From John Jay to the President of Congress (Samuel Huntington), 30 November 1780
To the President of Congress (Samuel Huntington)
Madrid 30 Novr 30, 1780.
Sir
Your Excellency will receive herewith enclosed certain Papers from Morocco vizt:
No. 1. containing a Letter of 21 Ap: last to me from Audibert Caille1 who stiles himself the Consul appointed by the Emperor for such foreign Nations as have none of their own in his Dominions, to protect the Strangers who may come to traffic in his Ports, pursuant to two Proclamations published last Year—
No. 2. My Answer2
No. 3— Copy of Mr. Audiberts Appointment
No. 4. Copy of the Declaration of the Emperor 20th. Feb. 1780
No. 5— Copy of certain ordinances & Declarations of the Emperor of 27 Septr. 1778—
No. 6 Copy of a Letter from Mr Audibert to Congress of 6th. Septr. 17793
Also six printed Copies of Mr. Audiberts Certificates—4
These papers ought to have been sent with my Letter of May last, but recollecting, as I was about to put them up, that if the Originals should be lost on the Passage it might be difficult to obtain others, I thought it most prudent to detain them to be copied and wait for some other opportunity of getting them to the Sea. None have however since occurred, and I did not think them of sufficient Importance to render it necessary that either Mr Carmichael or Colonel Livingston should carry them to one of the Sea Ports.
It is proper that your Exy should be informed that on the 8th. Inst, I had a Conference with the Minister at the Escurial, in which I recd. many good words and friendly assurances, but Time only can decide how they will terminate.5 I recd. a Letter Yesterday from Mr Harrison of the 24th Instant, and then no orders had arrived about the Cloathing.6 These Delays may appear singular, but they are not uncommon. Mr. Cumberland is still here— The French and English Fleets are at Sea.
Altho appearances are not very flattering at present, I hope they will in time become more so— Patience Prudence & Perseverance sometimes effect much. It is in my opinion very important that no Dissatisfaction be expressed in America at the Conduct of Spain. Complaint and Disgust can answer no good Purpose but may be productive of many disagreable Consequences. A cautious Silence is the more necessary as I am confident that there are Persons in America who would make a Merit of collecting & transmitting the Sentiments of Congress, or members of Congress on Subjects interesting to the Views and objects of Persons in power here.7
Col. Livingston would have returned this Fall, at the Expiration of the Term expressed in his Leave of Absence, had I not taken the Liberty of advising him to remain, and taken upon myself to adjust this Matter with Congress—as he is employed and industrious in obtaining Knowledge which may enable him to be useful in the future to his Country, I must join with him in requesting that Congress will be so kind as to extend his Leave of Absence to such further Period as may be agreable to them—
The enclosed Paper marked No. 7 is a Copy of the State of the Revenues and Expenditures of Spain in the Year 1778— It was formed by a Secretary to one of the Embassies, and a Copy of it was given to Mr Carmichael— I recd. it the last Day of July and had no opportunity of sending it before— What Credit may be due to this Acc[ount] I cannot determine, and I have Reason to think that there are few Men in the Kingdom who can. This Government, disposed [to] Concealment and Mistery in most Matters, will not probably permit an accurate Knowledge of their Revenues to be easily attained— This Account is perhaps as near the Truth as any other— The Gentleman, it is said, took much Pains in forming it, & it also met with the Approbation of some foreign Ministers—but how far these Ministers were Judges of the Subject I am not informed. The Remarks subjoined to this Account are Mr Carmichael’s, & were added to the Copy I recd. from him—8
No. 8 contains Copies of several Letters which passed between Mr DNeufville & Son, of Amsterdam, & myself, relative to the Bills drawn on Mr Laurens.9
The Conduct of that House has been so friendly & disinterested, that I think Congress should be particularly informed of it; and by taking proper notice of it, induce others to follow the Example— I have the Honor to be Your Excellency’s most obedient & hble Servt.
John Jay10
His Exy the President of Congress.
LS, DNA: PCC, item 98, 235–38 (EJ: 11066). Marked “Duplicate”. Enclosures 1–6, as listed in the letter, are in DNA: PCC, item 98, 239–72 (EJ: 11067–74). LbkCs, with enclosures 1–8, DNA: PCC, item 110, 1: 329–33, 333–83 (EJ: 4142); NNC: JJ Lbk. 1; CSmH.
1. Étienne d’Audibert Caille to JJ, 21 Apr., above.
2. On JJ’s undated reply, see d’Audibert Caille to JJ, 21 Apr., above, note 3.
3. See d’Audibert Caille to JJ, 21 Apr., above, note 3.
4. For Congress’s handling of d’Audibert Caille and its relations with Morocco, see , 15: 519–20.
6. Letter not found. On the clothing at Cádiz, see Gardoqui to JJ, 15 Sept.; Notes on John Jay’s Conference with Floridablanca, 23 Sept.; and JJ to the President of Congress, 6 Nov., all above.
7. See JJ to the President of Congress, 6 Nov., above, and notes.
8. See , 4: 38; for the enclosed State of the Revenues and Expenses of Spain in the Year 1778, see DNA: PCC, item 110, 1: 355–58.
9. The enclosed letters were John de Neufville & Son to JJ, 6 Apr., c. June, 8 June, 13 July (above), 28 July, and 7 Sept.; and JJ to John de Neufville & Son, 27 Apr., 18 June, 25 June, 29 July (above), 16 Aug., and 4 Oct. (above), all 1780. Cs in letters to and from Messrs. Neufville, 6 Apr.–4 Oct. 1780, NNC (EJ: 7890, 7891–7901); LbkCs, DNA: PCC, item 110, 1: 358–83 (EJ: 4145–57); NNC: JJ Lbk. 1; CSmH.
10. JJ sent Henry Brockholst Livingston to deliver this letter to an American captain with his own hands. Congress received it on 23 Apr. 1781. See JJ to the President of Congress, 28 Jan. 1781, below; and , 17: 178.