Your favor of the 20th. Inst1 reached me two Days ago The Intelligence contained in ^transmitted with^ it had reached us by the way of Cadiz I ^am^ nevertheless consider myself much obliged by this Mark of your friendly Attention— The a Packet from america sent me by the Courier ^you abt which you enquire^ came safe to Hand. it contained ^only^ some old Letters of Jany last from Govr. Livingston & his Family—By ^by^ The Vessel which ^lately^ arrivd at Cadiz from Pha. did brought several Letters from thence—They were stopp ^I have^ not however as yet recd. a Line from Congress since Jany last, tho some of my Correspondents inform me he ^that the Prest^ had written2 I am much perplexed for want of regular Intelligence, & sh expect to continue so till some other than ^than the usual^ mode of conveying it is adopted The enclosed extracts of a Letters from Mr Harrison at Cadiz will give you some Idea of their Embarrassments ^to me shew that this Remark is not without Foundation^—^[in margin] These Extracts are from Letters of 8. 11 & 0 Days of may 17813 abt Letters brought by the Virginia & stopped^ Bills upon me have lately arrived dated in March— How can this be reconciled to the obvious Dictates of Prudence & Policy?— I hear Mr. Laurens has left you in to return to Am. he promised to give me previous Notice of it—but not a Line—4 I have lately recd. a Letter from Mr Adams requestg but not containing Intelligence—it is the first I have had from him these six months—5 I wait only for a proper opportunity to reply particularly to your Letter by my Courier—

Mr. Vaughan who brought a recommendatory Letter from you to Mr Carm[ichael]. is here—6 He desired me ^on his arrival at Madrid^ to administer to him an Oath of allegiance to the United States, in order to justify his calling himself an american and to facilitate his pursuing his objects in this Country & then pass to that ^his passing from hence to America^— I have not the least Doubt but that his Character & Intentions are fair—he seems to be a sensible young Gentleman & I wish to be useful to him ^wd. with pleasure do him Service^—But ^but^ as I knew him ^he was^ not to be ^an^ American I could not represent him as such—nor could I comply with his Request in ^as to^ administring the Oath, haveg no power for that purpose either expressed or implied in my Commission or Instructions. He tells ^told^ me you had advised him to take the such an Oath at Bordeaux and had appointed a person there to administer it, but that prudential Considerations had induced him to postpone it till his arrival here—He is much embarrassed and I am sorry for it— I advised him at first to wait on the Minister and comp communicate to him a true State of ^his^ Case, being of opinion that such a Step supported by what your say of him ^Letter^ to Mr Carm[ichael]. wd. ^have silenced Doubts & Enquiries & by^ placeg him here in a fair point of View & enabled him to obtain the ^such^ Passports ^as might be^ necessary for his travelling in this Kingdom—but the thought ^He nevertheless thought^ it best to delay it ^for the present^ in Hopes that Your Answers to my Letter wd. remove Difficulties as the the oath being administered to him— ^and to go to & stay [at] Toledo till I shd. recieve your Answer to a Letter I promised to write to you on the Subject of administring the oath, He accordingly went to Toledo, but not having a Pasport the ^[in margin] the govr wd not permit his remaing there—this Circumstance brought him here, and in the I shall endeavour to obtain a Passport for him to return there on the Ground of yr Letter in his Favr.^ I believe it to be the Inclination as well as the policy ^Interest^ of America to augment her Number of Citizens but ^still^ her Consent to recieve one ^him^ is as ^admit a Foreigner must be as^ necessary as his to become one ^consent to be admitted^ besides, properly as p ^it appears to me that^ an Oath of Allegeance to the United States can ^with propriety be^ not be ^only^ administered to any but Servants of Congress—^the allegiance of mere^ Mere Citizens are now being conf and I think for tho a Man ^person^ may by Birth or admission become a Citizen of one of the States I cannot concieve how he can be either born ^one can either be born^ or be made a Citizen of them all—No personal favors can with you [illegible] on the Subject I was desirous of serving Mr Vaughn and should be happy to be freed from these Difficulties ^I wish these Difficulties did not oppose my complying with the Request of Mr. Vaughan the more whom I am the more Desirous of servg as he appears to possess your Regard & shall therefore^ and shall be happy to be freed from these Difficulties7

Be pleased to present my Compliments to your Grandson and be assured that I am with real ^Sincere^ Esteem & Attachment Dr Sir Your obliged & obt Servt