John Jay Papers
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To John Jay from Henry Laurens, 11 April 1784

From Henry Laurens

Bath 11th. April 1784.

Dear Sir.

I am this morning honored by receipt of your favor of the 5th. Inst. & return thanks for the Contents.

Doctor Franklin had in due course advised me of Mr. Secretary Thomson’s Letter apologizing for the delay of the Ratification & also of the subsequent arrival of that & other Papers from Congress in the hands of Colonel Harmar, adding his expectation of duplicates by Major Franks, in both Cases speaking as in your joint sentiments.

In the first instance I proposed to Mr. Hartley who happened to be at Bath, a convention for extending the stipulated term for Exchange, at the same time requesting if the formality could be safely dispensed with, the Ministers accordance should be signified to me in writing. Mr. Hartley went to London applied to Lord Caermarthen1 & transmited to me the following intimation—“It is not thought necessary on the part of Great Britain to enter into any formal Convention for the prolongation of the term in which the Ratification of the definitive Treaty were to be exchanged as the delay in America appears to have arisen merely in consequence of the inclemency of the Season.”2 In the second Case, upon receipt of Dr Franklin’s Letter I writ to Mr. Hartley in the words of a subjoined Copy & also writ to the Master of the Pennsylvania Coffee House desiring him to inform Major Franks upon his appearance that I had lodg’d a Letter for him in that Gentleman’s hands.3 Mr. Hartley’s answer in due course should have been with me to day but it has not appeared & as I am inform’d Major Franks arrived in London on Wednesday last went onward for Paris the next day, ’tis not improbable Mr. Hartley accompanied or soon followed him, there’s somewhat of an inducement to the journey.4

Ill health my Dear Sir, is almost Ill every worldly thing, I sympathize with you, if you are determined to cross the Atlantic, I wish the Sea Air & change of Climate may have such good effects upon your self Mrs. Jay & the Children as I hope to experience from the same step. I went to London the middle of January determined upon taking a Passage for America to Sail in all March, continued there seven Weeks without a day of health, returned to Bath about three Weeks ago & have been constantly confined to the House—to day I feel something like amendment, If it continues three or four days I shall go to London on the late errand hoping to embark very soon after Mr. Harry returns from France.

Miss Laurens is at Church but I may safely unite her Compliments & Best wishes to Mr. & Mrs Jay and to the little folk with my own because I often hear her say she loves them. With great Respect & Regard I have the honor to be Dear Sir Your Obedient humble Servt.

Henry Laurens

ALS, UKWC-A (EJ: 37). Addressed: “His Excellency / John Jay Esquire / &c &c / Chaillot / Paris”. Endorsed: “ . . . Recd 18 Ap 1784”. Enclosure: Laurens to David Hartley, 7 Apr. 1784, ALS, marked “Copy”, NNC (EJ: 7980).

1Francis Osborne, marquis of Carmarthen (1751–99), was appointed the secretary of state for foreign affairs by William Pitt in Dec. 1783.

2BF to Laurens, 12 Mar., PHL description begins Philip M. Hamer et al., eds., The Papers of Henry Laurens (16 vols.; Columbia, S.C., 1968–2003) description ends , 16: 414–17; and Hartley to Laurens, 26 Mar. 1784, RDC description begins Francis Wharton, ed., The Revolutionary Diplomatic Correspondence of the United States (6 vols.; Washington, D.C., 1889) description ends , 6: 789–90.

3Laurens’s letter to the master of the Pennsylvania Coffee House has not been located. In his enclosed 7 Apr. letter to Hartley, Laurens wrote: “I have this moment intelligence from Dr. Franklin of the arrival of a Messengr from Congress with Ratification of the definitive Treaty, which the Doctr. says he has likewise communicated to yourself & adds—: ‘A duplicate is sent via London by Major Franks who probably arrived by this time, if Mr Hartley should not have an inclination to come to Paris upon the occasion it will be very agreeable to us, meaning Mr. Jay and himself, that you who are equally impowered should finish this business.’

“I take the liberty of troubling you with a Line to Major Franks under a flying Seal, if it be most agreeable to you to make the necessary Exchange on this side of the Water I will do myself the honor of waiting upon you on the first intimation of that Gentlemans arrival unless it should be altogether convenient to you on a visit to your dear friend here to conclude work at Bath.”

4Hartley left London on 17 Apr. but did not reach Paris until the end of the month due to “unavoidable delays on the road.” Hartley to Carmarthen, 30 Apr. 1784, UkLPR: FO 4/ 2; Laurens to Thomas Mifflin, 24 Apr. 1784, RDC description begins Francis Wharton, ed., The Revolutionary Diplomatic Correspondence of the United States (6 vols.; Washington, D.C., 1889) description ends , 6: 795–97; PHL description begins Philip M. Hamer et al., eds., The Papers of Henry Laurens (16 vols.; Columbia, S.C., 1968–2003) description ends , 16: 442–45.

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