21From Thomas Jefferson to John Jay, 29 July 1788 (Jefferson Papers)
Having received the inclosed letter from Julien Laurent claiming his wages as Volunteer on board the Bonhomme Richard, I have the honour of forwarding it to you, supposing it will of course be referred to the proper office to take order on. I have the honour to be with sentiments of the most perfect esteem and respect Sir Your most obedient & most humble servt., RC ( DNA : PCC , No. 87, ii )....
22From Thomas Jefferson to John Jay, 15 March 1789 (Jefferson Papers)
Since closing my letters which accompany this I have received an answer from London on the subject of the other volumes of Deane’s letters and accounts suggested to be still in his possession. This information renders it certain that none such are in his possession, and probable that no others exist but the two which I have purchased. I am in hopes therefore we may conclude that the recovery...
23From Thomas Jefferson to John Jay, 14 February 1787 (Jefferson Papers)
In the letter of the 8th. instant which I had the honour of writing you, I informed you of the illness of the Count de Vergennes. In one of the present date which I send by the way of London, I have notified to you his death which happened yesterday morning, and that the Count de Montmorin is appointed his successor, with whose character you are personally acquainted. As the winds have been...
24To John Jay from Thomas Jefferson, 25 January 1786 (Jay Papers)
I received on the 18 th . instant your private favor of Dec. 9. and thank you for the confidence you are so good as to repose in me, of which that communication is a proof: as such it is a gratification to me, because it meets the esteem I have ever borne you. But nothing was needed to keep my mind right on that subject, and I believe I may say the public mind here. the sentiments entertained...
25From Thomas Jefferson to John Jay, 21 January 1789 (Jefferson Papers)
Having had the honour of addressing you so lately as the 11th. and 14th. instant, I should not so soon have troubled you again but that since the departure of those letters I have received one from the Count de la Luzerne of which I now send a copy, together with another copy of the Arret of Dec. 7. lest the former should be longer getting to you. You will perceive that the Ministry press for...
26From Thomas Jefferson to John Jay, 7 November 1787 (Jefferson Papers)
By a letter of the 2d. inst. from the Count de Moustier I perceive he is still at Brest. The wind has now been near a month in the South-Western quarter, and if it remains there a few days longer, my dispatches by the packet may reach you as soon as those by Monsr. de Moustier. This being the last post which can reach the packet, should she sail on the 10th. I avail myself of it to inform you...
27From Thomas Jefferson to John Jay, 11 May 1785 (Jefferson Papers)
I was honoured on the 2d. instant with the receipt of your favor of Mar. 15. inclosing the resolution of Congress of the 10th. of the same month appointing me their Minister plenipotentiary at this court; and also of your second letter of Mar. 22. covering the commission and letter of credence for that appointment. I beg permission through you, Sir, to testify to Congress my gratitude for this...
28From Thomas Jefferson to John Jay, 10 August 1788 (Jefferson Papers)
I have waited till the last moment of Mrs. Barclay’s departure to write you the occurrences since my letter of the 3d. instant. We have received the Swedish account of an engagement between their fleet and the Russian on the Baltic, wherein they say they took one and burnt another Russian vessel with the loss of one on their side, and that the victory remained with them. They say at the same...
29From Thomas Jefferson to John Jay, 8 February 1787 (Jefferson Papers)
The packet being to sail the day after tomorrow, I have awaited the last possible moment of writing by her, in hopes I might be able to announce some favorable change in the situation of the Count de Vergennes. But none has occurred, and in the mean time he has become weaker by the continuance of his illness. Tho’ not desperately ill, he is dangerously so. The Comptroller General M. de...
30From Thomas Jefferson to John Jay, 5 September 1788 (Jefferson Papers)
I wrote you on the 3d. instant, and have this day received Mr. Remsen’s favor of July 25 . written during your absence at Poughkeepsie, and inclosing the ratification of the loan of a million of florins for which Mr. Adams had executed bonds at Amsterdam in March last. The expediency of that loan resulting from an estimate made by Mr. Adams and myself, and that estimate having been laid before...
31From Thomas Jefferson to John Jay, 30 May 1788 (Jefferson Papers)
A further delay of Mr. Warville enables me to acknolege the receipt of your letter of April 24. by Mr. Paradise. Nothing new has occurred since the date of my other letters which go by this conveiance: except that about one third of the Baillages have accepted their appointments. If the others pretty generally should do the same, and the Chatelet be brought over it will place government pretty...
32From Thomas Jefferson to John Jay, 13 March 1788 (Jefferson Papers)
Mr. Adams having announced to our bankers here his approaching departure from Europe, and referred them to me for counsel on our affairs in their hands, they sent me a state of them, and of the difficulties which were pressing at the moment, and impending more seriously for the month of June. They were urging me by almost every post on this subject. In this situation, information of Mr....
33From Thomas Jefferson to John Jay, 25 January 1786 (Jefferson Papers)
I received on the 18th. instant your private favor of Dec. 9. and thank you for the confidence you are so good as to repose in me, of which that communication is a proof. As such it is a gratification to me, because it meets the esteem I have ever borne you. But nothing was needed to keep my mind right on that subject, and I believe I may say the public mind here. The sentiments entertained of...
34From Thomas Jefferson to John Jay, 3 November 1787 (Jefferson Papers)
My last letters to you were of the 8th. and 27th. of October. In the former I mentioned to you the declaration of this country that they would interpose with force if the Prussian troops entered Holland, the entry of those troops into Holland, the declaration of England that if France did oppose force they would consider it as an act of war, the naval armaments on both sides, nomination of the...
35From Thomas Jefferson to John Jay, 23 October 1786 (Jefferson Papers)
In a letter of Jan. 2. I had the honor of communicating to you the measures which had been pursued here for the improvement of the commerce between the U.S. and France, the general view of that commerce which I had presented to the C. de Vergennes, the circumstance of the renewal of the farms which had obliged me to press separately and in the first place, the article of tobacco, and that...
36From Thomas Jefferson to John Jay, 4 May 1787 (Jefferson Papers)
I had the honour of receiving at Aix your letter of Feb. 9. and immediately wrote to the Count de Montmorin, explaining the delay of the answer of Congress to the king’s letter, and desired Mr. Short to deliver that answer with my letter to Monsieur de Montmorin , which he accordingly informs me he has done. My absence prevented my noting to you in the first moment the revolution which has...
37From Thomas Jefferson to John Jay, 14 November 1788 (Jefferson Papers)
In my letter of Dec. 21. 1787. I had the honour of acknoleging the receipt of your two favours of July 27. 1787. which had come to my hands Dec. 19. and brought with them my full powers for treating on the subject of the Consular convention. Being then much engaged in getting forward the Arret which came out the 29th. of Dec. and willing to leave some interval between that act, and the...
38From Thomas Jefferson to John Jay, with Enclosure, 12 November 1786 (Jefferson Papers)
In a letter which I had the honor of writing you on the 26th. of Sep. I informed you that a Dutch company were making propositions to the Minister of finance here to purchase at a discount the debt due from the U.S. to this country. I have lately procured a copy of their memoir, which I now inclose. Should Congress think this subject worthy their attention, they have no time to lose, as the...
39From Thomas Jefferson to John Jay, with Enclosure, 23 May 1788 (Jefferson Papers)
When I wrote my letter of the 4th. inst. I had no reason to doubt that a packet would have sailed on the 10th. according to the established order. The passengers had all, except one, gone to Havre in this expectation. None however is sailed, and perhaps none will sail, as I think the suppression of the packets is one of the oeconomies in contemplation. An American merchant concerned in the...
40To John Jay from Thomas Jefferson, 4 May 1788 (Jay Papers)
I had the honor of addressing you in two letters of the 13 th . & 16 th . of March from Amsterdam, and have since received mr Remsen’s of Feb. 20. I staid at Amsterdam about 10. or 12 days after the departure of mr Adams in hopes of seeing the million of the last year filled up. this however could not be accomplished on the spot. but the prospect was so good as to have dissipated all fears;...
41From Thomas Jefferson to John Jay, 5 February 1788 (Jefferson Papers)
The letter of Dec. 12. which Mr. Remsen did me the favor to write me during your indisposition has been duly received; and I shall be happy to hear that the cause is removed which deprived me at that moment of the pleasure of hearing from you. My last were of the 21st. and 31st. of December. I am afraid that my intelligence may have appeared sometimes to come late to hand. My letters by the...
42From Thomas Jefferson to John Jay, 31 December 1787 (Jefferson Papers)
Since the receipt of the letter of Monsieur de Calonne of Octob. 22. 1786. I have several times had the honour of mentioning to you that I was endeavouring to get the substance of that letter reduced into an arrêt, which, instead of being revocable by a simple letter of a comptroller general, would require an arrêt to repeal or alter it, and of course must be discussed in full council and so...
43From Thomas Jefferson to John Jay, 6 October 1785 (Jefferson Papers)
My letter of Aug. 30. acknowleged the receipt of yours of July 13. Since that I have received your letter of Aug. 13. inclosing a correspondence between the M. de la Fayette and Monsr. de Calonne, and another of the same date inclosing the papers in Fortin’s case. I immediately wrote to Mr. Limozin at Havre desiring he would send me a state of the case, and inform me what were the difficulties...
44To John Jay from Thomas Jefferson, 4 February 1789 (Jay Papers)
Your favor of Nov. 25. by Gouverneur Morris is duly recieved. [I must beg you to take the trouble of decyphering yourself what follows, and to communicate it to no body but the President at least for the present. ] We had before understood thro different channels that the conduct of the Count de Moustier was politically and morally offensive. it was delicate for me to speak on the subject to...
45To John Jay from Thomas Jefferson, 23 May 1786 (Jay Papers)
Letters received both from Madrid & Algiers while I was in London having suggested that Treaties with the states of Barbary would be much facilitated by a previous one with the Ottoman porte, it was agreed between mr Adams and myself that on my return I should consult on this subject the Count de Vergennes, whose long residence at Constantinople rendered him the best judge of it’s expediency....
46To John Jay from Thomas Jefferson, 31 December 1787 (Jay Papers)
Since the receipt of the letter of Monsieur de Calonne of Octob. 22. 1786. I have several times had the honour of mentioning to you that I was endeavouring to get the substance of that letter reduced into an arrêt, which, instead of being revocable by a simple letter of ^ a ^ comptroller general, would require an arrêt to repeal or alter it, and of course must be discussed in full council and...
47From Thomas Jefferson to John Jay, 11 January 1789 (Jefferson Papers)
My last letters have been of the 14th. 19th. and 29th. of November by the way of London. The present will go the same way through a private channel . All military operations in Europe seem to have been stopped by the excessive severity of the weather. In this country it is unparalleled in so early a part of the winter, and in duration, having continued since the middle of November, during...
48From Thomas Jefferson to John Jay, 26 September 1786 (Jefferson Papers)
The last letters I had the honor of writing you were of the 11th. and 13th. of August. Since that I have been favored with yours of July 14th and Aug. 18th.—I now inclose you such letters on the Barbary negociations as have come to hand since my last. With these is the copy of a joint letter from Mr. Adams and myself to Mr. Lamb. In mine of Augst. 13th. I mentioned that I had proposed it as a...
49From Thomas Jefferson to John Jay, 29 November 1788 (Jefferson Papers)
In the hurry of making up my letter of the 19th. inst. I omitted to inclose the printed paper on the subject of whale oil. That omission is now supplied by another conveiance by the way of London. The explanatory Arrêt is not yet come out. I still take for granted it will pass, tho’ there be an opposition to it in the council. In the mean time orders are given to receive our oils which may...
I had the honor of writing you on the 19 th . of Sep. twice on the 22 d . & again on the 24 th . the two first went by the packet, the 3 d by a vessel bound to Philadelphia. I have not yet learned by what occasion the last went. in these several letters I communicated to you the occurrences of Europe as far as they were then known. Not withstanding the advantage which the emperor seemed to...
51From Thomas Jefferson to John Jay, 27 January 1786 (Jefferson Papers)
I had the honor of addressing you by the way of London on the 2d. instant. Since that your’s of Dec. 7. has come to hand. I have now the pleasure to inform you that Mr. Barclay, having settled as far as depended on him the accounts of Monsieur de Beaumarchais, left Paris on the 15th. instant to proceed to Marocco. Business obliged him to go by the way of l’Orient and Bourdeaux, but he told me...
52From Thomas Jefferson to John Jay, 12 May 1786 (Jefferson Papers)
The last letters I had the honour of addressing you from this place were of the 2d. and 27. of January. Those from London were of the 12th. of March and 23. of April. In the month of February the Baron de Blome, minister plenipotentiary at this court from Denmark informed me that he was instructed by his court to take notice to the Ministers from the U.S. appointed to negotiate a treaty of...
53From Thomas Jefferson to John Jay, 14 August 1785 (Jefferson Papers)
I was honoured on the 22d. Ult. with the receipt of your letter of June 15. and delivered the letter therein inclosed from the President of Congress to the king. I took an opportunity of asking the Count de Vergennes whether the Chevalier Luzerne proposed to return to America? He answered me that he did, and that he was here, for a time only, to arrange his private affairs. Of course this...
54From Thomas Jefferson to John Jay, 3 September 1788 (Jefferson Papers)
By Mrs. Barclay I had the honour of sending you letters of the 3d. 10th. and 11th. of August: since which I wrote you of the 20th. of the same month by a casual conveiance, as is the present. In my letter of the 20th. I informed you of the act of public bankruptcy which has taken place here. The effect of this would have been a forced loan of about 180. millions of livres in the course of the...
55From Thomas Jefferson to John Jay, 31 December 1786 (Jefferson Papers)
I had the honor of addressing you on the 12th. of the last month, since which your favor of Oct. 12. has been recieved, inclosing a copy of the resolution of Congress for recalling Mr. Lamb. My letter by Mr. Randall informed you that we had put an end to his powers and required him to repair to Congress. I lately recieved a letter from him dated Alicant Oct. 10. of which I have the honour to...
56From Thomas Jefferson to John Jay, 8 October 1787 (Jefferson Papers)
I had the honor of writing you on the 19th. of Sep. twice on the 22d. and again on the 24th. The two first went by the packet, the 3d. by a vessel bound to Philadelphia. I have not yet learned by what occasion the last went. In these several letters I communicated to you the occurrences of Europe as far as they were then known. Notwithstanding the advantage which the emperor seemed to have...
57From Thomas Jefferson to John Jay, 24 December 1785 (Jefferson Papers)
Since my last to you, which were dated the 6th. and 11th. of October, I have been honoured with yours of the 1st. 14th. and 15th. of September . Since the departure of the Mr. Fitzhughs, who carried my last, no confidential opportunity of writing has offered. The present I send by the way of London, and being to pass thro’ the post offices of both countries, shall mention in it nothing but...
58From Thomas Jefferson to John Jay, 1 February 1787 (Jefferson Papers)
My last letters were of the 31st. of Decemb. and 9th. of January, since which last date I have been honoured with yours of December the 13th. and 14th. I shall pay immediate attention to your instructions relative to the S. Carolina frigate. I had the honour of informing you of an improvement in the art of coining made here by one Drost, and of sending you by Colo. Franks a specimen of his...
59To John Jay from Thomas Jefferson (private), 3 November 1787 (Jay Papers)
I shall take the liberty of confiding sometimes to a private letter such details of the small history of the court or cabinet as may be worthy of being known, and yet not proper to be publicly communicated. I doubt whether the administration is yet in a permanent form. the Count de Monmorin & Baron de Breteuil are I believe firm enough in their places. it was doubted whether they would wait...
60From Thomas Jefferson to John Jay, with Enclosure, 27 May 1786 (Jefferson Papers)
In my letter of January 2. I had the honour of stating to you what had passed here on the subject of the commerciable articles between this country and the United States. I beg leave now to resume that subject. I therein informed you that this government had agreed to receive our fish oils on the footing on which they receive those of the Hanseatic towns, which gave us a reduction of duty from...
61From Thomas Jefferson to John Jay, 3 November 1787 (Jefferson Papers)
I shall take the liberty of confiding sometimes to a private letter such details of the small history of the court or cabinet as may be worthy of being known, and yet not proper to be publicly communicated . I doubt whether the administration is yet in a permanent form. The Count de Monmorin and Baron de Breteuil are I believe firm enough in their places. It was doubted whether they would wait...
62From Thomas Jefferson to John Jay, 30 August 1785 (Jefferson Papers)
I had the honour of writing to you on the 14th. inst. by a Mr. Cannon of Connecticut who was to sail in the packet. Since that date yours of July 13. is come to hand. The times for the sailing of the packets being somewhat deranged, I avail myself of a conveiance of the present by the Mr. Fitzhughs of Virginia who expect to land at Philadelphia. I inclose you a correspondence which has taken...
63From Thomas Jefferson to John Jay, 19 November 1788 (Jefferson Papers)
Since my letter of Sep. 5. wherein I acknoleged Mr. Remsen’s favor of July 25. I have written those of Sep. 24. and of the 14th. inst. This last will accompany the present; both going by the way of London for want of a direct opportunity. But they go by a private hand . No late event worth notice has taken place between the Turks and Austrians. The former continue in the territories of the...
64From Thomas Jefferson to John Jay, with Enclosures, 16 March 1788 (Jefferson Papers)
In a letter of the 13th. inst. which I had the honor of addressing you from this place, I mentioned in general terms the object of my journey hither and that I should enter into more particular details by the confidential conveiance which would occur thro’ Mr. Adams and Colo. Smith. The board of Treasury had, in the month of December, given notice to our bankers here that it would be...
65To John Jay from Thomas Jefferson, 14 January 1789 (Jay Papers)
In my letter of the 11 th . I have said nothing of the Arret explanatory of that of Sep. 28. on the subject of whale oils, which my letter of Nov. 19. gave you reason to expect. tho this explanatory arret has been passed so long ago as the 7 th . of December it has not been possible for me to obtain an authentic copy of it till last night. I now inclose that to you with a copy of a letter to...
66From Thomas Jefferson to John Jay, with Report on Conversations with Vergennes, 2 January 1786 (Jefferson Papers)
Several Conferences and Letters having passed between the Count de Vergennes and myself on the Subject of the Commerce of this Country with the U.S. I think them sufficiently interesting to be communicated to Congress. They are stated in the Form of a Report and are herein inclosed. The Length of this Despatch perhaps needs Apology. Yet I have not been able to abridge it without omitting...
67From Thomas Jefferson to John Jay, 21 December 1787 (Jefferson Papers)
The last letters I had the honour of addressing you were of the 3d. and 7th. of November. Your several favors, to wit, two of July 27. two of Oct. 24. and one of Nov. 3. have all been delivered within the course of a week past: and I embrace the earliest occasion of returning to Congress my sincere thanks for the new proofs I receive therein of their confidence in me, and of assuring them of...
68From Thomas Jefferson to John Jay, 12 July 1785 (Jefferson Papers)
My last letter to you was dated the 17th. of June. The present serves to cover some papers put into my hands by Capt. Paul Jones. They respect an antient matter which is shortly this. While Capt. Jones was hovering on the coast of England in the year 1779. a British pilot, John Jackson by name, came on board him supposing him to be British. Capt. Jones found it convenient to detain him as a...
69To John Jay from Thomas Jefferson, 12 March 1789 (Jay Papers)
I had the honour of addressing you on the 1 st . instant through the post. I write the present incertain whether mr Nesbitt, the bearer of your last, will be the bearer of this, or whether it may not have to wait some other private occasion. they have re-established their packet-boats here indeed; but they are to go from Bordeaux, which being between four & five hundred miles from hence, is...
70From Thomas Jefferson to John Jay, 15 May 1788 (Jefferson Papers)
The change which is likely to take place in the form of our government seems to render it proper that during the existence of the present government, an article should be mentioned which concerns me personally. Incertain however how far Congress may have decided to do business, when so near the close of their administration, less capable than those on the spot, of foreseeing the character of...