1From Thomas Jefferson to Abigail Adams, 25 September 1785 (Jefferson Papers)
Mr. Short’s return the night before last availed me of your favour of Aug. 12. I immediately ordered the shoes you desired which will be ready tomorrow. I am not certain whether this will be in time for the departure of Mr. Barclay or of Colo. Franks, for it is not yet decided which of them goes to London. I have also procured for you three plateaux de dessert with a silvered ballustrade round...
2From Thomas Jefferson to Abigail Adams, 4 September 1785 (Jefferson Papers)
I was honoured with your letter of Aug. 21. by Mr. Smith who arrived here on the 29th. I am sorry you did not repeat the commission you had favoured me with by Mr. Short as the present would have been an excellent opportunity of sending the articles you wished for. As Mr. Short’s return may yet be delayed, will you be so good as to write me by post what articles you desired, lest I should not...
3From Thomas Jefferson to Abigail Adams, 7 July 1785 (Jefferson Papers)
I had the honour of writing you on the 21st. of June, but the letter being full of treason has waited a private conveiance. Since that date there has been received for you at Auteuil a cask of about 60. gallons of wine. I would have examined it’s quality and have ventured to decide on it’s disposal, but it is in a cask within a cask, and therefore cannot be got at but by operations which would...
4From Thomas Jefferson to Abigail Adams, 21 June 1785 (Jefferson Papers)
I have received duly the honor of your letter, and am now to return you thanks for your condescension in having taken the first step for settling a correspondence which I so much desired; for I now consider it as settled and proceed accordingly. I have always found it best to remove obstacles first. I will do so therefore in the present case by telling you that I consider your boasts of the...
5From Thomas Jefferson to Abigail Adams, 11 October 1785 (Jefferson Papers)
Your favor of the 7th. was put into my hands the last night and as I received at the same time dispatches from Mr. Adams which occasion a great deal to be done for Congress to be sent by the Mr. Fitzhughs who set out tomorrow morning for Philadelphia as Mr. Preston the bearer of this does for London, I have only time to thank you for your kind attention to my commission and your offer of new...
6From Thomas Jefferson to John Adams, 7 July 1785 (Jefferson Papers)
This will accompany a joint letter inclosing the draught of a treaty, and my private letter of June 22, which has waited so long for a private conveiance. We daily expect from the Baron Thulemeyer the French column for our treaty with his sovereign. In the mean while two copies are preparing with the English column which Doctr. Franklin wishes to sign before his departure, which will be within...
7From Thomas Jefferson to John Adams, 24 September 1785 (Jefferson Papers)
My letter of Sep. 19. written the morning after Mr. Lamb’s arrival here, would inform you of that circumstance. I transmit you herewith copies of the papers he brought to us on the subject of the Barbary treaties. You will see by them that Congress has adopted the very plan which we were proposing to pursue. It will now go on under less danger of objection from the other parties. The receipt...
8From Thomas Jefferson to John Adams, 11 July 1785 (Jefferson Papers)
Doctr. Franklin sets out this morning for Havre from whence he is to cross over to Cowes there to be taken on board Capt. Truxen’s ship bound from London to Philadelphia. The Doctor’s baggage will be contained in 150. or 200 boxes &c. We doubt that the laws of England will not permit these things to be removed from one vessel into another; and it must be attended with great difficulty, delay...
9From Thomas Jefferson to John Adams, 18 October 1785 (Jefferson Papers)
Your letter of the 10th. came safely to hand and I delivered the one therein inclosed to Mr. Grand. It was a duplicate of one he had before received. You will have heard of the safe arrival of Doctr. Franklin in America. Strange we do not hear of that of Otto and Doradour. If you know of the safe arrival of the packet in which they went, pray communicate it to me, as Madame de Doradour, who is...
10From Thomas Jefferson to John Adams, 22 June 1785 (Jefferson Papers)
My last to you was of the 2d. inst. since which I have received yours of the 3d. and 7th. I informed you in mine of the substance of our letter to Baron Thulemeyer. Last night came to hand his acknolegement of the receipt of it. He accedes to the method proposed for signing, and has forwarded our dispatch to the king. I inclose you a copy of our letter to Mr. Jay to go by the packet of this...
11From Thomas Jefferson to John Adams, 4 September 1785 (Jefferson Papers)
Mr. Mazzei, during the war was employed by the state of Virginia to procure them loans of money in Europe. He thinks that in allowing him for his expences they have allowed less than they actually were. You knew him in Paris, and knew of the journies which he made. I would thank you for the best guess you can make of what his expences may have been, according to the stile in which you observed...
12From Thomas Jefferson to John Adams, 25 May 1785 (Jefferson Papers)
Your letter of the 22d. from Montreuil sur mer is put into my hands this moment, and having received information of your son, and two American gentlemen being to set out for London tomorrow morning, I seize a moment to inform you that he had arrived well at l’Orient and was well on the 20th. when the packet was still detained by contrary winds. Mr. Barclay, who is arrived, had also seen him....
13From Thomas Jefferson to John Adams, 11 October 1785 (Jefferson Papers)
Colo. Franks and Mr. Randolph [Randall] arrived last night. This enables me to send copies of all the Barbary papers to Congress by the Mr. Fitzhughs, together with the Prussian treaty. They wait till tomorrow for this purpose. Considering the treaty with Portugal as among the most important to the U.S. I some time ago took occasion at Versailles to ask the Portuguese Ambassador if he had yet...
14From Thomas Jefferson to John Adams, 31 July 1785 (Jefferson Papers)
I was honoured yesterday with yours of the 24th. instant. When the 1st. article of our instructions of May 7. 1784. was under debate in Congress , it was proposed that neither party should make the other pay in their ports greater duties than they paid in the ports
15Franklin and Jefferson to John Adams, 15 June 1785 (Jefferson Papers)
Among the instructions given to the Ministers of the United States for treating with foreign powers, was one of the 11th. of May 1784. relative to an individual of the name of John Baptist Pecquet. It contains an acknowlegement on the part of Congress of his merits and sufferings by friendly services rendered to great numbers of American seamen carried prisoners into Lisbon, and refers to us...
16From Thomas Jefferson to John Adams, 17 August 1785 (Jefferson Papers)
I received yesterday your favor of the 7th. This was 4. days later than Mr. Short’s of the same date. It had evidently been opened. We must therefore consider both governments as possessed of it’s contents. I write you a line at this moment merely to inform you that Mr. Barclay is willing to go to treat with the Barbary states if we desire it and that
17From Thomas Jefferson to John Adams, 2 June 1785 (Jefferson Papers)
Your favours of May 23. and the two of May 27. came safely to hand, the first being open. That of the 22d. from Montreuil sur mer had been received and answered on the 25th. The day before the receipt of the letters of the 27th. we had had your cases brought to the barrier of Paris in order to get the proper officer to go that far to plumb them. From there they were put on board the boat for...
18From Thomas Jefferson to John Adams, with Draft of Treaty Proposed for Barbary States, 6 August 1785 (Jefferson Papers)
I now inclose you a draught of a treaty for the Barbary states, together with the notes Dr. Franklin left me. I have retained a presscopy of this draught, so that by referring to any article, line and word in it you can propose amendments and send them by the post without any body’s being able to make much of the main subject. I shall be glad to receive any alterations you may think necessary...
19From Thomas Jefferson to John Adams, 5 October 1785 (Jefferson Papers)
The Chevalier Dolomieu of the order of Malta, who served in the army of Count Rochambeau in America being to pass into England, I take the liberty of introducing him to you. An acquaintance with him in America enables me to assure you of his merit; his politeness and good understanding will of themselves recommend him to your esteem. I have the honour to be with the highest respect Sir Your...
20Franklin and Jefferson to Adams, with Proposed Treaty with Great Britain, 8 July 1785 (Jefferson Papers)
We duly received your letter of the 20th. of June and now in consequence thereof send you a draught of a treaty which we should be willing to have proposed to the court of London. We have taken for our ground work the original draught proposed to Denmark, making such alterations and additions only as had occurred in the course of our negociations with Prussia and Tuscany and which we thought...
21From Thomas Jefferson to John Adams, 24 September 1785 (Jefferson Papers)
I have received your favor of the 18th. inclosing your compliments on your presentation. The sentiments you therein expressed were such as were entertained in America till the Commercial proclamation, and such as would again return were a rational conduct to be adopted by Gr. Britain. I think therefore you by no means compromitted yourself or our country, nor expressed more than it would be...
22From Thomas Jefferson to John Adams, 10 August 1785 (Jefferson Papers)
Your favor of the 4th. inst. came to hand yesterday. I now inclose you the two Arrets against the importation of foreign manufactures into this kingdom. The cause of the balance against this country in favor of England as well as it’s amount is not agreed on. No doubt the rage for English manufactures must be a principal cause. The speculators in Exchange say also that those of the...
23From Thomas Jefferson to John Adams, with Enclosure, 28 July 1785 (Jefferson Papers)
Your favors of July 16. and 18. came to hand the same day on which I had received Baron Thulemeier’s inclosing the ultimate draught for the treaty. As this draught, which was in French, was to be copied into the two instruments which Doctr. Franklin had signed, it is finished this day only. Mr. Short sets out immediately. I have put into his hands a letter of instructions how to conduct...
24From Thomas Jefferson to John Adams, 4 September 1785 (Jefferson Papers)
On receipt of your favors of Aug. 18. and 23. I conferred with Mr. Barclay on the measures necessary to be taken to set our treaty with the pyratical states into motion through his agency. Supposing that we should begin with the emperor of Marocco, a letter to the emperor and instructions to Mr. Barclay seemed necessary. I have therefore sketched such outlines for these as appear to me to be...
25From Thomas Jefferson to John Adams, 4 September 1785 (Jefferson Papers)
Since writing my letter of this morning I have seen Mr. Grand and had a conversation with him on the subject of the interest due here . He is pressed on that subject. By a letter he received not long since from the Commissioners of the treasury it seems their intention that he should pay this interest out of the money in Holland, yet they omitted to give him any authority to ask for any of...
26From Thomas Jefferson to John Adams, 19 September 1785 (Jefferson Papers)
Lambe is arrived. He brings new full powers to us from Congress to appoint persons to negotiate with the Barbary states , but we are to sign the treaties. Lambe has not
27From Thomas Jefferson to John Adams and Benjamin Franklin, 1 March 1785 (Jefferson Papers)
Mr. Jefferson’s compliments to Mr. Adams and Doctr. Franklin and sends them his notes on the treaty with Prussia. He prays Mr. Adams, when he shall have perused them to send them to Dr. Franklin and proposes to meet them on the subject at Passy on Thursday at 12. o’clock. He sends the Prussian propositions, Mr. Adams’s and Dr. Franklin’s notes, and the former project and observations which...
28From Thomas Jefferson to Louis Alexandre, 13 July 1785 (Jefferson Papers)
Paris, 13 July 1785. The text of this letter is identical with TJ’s letter to P. & V. French & Nephew of this date, q.v. PrC ( MHi ); 1 p.; at foot of letter: “Lewis Alexander.” Entry for this letter in SJL follows that for “French & Nephew” and reads: “L. Alexander. Verbatim the same. By post.”
29Dorset to the American Commissioners, 26 March 1785 (Jefferson Papers)
Having communicated to my Court the readiness you express’d in your Letter to me of the 9th. of December to remove to London for the purpose of treating upon such points as may materially concern the Interests both political and commercial of Great Britain and America, and having at the same time represented that you declared yourselves to be fully authorized and empowered to negotiate, I have...
30De Thulemeier to the American Commissioners, 17 June 1785 (Jefferson Papers)
J’ai reçu la lettre dont Vous m’avez honoré, Messieurs, en date du 26 de Mai, le 4 du mois courrant. Mes premiers soins ont été consacrés à faire soigner la traduction françoise du Traité annexe en langue angloise, et de la faire passer à ma Cour. Le Roi apprendra certainement avec beaucoup de satisfaction que la négociation qui a été confiée à nos soins communs, est avancée au point qu’il...