From John Jay to Floridablanca, 2 July 1781
To Floridablanca
Madrid 2 July 1781
Sir
When Congress were pleased to order me to Spain, with the Commission of which I have had the Honor of presenting a Copy to your Excellency,1 I left my Country with the most sanguine Expectations that the important objects of it would be speedily accomplished. The Proofs they had recieved of his Majesty’s Friendship for them, the Interests of a common Cause, and the Information they had recieved from Persons whom they concieved in Capacity to give it, all conspired to infuse these Hopes.
On my Arrival your Excellency gave me to understand that the realizing these Expectations would turn on one Point, and I have uniformly since been informed that this Point was the navigation of the Missisippi below the Territories of the United States, in which Congress desired to retain a common Right, but of which the Maxims of Policy adopted by his Majesty required the exclusive use.2
I have now the Honor of informing your Excellency that Congress in order to manifest in the most striking Manner the Sincerity of their Professions to his Majesty, and with a View that the common Cause may immediately reap all the Advantages naturally to be expected from a cordial and permanent union between France Spain and the United States, have authorized me to agree to such Terms relative to the Point in Question, as to remove the Difficulties to which it has hitherto given Occasion.3 Permit me therefore to Hope that his Majesty will now be pleased to become the Ally of the United States, and for that Purpose authorize some Person or Persons to adjust with me, the several Points of Compact, necessary to form a Union, which by being founded on mutual Interest may be no less satisfactory, than it certainly will be important, to both Countries—
Your Excellency will oblige me exceedingly by putting it in my Power to give Congress early, explicit, and let me add, agreable Information of his Majesty’s Pleasure and Intentions on the Subject of this Letter— I have the Honor to be with perfect Consideration & Respect Your Excellency’s most obedient & h’ble Servant
LS, with Spanish translation, SpMaAHN: Estado, leg. 3884, exp. 4, doc. 133 (EJ: 12170). C, in French, FrPMAE: CP-E, 605: 3–4 (EJ: 4010), enclosed in JJ to Montmorin, 2 July 1781, below. C, enclosed in JJ to the President of Congress, 3 Oct. 1781, DNA: PCC, item 89, 1: 397–98 (EJ: 11912). LbkCs, DNA: PCC, item 110, 1: 446–47 (EJ: 4166); NNC: JJ Lbks. 1 and 6; CSmH (EJ: 3415).
1. For Congress’s commission of 29 Sept. 1779 to its minister to Spain, see : 697; and for JJ’s presentation of it to Floridablanca, see his letter of 25 Apr. 1780, above.
3. See the President of Congress to JJ, 15 Feb. 1781, above.
4. For JJ’s explanation of his decision to forward a copy of the above letter to Montmorin, which he did under cover of a letter to him of this date, below, see JJ to the President of Congress, 3 Oct. 1781, below.
5. On the response to this letter, see JJ to the President of Congress, 3 Oct. 1781, below.