John Jay Papers
Documents filtered by: Recipient="Carmichael, William" AND Period="Confederation Period"
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https://founders.archives.gov/documents/Jay/01-05-02-0056

From John Jay to William Carmichael, 23 September 1788

To William Carmichael

Office for for: Affairs, 23d. Septr. 1788

Sir

I have had the Honor of recg & communicating to Congress your Letter of the 29 April last, as well as your former one preceding ones of 3 July & 19th Augt.1

The Intelligence which accompanied the first of the two last is relative from our unfortunate Captives at Algiers is interesting, and there doubtless was propriety in your forwarding it to this office. As to all Questions as to the Paper no. 3 mentioned to have been enclosed with ^it^ and to contain a Copy of a Letter from the Spanish consul respecting three Captains & a Mate, being persons who it would seem enjoyed some particular Indulgence, you must have omitted to enclose it, send it, for it was not found enclosed. Mr. Jefferson is authorized by Congress to give such Directions touching the Subsistance of the Captives as he may judge proper, and therefore in all Matters relative to that Subject I must refer to him.

I am ^well^ apprized of the Difficulties you must experience from want of a Cypher and was ^Disadvantages attending our being still without a Cypher, Let me however remind You that^ there were two ways of obtaining one vizt. either by sending one to me, or recieving one from me. My Letter to you of the 14 May 1787 contains the following Paragraph vizt. “I exceedingly regret that I have not proper opportunity of sending you a Cypher— In Case you should meet with a safe Conveyance I wish you would be so good as to send me one” It is a Pity you had ^did^ not commit one to the Care of Mr. Barclay or of Col. Smith, either ^both^ of whom were with You, and either of whom would have conv carefully conveyed it to me.2

on the 17 of August last 1787 I wrote to you by Capt. Areson, would who was going from hence to Madrid— As he promised to deliver my Dispatches to you with his own Hands, I ventured to inclose a Cypher—3 I do not recollect that any tolerable opportunity of sending you one has since offered—but whenever there does I shall be mindful of it, and I really wish you would do the like on your Part—

I still remain without any Advices from you relative to the Dover Cutter— Many Several of my Letters to You repeat the Request I made to be informed of the State of that Affair.4

You will recieve herewith enclosed for your Information an Act of Congress of the [8th Oct?] relative to a Letter written by a Capt Sullivan to Mr Gardoqui—5 The Requisition of Congress for the present Year passed 20 Augt last & a Copy of the Act of Congress putting the new Constitution into Operation, and also together with the printed Journals necessary to compleat your Set, ^and the late News papers—^

You will easily percieve the Propriety of my declining those Details relative to political Affairs, which ought not if ought not to be hazarded by ordinary Conveyances—

It will give you Pleasure to learn that eleven States have adopted the new Constitution, and that in the Course of the next Spring it will probably be organized. So important an Event so peaceably achieved, does honor to our [Hon?] Country, and will appear very singular in the History of Nations— I have the Honor to be Sir Your most obt. & hble Servt

The Honb. Wm. Carmichael Esqr.

Dft, NNC (EJ: 07728); LbkC, DNA: Foreign Letters description begins Foreign Letters of the Continental Congress and Department of State, 1785–1790, RG 59, item 121, National Archives (M61). Accessed on Fold3.com. description ends , 307–9 (EJ: 02533). Enclosures (not found): Requisition of Congress of 20 Aug. 1788 (JCC description begins Worthington C. Ford et al., eds., Journals of the Continental Congress, 1774–1789 (34 vols.; Washington, D.C., 1904–37) description ends , 34: 433–41); copy of the Constitution and the act on Congress of 13 Sept. putting it into operation (JCC description begins Worthington C. Ford et al., eds., Journals of the Continental Congress, 1774–1789 (34 vols.; Washington, D.C., 1904–37) description ends , 34: 522–23); Journals of Congress, 10 May to 12 Aug. 1788; newspapers of 17 Aug. to this day. OFA Journal description begins Daily Journals, Office of Foreign Affairs, 1784–1790, 2 vols., Papers of the Continental Congress, RG 360, item 127, National Archives (M247). Accessed Fold3.com description ends , 23 Sept. 1788 (EJ: 03791).

1Carmichael to JJ, 29 Apr. 1788, JJSP description begins Elizabeth M. Nuxoll et al., eds., The Selected Papers of John Jay (4 vols. to date; Charlottesville, Va., 2010–) description ends , 4: 701–4; 3 July and 19 Aug. 1787, DNA: PCC, item 88, 496–97, 500–503.

2JJ to Carmichael, 14 May 1787, DNA: Foreign Letters description begins Foreign Letters of the Continental Congress and Department of State, 1785–1790, RG 59, item 121, National Archives (M61). Accessed on Fold3.com. description ends , 257–59.

3JJ to Carmichael, 17 Aug. 1787, Dft, NNC (EJ: 05906); LbkC, DNA: Foreign Letters description begins Foreign Letters of the Continental Congress and Department of State, 1785–1790, RG 59, item 121, National Archives (M61). Accessed on Fold3.com. description ends , 276–77. In his letter of 24 Nov. 1788, JJ reported he was sending a code through TJ. See JJ to WC, 24 Nov., DNA: Foreign letters, 310; JJ to TJ, 25 Nov. 1788, and notes, below. TJ also forwarded codes to WC both as minister to France, and on 6 Aug. 1790, as secretary of state, but WC declared on 24 Jan. 1791, that none of the codes that reached him could prudently be used because of the time and manner of their delivery. He contended he reported the problems in the delivery of the codes and forwarded certificates of witnesses to the department of foreign affairs in letters that failed to arrive. On the issue of whether WC received the various codes sent him, and the possible reasons why he did not use those he did receive, see PTJ description begins Julian T. Boyd, Charles T. Cullen et al., eds., The Papers of Thomas Jefferson (42 vols. to date; Princeton, N.J., 1950–) description ends , 12: 172–79, 423, 552; 17: 320, 329; 18: 597–600. Spanish authorities are believed to have secured copies of all codes sent, but WC’s casualness about secrecy, which he tended to consider futile, his aversion to the work entailed in using codes, and ultimately his slide into alcoholism, are also suggested as reasons he failed to use those sent him.

4See JJ to WC, 17 Mar. 1786, 24 Nov. 1786, 14 May 1787, DNA: Foreign Letters description begins Foreign Letters of the Continental Congress and Department of State, 1785–1790, RG 59, item 121, National Archives (M61). Accessed on Fold3.com. description ends , 175, 219, 257–58. On this case, see also JJSP description begins Elizabeth M. Nuxoll et al., eds., The Selected Papers of John Jay (4 vols. to date; Charlottesville, Va., 2010–) description ends , 2: 161–64, 486–87.

5See JCC description begins Worthington C. Ford et al., eds., Journals of the Continental Congress, 1774–1789 (34 vols.; Washington, D.C., 1904–37) description ends , 34: 550, 550n1; and JJ’s Report to Congress on John Sullivan and Spanish-American Relations, 4 Oct. 1787, JJSP description begins Elizabeth M. Nuxoll et al., eds., The Selected Papers of John Jay (4 vols. to date; Charlottesville, Va., 2010–) description ends , 4: 553–55.

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