To James Madison from William C. C. Claiborne, 28 January 1806 (Abstract)
From William C. C. Claiborne, 28 January 1806 (Abstract)
§ From William C. C. Claiborne. 28 January 1806, New Orleans. “The enclosure No. 1,1 is a copy of a petition from sundry Merchants of this City—stating—that a considerable debt is due to them by His Catholic Majesty, and praying that Mr. Morales might be permitted to leave in this City an Agent ‘for the purpose of settling the remaining accounts of the Spanish Treasury with the Inhabitants of this Territory.’
“Upon the subject of this Petition I held a conversation with Mr. Morales; he told me that his King owed to the Citizens of this Territory between three and four hundred thousand dollars; that the Accounts had been transmitted to the Viceroy of Mexico, who was instructed to forward to this City the amount in Cash; and should the same arrive (said Morales), and no Agent here to receive it, the Creditors would experience inconvenience, since, in that case, they would be obliged to repair to Pensacola to receive payment.
“Finding therefore that there was no prospect of an Agent’s rendering the Creditors service, unless indeed money should arrive, I addressed a Letter (of which No. 2 is a Copy) to Morales2 and informed him that in the event of the arrival of money in the Mississippi destined for the payment of the King’s debts in this Territory, I would forward to him a blank Passport in which he was at liberty to insert the name of such person as he should authorize to receive and pay away the same. This communication led to a correspondence of which No. 3, 4 and 5 are copies.3
“The enclosure marked A, and B, are copies of the Passports furnished Mr. Morales and Mr. Leonard.”4
RC and enclosures (DNA: RG 59, TP, Orleans, vol. 8). RC 2 pp.; in a clerk’s hand, signed by Claiborne; docketed on cover sheet by Wagner. For enclosures, see nn.
1. Enclosure No. 1 is a petition (2 pp.; printed in , Orleans, 9:578–79), signed by thirty-one merchants or firms, stating that unless an agent of Juan Ventura Morales was permitted to remain in New Orleans to receive funds expected from the Spanish treasury in payment of the king’s debts, the creditors faced the total loss of those funds and in some cases “the ruin of their fortunes.”
2. Enclosure No. 2 (1 p.) is a copy of Claiborne to Morales, 25 Jan. 1806, stating that should there be no agent in New Orleans to receive the money when it arrived from Mexico, he would forward the blank passport to Pensacola; Claiborne added a reminder to Morales that he and anyone attached to his department should leave the territory by the end of the month, in accord with Jefferson’s orders.
3. Enclosure No. 3 (3 pp.; printed in , Orleans, 9:576–77) is a copy of Morales to Claiborne, 26 Jan. 1806, stating that when he received the blank passport, he would fill in the name of the person the king had appointed to complete the financial affairs of Spain in the territory; that it was unnecessary to remind him of the demand for his departure since, had his ships previously arrived, he would have already departed; that he had no desire to stay where his presence and that of other Spaniards produced distrust; that his first ship had arrived and he would accelerate his preparations for departure; that the American actions appeared so hostile that he was impelled to ask if his ships could approach Bayou St. John to facilitate the loading of baggage without being shot at from the fort or being captured or detained in any other way; asking for a passport of safe passage for himself and his family of five whites and fourteen slaves; listing the names of other Spaniards who were departing, some with him and some for Baton Rouge, and requesting passports for them also; and adding that several people had resigned the Spanish service. Enclosure No. 4 (1 p.) is a copy of Claiborne to Morales, 27 Jan. 1806, enclosing passports for the latter’s entourage and for others going to Baton Rouge; stating that if the ships in which they departed were the king’s property, they would not be molested, but if they were private ships, they could be seized if there were legitimate claims against them; and requesting the names of those who had resigned. Enclosure No. 5 (2 pp.; printed ibid., 577–78) is a copy of Morales to Claiborne, 28 Jan. 1806, thanking him for the passports; stating that three of his ships were royal property and the fourth was chartered by the Spanish treasury for the royal service; that, relying on Claiborne’s security, he had directed them to Bayou St. John to load his baggage; listing the names of the three Spanish officers who had resigned; and stating that he would forward the names of any others who might resign before his departure.
4. Enclosures A and B are copies (1 p. each) of passports issued by Claiborne, 27 Jan. 1806; one requesting safe passage for Morales, his family, and entourage, to Pensacola, and one for Gilbert Leonard and his entourage to Baton Rouge.