From John Jay to Lafayette, 19 January 1783
To Lafayette
Rouen 19 Jany 1783
Dear Sir
Accept my Thanks for your obliging Letter of the 26 Decr. last, which the Marchioness was so kind as to send me Yesterday.1 I congratulate you on your safe arrival at Cadiz, and you have my best wishes that the same good Fortune you have hitherto experienced may continue to attend you.
The State of my Health making a Change of Air, and exercise adviseable I left Paris ten Days ago on an Excursion into Normandy— Hence I suppose it has happened that I have neither seen nor heard of ^nor seen^ your Letters to Dr. Franklin—2
If I am not mistaken a Copy of the american preliminaries has been sent to Spain; and I flatter myself that when Count de Montmorin peruses them he will ^will^ think them perfectly consistent with our Engagements with France ^to our allies^—3 It appears to me rather singular that the Articles should ^any^ Doubts should be entertaind of American good Faith; for as it has hitherto been, [proclaimed?] ^tried & remains^ inviolate such Suspicions ^they^ cannot easily be explained on Principles honorable to those who entertain them. America has so often ^repeated &^ reiterated her Professions and Assurances of her Regard to the Treaty alluded to, that I hope she will so far regard ^not impair^ her Dignity as to ^by^ makeg no ^any^ more of them, but leave the further and continued uprightness of her Conduct to inspire that Confidence which it seems its they ^she^ does not yet possess, altho they long have ^she has always^ merited.4
Our warmest acknowledgments are due to you for the Zeal you manifest to serve america at all Times and in all places—but Sir I have little Expectation
that your Plan of a spanish Loan will succeed5— I confess that I am far from ^being^ anxious that it should ^abt. it^ In my opinion America can with no Propriety accept Favors from Spain and for my own part I would rather borrow money to repay what we have recd from her, than submit to pick up any Crums that may fall from her Table.
My Absence from Paris has deprived ^me^ of the means of Information, & therefore I cannot at present gratify either your Wishes or my own on that Head. God knows whether or no we shall ^have^ peace— A Variety of contradictory Reports daily reach me, but they deserve no ^little^ Credit— It is again said that Charlstown is Evacuated— That may be— It is also said the Enemy have left New York; but I adhere to my former opinion, and do not believe a word of it—6 Mrs. Jay writes me7 that Mr Oswald is gone to London, but for what Purpose I am ignorant— Thus my dear Sir are we held in ^a State of^ Suspence which nothing but Time can remove— I propose to return next week to Paris and shall then write to you again— Adieu I am with perfect Respect & Esteem Dr Sir Your most obt Servt.
Majr Gen—the Marq. de la Fayette8
Dft, UkWC-A (EJ: 32). Endorsed by JJ: “ . . . in ans. 26 Decr last”.
1. See Lafayette to JJ, 26 Dec. 1782, and JJ to SLJ, 18 Jan. 1783, both above.
2. See Lafayette to BF, 4, 6, and 8 Dec. 1782, , 38: 407, 420–21, 429–30.
3. Probably forwarded by Vergennes, who sent translations of them to Rayneval on 4 Dec. and to La Luzerne on 19 Dec. 1782. See , 1: 706, 727.
4. On 2 Jan. 1783 the French foreign ministry drafted a declaration asking the American Peace Commissioners to affirm that they had not breached the Franco-American alliance by concluding a separate peace with Britain. A final version bore the date of 20 Jan. 1783, “done at Passy.” Either Vergennes never presented it to the American Peace Commissioners, or they did not sign it. See the draft, in French, and notes, in , 38: 540–42; and, for a text in English, , 1: 757–58. That JJ did not think that the preliminaries constituted a “separate peace” was explicitly asserted in his letter to Stephen Sayre, 15 Dec. 1782, Dft, NNC (EJ: 8836).
5. For JJ’s earlier efforts to negotiate such a loan, see Notes on John Jay’s Conference with Floridablanca, 5 July 1780, : 187–93.
6. Charleston was evacuated on 14 Dec. 1782; New York, on 25 Nov. 1783.
8. Lafayette’s letter to JJ, 15 Feb. 1783, below, does not acknowledge receipt of this letter.