To John Jay from Floridablanca, 24 February 1780
From Floridablanca
[El Pardo á 24 de Febrero de 1780]
Muy Señor mio.
Habiendo yo recibido de mano del Sr. Dn. José de Galvez la carta que V. S. le hà dirigido por medio de Mr. de Carmichael,1 y hecho presente al Rey todo su contexto; me manda responda à V. S. diciendole que S. M. há celebrado, y aplaudido la eleccion que de su persona há hecho el Congreso Americano para el encargo que expresa dha carta, asi por lo recomendables que son para S. M los miembros que han concurrido á esta eleccion, como por los informes que S. M. tiene de la probidad,2 talentos, y circumstancias de V. S. Ha oido tambien S. M. con agrado el anhelo que tienen las Colonias de formar un enlace con la España de cuyas buenas disposiciones han recibido ya bastantes pruebas. Sin embargo piensa S. M. que antes de todo conviene que se arreglen el modo, puntos, y reciproca correspondencia sobre que deba fundarse la union que desean entablar con esta Monarquia los Estados Americanos. Para esto no hay reparo en que V. S. se transfiera à esta Corte para explicar sus intenciones y las del Congreso, y oir las de S. M: acordandose por este medio la basa sobre la que pueda fixarse una perfecta amistad, sus extensiones, y consecuencias.3 El Rey cree4 que hasta ver la proporcion que haya de concertar aquellos puntos como S. M. espera, no corresponde que V. S. explique un caracter formal el qual depende del reconocimiento y tratado futuro; per debe V. S. persuadirse de las sanas y sinceras dispocisiones de su Real animo para con los Estados unidos, y de sus deseos de que se allanen qualesquiera dificultades para la mutua felicidad de ellos, y de esta Monarquia. Esto mismo hé insinuado à Mr. de Carmichael quien podrá manifestarlo á V. S. à cuya obediencia me ofrezco, deseando que nro Sor. gữe la vida de V. S. ms. as. El Pardo à 24 de Febrero de 1780. B. L. ms. de V. S. Su mayor Servor.
El Conde de Floridablanca
Sor. Dn. Juan Jay.
[Translation]
[The Pardo 24th Feby 1780]
Sir,
Having recd. from the hands of Don Joseph De Galvez the Letter which Your Excellency had directed to him by Mr. Carmichael, & having presented its contents to the King; He commands me to answer your Excelly by saying that his Majesty extols & applauds the Election which the American Congress has made of your Person for the charge which the said Letter expresses, as well on account of the Esteem his Majesty has for the Members who have concurred in this election, as for the Informations his Majesty has of the Probity, Talents, & Circumstances of your Excelly— His Majesty has also heard with pleasure the desire of the Colonies to form a connexion with Spain of whose good dispositions they have already had received sufficient Proofs— His Majesty notwithst however thinks that it will be first proper that ^to regulate^ the manner, points, & reciprocal correspondence upon which the union ought to be founded, which the American States desire to establish with this Monarchy— There is therefore no hindrance to your Excellency’s passing to this Court, to explain your Intentions, & those of Congress, and to hear those of his Majesty, settling by this means the base upon which may be fixed a perfect Friendship ^Amity^, it’s extentions & consequences. The King thinks that until the Proportion, which must be concerted on those Points, is determined on, which his Majesty hopes for, it will ^not^ be proper that your Excy should explain a formal Character which must depend on a future acknowledgement, and Treaty— But your Excy ought may persuade yourself of the honest & sincere dispositions of his royal mind towards the United States, and his desire that every difficulty whatever may be removed for the mutual felicity of them & of this Monarchy— The same he has intimated to Mr. Carmichael who will be able to make it known to your Excellency, to whose obedience I offer myself, praying that our Lord may preserve the life of your Excy.5
LS, in Spanish, with draft English translation in the hand of Henry Brockholst Livingston, NNC (EJ: 8272, 8273). Endorsed. Dft (FC), in Spanish with changes and corrections, SpMaAHN: Estado, leg. 3884, exp. 8, doc. 6 (EJ: 12100). A copy was enclosed in JJ to BF, 17 July, below, LbkC, with a different translation, DLC: Franklin (EJ: 10257). Copies were also enclosed in JJ to the President of Congress, 3 Mar. (second letter), below, and embedded in JJ to the President of Congress, 26 May, below, LbkCs of which are followed by a different, more polished translation prepared by Charles Thomson. DNA: PCC, item 110, 1: 53–56, 82–83 (EJ: 4087); CSmH (EJ: 3336); NNC: JJ Lbk. 1; , 3: 515–16.
1. “Gerard” crossed out in Dft. JJ to José de Gálvez, 27 Jan., above.
2. “Capacidad” (“ability,” or possibly a reference to JJ’s position as former president of Congress) crossed out in Dft and replaced with the interlined “probidad.”
3. Crossed out here in Dft: “y alianzas: despues de la qual, y no antes, podrá Vm manifestar su caracter publica” (and alliances, after which, and not before, you will be able to manifest a public character).
4. Crossed out here in Dft: “que VS hallará [justo?] esta reflexion de S. M. que no necesita otras para” (that you will find equitable this consideration of His Majesty that no others will be necessary in order to), followed by the following interlined text: “persuaderse de las sanas y sinceras disposiciones de su Rl. animo para con las Estados unidos de la circunspeccion con que conviene obrar a los prinicipios para hacer mas formal el nudo que debe producir una mutua felicidad de ellos y desta monarquia” (be persuaded of the honest and sincere dispositions of his Royal soul for the United States[,] of the circumspection with which it is proper to operate in the early stages in order to formalize a union that ought to produce a mutual prosperity for the United States and this monarchy), which was substantially reworded in the LS.
5. The awkwardness of Henry Brockholst Livingston’s extremely literal translation of this text indicates the linguistic difficulties that Jay and his party were experiencing and may help explain why JJ later sent copies of documents to Congress in the original languages and rarely provided translations, particularly after Livingston’s departure.