From John Jay to the President of Congress (Samuel Huntington), 10 July 1780
To the President of Congress (Samuel Huntington)
Madrid 10 July 1780
Sir
As a late and particular Letter from me to your Exy is now on the way to America, and as I purpose to write again very fully by ^the Successor of^ Mr. Millalle’s [Miralles], I decline saying much in this Letter which I shall send in ^by^ a circuitous and hazardous Route
I have been permitted to accptd Bills to the amount of about ^between^ Eleven & twelve thousand Dollars being all these I wil they arrive slowly and I am very glad of it—1 Mr. Laurens is still abroad, and it is not in my power to supply it ^No news of Mr Laurens— I regret his absence^2 I hope the terms of ^for the^ Sale ^of these Bills on me^ will not be lowered— Remittances ha have ^really^ become necessary, & may easily be made in these Bills— distressed American Seamen cost a good Deal— The House of Le Couteulx at Cadiz have advanced money for them ^at Cadiz^3 and I recd their acct. ^amg to abt. 300 Drs^ this Morning—^a Copy of the Letter & acct. are enclosed^ I had Yesterday an application from the Director of a Hospital at St. Andeira—desiring to be informed whether I wd. be responsible for the ordinary Expenses of recg & curing a poor New England Master of a Vessel who had escaped from Captivity ^penniless^ having one of his Legs so injured by ^Iron^ Fetters as to be in danger of losing it. These [all?] ^are^ the Calls of humanity— I entreat Congress to enable me to obey them and to establish specific Regulations for the Conduct of these affairs—
The Surrender of Chs ^Town^ is the Subject of much Speculation & many unfavourable Conjectures.—4 I have recd no public Letters since I left Am. except one from the Com[mitte]e enclosing the Resolutions for drawing Bills on me.5 I have the Honor to be with great Respect & Regard Your Exys. most obt & hble Servt6
His Exy. Saml Huntington Esqr. President of Congress
Dft, NNC (EJ: 7738). Endorsed. LbkCs, DNA: PCC, item 110, 1: 182–84 (EJ: 4112); NNC: JJ Lbk. 1; CSmH.
1. On the bills, see the editorial note “John Jay’s Conference with Floridablanca” on pp. 94–104. Montmorin described the amount JJ was authorized to accept as “mediocre” but considered that even this limited commitment could be seen as evidence that Spain would also cover bills to be presented later. Allowing JJ to accept the bills, he suggested, would counterbalance the bad effects of Spain’s negotiations with Richard Cumberland. He also expressed the hope that the arrival of the comte d’Estaing would counterbalance Cumberland’s efforts to spread rumors of impending peace between England and Spain. See Montmorin to Vergennes, 17 and 20 July 1780, FrPMAE: CP-E, 599: 462r–465v, 495v–496r.
2. In a letter from the Committee for Foreign Affairs to BF and JJ, 11 July, below, James Lovell and William Churchill Houston notified JJ that Laurens had been appointed to solicit a loan in the United Provinces.
3. On the arrangements for seamen, see JJ to the President of Congress, 26 May, above.
4. On the loss of Charleston, see Notes on John Jay’s Conference with Floridablanca, 5 July, above.
5. The Committee for Foreign Affairs to JJ, 11 Dec. 1779, above.
6. Congress received this letter on 16 Oct. , 17: 110.