Circular to Certain Consuls and Vice-Consuls, 12 September 1793
Circular to Certain Consuls and Vice-Consuls
Philadelphia Sep. 12. 1793.
Sir
The object of the present is chiefly to acknolege the receipt of your favors of Dec. 30. Apr. 10. June 10. and July 4. and to express our satisfaction with your attention to the cases of the ships Commerce and Jay.
The US. Persevere1 in their line of peace with all nations,2 and will, we hope, by a just conduct to all, be enabled to preserve it. We think it best that our vessels should take passports in our own ports only, and renew them every voyage, as the surest3 means of4 avoiding the difficulties produced to ourselves by the usurpation of our flag, to which we desire5 your particular attention.
A kind of jail or camp-fever has lately6 broken out in this city, where being unusual it has excited considerable alarm. It is but little infectious and we hope that more experience in it’s treatment, and the cool weather now commencing will soon stop it. I am with great respect Sir Your most obedt servt
Th: Jefferson
PrC (DLC); at foot of text: “Mr. Vanderhorst.” FC (Lb in DNA: RG 59, DCI); at head of text: “Messrs. Vanderhorst, Maury, Auldjo, Fox, Saabye and Church.” In addition to the letter sent to Elias Vanderhorst, the consul at Bristol, the FC lists at foot of text the different introductory paragraphs substituted in the texts sent to the other five recipients mentioned in it. TJ also included variant opening paragraphs in the letters he sent to five other consuls and vice-consuls listed below, as well as to C. W. F. Dumas. With the exceptions recorded below, and apart from minor differences in the complimentary closes, all the letters contain the same last two paragraphs printed above, the variations in the first paragraph being as follows:
(1) To Thomas Auldjo, vice-consul at Poole: PrC in DLC, consisting of last two paragraphs only with variant opening sentence recorded in note 1 below, at foot of text: “Mr. Auldjo”; FC in Lb in DNA: RG 59, DCI, consisting of variant part of opening sentence. Auldjo’s last consular letter to TJ as Secretary of State, dated 3 Sep. 1793, is recorded in SJL as received 7 Nov. 1793 from Cowes but has not been found.
(2) To Stephen Cathalan, Jr., consul at Marseilles: “The object of the present is chiefly to acknolege the receipt of your favors of Feb. 27. Mar. 19. May 23. and 25. Your attention to the cases of Capt. Burgoin and Robbins meets entire approbation” (PrC in DLC, containing variant version of second paragraph recorded in notes 2–4 below, with “M. Cathalan” at foot of text; FC in Lb in DNA: RG 59, DCI).
(3) To Edward Church, consul at Lisbon: “By a letter lately received from Colo. Humphreys I learn your arrival at Lisbon” (PrC in DLC, at foot of text: “Mr. Church”; FC in Lb in DNA: RG 59, DCI, consisting of extract of sentence quoted).
(4) To Henry Cooper, consul at Santa Cruz: “I have to acknolege your favor of July 10.” (PrC in DLC, at foot of text: “Mr. Cooper”; FC in Lb in DNA: RG 59, DCI).
(5) To Delamotte, vice-consul at Le Havre: “The object of the present is chiefly to acknolege the receipt of your favors of Jan.15. Mar. 9. 12. 14. and June 2. We have seen with much approbation the interest you took in the enlargement of our commerce with France and her colonies, by the application you made to Mr. Monge; as also your attention to the case of the ship Laurence. Be pleased to acknolege for me to Mr. Coffyn the receipt of his well detailed statements relative to the whale fishery” (PrC in DLC, containing variant version of second paragraph recorded in note 4 below, with “M. de la Motte” at foot of text; FC in Lb in DNA: RG 59, DCI). Delamotte later wrote a consular letter which TJ did not receive. See Appendix I.
(6) To Joseph Fenwick, consul at Bordeaux: “The object of the present is chiefly to acknolege the receipt of your favors of Jan. 20. Feb. 10. 25. 28. Apr. 4. June 28. and to thank you for your intelligence from time to time. Your attentions to the case of the brig Sally are entirely approved” (PrC in DLC, containing variant version of second paragraph recorded in note 4 below, at foot of text: “Mr. Fenwick”; FC in Lb in DNA: RG 59, DCI).
(7) To Robert W. Fox, consul at Falmouth:” I have duly received your favor of June 8. The error in your Christian name shall be duly attended to for correction at the next session of Congress” (PrC in DLC, at foot of text: “Mr. Robert Weare Fox”; FC in Lb in DNA: RG 59, DCI, consisting of extract of sentences quoted).
(8) To James Maury, consul at Liverpool: “The object of the present is chiefly to acknolege the receipt of your favors of Mar. 16. June 3. and July 4. and to thank you for your intelligence which is sometimes of considerable utility to us” (PrC in DLC, at foot of text: “Mr. Maury”; FC in Lb in DNA: RG 59, DCI, consisting of extract of sentence quoted).
(9) To Benjamin H. Phillips, consul at Curaçao: “The object of the present is chiefly to acknolege the receipt of your favors of June 7. July 28. and Aug. 8. and to approve of your attention to the circumstance of a Dutch vessel taking slaves out of a schooner from Baltimore on suspicion that they were French property. That circumstance does not justify a Dutch vessel committing such an act, because our treaty with the United Netherlands expressly agrees that free bottoms shall make free goods. The owner therefore has a full right to pursue his property” (PrC in DLC, at foot of text: “Mr. B. H. Phillips”; FC in Lb in DNA: RG 59, DL).
(10) To John M. Pintard, consul at Madeira: “I have to acknolege the receipt of your favors of Mar. 21. 27. July 4. and 23. and to assure you that we are well pleased that you availed yourself of an opportunity of serving the French prisoners carried into your port, as we wish on all occasions to shew our sincere friendship for that nation. I have also to inform you that there is nothing incompatible with your present office in undertaking to act as Consul or Agent for that republick. I observe what you say on the subject of fees, and I await Colo. Humphrey’s report thereon” (PrC in DLC, at foot of text: “Mr. Pintard”; FC in Lb in DNA: RG 59, DCI).
(11) To Hans Rodolph Saabÿe, consul at Copenhagen: “The object of the present is chiefly to acknolege the receipt of your favors of Dec. 22. and Jan. 5. and to express to you our satisfaction at your attention to the cases of the ship Hamilton and Brig Betsey” (PrC in DLC, at foot of text: “Mr. Saabye”; FC in Lb in DNA: RG 59, DCI, consisting of extract of sentence quoted). For Saabÿe’s consular letters of 22 Dec. 1792 and 5 Jan. 1793, see From Hans Rodolphe Saabÿe, 22 Dec. 1792.
(12) To C. W. F. Dumas, agent at The Hague: “The object of the present is chiefly to acknolege the receipt of your favors of Jan. 29. Feb. 3. Apr. 5. 14. May 1. 25.” (PrC in DLC, containing variant version of second paragraph and rearranged third paragraph recorded in notes 2 and 6 below, with “M. Dumas” at foot of text; FC in Lb in DNA: RG 59, DCI).
TJ enclosed six of these circulars in a note of this date to Thomas Pinckney: “Th: Jefferson with his respects to Mr. Pinkney incloses letters to Messrs. Vanderhorst, Maury, Auldjo and Fox, into which he will be pleased to stick wafers and forward them. He also asks his care of those to Messrs. Saabye and Church” (PrC in DLC; FC in Lb in DNA: RG 59, DCI, with marginal note: “This with the Letters to the Consuls, forwarded to Mr. Heny. Remsen [N. York]”). On the same day he also wrote a brief note to Henry Remsen enclosing the letter to Pinckney and its enclosures and asking him “to give the same passage to the inclosed letter to Mr. Pinckney as to the former” (PrC in DLC). The “former” letter was TJ to Pinckney, 11 Sep. 1793.
1. Sentence to this point in PrC to Auldjo: “The object of the present is chiefly to inform you that the US: continue to persevere.”
2. Preceding three words omitted in PrC to Cathalan. Remainder of paragraph in PrC to Dumas: “To preserve it, is not without difficulty; but a just conduct will we hope do it. We think it best that our vessels shall take passports in our own ports only, and that they shall be renewed every voyage, in order to prevent injury both to our friends and ourselves by the usurpation of our flag.”
3. PrCs to Auldjo, Cathalan, Church, Delamotte, Fenwick, Fox, Maury, and Saabÿe: “best.”
4. Remainder of paragraph in PrCs to Cathalan, Delamotte, and Fenwick: “preventing injury both to our friends and ourselves by the usurpation of our flag, against which we wish every attention to be paid,” with “used” instead of “paid” in the last two.
5. PrCs to Auldjo, Church, Cooper, Fox, Maury, Pintard, and Saabÿe: “we shall desire.”
6. Remainder of PrC to Dumas: “broke out in this city, which being unusual has given considerable alarm. More experience in the treatment of it, and the cool weather now commencing will we hope soon stop it. It appears to be but little infectious.”