41William Short to John Jay, 23 May 1790 (Jefferson Papers)
The constitutional question of the right of war and peace , which I mentioned to you in my last, has occupied the assembly without interruption since that time. It was finally decided yesterday evening as you will see by the articles of the decree which I have the honor to inclose you. It seems to have given general satisfaction. The ministry and aristocratic party are contented because they...
42To Thomas Jefferson from William Short, 5 June 1790 (Jefferson Papers)
Dr. Bancroft being about to set off immediately for London I make use of his conveyance merely to send you the gazettes of France and Leyden, and journals of the national assembly, which have considerably accumulated in my hands for the want of some means of forwarding them to New-York. I shall add to them some other papers relative to the pension list and which are the continuation of those...
43To Thomas Jefferson from William Short, 14 June 1790 (Jefferson Papers)
It has not been until three days ago that I have been relieved from the anxiety which arises naturally from the long silence of those who are absent and from whom we wish to hear. The first moments which followed the arrival of your letters of April the 6th. private and duplicate and April the 27th. were such as you may easily concieve. They shewed me that you had written often and that I had...
44To Thomas Jefferson from William Short, 14 June 1790 (Jefferson Papers)
I received three days ago the first letters which have come to my hands from you since your arrival at New-York. That of the latest date was April 30th. It contained a copy of that of April 6th. together with the newspapers sent. I delivered today to M. de Montmorin the letter of the President to the King, and another directed to him containing one of leave for you and of credence for me. I...
45To Thomas Jefferson from William Short, 25 June 1790 (Jefferson Papers)
[Since my last I have seen the General of the Mathurins, who gives little hopes of any thing being done for our captives through his chanel, although he continues assurances of his zeal in case of any opportunity presenting itself, and I am persuaded he may be counted on as to these assurances. He had begun by transmitting a small sum of money to a person of confidence at Algiers to relieve...
46To Thomas Jefferson from William Short, 29 June 1790 (Jefferson Papers)
My last private was of the 14th. inst. On the 25th. I sent you my No. 34. together with a duplicate of that of the 14th. I have as yet recieved only the letters therein mentioned and of course remain in the same state of anxiety and uncertainty as when I then wrote. That however has not influenced the activity with which the execution of your commissions was begun. Petit and the packers assure...
47To Thomas Jefferson from William Short, 29 June 1790 (Jefferson Papers)
Since my last the King has sanctioned the decree which I then mentioned there were hopes he would reject at least a part of. It was well known that the assembly wished the veto to be used in that instance, as a little reflexion had shown them the inconvenience, not to say worse, of some parts of it. Mr. Necker and M. de Montmorin were for using the veto, but the Garde des sceaux opposed it and...
48To Thomas Jefferson from William Short, 7 July 1790 (Jefferson Papers)
The intelligence of your long and painful indisposition has given me, in common with all your friends here a real concern. They join me in solliciting you not to allow too intense an application to business to expose you again to an attack which by repetition must necessarily become dangerous. The account of the President’s narrow escape affected sincerely all the friends to America here. His...
49To Thomas Jefferson from William Short, 7 July 1790 (Jefferson Papers)
I have just recieved your letter of the 27th of May, which has been sent here from L’Orient by Mr. de Crevecoeur. [My last letters will have informed you of the present situation of the business relative to the American captives at Algiers. You will have seen there that nothing has been done, or possible to be done, for their redemption. This I know will not surprize you when you recollect the...
50To Thomas Jefferson from William Short, 11 July 1790 (Jefferson Papers)
I wrote to you on the 7th. of this month in answer to your’s of the 27th. of May. That letter was sent by the way of Havre. This will be sent to L’Orient to go by the packet in the case of its sailing. But that you know is a conveyance too uncertain to be counted on and therefore I consider this letter as an adventure.—The intelligence which I mentioned in my last as coming from Bilbao, and in...