From John Jay to the President of Congress (Thomas McKean), 18 October 1781
To the President of Congress (Thomas McKean)
Madrid 18 October, 1781
Sir
Major Franks delivered me the Despatches committed to his Care, on the 30th. of August. He set out for France the 5th Inst. My Letters by him to your Excellency will account for his remaining here so long. I also beg Leave to refer to them for other more interesting particulars.1
Congress will doubtless be informed that I have refused to accept some of their Bills. As the Enemies of America in Europe had, with some Success, endeavoured to render the Credit of our Paper suspected, it appeared to me expedient to state the Reasons for these Refusals very particularly, and cause them to be recited at large in the Protests. I have sent Copies of them to Doctr. Franklin and Mr Adams, that in Case these Transactions should be represented to our Disadvantage, either in France or Holland, they might be enabled to set the matter right. I now send Copies to Congress, to prevent their being alarmed at any general Report that may arrive in america of my having refused to accept their Bills drawn upon me.2
Our Merchants would in my opinion do well to write their Indorsemts. on Bills, at Length and in their own Hand Writing. There is Reason to believe that the Enemy often turn blank Indorsements to good account.
Mr. Gardoqui is here. Those ships of the Spanish Flotilla which carried the Treasure, are arrived at Cadiz. The Trenches are not yet opened against Fort St. Philip at Minorca— Another Expedition is preparing at Cadiz—its Destination is uncertain. I have the Honor to be with great Respect & Consideration Your Excellency’s most obedt. & very h’ble Servant
John Jay
His Excellency Ths. McKean Esqr President of Congress
ALS, DNA: PCC, item 89, 452–53 (EJ: 11913). Dft, NNC (EJ: 7669). LbkCs, DNA: PCC, item 110, 1: 502–13 (EJ: 4179); NNC: JJ Lbk. 1; CSmH (EJ: 3428).
1. On the dispatches carried to JJ by Franks, see JJ to Robert Morris, 1 Sept. 1781, above. JJ wrote to the President of Congress on 20 Sept. (above), 2 Oct. (ALS, PHi [EJ: 1138]), and 3 Oct. (above).
2. The surviving four pages of a document described as “Reasons for not accepting certain Bills presented 4 Augt. 1781” catalog ten bills purported to have been drawn by Francis Hopkinson, Congress’s treasurer of loans from 1778 to 1781, and presented to JJ by Messrs. Patrick Joyce and Sons for acceptance, Dft, NNC (EJ: 8218). The docketing indicates that JJ had delivered a signed copy of these “reasons” to the notary who protested the bills, “desiring that they might be recited at large in the Protest.” JJ was convinced that the bills had probably been captured from an American vessel and blank endorsements filled in by the enemy in favor of a British merchant. Additional docketing indicates that JJ sent a “Copy to Congress via Bordeaux” on 18 Oct. 1781. The copies of the refusals sent to Congress, BF, and JA have not been found. For JJ’s correspondence with Carmichael on protested bills, see his notes of 18 and 22 Oct. 1781, Dfts, NNC (EJ: 7703, 7704). See also a similar report of JJ’s refusal to pay bills presented on 13 Sept. 1781, Dft, NNC (EJ: 8216).