Th:  Jefferson.

LETTER CLXX.—­TO JOHN JAY, November 19, 1788

TO JOHN JAY.

Sir,

Paris, November 19, 1788.

Since my letter of September the 5th, wherein I acknowledged Mr. Remsen’s favor of July the 25th, I have written those of September the 24th, and of the 14th instant.  This last will accompany the present, both going by the way of London, for want of a direct opportunity; but they go by a private hand.

No late event worth notice has taken place between the Turks and Austrians.  The former continue in the territories of the latter, with all the appearances of superiority.  On the side of Russia, the war wears an equal face, except that the Turks are still masters of the Black sea.  Oczakow is not yet taken.  Denmark furnished to Russia its stipulated quota of troops with so much alacrity, and was making such other warlike preparations, that it was believed they meant to become principals in the war against Sweden.  Russia and England hereupon interposed efficaciously.  Their ministers appointed to meditate, gave notice to the court of Copenhagen, that they would declare war against them in the name of their two sovereigns, if they did not immediately withdraw their troops from the Swedish territories.  The court of London has since said, that their minister (Elliott) went further in this than he was authorized.  However, the Danish troops are retiring.  Poland is augmenting its army from twenty to an hundred thousand men.  Nevertheless, it seems as if England and Prussia meant in earnest to stop the war in that quarter, contented to leave the two empires in the hands of the Turks.  France, desired by Sweden to join the courts of London and Berlin in their mediation between Sweden and Russia, has declined it.  We may be assured, she will meddle in nothing external before the meeting of the States General.  Her temporary annihilation in the political scale of Europe, leaves to England and Prussia the splendid roll, of giving the law without meeting the shadow of opposition.  The internal tranquillity of this country is perfect:  their stocks, however, continue low, and the difficulty of getting money to face current expenses very great.  In the contest between the King and parliament, the latter, fearing the power of the former, passed the convoking the States General.  The government found itself obliged by other difficulties, also, to recur to the same expedient.  The parliament, after its recall, showed that it was now become apprehensive of the States General, and discovered a determination to cavil at their form, so as to have a right to deny their legality, if that body should undertake to abridge their powers.  The court, hereupon, very adroitly determined to call the same Notables, who had been approved by the nation the last year, to decide on the form of convoking the Etats Generaux:  thus withdrawing itself from the disputes which the