To John Jay from Lafayette, 25 November 1784
From Lafayette
Mount Vernon November the 25th 1784
Dear Sir
Altho I Hope in a few days Having the pleasure to see You, I must Beg Leave to mention a matter which Has not a litle Hurt My Feelings— You probably know that on my passing through New York, and particularly in my visit to Albany, it was intimated my presence on the indian treaty Could Be of some use to the public—at fort schuyler, I was desired to speak to the indians, which I did, and the commissioners had the papers filed up with their other transactions—two Copies were taken, which was thought then a matter of no consequence—the inclosed letter from mr. st. john, and the gazette that accompagnied it will show you that from the most obliging and harmless motives in the world, he imagined to ^attempt to^ translate and print what ^incorrect^ part of the relation he had been able to come at—had his kind intension only given him an instant to reflect he might have seen the impropriety of the measure—but in the mean while it looks as if it had my consent—and such deviation it is from the manner in which we servants of the united states ever did business, that out of respect for congress, for the commissioners, and myself I could not rest easy untill the matter is fully explained—1 inclosed is my letter to the french consul,2 which after you have taken out such extracts as you think proper I beg you will seal up and send by the bearer—indeed, my dear sir, upon your friendship I depend to have this little circumstance officially laid before Congress, and should these letters be worth their reading it will be I hope, a satisfactory explanation of the affair3
in the first days of next month, I will have the pleasure to meet you at Trenton, and at that time will have the opportunity to converse with you on several subjects— No answer from you has come to hand—my most affectionate regards wait upon mrs jay and I Hope need no Assuring you of the tender Regard I Have the Honor to be with My dear sir your obedient Humble Servant and sincere friend
Lafayette
I write mr. st. john in English, because, Besides other obvious Reasons, he makes use indifferantly of both languages.
ALS, DNA: PCC, item 156, 396–400 (EJ: 10867). Endorsed: “Letter 25 Nov 1784 / Marqs. de la Fayette / to honble. J Jay. / Communicated to Congress / & read 8 Decr. 1784”. Photocopy of ALS, InU (EJ: 2592). C, in JJ’s hand, with copy of enclosure, Lafayette to St. John de Crevecoeur, 25 Nov. 1784, NNC (EJ: 6738).
1. Michel Guillaume Jean de Crèvecoeur (1735–1813), a Norman aristocrat who had become a citizen of New York before the Revolution and adopted the name John Hector St. John, published his noted work Letters from an American Farmer in London in 1782. Currently serving as French consul for New York, New Jersey, and Connecticut, Crèvecoeur published Lafayette’s speeches during the negotiations with the Indians at Fort Schuyler and the Indians’ replies in the Independent Journal (New York) of 13 and 17 Nov., prior to the commissioners’ submission of an official report to Congress. The piece, entitled “Relation of what passed at the opening of the Treaty, between the United States and the Indian Nations at Fort Schuyler, October 3, 1784,” was reprinted in the Pennsylvania Packet, 17 and 19 Nov. 1784, and the Pennsylvania Journal, 24 and 27 Nov. 1784, and subsequently in numerous other newspapers. Concerned that Congress would be offended by this breach of protocol and that Lafayette’s role was emphasized in the account at the expense of that of the commissioners, on 17 Dec. Lafayette also wrote James Madison, who had been present at the negotiations, to explain Crèvecoeur’s publication. See , 5: 286, 287n7; , 8: 116–18n. Crèvecoeur’s letter to Lafayette has not been found.
2. Lafayette’s letter to Crèvecoeur of 25 Nov. 1784 has not been found, but see the copy made by JJ cited in the source note above. The letter requests Crèvecoeur to place an explanatory paragraph in the same newspapers in which Lafayette’s speeches had been published. The paragraph appeared in slightly modified form on 4 Dec. in the Independent Journal as follows: “In the Independent Journal of 13 and 17th November, a relation appeared of what passed at the opening of the Indian Treaty, very much against the knowledge and intention of the persons therein concerned, as likewise very incorrect, the Translator having omitted an introductory speech from the Commissioners; the different Printers who copied the Translation, are desired to insert the above paragraph; as the original Translation, with the whole report of the Negotiation, will of course be laid before Congress.”
An additional paragraph, apparently by Crèvecoeur, added, “The Gentleman who inserted a translation in the Independent Journal, of the 13th and 17th November, the Speeches of the Marquis de la Fayette to the Indians at Fort Schuyler, hereby declares, that he did it without having previously obtained leave from the Marquis for so doing: Having been informed since of his being highly displeased at it, the Translator hereby assures him, that it was done with the best intention from such originals as he then thought correct, but which he has since found not to contain all the transactions of that day.”
Both paragraphs also appeared on 11 Dec. in the Pennsylvania Packet, and the second paragraph appeared on 13 Dec. in the New Jersey Gazette. For another report on Lafayette’s role at Fort Stanwix, see , 5: 255–60.
3. As indicated by the endorsement JJ submitted Lafayette’s letter to Congress, where it was read on 8 Dec. No further action on the matter appears to have been taken, and on 9 Dec. Congress went forward with its efforts to acknowledge Lafayette’s contributions to the American cause.