to them.  He makes national questions of all the difficulties which arise; the correspondent prevents them.  We carry on commerce with good success in all parts of the world; yet we have not a consul in a single port, nor a complaint for the want of one, except from the persons who wish to be consuls themselves.  Though these considerations may not be strong enough to establish the absolute inutility of consuls, they may make us less anxious to extend their privileges and jurisdictions, so as to render them objects of jealousy and irritation, in the places of their residence.  That this government thinks them useful, is sufficient reason for us to give them all the functions and facilities which our circumstances will admit.  Instead, therefore, of declining every article which will be useless to us, we accede to every one which will not be inconvenient.  Had this nation been alone concerned, our desire to gratify them might have tempted us to press still harder on the laws and opinions of our country.  But your Excellency knows, that we stand engaged in treaties with some nations, which will give them occasion to claim whatever privileges we yield to any other.  This renders circumspection more necessary.  Permit me to add one other observation.  The English allow to foreign consuls scarcely any functions within their ports.  This proceeds, in a great measure, from the character of their laws, which eye, with peculiar jealousy, every exemption from their control.  Ours are the same in their general character, and rendered still more unpliant, by our having thirteen parliaments to relax, instead of one.  Upon the whole, I hope your Excellency will see the causes of the delay which this convention has met with, in the difficulties it presents, and our desire to surmount them:  and will be sensible that the alterations proposed, are dictated to us by the necessity of our circumstances, and by a caution, which cannot be disapproved, to commit ourselves to no engagements which we foresee we might not be able o fulfil.

These alterations, with some other smaller ones, which may be offered on the sole principle of joint convenience, shall be the subject of more particular explanation, whenever your Excellency shall honor me with a conference thereon.  I shall then, also, point out the verbal changes which appear to me necessary, to accommodate the instrument to the views before expressed.  In the mean time, I have the honor to be, with sentiments of the most perfect respect and esteem, your Excellency’s most obedient and most humble servant,

Th:  Jefferson.

LETTER CXLIV.—­TO DOCTOR GORDON, July 16, 1788

TO DOCTOR GORDON.

Paris, July 16, 1788.

Sir,