RC (DLC); at head of text: “private”; endorsed by TJ as received from the State Department on 13 May and “Lear. Rogers. Davidson. Le Clerc. Pichon. Livingston” and so recorded in SJL. Enclosures: (1) Extract of letter from Victoire Emmanuel Leclerc to Tobias Lear, 25 Germinal Year 10 [15 Apr. 1802], justifying his imprisonment of John Rodgers and William Davidson, accusing Rodgers of making angry remarks and spreading false reports about the French in order to promote his own speculations, while Davidson aroused Leclerc’s suspicions because of the name he gave his vessel (PrC in same, in French; Madison, Papers description begins William T. Hutchinson, Robert A. Rutland, J. C. A. Stagg, and others, eds., The Papers of James Madison, Chicago and Charlottesville, 1962–, 32 vols. Sec. of State Ser., 1986–, 8 vols. Pres. Ser., 1984–, 6 vols. Ret. Ser., 2009–, 1 vol. description ends , Sec. of State Ser., 3:195). (2) Madison to Louis André Pichon, 6 May 1802, protesting the arrest of Rodgers and Davidson and criticizing the grounds that Leclerc has claimed to justify his actions; Madison asks Pichon to “employ the weight of your interposition in accelerating the release of Capt. Rodgers and Mr. Davidson and repairing the wrongs they have suffered” (PrC in DLC, in a clerk’s hand, signed by Madison; Madison, Papers description begins William T. Hutchinson, Robert A. Rutland, J. C. A. Stagg, and others, eds., The Papers of James Madison, Chicago and Charlottesville, 1962–, 32 vols. Sec. of State Ser., 1986–, 8 vols. Pres. Ser., 1984–, 6 vols. Ret. Ser., 2009–, 1 vol. description ends , Sec. of State Ser., 3:190–1). (3) Pichon to Madison, Georgetown, 7 May 1802, assuring the secretary of state that he will write to Leclerc on the subject of the arrests and expressing confidence that the French general will quickly make any reparations due to the United States once he realizes the consequences of his actions (PrC in DLC, in French; Madison, Papers description begins William T. Hutchinson, Robert A. Rutland, J. C. A. Stagg, and others, eds., The Papers of James Madison, Chicago and Charlottesville, 1962–, 32 vols. Sec. of State Ser., 1986–, 8 vols. Pres. Ser., 1984–, 6 vols. Ret. Ser., 2009–, 1 vol. description ends , Sec. of State Ser., 3:199). (4) Madison to Robert R. Livingston, 7 May 1802, enclosing extracts of the correspondence between Tobias Lear and Leclerc on the subject of the arrests, as well as a copy of Madison’s 6 May letter to Pichon; Madison believes that the French government will not hesitate to “manifest on the occasion its respect for the character and friendship” of the United States, as well as its own commerce, and speedily afford “every reparation of which the case is susceptible”; Livingston is to adopt a similar tone on the subject in order to maintain the friendly relations between France and the United States; Lear has returned from Cap-Français, reports that the French administration of Saint-Domingue is “perfectly military,” and doubts that they will be able to pacify the island; the commerce of the island has suffered by French “indiscretion” as well as “misconduct” by some Americans, but the ports at present “abound with every species of necessary supplies”; Madison will forward this letter to Pierre Samuel Du Pont de Nemours, who will carry dispatches to France (PrC in DLC; Madison, Papers description begins William T. Hutchinson, Robert A. Rutland, J. C. A. Stagg, and others, eds., The Papers of James Madison, Chicago and Charlottesville, 1962–, 32 vols. Sec. of State Ser., 1986–, 8 vols. Pres. Ser., 1984–, 6 vols. Ret. Ser., 2009–, 1 vol. description ends , Sec. of State Ser., 3:196–7). (5) John Halsted to Madison, Perth Amboy, 4 May 1802, applying for the position of collector at Perth Amboy, which became vacant at the death of Daniel Marsh; enclosing a recommendation to the president, acknowledging Halsted, an alderman of the city, as a “proper person” for the office of collector, signed by 34 subscribers, including Anthony Butler and Joseph Marsh who also signed a certificate, noting that when Halsted previously served as collector of the district, he conducted the office with “utmost Propriety,” keeping the books “in the most correct and fair State” (RC in DNA: RG 59, LAR, endorsed by TJ: “Halsted John to mr Madison to be Collector of Perth Amboy”; JEP description begins Journal of the Executive Proceedings of the Senate of the United States … to the Termination of the Nineteenth Congress, Washington, D.C., 1828, 3 vols. description ends , 1:10, 12).

On 10 Apr., Victoire Emmanuel Leclerc informed Tobias LEAR that he had no authority to recognize him as general commercial agent of the United States in Saint-Domingue and that he was to cease immediately carrying out the functions of the office. The French general also accused Lear of discouraging American trade with the island and of acting “to excite differences” between the United States and France. Lear vehemently denied the allegations, but consented to the revocation of his duties as commercial agent. Lear left Cap-Français on 17 Apr. and arrived at Hampton Roads two weeks later (Madison, Papers description begins William T. Hutchinson, Robert A. Rutland, J. C. A. Stagg, and others, eds., The Papers of James Madison, Chicago and Charlottesville, 1962–, 32 vols. Sec. of State Ser., 1986–, 8 vols. Pres. Ser., 1984–, 6 vols. Ret. Ser., 2009–, 1 vol. description ends , Sec. of State Ser., 3:120–1, 147; Alexandria Times; and District of Columbia Daily Advertiser, 5 May 1802).

JOHN RODGERS of the sloop Nellie, a former captain in the U.S. Navy, and William DAVIDSON of the St. Domingo Packet of Philadelphia were arrested and imprisoned by French authorities at Cap-Français on or about 12 Apr. The reasons given for the arrests were unclear, with Rodgers vaguely charged with making anti-French statements while Davidson was alleged to have engaged in trade with Toussaint-Louverture and placed a figurehead of the revolutionary on the bow of his vessel. The two men were released near the end of April and ordered never to return to the island “under pain of Death” (Madison, Papers description begins William T. Hutchinson, Robert A. Rutland, J. C. A. Stagg, and others, eds., The Papers of James Madison, Chicago and Charlottesville, 1962–, 32 vols. Sec. of State Ser., 1986–, 8 vols. Pres. Ser., 1984–, 6 vols. Ret. Ser., 2009–, 1 vol. description ends , Sec. of State Ser., 3:147, 196n, 270–2; Tansill, Caribbean Diplomacy description begins Charles C. Tansill, The United States and Santo Domingo, 1798–1873: A Chapter in Caribbean Diplomacy, Baltimore, 1938; repr. Gloucester, Mass., 1967 description ends , 92–6; John H. Schroeder, Commodore John Rodgers, Paragon of the Early American Navy [Gainesville, Fla., 2006], 24–6; Vol. 33:340n; William Davidson to TJ, 10 June 1802).