To John Jay from Lafayette, 11 May 1785
From Lafayette
Paris May the 11th 1785
Dear Sir
This opportunity Being Very Safe, Congress will Have Been fully informed By their Minister, and The Bearer, M. john Adams’s Son1 is Himself very Well Fit to Give them proper intelligences—I Have Been not a little Surprised to Hear M. de Longchamps Had Been demanded—But Upon Inquiry found that Before My Return Such Orders Had Gone to America—Since which Government were Satisfied with the Good intentions and peculiar Circumstances that induced them to direct the affair should Be dropped—this will explain the passage in My first letter from this place, Which must Have Arrived not Long after the demand was made—2
The Appearances of a War are More and More Remote—politicians do However look towards the Ottoman Empire—The Emperor is Restless—the Empress of Russia is Ambitious—the King of prussia is old—a King of the Romans to be Elected—an Arrangement for Baviera—a Reason or a pretence—an interest or a Whim might set fire to Combustible Matters—But it is not Expected for the present.
As it Seems to me that favours granted to American importations is one of the Best Services that Can Be Rendered to American Trade, I wish it Had Been possible to obtain a total Abolition of duties Upon Whale oils—but in this Moment Government are taken up with a Scheme to Revive that fishery in France—it was therefore Necessary to follow a Round about Course, and M. Adams is charged with some private proposals which May Be advantageous
in a few days I intend Visiting Nismes, Montpellier, and Rochelle, Which are Manufacturing and trading towns—3 I Hope my little journey May Be not Quite Useless, after Which I will Go to Berlin and Silesia, to Vienna, and Bohemia where the King of prussia and the Emperor, at Several periods of the Summer Have Grand Manoeuvres executed By their troops—4 Should I in those visits find the least opportunity to Gratify My Zeal for the United States, I would think Myself More Happy than I can Expect, And as much so as Your patriot Heart Can feel With the Sincerest Regard and Affection I Have the Honour to be, My dear Sir Your obedient Humble Servant
Lafayette
My most affectionate Respects wait on Mrs Jay—Mde de Lafayette Begs to Be most tenderly Remembered to You Both—my Compliments wait Upon my friends in Congress, New York, and every where else
The Honourable Mr Jay esq
ALS, DNA: PCC, item 156, 418–21 (EJ: 2580, 10871). Endorsed: “… Recd. 20 July 1785 / Referred to the Secy. for / forn. Affairs with the / papers relative to / Longchamps. / to report—”.
1. Eighteen-year-old John Quincy Adams, who accompanied his father on the latter’s second visit to England and then served as secretary to Francis Dana on his mission to Russia before rejoining his father. He left France for America and Harvard College in May 1785. He arrived in New York on 17 July and met with JJ on 18 and 28 July 1785. David Grayson Allen et al., eds., Diary of John Quincy Adams (2 vols.; Cambridge, Mass., 1981), 1: 288–89, 295.
2. See Lafayette to JJ, 8 Feb., ALS, DNA: PCC, item 156, 400–402 (EJ: 10868); C, without last paragraph, closing, and signature, and with some changes in wording, MiU-C: Greene (EJ: 4935); and the editorial note “The Longchamps Affair,” above.
3. For Lafayette’s visit to towns where Protestants were carrying on their faith clandestinely, see 172.
4. For Lafayette’s presence at these maneuvers, see ibid., 194–96.