81To James Madison from Robert R. Livingston, 13 January 1804 (Madison Papers)
The measures of the Commissioners exciting the utmost uneasiness & dissatisfaction among the creditors here, & as I doubt not that it will be extended to those of the United States & afford ground to improper Speculations upon their debts, I have been anxious to afford you a just view of the probable amount of the demand: In this, I had hoped to have been aided by Mr Skipwith whose duty it...
82To James Madison from Robert R. Livingston, 18 January 1804 (Madison Papers)
I enclose a copy of the instructions of the French Government to their Commercial agent at Tripoli upon the Subject of our prisoners. I Shall Send it by the Post to morrow to Leghorn, with directions to Mr Appleton to forward it by the first conveyance, & if none offers to Send a Small vessel with it, & the notes I have Sent him to Commodore Prebble to whom I have written on the Subject, &...
83To James Madison from Robert R. Livingston, 30 January 1804 (Madison Papers)
I find I was under a mistake, when in my last I informed you that the Commissioners were going on with their liquidations; none have been sent up with their final determination, but the first Seven, as I now am informed (tho not from them, for they communicate nothing to me) these were Sent up before the arrival of Mr Maclure from England. They are yet retained in the French Treasury, from...
84To James Madison from Robert R. Livingston, 2 February 1804 (Madison Papers)
I mentioned to you in one of my former letters that so soon as I learned from Mr Pichon (your letters not having arrived till Some time after) the opposition that the Spanish Envoy had given to the Treaty, I wrote to the Minister, & afterwards I called upon him & entered into a full discussion of the Subject. That he candidly Shewed me Mr. Pichon’s letter, & assured me the discontents of Spain...
85To James Madison from Robert R. Livingston, 8 February 1804 (Madison Papers)
I have the honor to transmit you my answer to the Minister’s notes enclosed in my last —they amount to little as I have thought it best to dwell in generals, not knowing the President’s instructions to Commodore Preble. I find by a letter of 22 January just received from Mr Pinkney, that the Minister of Exterior Relations has kept his word with me relative to Florida . I wrote you some time...
86To James Madison from Robert R. Livingston, 13 February 1804 (Madison Papers)
The principal object of this is to Send you an extract of a letter Just received from Mr Graham, as it is possible that Mr Pinkney may not find So early an opportunity of writing to you. It appears by Mr Graham’s letter that Mr Pinkney had not yet received information of the Communication made by the Spanish Court to the First Consul on the Subject of our Treaty. After this I think it...
87To James Madison from Robert R. Livingston, 15 February 1804 (Madison Papers)
I mention[ed] in my last the existence of an assassination plot it has at present assumed a very [im]portant aspect I have thro a lady intimately connected with the family of the first consul who has the means of information and upon whom I can depend [as] well as thro another channel of great respecta[b]ility the following facts not yet known in Paris tho they must soon be Joly the aid de...
88To James Madison from Robert R. Livingston, 12 March 1804 (Madison Papers)
I received from Mr. Paterson your favor of 28th Octr yesterday. I had previously been honoured by one from the president on the same subject. On hearing of Jerome Bonapartes marriage I broke the business to some of the ministers & to Mr. Joseph Bonaparte. They all agreed in sentiment with each other, & believed that the first Consul would be very much irritated & extreamly hurt, tho they...
89To James Madison from Robert R. Livingston, 24 March 1804 (Madison Papers)
I have not time to write a public letter by this conveyance of which I have just heard & the post is going out. This is to convey information of a fact that excites much sensation here & will probably thro’ all Europe. A body of french troops were sent into the electorate of Bade[n] & to the castle of Ettenheim inhabited for some time past by the duke d Enghien. He with many others was...
90To James Madison from Robert R. Livingston, 29 March 1804 (Madison Papers)
I enclose you the papers containing a circular letter from the Minister of Exterior Relations to the foreign Ministers accompanying a correspondence of Mr Drake the British Minister at Munich you will find these in one of the Moniteurs inclosed, you will also find the replies of the foreign Ministers, my note is enclosed as delivered in English accompanied by the French translation which I had...
91To James Madison from Robert R. Livingston, 31 March 1804 (Madison Papers)
Enclosed are some letters that have passed between Mr. Skipwith and me. They sufficiently explain themselves—I shall make no comment upon them. I would only observe that the President having left it in my discretion to fix the salary of Mr Skipwith as agent of prizes at any sum not exceeding 2000$ I was induced to go to the extent of the allowance because at the time there were many prize...
92To James Madison from Robert R. Livingston, 14 April 1804 (Madison Papers)
The only Subject which engages the public attention Since the date of my last letter is the Death of Pichegru who as you will find by the enclosed papers contrived to Strangle himself in prison, & the flight of Drake & Smith from their respective missions at Munich & Stuttgard, together with further discoveries of their intrigues as these are minutely detailed in the papers I enclose, it will...
93To James Madison from Robert R. Livingston, 3 May 1804 (Madison Papers)
Mr Leonard delivered on the 26th. April your favor of the 31. January together with a triplicate of the Same. The duplicate, which I suppose has been Sent by some other conveyance, has not yet reached me, so that till his arrival I had had no letter from you Since the 15th. January. I also recd. by the same Messinger your favor of the 7th. Feby. Nothing could be more happy than the arrival of...
94To James Madison from Robert R. Livingston, 4 May 1804 (Madison Papers)
I informed you in my last of my intention to comply with your instructions & to obtain from this Government Such an explanation of the Convention as would embrace all the objects the President wished & then to have proceeded to draw bills for the principal of the debts, leaving the interest as a fund for equalizing the demands by dividing it among the creditors, by this means the further...
95To James Madison from Robert R. Livingston, 5 May 1804 (Madison Papers)
My public letters have Shewn you the State of our affairs here & the very disagreable Situation in which they are placed by the obstinacy (to ascribe the mildest motive) of one, & the weakness of the other two Commissioners. I am now to acknowledge the receipt of your friendly private letter. With respect to the correspondence of Mr Monroe & myself on the Subject of the guarantee, I have no...
96To James Madison from Robert R. Livingston, 19 June 1804 (Madison Papers)
I left Paris the 12th of last month upon a visit to England & returned on the 15th of this; I chose this time to avail myself of the President’s permission long Since obtained, not only for the reasons mentioned in my former letters, but because I knew that the whole attention of the Ministers being engrossed by the new arrangement[s] that were making no business of any Sort could be done; I...
97To James Madison from Robert R. Livingston, 20 June 1804 (Madison Papers)
I have reflected much upon the state of our affairs with respect to the Floridas. My sentiment still is as it always has been that we should not hesitate to take possession of West Florida and act as if no doubt could be entertained of our title. Once in possession France would find it necessary to make Spain acquiesce in it as it would be very repugnant to her interest at this time to suffer...
98To James Madison from Robert R. Livingston, 22 June 1804 (Madison Papers)
Last Night General Moreau was sent from the Temple in a Coach and six to Bayon (You have seen that he was sentenced to two years imprisonment). This is commuted into an exile of at least 100 leagues from France. He has therefore determined to go to America where you may expect him soon after the receipt of this letter. Having learned these circumstances, I called this morning on the Minister...
99To James Madison from Robert R. Livingston, 25 July 1804 (Madison Papers)
Since my last 24 June, I have in pursuance of your instructions put in the enclosed notes on the Subject of the Convention, I have yet received no Such official answer as will Justify my further proceedings, since till they determine either to open the negotiation you require, or reject it or till they consent to a partial draft. Mr Talleyrand is now absent, & Mr Marbois’s powers do not go to...
100To James Madison from Robert R. Livingston, 26 July 1804 (Madison Papers)
A courier has just arrived from Russia. The emperor demands the fulfilment of certain secret articles in his treaty with France among which are compensation for the king of Sardinia the perfect independance of the Italian states the affairs of Germany to be regulated jointly between them and as a consequence of it the withdrawing the troops from Hanover or the Russian chargé d’affaires is to...
101To James Madison from Robert R. Livingston, 8 August 1804 (Madison Papers)
Nothing extraordinary has occurred Since my last, a duplicate of which you will receive with this, as I find Some errors in the copy Sent you; if you have received it, be pleased to correct it by the duplicate: I had Strong hopes while in England that a change of Ministry would take place, in which case we Should doubtless have had peace; at present, Mr Pitt appears to be able to Stand his...
102To James Madison from Robert R. Livingston, 28 August 1804 (Madison Papers)
I yesterday received your letter of 26th of June announcing the appointment of Genl Armstrong as my Successor, & covering a letter of leave to the First Consul . Notwithstanding my wish to go at an earlier period, I found it impossible in then [ sic ] State of our affairs, as I knew no person with whom I could leave the charge. I had hoped to have prevailed on Mr Graham, but he refused to...
103To James Madison from Robert R. Livingston, 29 August 1804 (Madison Papers)
Since my letter of yesterday I have received the enclosed note on the Subject of the trade with hispaniola: You will find in it a certain degree of asperity, which I feared from the Soreness that they yet feel relative to that Island, & the massacre of which they have just heard: But as this note was written too Soon after the receipt of mine to admit of any communication with the Emperor who...
104To James Madison from Robert R. Livingston, 4 September 1804 (Madison Papers)
I have just recd the enclosed from Mr Pinkney with directions to forward them to you after having read them, which I have but just had the leisure to do as the gent who is to carry them sets off directly. They contain the only direct intelligence on the subject of our affairs in Spain that I have recd. Mr. Pinkneys letters to me having never reached me. Tho the conveyance by which you will...
105To James Madison from Robert R. Livingston, 4 September 1804 (Madison Papers)
Since my last Mr d’Oubril has received an answer to the Note of the Emperor of Russia; this answer not only refuses all Satisfaction on the points raised by him, But recriminates in Strong terms & charges Alexander with having himself violated the Convention between the nations, in giving protection to the ennemies of France, & in taking possession of the Grecian Isles &c. In consequence of...
106To James Madison from Robert R. Livingston, 14 September 1804 (Madison Papers)
I enclose the reply of the Minister upon the Subject of the debts, it is in the language I expected, & were it not that I was in hourly expectation of the arrival of Genl Armstrong who will have your full instructions I Should reply to it, & Shew that when we assumed to pay to the amount of the 20 millions it was not intended to discharge France from any excess, Since the words of the treaty...
107To James Madison from Robert R. Livingston, 21 September 1804 (Madison Papers)
The ambassador of Spain has this moment left me. In the course of our conversation he dropped Some things that it is important you Should know as indicative of the Sentiments of his Court & perhaps as necessary to form the basis of the measures that it may be proper immediately to take. He of course insisted that West Florida made no part of our purchase, but as he Supported this Sentiment by...
108To James Madison from Robert R. Livingston, 10 October 1804 (Madison Papers)
As I am in daily expectation of the arrival of General Armstrong, this will probably be the last official letter which I Shall have to write. It is proper then that I Should give you a Short State of your affairs at this time. First with respect to the debt I have laboured thro’ the principal difficulties, & in ten days from this time I hope to commence the drawing of the bills—as the business...
109To James Madison from Robert R. Livingston, 23 October 1804 (Madison Papers)
I have just returned from the Minister’s & have the Satisfaction of informing you that he has Spoken to the Emperor on the Subject of Consular agents in their Colonies & that he has agreed to allow them during the war & has promised to Send me a note to that effect as well as to give the most precise orders on the Subject of the Depredations committed on our Commerce. I can not but think this...
110To James Madison from Robert R. Livingston, 17 November 1804 (Madison Papers)
Circumstances have prevented my availing myself of your kindness, in permitting me to retire: before this. The peculiar State of our money transactions, the critical Situation of Europe & of our own affairs with Spain, made me think it Essential to remain here till my place could be Supplied, & the rather as Mr Graham the only man in whom I had Sufficient confidence to leave our business with,...