Thomas Jefferson Papers
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https://founders.archives.gov/documents/Jefferson/03-16-02-0126

James Monroe to Thomas Jefferson, 2 August 1820

From James Monroe

Highland Augt 2. 1820.

Dear Sir

In addition to mr Gallatin’s & mr Rush’s letters which I promised last night to send you to day, I enclose a copy of the instructions given to mr Forbes appointed agent to So America, either Buenos Ayres, or Chili, to be decided, by a circumstance mentiond in them. as they explain in a general way, our relations with that country, and state some facts of an interesting nature, I have thought that it might be agreeable to you to see them. The instructions to Com: Perry, which are mentiond in those to mr Forbes, & mr Prevost, I should be glad to send you if I had them here as they wod give the whole view. You shall see them on some future occasion.

Yours with the greatest respect & regard

James Monroe

RC (DLC); endorsed by TJ as received 2 Aug. 1820 and so recorded in SJL. Enclosure: John Quincy Adams to John M. Forbes, State Department, 5 July 1820, appointing Forbes as “agent for commerce and seamen for either of the provinces of Buenos Ayres or of Chili, in whichsoever of them Mr. J. B. Prevost shall not be. He is at this time at Buenos Ayres; but having, at one period, intimated to the President a preference to return to Chili, where he some time resided, it is thought due to him to leave the selection of his residence, after your arrival at Buenos Ayres, to himself”; lamenting the widespread and “atrocious acts of piracy” committed by foreign privateers with commissions from and operating out of these two places; revealing that in “the instructions to the late Commodore Perry … certain articles in the Buenos Ayrean privateering ordinance were pointed out, particularly liable to the production of these abuses, and which, being contrary to the established usages among civilized nations, it was hoped would have been revoked, or made to disappear from their otherwise unexceptionable code”; and commanding Forbes to execute the applicable portions of Perry’s orders, prevent American seamen from enlisting on privateers in the region under his purview, maintain his own neutral stance, and forward to the United States government any relevant commercial and political information that comes to his attention (ASP, Foreign Relations, 4:820). Other enclosures not found.

Index Entries

  • Adams, John Quincy; and appointments search
  • Buenos Aires; privateers from search
  • Chile; privateers from search
  • Forbes, John M. search
  • Gallatin, Albert; as minister plenipotentiary to France search
  • Monroe, James; and appointments search
  • Monroe, James; forwards correspondence to TJ search
  • Monroe, James; letters from search
  • Monroe, James; sends diplomatic instructions to TJ search
  • Perry, Oliver Hazard; diplomatic instructions to search
  • Prevost, John B. search
  • Rush, Richard; as minister plenipotentiary to Great Britain search
  • South America; and U.S. search
  • South America; piracy in search
  • United States; and South American republics search