To John Jay from Benjamin Franklin, 22 April 1782
From Benjamin Franklin
Passy, April 22. 1782.
Dear Sir,
I have undertaken to pay all the Bills of your Acceptance that have come to my knowledge,1 and I hope in God no more will be drawn upon us, but when Funds are first provided. In that Case your constant Residence at Madrid is no longer ^so^ necessary. You may make a Journey either for Health or Pleasure without retarding the Progress of a Negociation not yet begun. Here you are greatly wanted, for Messengers begin to come & go, and there is much talk of a Treaty proposed, but I can neither make or agree to Propositions of Peace without the Assistance of my Colleagues.2 Mr. Adams I am afraid cannot just now leave Holland; Mr Jefferson is not in Europe, and Mr Lawrens is a Prisoner, tho’ abroad on Parole. I wish therefore that you would resolve upon the Journey, and render yourself here as soon as possible. You would be of infinite Service. Spain has taken four Years to consider whether She should treat with us or not. Give her Forty. And let us in the mean time mind our own Business. I have much to communicate to you but chuse rather to do it vivâ voce, than trust it to Letters.—3 I am ever, my Dear Friend, Yours most affectionately
B Franklin
His Exy. J. Jay Esqre
LS, in the hand of William Temple Franklin, UkWC-A (EJ: 24). Addressed: “A Monsieur / Monsieur Jay, Minister Pleni- / potentiaire des Etats Unis de / l Amerique a la Cour d’Espagne / à Madrid”. Endorsed: “ . . . Recd 3 May Do. / and 8 Do / Recd 3 May 1782”.
1. On the bills, see BF to JJ, 16 Mar. 1782, above.
2. On the arrival in Paris of Richard Oswald and Thomas Grenville, see the notes to Lafayette to JJ, 28 Apr. 1782, below. In his reply of 8 May 1782, ALS, PU: Franklin (EJ: 5241), JJ acknowledged receipt of the present letter and informed BF that he would leave Madrid at the end of the next week. He also noted that Montmorin did not “dislike this Step” and that Floridablanca would send his instructions on negotiations for a treaty, originally to have been undertaken by Campo, to Aranda, Spain’s ambassador in Paris. BF acknowledged receipt of JJ’s reply in his journal entry for 27 May 1782 (, 37: 315).
3. BF discussed the present letter in his journal entry for 13 May (, 37: 310), in which he noted that he had sent the letter under cover to a person in Madrid who he hoped would open and read it. The editors of the Franklin Papers speculate that this person may have been d’Yranda. BF commented further that he believed the Americans had diminished their own importance by begging for alliances, which seemed to make nations like Spain believe that “our Independence is something they have to sell, and that we dont Offer enough for it.”