To James Madison from James Bowdoin, 22 September 1806
From James Bowdoin
Paris Sep. 22. 1806
Sir,
I had the honour to write to you on the 22d Ultimo, since which the enclosed correspondence has passed between Gen. Armstrong & me: as it exhibits the present situation of the proposed negociation with Spain, it is unnecessary to recapitulate: You have also enclosed copies of Gen. Armstrong’s two notes to m. Tallerand dated on the 6th and 26th of may, & m. Tallerand’s reply thereto of the 4th of June, which I received on the 16th instant, and likewise a Copy, of mr. Ervings letter refered to in the correspondence dated on the 27th ultimo.1
Please to present my most respectful Regards to the President, & to acquaint him, that I expect to write to him in the course of a very few days. With Sentiments of great attachment & Regard Believe me, very respectfully Sir, Your faithful & obt Servt.
James Bowdoin
RC and enclosures (DNA: RG 59, DD, Spain, vol. 9); partial copy of enclosures (DNA: RG 59, Misc. Despatches, box 2); letterbook copy of RC (MeB: James Bowdoin Letterbooks). For enclosures, see n. 1.
1. The enclosures (24 pp.; docketed by Wagner) comprised correspondence between Bowdoin and John Armstrong from 8 to 16 Sept. 1806 focusing on Bowdoin’s desire to move the negotiation forward by pressing the French and Spanish governments to declare their intentions on the matter, and on Armstrong’s refusal to do so based in part on JM’s instructions for the mission. The two ministers also argued about whether or not Eugenio Izquierdo was empowered to negotiate for Spain, and Bowdoin sent Armstrong an extract of a 27 Aug. 1806 letter he had received from George W. Erving, reporting that according to Manuel Godoy, Izquierdo did not and would not have “full powers.” Bowdoin also requested and received from Armstrong copies of Armstrong’s 6 and 26 May 1806 letters to Talleyrand and Talleyrand’s 4 June 1806 reply (for the letters, see Armstrong to JM, 7 June 1806, n.).