To George Washington from Moustier, 11 January 1790
From Moustier
Paris, January 11th 1790.
Sir,
Although my absence from the United States denies me the honor of conferring with the President, I dare to flatter myself that I shall be permitted to recall his remembrance of me and to request the continuance of his goodness as well in quality of his dignity, as, in what I desire still more, his personal regard.
Having left America penetrated with sentiments of the truest veneration, of attachment, and gratitude for your person, Sir, I have not ceased to prove and to profess them on all occasions—I have also often enjoyed the satisfaction to render homage to the wisdom of the government of the United States, and to cite it as nearly serving us for a prototype. It was at least to be desired that we had been guided by the same principles; but I know not by what fatality we have found ourselves carried beyond the bounds at which it was desireable to have fixed—I hope that we shall reiterate our steps without being forced to do so—because in that case it might happen that the impulsion which should carry us back, would occasion too much retrogade. I am sorry to say it; but it appears to me too true that we are in want of Leaders enlightened, clearsighted, and, above all, formed by experience—Had not this been the case, we should not have fallen into the error of presenting to the People more advantages, and more independence than comports with the civil estate—That chimera of perfection, which belongs not to man, has seduced many heads among us. I love to believe that error has had more influence in occasioning the faults which have been committed than malice—although it is not to be dissembled that the number of evil-intentioned, that is to say of people who attempt every thing to satisfy their personal views, is always too great in human societies. There exists unfortunately in our nation a mobility, which seems peculiar to it, and which, badly directed, leads to more bad than good actions, which is an extreme desire to be distinguished and to make a figure—Vanity, without doubt, turns more heads in France than elsewhere—indeed we are arrived at a very critical situation—which is equally capable of exciting fear and supporting hope.
I have not neglected, notwithstanding present circumstances, to lay before my Court the solid advantages offered by the present form of government of the United States, as an additional motive for uniting more closely the ties which bind the two nations, and to multiply their relations to each other—This truth has been felt, but I should not be surprised that in a moment when there is the liveliest agitation in the internal affairs, the attention to external matters should be sometime neglected.
I shall not cease to give the most active attention to whatever may interest the United States, and I trust that my perseverance will supply the defect of other means. I should have been very desirous to procure a decision upon an object which I was specially charged to treat. but I have been obliged to content my self to stop that, which I regard as an error, and wait the adoption of what may be most convenient.1 I believe firmly that nothing will be decided on which may be disagreeable to Congress. You will be informed of whatever is done.
Madame de Brehan charges me to recall her to your remembrance, Sir, and to Mrs Washington to whom I take the liberty of offering my respectful homage.
My Sister regrets much to be absent from America, where She was becoming more and more pleased, which makes me hope that She will again accompany me. I have the honor to be, with respect, Sir, your most humble & most obedt Servt.2
ALS, DLC:GW; translation, DLC:GW. The text is taken from a contemporary translation made for GW.
1. In October 1789 Secretary of the Treasury Alexander Hamilton had held several conversations with Moustier concerning the payments due on the Revolutionary War debt owed by the United States to France. It was generally accepted by the new government that provision would be made by the United States as soon as possible to begin to retire the debt, but in the meantime Hamilton pointed out that it “would be a valuable accomodation to the government of this country, if the Court of France should think fit to suspend the payment of the instalments of the principal due, and to become due, for five or six years from this period on the condition of effectual arrangements for the punctual discharge of the interest which has accrued, and shall accrue.” The secretary hoped that the arrangement might be made as a “voluntary and unsolicited offer” on the part of France (Hamilton to William Short, 7 Oct. 1789, in 5:429–30). For Hamilton’s negotiations with Moustier, see ibid., 428–29.
2. The original French version of this document reads: “Quoique mon absence des Etats Unis me prive de l’honneur d’avoir des rapports avec Monsieur Le President, j’ose me flatter qu’il me sera permis de me rapeller à son souvenir et de reclamer la continuation de ses bontés et en la qualité de sa dignité et, ce que je desire encore davantage, en sa qualité personnelle. Etant parti de l’Amerique penetré des sentimens les plus vrais de veneration, d’attachement et de reconnoissance pour votre personne, Monsieur, je n’ai cessé de les eprouver et de les professer en toute occasion. J’ai joui aussi souvent de la satisfaction de rendre homage à la sagesse du Gouvernement des Etats Unis et de le citer comme pouvant nous servir à peu près de prototype. Il seroit à desirer du moins que nous fussions guidés par les mêmes principes, mais je ne sais pas quelle fatalité nous nous trouvons emportés au delà du but auquel il etoit desirable de pouvoir se fixer. J’espere que nous reviendrons sur nos pas sans y etre poussés involontairement, puisqu’alors il pourroit arriver que l’impulsion qui nous remaneroit en arriere, nous fit beaucoup trop retrogrades. Je suis faché de le dire mais il me paroit qu’il n’est que trop vrai que nous manquons de chefs eclairés, prevoyans, et surtout formés par l’experience. Ils n’auroient pas sans celà donné dans l’erreur de faire envisager au peuple plus d’avantages et surtout plus d’independance que l’etat civil ne le comporte. Cette chimere de perfection qui n’apartient point aux hommes a seduit parmi nous beaucoup de tetes. J’aime à croire que l’erreur a plus influé sur les fautes commises que la malice, quoiqu’on ne puisse pas se dissimuler que le nombre des malintentionés, c’est à dire des gens portés à tout tenter pour satisfaire des vues personelles, ne soit toujours trop grand dans les Societés humaines. Il existe malheureusement dans notre nation un mobile qui lui semble particulier et qui mal dirigé porte à beaucoup plus de mauvaises actions que de bonnes, qui est l’envie extrême d’etre distingué et de jouer un role. La vanité tourne sans contredire plus de têtes en France qu’ailleurs. Enfin nous sommes parvenus à une situation très critique. Elle peut egalement exciter la crainte et soutenir l’esperance.
“Je n’ai point negligé, malgré les circonstances, de presenter à ma Cour les avantages solides qu’offre aujourdhui la forme du Gouvernement des Etats Unis, comme un nouveau motif de reserrer les liens qui unissent nos deux Nations et de multiplier les rapports qu’elles ont eû entre elles. Cette verité a été sentie, mais je ne serois point surpris que dans un moment où l’agitation est la plus vive au dedans, l’attention sur les affaires du dehors ne fut quelquefois detournée. Je ne cesserai de donner la suite la plus active à tout qui pourra interesser les Etats Unis et j’espere que ma perseverance supléera au defaut de plusieurs autres moyens. J’aurois bien des procurer une decision sur un objet que je m’etois chargé specialement de traiter, mais j’ai été obligé de me contenter d’arreter dabord, ce que je regarde comme une erreur, en attendant qu’on adopte ce qui seroit plus convenable. Je crois fermement qu’on ne se decidera à rien qui peut etre desagreable au Congrès. Vous en serez, Monsieur, informé d’ailleurs.
“Mde de Brehan me charge de la rapeller à votre Souvenir, Monsieur, et à celui de Madame Washington à qui je prends la liberté d’offrir mes respectueux homages. Ma Soeur regrette beaucoup d’etre absente de l’Amerique où Elle se plaisoit effectivement de plus en plus. Celà me donne l’espoir qu’elle voudra bien m’y accompagner de nouveau.”