PARIS, Dec. 21, 1787.
SIR,--The last letters I had the honor of addressing you were of the 3d
and 7th of November. Your several favors, to wit, two of July 27, two
of Oct. 24, and one of Nov. 3, have all been delivered within the
course of a week past; and I embrace the earliest occasion of returning
to Congress my sincere thanks for the new proofs I receive therein of
their confidence in me, and of assuring them of my best endeavors to
merit it. The several matters on which I receive instruction shall all
be duly attended to. The Commissioners of the Treasury inform me they
will settle the balance appropriated to the Barbary business, apprise
me of it, and place it under my power. The moment this is done, I will
take the measures necessary to effect the instructions of Congress. The
letter to you from the Governor of Rhode Island desires my attention to
the application of the claimants of the brig Apollonia, which shall
surely be complied with. I trust that an application will be made by
the claimants. It will be the more important, as the letter in this
case, as in that of the sloop Sally, formerly recommended to me, is
directed to an advocate whom all my endeavors have not enabled me to
find. I fear, therefore, that the papers in both cases must remain in
my hands till called for by the person whom the parties shall employ
for the ordinary solicitation and management of their appeals. I
suppose they will engage some person to answer from time to time the
pecuniary demands of lawyers, clerks, and other officers of the courts,
to wait upon the judges and explain their cases to them, which is the
usage here, to instruct their lawyers and confer with them whenever
necessary, and in general to give all those attentions which the
solicitation of private causes constantly require here. Their
management, indeed, is very much a matter of intrigue and of money.
The public affairs of Europe are quiet at present, except as between
the Turks and Russians; and, even these, some people suppose may be
quieted. It is thought that Russia would accommodate easily. The peace
between France and England is very generally considered as insecure. It
is said the latter is not honestly disarming; she is certainly
augmenting her land forces, and the speech of the King, and debates of
the court members, prove their diffidence in the late accommodation.
Yet it is believed their premier is a friend to peace, and there can be
no doubt of the same dispositions in the chief minister here. The
divisions continue between the King and his parliament. A promise has
been obtained for convoking the States General, as early as 1791, at
farthest. The embarrassments in the department of finance are not yet
so cleared up as that the public can see their way through them. The
arrival of the Count de La Luzerne, just now announced, will probably
put their marine operations into new activity.
I have the honor to enclose you three letters from Mr. Dumas. By one of
the 23d of October, he proposed to me that Mr. Adams and myself should
authorize him to go to Brussels on the subject he explains to you. I
wrote him the answer of Nov. 14th, by which I expected he would see
that nothing could be done, and think no more of it. His subsequent
letters, however, giving me reason to apprehend that, making too sure
of the expediency of the treaty he proposed, he might excite
expectations from that government, I wrote him the letter of Dec. 9 to
suggest to him that this proposition might not be so certainly eligible
as he seemed to expect, and to advise him to avoid doing anything which
might commit or embarrass Congress. The uneasiness of his present
situation, and the desire of a refuge from it, had probably suggested
to him this idea, and occasioned him to view it with partiality.
This will be accompanied with the gazettes of France and Leyden. There
being no passenger to go by the packet, within my knowledge, this
letter will go through the post-office. I shall, therefore, only add
assurances of the esteem and respect with which I have the honor to be,
Sir, your most obedient, and most humble servant.