1To Thomas Jefferson from William Short, 2 [May] 1789 (Jefferson Papers)
I have this moment come to my banker to enquire if the post of this morning brought me any letter from you. I find that it did not and as it left Paris on wednesday last, I take it for granted you will not write to this place by any post posterior to that. My letter from hence desired you would direct to me post restante at Nantes as late as the 4th. I set off for that place tomorrow morning...
2To Thomas Jefferson from William Short, 4 [May] 1789 (Jefferson Papers)
Rochefort, 4 Apr. [i.e. May] 1789 . Wrote Saturday from Bordeaux, and learned after posting letter that “the great opening of the States general would be on Monday the 11th, that it would be public &c. &c.” Will make “a push in hopes of arriving in time,” but this will mean giving little time to places en route and possible arrival late Sunday night. If he has been mistaken as to the opening...
3To Thomas Jefferson from William Short, 8 October 1789 (Jefferson Papers)
I have this moment received a letter from Mr. Nat. Cutting of the 6th. To my very great surprize he informed me that you were still at Havre. Petit’s not returning would have made me suppose you were detained, if on the contrary I had not been sure that you would not have remained so long there without writing to me.—I fear now that the beginning of your journey to America has an influence...
4To Thomas Jefferson from William Short, 3 November 1789 (Jefferson Papers)
I had the extreme pleasure of recieving the day before yesterday your letter of the 23d. which announced your departure. I had previously recieved one from Cowes, and another from Havre of the 7th. of October. In it you allude to one written from the same place and sent by a private hand. It has not been recieved. Immediately on learning that you were detained at Havre, I wrote you in an hurry...
5To Thomas Jefferson from William Short, 19 November 1789 (Jefferson Papers)
Since my last which was the 3d. of this month we have been quiet in the capital, and the dissatisfaction of the provinces at the translation of the King and national assembly with which we were threatened, was replaced by addresses of congratulation and adhesion from a great number of them. Mounier who was looked on as the chief of the discontented and who it was supposed meant to excite a...
6To Thomas Jefferson from William Short, 25 November 1789 (Jefferson Papers)
Since my last of the 19th. Mr. Parker has arrived here from London. He brings late intelligence from America with him, and also such a certainty that you will be in a manner forced to accept the place of Secretary of State that I cannot help saying a word on the subject in addition to what I said on a former occasion. Should you determine to remain in America I have no doubt you would think of...
7To Thomas Jefferson from William Short, 30 November 1789 (Jefferson Papers)
My last was of the 25th. and sent by the English Packet under cover to Mr. Parker’s correspondent in New York. Count de Moustier and Mr. McCartey had both arrived in Paris previous to that date and both brought letters for me from Mr. Jay and Colo. Hamilton but did not deliver them till since the departure of that letter. My conversation with those gentlemen has changed my doubts about your...
8To Thomas Jefferson from William Short, 25 December 1789 (Jefferson Papers)
This letter will go by the English packet and of course through the English post. I shall therefore confine the subject of it to such things as I am not unwilling should be read there. I did the same in a letter which I wrote three days ago to Mr. Jay, and shall continue it in that which will inclose this to you.—The plan of finance for relieving present exigencies is adopted. The foundation...
9William Short to John Jay, 26 December 1789 (Jefferson Papers)
I received yesterday from the Baron de Rieger Minister of Wirtemberg a paper which he enclosed to each of the corps diplomatique entitled ‘Observations pour la Serenissme Maison de Wirtemberg.’ It is a reclamation against the arretés of the national assembly of the 4th of August. Although I do not think it worth while to send you the observations by post, I have thought it my duty to mention...
10To Thomas Jefferson from William Short, 12 January 1790 (Jefferson Papers)
Your letter from Lynhaven bay arrived here two days ago. The pleasure it would have given me in any event would have been great, but it was much heightened by the impression under which I read it. As I had no idea that it was possible I should recieve a letter from you in America so soon, I supposed on seeing the address in your hand writing that you must have been thrown on the coast of...
11To Thomas Jefferson from William Short, 28 January 1790 (Jefferson Papers)
My last letter was of the 12th. inst. and sent by the French packet from Bordeaux under cover to Mr. Jay. In it I acknowledged the reciept of yours from Lynnhaven bay. I communicated your arrival not only to your friends but those of the young ladies in the convent. I have recieved from Mll. Botidoux a letter for Miss Jefferson accompanied by a packet containing pamphlets as she told me. The...
12To 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,...
13To Thomas Jefferson from William Short, 4 March 1790 (Jefferson Papers)
When I wrote you last on the 10th. of Feby. I supposed that would be my last until I should have the pleasure of hearing from you. Every day augmenting my belief that you would return here I thought it useless to continue writing as I was persuaded you would leave America before the arrival of my letters. Although that belief has not changed I am induced to hazard this letter by a very...
14To Thomas Jefferson from William Short, 25 March 1790 (Jefferson Papers)
My last to you was of the 4th. inst. and I then intended not not writing again before I should have learned something from you respecting your return. The object of that letter was of the most disagreeable kind possible, since it was to desire you would sollicit for me what I thought a kind of justice, nay strict justice between a sovereign and a person in service. Lest that letter may have...
15To Thomas Jefferson from William Short, 9 May 1790 (Jefferson Papers)
Your letter of the 14th. of December written from Eppington arrived here at the end of the last month after a passage of four months and an half. It gave a real pleasure which I will not attempt to describe, in shewing me that the long silence which had prevailed did not proceed from any forgetfulness on your part. I have taken care to let every body know this circumstance. Your friends were...
16To 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...
17To Thomas Jefferson from William Short, 14 June 1790 (Jefferson Papers)
It has not been until three days ago that I have been relieved from the anxiety which arises naturally from the long silence of those who are absent and from whom we wish to hear. The first moments which followed the arrival of your letters of April the 6th. private and duplicate and April the 27th. were such as you may easily concieve. They shewed me that you had written often and that I had...
18To 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...
19To 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...
20To Thomas Jefferson from William Short, 29 June 1790 (Jefferson Papers)
My last private was of the 14th. inst. On the 25th. I sent you my No. 34. together with a duplicate of that of the 14th. I have as yet recieved only the letters therein mentioned and of course remain in the same state of anxiety and uncertainty as when I then wrote. That however has not influenced the activity with which the execution of your commissions was begun. Petit and the packers assure...
21To Thomas Jefferson from William Short, 29 June 1790 (Jefferson Papers)
Since my last the King has sanctioned the decree which I then mentioned there were hopes he would reject at least a part of. It was well known that the assembly wished the veto to be used in that instance, as a little reflexion had shown them the inconvenience, not to say worse, of some parts of it. Mr. Necker and M. de Montmorin were for using the veto, but the Garde des sceaux opposed it and...
22To Thomas Jefferson from William Short, 7 July 1790 (Jefferson Papers)
The intelligence of your long and painful indisposition has given me, in common with all your friends here a real concern. They join me in solliciting you not to allow too intense an application to business to expose you again to an attack which by repetition must necessarily become dangerous. The account of the President’s narrow escape affected sincerely all the friends to America here. His...
23To Thomas Jefferson from William Short, 7 July 1790 (Jefferson Papers)
I have just recieved your letter of the 27th of May, which has been sent here from L’Orient by Mr. de Crevecoeur. [My last letters will have informed you of the present situation of the business relative to the American captives at Algiers. You will have seen there that nothing has been done, or possible to be done, for their redemption. This I know will not surprize you when you recollect the...
24To Thomas Jefferson from William Short, 11 July 1790 (Jefferson Papers)
I wrote to you on the 7th. of this month in answer to your’s of the 27th. of May. That letter was sent by the way of Havre. This will be sent to L’Orient to go by the packet in the case of its sailing. But that you know is a conveyance too uncertain to be counted on and therefore I consider this letter as an adventure.—The intelligence which I mentioned in my last as coming from Bilbao, and in...
25To Thomas Jefferson from William Short, 16 July 1790 (Jefferson Papers)
I did not recieve until yesterday the letters which I mentioned, in my last to you of the 11th. inst., had been promised by a person who called here and left the newspapers. They were forwarded to me by M. Bondfield of Bordeaux. I had previously recieved duplicates of all of them except that of March the 30th. At present I have recieved all the letters which I know of your having written...
26To Thomas Jefferson from William Short, 22 July 1790 (Jefferson Papers)
Since my last the federal deputies from the provinces have been leaving Paris daily to return to their respective homes. The most perfect harmony continued to the last, which was contrary to the fears or hopes of every party. The assembly are at present employed in discussing their judiciary system, and the organisation of their army. There is little hope however that they will adopt the best...
27To 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...
28To Thomas Jefferson from William Short, 4 August 1790 (Jefferson Papers)
Your furniture is at length all packed up, and the last articles are this moment gone to Neuilly to meet the vessel which is to take them in there. They are all plumbed so as not to be opened any where. They will be recieved at Havre by M. de la Motte, who promises to take charge of them. Your directions with respect to the mode of packing the several articles were not strictly followed. The...
29To Thomas Jefferson from William Short, 15 August 1790 (Jefferson Papers)
I recieved your letter of July the 1st. some days ago, and in time to comply with its instructions. Two days before, I had understood that there was such a probability of Congress removing to Philadelphia that I had desired M. de la Motte to send your furniture to that place. I have this moment recieved a letter from Rouen which informs me that your effects had arrived there in safety and had...
30To Thomas Jefferson from William Short, 22 August 1790 (Jefferson Papers)
This letter is begun merely to introduce to you Monsieur de Tevernal an officer of artillery, and M. des Rochers, his friend, who are going to settle on the Siota. They intend to land at Philadelphia and the Marquis de la fayette desires me to recommend them to your civilities. He gives them a letter to the President. I am persuaded I need say nothing further to insure them such marks of...
31To Thomas Jefferson from William Short, 22 August 1790 (Jefferson Papers)
The committee of impositions have not yet made their report to the assembly although they have announced the outlines. Their plan at present after violent debates between the two parties mentioned in my letter of the 15th. inst., is the result of mutual sacrifices. It is considered as defective by both who say that nothing but mere necessity can justify it. It is to admit of the cultivation of...
32To Thomas Jefferson from William Short, 27 August 1790 (Jefferson Papers)
The diplomatic committee made their report the day before yesterday on the subject of the Family-compact. It was extensive and eloquent of which you will easily be persuaded when you know that Mirabeau was the author. Still there did not appear a perfect accord between the principles laid down in the report and the decree proposed by the committee in consequence of them. It was said that there...
33To Thomas Jefferson from William Short, 5 September 1790 (Jefferson Papers)
Since my last in which I mentioned that the national assembly had voted an augmentation of their armament to forty-five ships of the line, nothing has transpired in England to shew what effect it produced in the British cabinet. We know only that on the exchange war is considered as inevitable in consequence of it. I should suppose however that Mr. Pitt would not take any decisive measure on...
34To Thomas Jefferson from William Short, 9 September 1790 (Jefferson Papers)
It is not yet known here with what eye the British Minister views the late vote of the national assembly for augmenting their ships in commission. The preparations in England were already carried on with so much activity that no alteration seems to have taken place there. Lord Howe is now cruising with his fleet off the coast. It is supposed he will not be long out. The Spanish fleet has not...
35To Thomas Jefferson from William Short, 9 September 1790 (Jefferson Papers)
My last private was of the 22d. of August. I then hoped long before this to have recieved from Havre an account of the charges paid there for your effects so as to have given you a complete account of the pecuniary transactions between us. For what reason I know not that account has not been yet sent; I therefore return the memoires which are now in my hands, as vouchers for the cash paid...
36To 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...
37To Thomas Jefferson from William Short, 3 October 1790 (Jefferson Papers)
I am this moment informed of a conveyance for London, and forward you by it the newspapers as usual to which I beg leave to refer you for the present politics of Europe.—I inclose you also several letters which have been entrusted to me for you: among them are three from the American captives at Algiers. They will inform you of their present situation there, which you will find conformable to...
38To Thomas Jefferson from William Short, 3 October 1790 (Jefferson Papers)
The papers inclosed besides the three letters from Algiers mentioned in my No. 43 . of to-day, are two others addressed to me, one to the Marquis de la fayette, and the copy of one to Mr. Carmichael—a letter from Hilsborough which Baron Grimm recommends to you and begs you to obtain an answer for it and send it to him—one for Philadelphia to which Tronchin begs your attention, and three others...
39To Thomas Jefferson from William Short, 21 October 1790 (Jefferson Papers)
Since my last the colonial committee have made their report on the disturbances of St. Domingo, and the conduct of the general assembly of that island. The report was an historical series of the events which have taken place in that colony from the convocation of the States-general in France, together with the proposition of a decree in consequence of them. I refer you for the one and the...
40To Thomas Jefferson from William Short, 25 October 1790 (Jefferson Papers)
I have recieved within these two days your letters which came by the French Packet and those by Mr. Barrett. They are besides those mentioned in my No. 44. and postscript of to-day, of the following dates July 26. Aug. 25. and 31. Your commissions therein contained shall be punctually executed, and particularly you may assure Mr. Vernon should you see him that it will give me real pleasure to...
41To Thomas Jefferson from William Short, 27 October 1790 (Jefferson Papers)
I wrote to you very fully on the 21st. and 25th. of this month, by M. de Trys who is gone to embark for America. In the latter I acknowleged the reciept of your several letters which arrived here almost at the same time although they came by different routes viz. those of Aug. 25. 26. 31. 31. by the French packet and those of July 26 pe and a duplicate of the same date pu . and Aug. 10. I...
42To Thomas Jefferson from William Short, 30 October 1790 (Jefferson Papers)
I wrote you the day before yesterday by the way of the English Packet. This will not arrive in time for that conveyance unless the English Ambassador should send off a courier for London this evening, in which case I shall ask the favor of him to forward it. It is merely to inform you and to beg you to inform the Secretary of the Treasury that I have recieved at length his letters of Aug. 29....
43To Thomas Jefferson from William Short, 2 November 1790 (Jefferson Papers)
It was not my intention to have written to you again from this place except by a person who is setting out for Philadelphia by the way of Havre; but the arrival of the long expected courier from Madrid induces me to send a few lines by the English post, merely to inform you that the negotiations at Madrid have ended in the conservation of peace.—This comes by the English messenger who in...
44To Thomas Jefferson from William Short, 6 November 1790 (Jefferson Papers)
My last letters to you were of the 21st. and 25th. ulto. by M. St. Triest, 27th. by the English packet, 30th. and 2d. inst. by the way of London. This last was merely to inform you that the English messenger had passed through this place, and brought despatches as well to the Spanish as English Ambassador which decided that peace would not be interrupted between those two powers. Since then...
45To 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...
46To 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....
47To Thomas Jefferson from William Short, 26 November 1790 (Jefferson Papers)
I wrote to you yesterday by a vessel in the Texel to inform you of my arrival here on the 20th. inst. and of the causes of my delay in Paris.—I mentioned also that the report of the committee of impositions on tobacco was now under discussion in the national assembly, but that nothing had been decided on it so low down as the 19th. I mentioned also and begged you to communicate to the...
48To 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...
49To Thomas Jefferson from William Short, 23 December 1790 (Jefferson Papers)
I wrote to you on the 26th. ulto. by the way of the English packet, and the 2d. inst. by an American vessel which sailed from this place for Boston. This letter inclosed one for the Secretary of the Treasury, in which I entered into a very lengthy and full detail of several subjects about which he wished to be informed. A duplicate of it has been waiting some time for the departure of another...
50To Thomas Jefferson from William Short, 23 December 1790 (Jefferson Papers)
This letter accompanying my No. 50. will be sent by the English packet. By your desire I make use of this conveyance, although from hence it is a very uncertain one as the weather at this season of the year frequently keeps the mail several days at Helvoetsluys and thus prevents letters arriving in time for the Packet. I fear this was the fate of mine of Nov. 26. I have lately recieved from...