Th:  Jefferson.

LETTER LXXXI.—­TO JOHN JAY, August 6,1787

TO JOHN JAY.

Paris, August 6,1787.

The last letter I had the honor of addressing you was dated June the 21st.  I have now that of enclosing you a letter from the Swedish ambassador, praying that inquiry may be made for a vessel of his nation, piratically carried off, and measures taken relative to the vessel, cargo, and crew.  Also a letter from William Russell and others, citizens of America, concerned in trade to the island of Guadaloupe, addressed to the Marechal de Castries, and complaining of the shutting to them the port of Point a Pitre, and receiving them only at Basse-terre.  This was enclosed to me by the subscribers, to be delivered to the Marechal de Castries.  But the present is not the moment to move in that business:  and moreover, I suppose, that whenever parties are within the reach of Congress, they should apply to them, and my instructions come through that channel.  Matters, arising within the kingdom of France, to which my commission is limited, and not admitting time to take the orders of Congress, I suppose I may move in originally.  I also enclose you the copy of a letter from Mr. Barclay, closing his proceedings in our affairs with Morocco.  Before this reaches you, he will have had the honor of presenting himself to you in person.  After his departure, the parliament of Bordeaux decided that he was liable to arrest.  This was done on a letter from the minister, informing them that Mr. Barclay was invested with no character which privileged him from arrest.  His constant character of consul was no protection, and they did not explain whether his character to Morocco was not originally diplomatic, or was expired.  Mr. Barclay’s proceedings under this commission being now closed, it would be incumbent on me to declare with respect to them, as well as his consular transactions, my opinion of the judgment, zeal, and disinterestedness with which he has conducted himself; were it not that Congress has been so possessed of those transactions from time to time, as to judge for themselves.  I cannot but be uneasy, lest my delay of entering on the subject of the consular convention, may be disapproved.  My hope was and is, that more practicable terms might be obtained:  in this hope, I do nothing till further orders, observing by an extract from the journals you were pleased to send me, that Congress have referred the matter to your consideration, and conscious that we are not suffering in the mean time, as we have not a single consul in France, since the departure of Mr. Barclay.  I mentioned to you in my last, the revival of the hopes of the Chevalier de la Luzerne.  I thought it my duty to remind the Count de Montmorin, the other day, of the long absence of their minister from Congress.  He told me, the Chevalier de la Luzerne would not be sent back, but that we might rely, that in the month of October a person would be sent, with whom we should be content.  He did not name the person, though there is no doubt that it is the Count de Mourtier.  It is an appointment, which, according to the opinion I have formed of him, bids as fair to give content, as any one which could be made.