81To James Madison from John Armstrong, Jr., 14 December 1808 (Madison Papers)
The russian & french Couriers, who have just returned from England, bring a peremptory refusal from Great Britain, to negociate on the bases which have been offered. As this refusal can scarcely fail to produce new irritation on the part of the Emperor, so it may be expected to produce also a firmer adherence to his decrees. On the other hand the motives on the part of Russia to procure a...
82To James Madison from John Armstrong, Jr., 24 December 1806 (Madison Papers)
I had the honor of receiving your letter of the 15 August this morning and that of Mr. Wagner of the 1st. of October a few days past. Finding in the latter no acknowledgment of my letter of the 4th. of May I now send a third copy of it. It is probable that the three claims in which Mess. Stoddert & Mason are interested, will soon be decided; When they are, I Shall assemble the results of the...
83To James Madison from John Armstrong, Jr., 28 February 1808 (Madison Papers)
Having received no answer to my 2d. letter of the 14th. of February from M. de Champagny and having room for new complaints with regard to the mode in which the Imperial decrees of Novemb. 1806 and Decemb. 1807 have been made to operate, I determined to ask an audience of the Prince of Benevent and seek from him as head of the Diplomatic functions in France, Such explanations as H. M’s...
84To James Madison from John Armstrong, Jr., 12 April 1808 (Madison Papers)
I have detained M. Lewis till to-day on the supposition that my letter of the 2d. instant would be answered. This was however a mere accomodation to forms, as the absence of the Emperor and of the Minister of foreign relations, rendered this supposition highly improbable. There being then no public reason for M. Lewis’s longer stay in Paris, and the permission to the Osage to prosecute her...
85To James Madison from John Armstrong, Jr., 15 February 1807 (Madison Papers)
I had the honor of receiving your letters of the 10th. of november and 10th. and 23d. of december 1806. The late movements of the Spanish troops in Louisiana afford a sufficient motive for renewing my application to this Government on the subject of our controversy with Spain, but the application itself was necessarily Suspended till the 5th. instant. I did not wish it to find the Emperor...
86To James Madison from John Armstrong, Jr., 1 January 1807 (Madison Papers)
Soon after my arrival in France, Mr Skipwith applied to me for money to enable him, as Agent of Claims, to prosecute some suits which were pending before the Council of Prizes. Not finding any thing to authorize such advance, either in the appropriation for the year, or in my instructions, I refused to make it, and the rather, as it had been refused by all my predecessors. Mr. Skipwith was not...
87To James Madison from John Armstrong, Jr., 15 November 1807 (Madison Papers)
The Emperor left Fontainebleau yesterday; it is said, for Italy, Spain & Portugal. In each of those places great changes are predicted. Genoa and Piedmont are to be added to the Kingdom of Italy, which on the other hand, looses Venice, and its dependencies. These with a part of Etruria, and something on the Eastern Side of the Adriatic, are to form a Grand Duchy for Beauharnois. The residue of...
88To James Madison from John Armstrong, Jr., 7 August 1808 (Madison Papers)
I wrote a few lines to you yesterday. The arrival of this day’s mail from Bordeaux enables me to add what follows: "The Emperor said to our chamber of Commerce "que depuis que les Etats unis avaient mis un embargo, ils avaient cessé d’etre Neutres (that since the United States had placed an embargo, they had ceased to be Neutral)." The chamber having presented a petition for liberty to export...