To James Madison from James Monroe, 18 January 1814
From James Monroe
Department of State Jany 18. 1814
The Secretary of State, to whom was referred the Resolution of the House of Representatives of the Eleventh inst, requesting the President to communicate to the House any information in his possession and which it may not be improper to divulge in relation to the omission or refusal of the French government to accredit the Minister Plenipotentiary sent by the United States to that Court, or of his reception if accredited, of the time when he was so accredited and of the progress of his negotiation,1 has the honor to communicate to the President, for the information of the House, the following letters in relation to that subject, viz:
A letter from Mr. Crawford to the Secretary of State of the 15th August 1813, enclosing one to the Duke of Bassano of the 27 July and his answer of the 1st August;2 and an extract of
A letter from Mr. Crawford to the Secretary of State of the 8th of September 1813.3 Respectfully submitted
Jas. Monroe
RC and enclosures (DNA: RG 233, President’s Messages, 13A-E1). RC in a clerk’s hand, signed by Monroe. JM forwarded the report to the House of Representatives on 18 Jan. 1814 (ibid.). For enclosures, see nn. 2–3.
1. 13th Cong., 2d sess., 889–90.
2. William Harris Crawford’s letter to Monroe of 15 Aug. 1813 (1 p.; printed with its enclosures in 3:628) covered a copy of Crawford’s 27 July 1813 letter to the duc de Bassano (1 p.), informing Bassano of Crawford’s appointment as minister to France, and inquiring when he could present his credentials to Napoleon; and a translation of Bassano’s 1 Aug. 1813 reply (2 pp.), stating that he would inform Crawford of the emperor’s “intentions” in regard to this matter, and that Crawford was welcome to correspond with him in the meantime. He assured Crawford that “the delay of a formality will produce no delay in the exercise of the mission confided to you.”
3. The enclosed extract of Crawford’s 8 Sept. 1813 letter to Monroe (1 p.; printed ibid.) stated that Bassano preferred that Crawford present his credentials to Napoleon in Paris, that neither the emperor nor Bassano would likely return to that city before winter, that Bassano had “not repeat[ed] his invitation to communicate with him,” and that Crawford therefore did not expect to be able to begin discussions until well into the winter.