No. 9.
_Mr. Pageot to Mr. Forsyth_.
[Translation.]
WASHINGTON, _December 1, 1835_.
Hon. JOHN FORSYTH,
_Secretary of State of the United States_.
SIR: On the 11th of September last I had the honor, as I was authorized,
to read to you a dispatch which his excellency the minister of foreign
affairs had addressed to me on the 17th of June previous, respecting the
state of the relations between France and the United States. The object
of this communication was to make known to the Cabinet of Washington,
in a form often employed, the point of view from which the King's
Government regarded the difficulties between the two countries, and to
indicate the means by which, in its opinion, they might be terminated in
a manner honorable to both Governments. I was also authorized to allow
you, in case you should desire it, to take a copy of this dispatch,
but, contrary to the expectation which diplomatic usages in such cases
permitted me to entertain, you thought proper to refuse to request it.
I regretted this resolution of yours, sir, at the time, because, in
the first place, it appeared to be at variance with (_s' écarter de_)
that conciliatory spirit which so particularly characterized the
communication just made to you, and, next, as it seemed in a manner
to deprive the Cabinet of Washington of the means of knowing in their
full extent the views of the King's Government, of which an attentive
examination of the Duke de Broglie's letter could alone have enabled it
to form a just estimate. These regrets, sir, have not been diminished,
and at the moment when the President is about to communicate to Congress
the state of the relations between France and the United States I
consider it useful and necessary for the interests of all to endeavor to
place him in possession of all the facts which may afford him the means
of giving an exact account of the real dispositions and views of the
King's Government on the subject of the existing difficulties.
With this intention, and from a desire to neglect nothing which,
by offering to the American Government another opportunity of making
itself acquainted minutely with the highly conciliatory sentiments of
His Majesty's Government, may contribute to restore good understanding
between the Cabinets of Paris and Washington, I have the honor to
transmit to you a copy of the Duke de Broglie's dispatch and to request
you to place it under the eye of the President.
I embrace this opportunity, sir, to renew to you the assurance of the
high consideration with which I have the honor to be, your most humble
and most obedient servant,