From James Madison to Thomas FitzSimons, Robert Waln, and William Davy, 19 February 1807
To Thomas FitzSimons, Robert Waln, and William Davy
Department of State, Feb. 19. 1807.
Gentlemen.
A communication, made this day by the President to Congress, of a correspondence between our Minister at Paris, and the French Minister of Marine, respecting the Imperial Decree of the 21st. of Novr. last,1 renders it unnecessary for me to return you any other answer, than a referrence to it, with the observation, that I have written to the Minister Plenipotentiary of France, in this City, a request to forward, to the French Agents in the West Indies, such explanations of the decree, as may prevent errors, which might arise from misconstructing the general terms in which it is expressed.2 With this request he has intimated, that he will comply. I am &c.
James Madison
Letterbook copy (DNA: RG 59, DL, vol. 15).
1. Thomas Jefferson transmitted to Congress the correspondence between John Armstrong and Denis Decrès that had been forwarded in two letters from Armstrong to JM, 24 Dec. 1806 (see first letter, n. 4, and second letter, n. 3). Jefferson’s 19 February 1807 message and the accompanying papers are printed in ASP, Foreign Relations, 2:805–6.
2. Letter not found.