From John Jay to Floridablanca, 22 September 1781
To Floridablanca
S Ildefonso 22 Septr 1781
Sir,
I have the honor of transmitting herewith enclosed the propositions requested by Your Exey. on Wednesday Evening last1
I have endeavoured to render them as short & simple as possible & I flatter myself that the unreserved frankness with which they are written will be no less agreeable to your Exey than I am sure it is consistent with the desire & disposition of my Constituents
As the issue of this measure will in a great measure ascertain the expectations which Congress entertain from their Negociations here, & as they flatter themselves with receiving information on this Subject by the return of Major Franks, they will doubtless excuse my detaining him another week unless your Exey should sooner be enabled to communicate to me his Majestys pleasure relative to the proposed Treaty—
Permit me to intreat your Exey therefore to enable me to transmit by him such intelligence to Congress as may releive them from their present distressing doubts & uncertainties— I sincerely hope it may be such as may make them happy in a prospect of soon seeing an intimate & lasting union established between France, Spain, & the United States— A Union which, by being raised on the solid foundation of mutual interest & reciprocal advantages may secure to each the blessings of uninterrupted tranquility This generous policy pervades the treaties already formed between his most Christian Majesty & the United States, & I am happy in being persuaded that the magnanimity of his Catholic Majesty towards my Country on this & other occasions will furnish materials for some bright pages in the American Annals.2 I have the honor to be with great consideration & Respect— Your Excellencys Most Obd & most hble Servt
John Jay
His Excy the Count de Florida Blanca
LS, with Spanish translation, SpMaAHN: Estado, leg. 3884, exp. 13, doc. 1 (EJ: 12113). C, in French, FrPMAE: CP-E, 605: 418–19 (EJ: 4008). C, embedded in JJ to the President of Congress, 3 Oct. 1781, below, DNA: PCC, item 89, 427 (EJ: 11912). LbkCs, DNA: PCC, item 110, 1: 484–85 (EJ: 4177); NNC: JJ Lbks. 1 and 6; CSmH (EJ: 3426). Enclosure: Propositions for a Treaty with Spain, 22 Sept. 1781, below.
1. See Floridablanca to JJ, 19 Sept., above, and Propositions for a Treaty with Spain, 22 Sept., below.
2. For Floridablanca’s reply, see his letter to JJ of 27 Sept. 1781, below. For his previously expressed rejection of some aspects of the Franco-American treaty as a basis for a treaty between the United States and Spain, see Notes on John Jay’s Conference with Floridablanca, 23 Sept. 1780, above.