1To Thomas Jefferson from William Short, 2 December 1790 (Jefferson Papers)
Since my arrival here, I have written to you in date of the 25th. and 26th. ulto. One of these letters was sent through our bankers here, the other by the English packet. I write at present to inclose you a letter to the Secretary of the Treasury. As it is committed immediately to the hands of an American who sails immediately from this port for Boston, I have spoken without reserve on several...
2To Thomas Jefferson from William Short, 2 May 1791 (Jefferson Papers)
I wrote to you on the 26th. of last month by the English packet and mentioned to you that Petit had been here some time and would go by the French which sails the 15th. from L’Orient. By the arrangement of the stages he finds that he shall be obliged to leave this place the 5th. Of course my letters to you by him will not be of so late a date as I had hoped. I intended if he would not accept...
3To Thomas Jefferson from William Short, 7 June 1793 (Jefferson Papers)
Since my arrival in Spain I have had the honor of writing to you on the 3d. of feb. and 6th. of March. Nothing has since occurred which seemed to authorize my troubling you, except in my joint communications with Mr. Carmichael. The ordinary business of this mission has been followed by him of course exclusively, as well as his usual correspondence with you. The several state papers and public...
4To Thomas Jefferson from William Short, 25 April 1791 (Jefferson Papers)
Our information from America is as when I last wrote to you, that is to say, no lower than your letter of the 23d. of January. I have been waiting with much impatience to receive further intelligence for the reasons which I have repeated in my several letters. Since my last the national assembly have extended to their islands and all their foreign possessions the decree which abolished the...
5To Thomas Jefferson from William Short, 14 September 1791 (Jefferson Papers)
I have the honor to inclose and forward you by the way of England a copy of the King’s letter sent yesterday to the national assembly announcing his acceptance of the constitution, and his intention of going to day to solemnize that acceptation in the assembly. He accordingly went today and took the oath required. The Queen also was present in a lodge adjoining the assembly room. This...
6To Thomas Jefferson from William Short, 25 June 1790 (Jefferson Papers)
[Since my last I have seen the General of the Mathurins, who gives little hopes of any thing being done for our captives through his chanel, although he continues assurances of his zeal in case of any opportunity presenting itself, and I am persuaded he may be counted on as to these assurances. He had begun by transmitting a small sum of money to a person of confidence at Algiers to relieve...
7To Thomas Jefferson from William Short, 24 July 1791 (Jefferson Papers)
I had the honor of writing to you four days ago by Mr. Barrett. This will be sent also by the way of Havre and will contain a letter for the Secretary of the Treasury. A very lengthy report has been made to the assembly in the name of the two committees, diplomatick and of war, on the situation of France with respect to her neighbours, and her military force. From it it appeared that the...
8To Thomas Jefferson from William Short, 8 April 1791 (Jefferson Papers)
My last was sent by the English packet a conveyance which I have constantly made use of since you have expressed the desire. I have no other opportunity of writing to you than by merchant vessels which have hitherto so illy served me as would prevent my making further use of them if I did not think it an indispensable duty on my part to give you the most regular information in my power.—This...
9To Thomas Jefferson from William Short, 14 June 1790 (Jefferson Papers)
I received three days ago the first letters which have come to my hands from you since your arrival at New-York. That of the latest date was April 30th. It contained a copy of that of April 6th. together with the newspapers sent. I delivered today to M. de Montmorin the letter of the President to the King, and another directed to him containing one of leave for you and of credence for me. I...
10To Thomas Jefferson from William Short, 24 August 1791 (Jefferson Papers)
The assembly have continued since my last deliberating on the plan of constitution submitted to them. They have made no material alterations, but have referred two or three questions to be decided after the others—one of them is that for augmenting the property of electors and abolishing the marc d’argent hitherto decreed for the members of the legislature—and another is the condition of the...
11To Thomas Jefferson from William Short, 10 February 1790 (Jefferson Papers)
As yet I have awaited in vain the pleasure of hearing from you after your landing. I was anxious to learn what effect the objects that presented themselves to you had on your mind—whether the changes since you left America were great and in what they consisted. In short I desired to learn a thousand particularities which I feared your time and occupations would not allow you to write about,...
12To Thomas Jefferson from William Short, 7 February 1791 (Jefferson Papers)
In my last I sent you a copy of a letter, such as it then appeared in public, from the Emperor to the King of France. I mentioned at the same time the general opinion and my doubts as to its authenticity. A letter from M. de Montmorin to the assembly has since reduced this matter to certainty. He has sent them a translation of this letter which you will see in the journals of the assembly. He...
13To Thomas Jefferson from William Short, 6 October 1791 (Jefferson Papers)
I inclose you at present my account with the U.S. from July 1. 90. to July 1. 91.—A balance as you will see remained due to me at that date of 4146. florins of which 1846. were due on the account of the year before. This shews that the whole of my salary is not expended which arises from two circumstances. 1. That I had for a long time no house rent to pay, and 2. that I have not augmented my...
14To Thomas Jefferson from William Short, 31 August 1791 (Jefferson Papers)
I had the honor of writing to you yesterday by the English packet. This inclosing a letter for the Secretary of the treasury, will be delivered to you by a M. de Barth, son to the person of that name who is gone to settle in the western country. I have not seen him, but have promised his brother who seems to be a worthy to introduce the bearer to you. You will see in the gazettes sent, as low...
15To Thomas Jefferson from William Short, 31 July 1792 (Jefferson Papers)
Since my last I have recieved and had a copy taken of the declaration of the King of Prussia, which I have the honor of inclosing. The Imperial and Prussian ministers recieved here the night before last, that of the Duke of Brunswic dated at Coblence the 25th. inst. I had just recieved the loan of it and was having a copy of it also taken, when I recieved the supplement to the gazette of...
16To Thomas Jefferson from William Short, 29 February 1792 (Jefferson Papers)
I have been so much indisposed since my last of the 8th. inst. as to have been absolutely incapable of writing. I resume my pen at present merely to inform you by the English packet that the answer from the Emperor arrived here two days ago. The King’s council have had it under long and mature consideration and have communicated it to the diplomatic committee. The Minister goes to morrow to...
17To Thomas Jefferson from William Short, 5 June 1790 (Jefferson Papers)
Dr. Bancroft being about to set off immediately for London I make use of his conveyance merely to send you the gazettes of France and Leyden, and journals of the national assembly, which have considerably accumulated in my hands for the want of some means of forwarding them to New-York. I shall add to them some other papers relative to the pension list and which are the continuation of those...
18To Thomas Jefferson from William Short, 26 April 1791 (Jefferson Papers)
Petit is now here and intends going by the French packet which will sail from L’Orient the 15th. of next month. He insisted on 100.₶ a month and seemed convinced from your letter that you would think it fully reasonable. Of course as far as the arrangement depends on me his wages are fixed at that rate. I had supposed from his letters written whilst I was in Holland that he would have been...
19To Thomas Jefferson from William Short, 4 August 1790 (Jefferson Papers)
Some time ago the Count de Mercy made an application to M. de Montmorin for a passage of some troops on the territory of France, on their march to the low countries. On its being known in that quarter that the passage was promised, the directoire du départment sent an express to the national assembly to take their orders on it, previous to the arrival of the troops. This circumstance had...
20To Thomas Jefferson from William Short, 22 May 1794 (Jefferson Papers)
After writing my last letters of Nov. 7th. 11th. and 13th. I determined not to multiply my intrusions on your time and patience until I should have the satisfaction of once more hearing from you. The last private letter which I had then recieved from you was of the 11th. of July 1793. by Mr. Blake. The same silence continued until the 26th. ulto. when I recieved by the packet of the Spanish...
21To Thomas Jefferson from William Short, 2 April 1793 (Jefferson Papers)
I wrote to you this morning by the way of Cadiz informing you of the distressing account which I have just received of the bankruptcy of the house of Donald & Burton. As you know that their agent Mr. Browne has in his hands, the whole of the funds for which my patrimonial estate was sold you will judge of the state of mind in which this places me. I wrote to you from the Hague Nov. 30—and Dec....
22To Thomas Jefferson from William Carmichael and William Short, 18 April 1793 (Jefferson Papers)
When we had last the honor of addressing you we mentioned the delay which had taken place with respect to the business with which we are charged here. We then hoped that delay had ceased as we were just informed that His Majesty had designated the person to treat with us on his behalf. We have found ourselves however much mistaken in our hope. As soon as it was announced to us that M. de...
23To Thomas Jefferson from William Short, 3 May 1791 (Jefferson Papers)
The fermentation of Paris which I mentioned to you in my last has continued subsiding since that time. But the regulation of the department for renting and selling churches to the catholics who adhere to the priests non-jurors, and the departure of the King for St. Cloud remain suspended. The regulation or arreté of the department when sent to the national assembly was referred to the...
24To Thomas Jefferson from William Short, 8 November 1791 (Jefferson Papers)
I mentioned to you in a former letter that the several ministers were to lay before the assembly a state of their respective departments. M. de Montmorin performed this task some days ago and at the same time added that it was the last communication he should have with them as minister of foreign affairs, His Majesty having at length accepted his resignation. The state he presented shewed in...
25To Thomas Jefferson from William Short, 26 September 1790 (Jefferson Papers)
I have recieved to-day within a few hours of each other your two letters of July 26. and Aug. 12.—I am sorry to find that my letters have all had such uncommonly long passages. I sent them for the most part to Havre, where they remained until the sailing of the first vessel. I avoided making use of the English packet though a more regular conveyance, because I thought it sufficient to have my...
26To Thomas Jefferson from William Short, 7 November 1790 (Jefferson Papers)
This letter accompanies my No. 46. and will be delivered to you with the several papers therein mentioned by M. Louis Osmont. He is a young man that Madame D’Houdetot insists on my recommending to what she calls your protection, viz. your counsel and advice. Notwithstanding I have on all occasions avoided sending you these kind of recommendations, yet I think you will easily see Sir that it...
27To Thomas Jefferson from William Short, 19 October 1792 (Jefferson Papers)
The time which has elapsed since my last has sufficed to shew that the combined armies are really retreating from France, but not to shew what is the real cause of this unexpected and unaccountable circumstance. Every body here remains still immerged in the sea of conjecture: each swims or sinks according to his hopes or fears. It would be useless to fatigue you with all the vague and...
28To Thomas Jefferson from William Short, 3 February 1793 (Jefferson Papers)
My letter from the Hague of the 18th. of Dec. will have informed you of my intention to set out from that place the next day and proceed to this by the way of France. This I have accordingly done, and have now the honor to inform you of my arrival here the day before yesterday, after completing my journey of 400 leagues. I was singularly and unexpectedly fortunate in meeting with no impediment...
29To Thomas Jefferson from William Short, 25 November 1790 (Jefferson Papers)
It has just come to my knowlege that there is a vessel bound for New-York which has been for some time waiting in the Texel for a sailing wind and that it is probable a letter sent by this evening’s post may arrive in time to go by her. Under that idea I anticipate a letter I intended writing by the post of to-morrow for the English packet to inform you of my arrival at this place on the 20th....
30To Thomas Jefferson from William Short, 30 March 1791 (Jefferson Papers)
On my arrival here a few days ago I found your letter of the 23d. of January. The statement which you there give me of the reciept of my several letters is truly mortifying. They must necessarily have lost their principal merit by arriving so long after their contents had become known and given place to other matters of more recent date and greater interest. I had however followed the same...