James Madison Papers
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To James Madison from William C. C. Claiborne, 27 July 1804 (Abstract)

§ From William C. C. Claiborne

27 July 1804, New Orleans. “I received on this morning an answer to my letter of the 25th instant to the Marquis of Casa Calvo,1 and having procured a translation thereof, for my own use, I now enclose you the original Copy.2

“The answer of the Marquis developes in part the views of his court in relation to Louisiana; every exertion has been and will be made to conciliate and perpetuate the affections of the Louisianians towards the Spanish Government, and those who may continue to profess attachment (now that their allegiance has ceased) may at all times find an asylum in his Majesty’s dominions, and these are the “convenient effects” which were alluded to. The President will see from the whole tenor of the Marquis’s letter, how great the probability is, that Louisiana will for some time be subjected more or less to foreign influence.”

RC and enclosures (DNA: RG 59, TP, Orleans, vol. 4); letterbook copy (Ms-Ar: Claiborne Executive Journal, vol. 13). RC 1 p.; in a clerk’s hand, signed by Claiborne; docketed by Wagner as received 4 Sept., with his notation: “M. Casa Calvo’s answer.” For enclosures, see n. 2.

1For Claiborne’s letter to Casa Calvo, see Claiborne to JM, 25 July 1804 (first letter), and n. 1.

2Along with Casa Calvo’s letter to him of 26 July 1804 (4 pp.; in Spanish; docketed by Wagner), Claiborne enclosed a three-page translation, certified as a true copy by Pierre Derbigny. Casa Calvo maintained that his comments published in the Moniteur de la Louisiane “had no sinister views, that they were not occult, and hid no other political object than that of repelling an insult gratuitously offered” to Spain. Also filed with the RC is the 26 July 1804 issue of the Moniteur de la Louisiane (in French; docketed by Wagner as received in Claiborne’s 27 July letter), containing an exchange of letters between a Mr. Castillon and Colonel Bellechasse, in which the former announced his plan to remain a Spanish subject and to move to Spanish territory.

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