31To James Madison from James Monroe, 7 March 1803 (Madison Papers)
I recd. on saturday yr. letters of the first inst. wh. were put in the mail on that day, with a copy of the laws of the UStates, and I recd. this morning my instructions, with the letters to our ministers abroad and other documents that were forwarded with them. The ship had clear’d at the custom house on saturday, my baggage was on board, and every preparatory measure was taken for sailing...
32To James Madison from James Monroe, 9 April 1803 (Madison Papers)
We arrived here yesterday in 29. days from the Hook. The voyage was as favorable in other respects as it was in point of dispatch, having experienc’d no storm or other unpleasant incident in it, the sea sickness of my family excepted. To avoid the expence of entering the port with the ship, the Captn. had contracted to land us from the road which he proposed doing in his own boat, but as there...
33To James Madison from James Monroe, 15 April 1803 (Madison Papers)
I informed you from Havre on the 9th. of my arrival there the day before, and that I should set out the day after for Paris. On the 12th. I arrived here, and on the 13th. was announced by Mr. Livingston to the Minister of foreign Relations, who received me yesterday in a Manner which was perfectly satisfactory. He said that the first Consul was much gratified by the disposition which our...
34To James Madison from James Monroe, 19 April 1803 (Madison Papers)
I dined yesterday with the Minister of foreign relations in Company with my colleague, Mr. Marbois and others. After dinner Mr. Marbois and myself had much conversation on the Subject of my Mission in which he declared with frankness an earnest desire to adjust every possible cause of variance with us. He assured me that the first Consul had decided to offer us the whole of Louisiana for 100...
35To James Madison from Robert R. Livingston and James Monroe, 13 May 1803 (Madison Papers)
We have the pleasure to transmit to you by Mr d’Erieux a Treaty which we have concluded with the french Republic for the Purchase & Cession of Louisiana. The negociation of this important object was committed on the part of France to Mr. Marbois, Minister of the Treasury, whose conduct therein has already received the Sanction of his Government, as appears by the Ratification of the first...
36To James Madison from James Monroe, 14 May 1803 (Madison Papers)
You will receive herewith the treaty & conventions wh. we have entered into with the govt. of France for the purchase of Louisiana, with our publick letter on the subject. Could we have procur’d a part of the territory we shod. never have thot. of getting the whole; but the decision of the consul was to sell the whole, and we cod. not obtain any change in his mind on the subject. So peculiarly...
37To James Madison from Robert R. Livingston and James Monroe, 16 May 1803 (Madison Papers)
We have the honor to inclose the account which Should be annexed to the Convention transmitted you. The Bordeaux embargo is in Assignats, and two thirds will be deducted from many of the others. We have reason to think from a particular account now in our hands there will be Such considerable deductions as will reduce the whole charge to less than 20 millions of livres including the interest....
38To James Madison from James Monroe, 16 May 1803 (Madison Papers)
I wrote you at great length by Havre on the 13th. by Mr. Hughes who was charged with the treaty. This will be forwarded by Mr. derieux by whom it was intended to have sent the original instruments, but he being forc’d to take the route of Bordeaux, and an opportunity offering by Havre, we committed them to Mr. Hughes, & send copies by Mr. Derieux. I detained this Latter gentn. here some days...
39To James Madison from James Monroe, 18 May 1803 (Madison Papers)
Since the conclusion of the treaty with France for the purchase of Louisiana, which was forwarded to you on the 13. by Mr. Hughes, with a joint letter from my colleague and myself, I feel much at a loss what part to take respecting the Floridas. There are some considerations in favor of an immediate pursuit of that object with Spain which have great weight on my mind. The cession of Louisiana...
40To James Madison from James Monroe, 23 May 1803 (Madison Papers)
You will receive herewith a copy of the treaty and conventions which we have concluded with the French republick for the cession of Louisiana, the original of which was sent by Mr Hughes, and a copy lately by the way of England. This will be forwarded by Mr. Derieux respecting whom I wrote you in my last communication. Mr. Derieux is the person who was engaged to take our first dispatch to the...
41To James Madison from James Monroe, 3 June 1803 (Madison Papers)
It is highly important that the Congress be immediately called and the treaty & conventions we have formed be carried into immediate effect, in all their stipulations. If the measure we have adopted is approved, no delay shod. occur, in performing what we are to perform, since a failure in any one point in the time specified may defeat & I think will defeat the whole. We shall be more full on...
42To James Madison from Robert R. Livingston and James Monroe, 7 June 1803 (Madison Papers)
We have the pleasure to forward to you by Mr. Jay the ratification by the first Consul of the Treaty and conventions, which we concluded on the 30th. of April, with this Republic. We have heretofore forwarded to you the original instruments, and two Copies by different ways, the original by Havre, under the care of Mr. Hughes, who sailed about two weeks since, expressly charged with that...
43To James Madison from James Monroe, 7 June 1803 (Madison Papers)
I inclose you a view which I have taken of the question whether W. Florida is comprized in the cession lately made to the UStates by France of Louisiana, in which I am led to conclude that it is. Indeed I think that the doctrine is too clear to admit of any doubt. The bargain is proportionally a more advantageous one to us. You will see by our joint letter the propriety of an early decision on...
44To James Madison from James Monroe, 8 June 1803 (Madison Papers)
In our publick communications we have been so full that little is left to be added here. I inclose you a letter open addressed to Genl. Mason, W. C. Nicholas & Mr. Breckinridge containing a statment of facts relative to what has occurr’d here which I have thought it proper to put under yr. controul. You may either deliver or retain it to be returned to me when I get back to America....
45To James Madison from James Monroe, 8 June 1803 (Madison Papers)
Since my letter of yesterday I have had an interesting communication with the minister of foreign affairs. Our letter had been restored to Mr. Livingston by Mr. Marbois in a casual interview who also shewed him the order to Mr. Pichon which was substituted to it. To see that order and receive one to him for the surrender of the country to the United States I called yesterday evening by...
46To James Madison from James Monroe, 11 June 1803 (Madison Papers)
I forward the inclosed to Havre in the hope it may find Mr. Jay there & be conveyed with our other dispatches by him. I shall now decide in a few days on the question relative to my trip to Spn. & inform you of it by the first opportunity. I shall certainly not go unless I find I may with safety as to things here & with some hope of advantage there. The French are in complete possession of...
47To James Madison from James Monroe, 19 June 1803 (Madison Papers)
We have recd. yr. communications of the 18. and 20. of April & after due consideration deem it most adviseable that I shod. proceed immediately to England. The departure of Mr. King from that country at the commencment of a war between it & France, without nominating a chargé des affaires may expose our commercial concerns to much embarrassment if there is no one there soon to take charge of...
48To James Madison from James Monroe, 11 July 1803 (Abstract) (Madison Papers)
11 July 1803, Paris . “Permit me to present to yr. acquaintance & attention the bearer Mr. Helbran a naturalised citizen of the UStates. He is a young man of merit of very respectable connections, who reside principally at Bordeaux, and he returns to the UStates with commercial views where he has resided for several years, as his documents shew. Having recd. much attention from his friends...
49To James Madison from Robert R. Livingston and James Monroe, 12 July 1803 (Madison Papers)
We have been honored by your favors of the 18th April & the 28th May, as they both relate to measures that might lead to the accomplishment of the Treaty which was executed previous to their arrival no remarks upon them are necessary Except that one idea is held out in the last that Britain interested herself in preventing the possession of Louisiana by France. The fact is that she was totally...
50To James Madison from James Monroe, 19 July 1803 (Madison Papers)
I left Paris on the 12. and arrived here last night very much fatigued with the journey. I have not announc’d my arrival to the minister of foreign affairs, but shall do it tomorrow and endeavor to obtain my recognition of the king as soon as possible. My last to you was of the 19th. ulto. in which I informed you that I shod. sit out for this place in a short time, in obedience to the views of...
51To James Madison from James Monroe, 20 July 1803 (Madison Papers)
I am too recently on this theatre to give you any information of the state of public affairs which you will not obtain of the Gazettes, wh. I shall therefore not repeat. It will be more useful to go back to the transactions in which I have been lately engaged, and to communicate some incidents which occurrd in them, with which you are not yet acquainted. The pressure of business at the time,...
52To James Madison from James Monroe, 26 July 1803 (Madison Papers)
On the 20th Ulto. I wrote Lord Hawkesbury by Mr. Sumter & apprized him of my arrival in town in the character of Minister Plenipotentiary from the United States to his Britannic Majesty & requested that he would be pleased to appoint a time when I might have the honor to wait on him with my letters of credence. His Lordship answered that he would receive me the next day at one oclock at his...
53To James Madison from James Monroe, 1 August 1803 (Madison Papers)
I have seen Ld. Hawkesbury & expect to be presented to the King soon. I shall mention in my next publick letter what passed, which was not material, otherwise than as it alluded to the state in wh. I found the negotiation when I arrived at Paris, & the late treaty formed with G. B. for admitting her into the mississippi by Mr. King as I understand is the case of which I had heard nothing & of...
54To James Madison from James Monroe, 1 August 1803 (Madison Papers)
Jas. Monroe has the pleasure to enclose to Mr. Madison a power of attorney from Genl. La Fayette relative to whom he will shortly write him more fully. He can not omit adding here that that respectable & virtuous character merits all the regard which America has never ceased to entertain for him. RC ( DLC : Rives Collection, Madison Papers). Docketed by JM: “Monroe Js. Aug. 1. 1803. inclosing...
55To James Madison from James Monroe, 11 August 1803 (Madison Papers)
I expected to have been presented to the King at the last levee according to the intimation of Lord Hawkesbury at our interview on my arrival; but the day before the levee Mr. Hammond called to express the regret of Lord Hawkesbury that the death of Lord Bristol the father of Lady Hawkesbury, which was known only the night before, put it out of his Lordships power to accompany me to the court...
56To James Madison from James Monroe, 11 August 1803 (Madison Papers)
A knowledge that there exists a disposition to misrepresent all the facts relative to the late negotiation at Paris, induc’d me in my first private communications to you to put in your possession the means of doing justice to the parties concern’d and interested in that event. Every thing that I stated or suggested in my letters by Mr. Hughes and Mr. Jay has been confirmed since. I doubted...
57To James Madison from James Monroe, 15 August 1803 (Madison Papers)
I wrote you lately by Mr. Baring since which nothing material has occurr’d here, except that I was called on yesterday by Sr. Stephen Cotterel & notified that I should be presented to the King on wednesday next. After the presentation I shall give you the result. The inclosed which I recd. last night from Paris by an American gentleman, containing important information, is therefore...
58To James Madison from James Monroe, 23 August 1803 (Madison Papers)
I intended to have written you at some length by this opportunity, but my engagements, of various kinds have put it out of my power. I send a triplicate of my last letter since which nothing interesting has occured, except my presentation to the court, or rather the King, which was attended by no remarkable circumstance. His deportment was civil & conciliating, as mine certainly was. The...
59To James Madison from James Monroe, 31 August 1803 (Madison Papers)
I was presented by Lord Hawkesbury to the King, on Wednesday the 17 instant, who recieved me with attention. The audience, according to usage was private, no other person being present. I endeavored in a short address which the occasion invites, is always expected & I believe made, to do justice to the amicable policy of our Government towards Great Britain. I informed his Majesty that I was...
60To James Madison from James Monroe, 6 September 1803 (Madison Papers)
You will receive within copies of Mr. Livingstons letter & my reply. I have made the correspondence with Mr. Marbois a publick document as it ought to be; but I prefer enclosing these in a private letter, leaving it to you to consider them as the one or other, as you find best. My publick letter will admit of either disposition. My motive for so doing is that of delicacy to Mr. L. You will see...