministers newly commissioned by Congress to negotiate treaties of amity and commerce with foreign powers8 held their first formal meeting at Franklin’s residence in Passy. Thomas Jefferson, recently arrived from America, was by that time settled in Paris. John Adams, now joined by his family, had rented a mansion in Auteuil, just one mile from Franklin’s Hôtel de Valentinois. David Humphreys, Congress’ choice to be secretary of the commission, was the last to arrive in France, reaching Paris by August 18.9 The commissioners agreed to meet at Franklin’s residence in consideration of how painful it was for him to travel.1
The first three meetings were summarized by David Humphreys in his official letterbook.2 On August 30 the commissioners read their instructions and agreed to meet daily at Passy “until the objects of the Commissions shall be properly arranged and put as far may be into the best train of execution.” They resolved that John Paul Jones should apply for compensation from Denmark for the American prizes turned over to Britain,3 and that Jones should try to obtain the support of the French court for that appeal. On August 31 they agreed to “announce officially to the Court of Versailles the object of their Mission as early as possible.” They also met with David Hartley to inform him of their commission to negotiate a treaty of amity and commerce with Britain.4 On September 1 the commissioners discussed Charles Thomson’s letter to them of July 16, 1784, and its enclosures, regarding the affair of the French merchant ship Aimable Elizabeth.5 They instructed Temple, as secretary of the legation, to write to Thomas Barclay for more information about the ship. Finally, they decided to ask Walterstorff for a meeting, which Franklin requested with the present document.
Passy, Sept. 2. ’84.—
Mr Franklin presents his respectful Compliments to Mr. Walterstorff, and has the honour to acquaint him, that the American Ministers for Treaties of Commerce, &c. will meet on Saturday next at 12 aClock, at Mr Franklin’s, when they will be glad to see and converse with Mr Walterstorff, on the Subject of the Treaty with Denmark, if agreable to him.—6
8. The new commission, consisting of BF, JA, and TJ, was established on May 7: XLII, 216–26.
9. TJ arrived in Paris on Aug. 6, and by Aug. 11 was settled in the Hôtel d’Orleans: XLII, 390n; Jefferson Papers, VII, 443n. JA met his family in London and arrived in Paris on Aug. 13. Four days later they moved into such an elegant mansion in Auteuil that JA marveled at being “better off than even Dr. Franklin: Adams Papers, XVI, 303, 309. For the appointment and voyage of David Humphreys, Gw’s former aide-de-camp, see XLII, 305–7.
1. The commissioners must also have agreed that BF could act upon the May 11 instructions from Congress that applied to him alone (XLII, 222–3), conveying Congress’ responses to Rome and Versailles. On Aug. 18 he wrote to Pamphili (above), and, we believe, to Vergennes (for which see Vergennes to BF, Aug. 27, above).
2. This folio runs to more than 500 pages (National Archives). The Jefferson Papers refers to it as “Minutes of the Commissioners” (see VII, 420n), reflecting the title that Humphreys wrote on p. 26 (after he had copied Congress’ instructions) to introduce his account of the commissioners’ Aug. 30 meeting: “Minutes of the Proceedings of the Ministers plenipotentiary of the United States of America for forming Treaties of Amity and Commerce with Foreign Powers.” Humphreys stopped recording minutes after only three days. The Sept. 4 meeting with Walterstorff (mentioned below) is described only briefly; thereafter, the book consists primarily of copies of letters sent and received, introduced as needed by short phrases. Humphreys occasionally recorded the substance of his conversations with foreign diplomats or their secretaries, and he reported on the commissioners’ meeting of March 19, 1785. In essence, however, this book records correspondence and we hereafter short-title it “Humphreys’ letterbook.” (The Adams Papers does not refer to it as a whole, but cites individual letters as file copies.)
3. Congress had ordered the American peace commissioners to press this claim in its instructions of Oct. 29, 1783: XLI, 155–6.
4. For this meeting see the annotation of Hartley’s memorandum of Sept. 16, 1784.
5. XLII, 413–14.
6. Walterstorff accepted the invitation. According to Humphreys’ letterbook, the commissioners informed him on Saturday, Sept. 4 that they had been authorized to negotiate a treaty of amity and commerce with Denmark and asked him to relay this information to his court. This was not what Walterstorff had expected to hear. The draft Danish-American treaty that he and BF had negotiated in the spring of 1783 was sent by BF to Congress in July, 1783: XXXIX, 462, 467–8, 473; XL, 47n, 367–8. Since that time, both men had been awaiting Congress’ response.
On Sept. 6, Daniel Hailes, who, in the absence of the Duke of Dorset, was serving as the British minister plenipotentiary in Paris, wrote that Walterstorff told him that he had seen on BF’s table a draft treaty of commerce with Joseph II, among other draft treaties. When Walterstorff had asked how the United States could benefit from trade with such minor ports as Trieste and Ostend, BF replied that Walterstorff had forgotten Antwerp: Oscar Browning, ed., Despatches from Paris, 1784—1790 (2 vols., London, 1909–10), 1, 21.