The Writings of Thomas Jefferson, Vol. 1 (of 9): Being His Autobiography, Correspondence, Reports, Messages, Addresses, and Other Writings, Official and PrivateJefferson, Thomas
History
The Writings of Thomas Jefferson, Vol. 1 (of 9): Being His Autobiography, Correspondence, Reports, Messages, Addresses, and Other Writings, Official and Private
Jefferson, Thomas
United States -- Politics and government -- 1775-1783; United States -- Politics and government -- 1783-1865
without price, on the ordinary ground of _gentis amicissimæ_.
Mr. Adams being appointed Minister Plenipotentiary of the United
States, to London, left us in June, and in July, 1785, Dr. Franklin
returned to America, and I was appointed his successor at Paris. In
February, 1786, Mr. Adams wrote to me, pressingly, to join him in
London immediately, as he thought he discovered there some symptoms
of better disposition towards us. Colonel Smith, his secretary of
legation, was the bearer of his urgencies for my immediate attendance.
I, accordingly, left Paris on the 1st of March, and, on my arrival
in London, we agreed on a very summary form of treaty, proposing
an exchange of citizenship for our citizens, our ships, and our
productions generally, except as to office. On my presentation, as
usual, to the King and Queen, at their levées, it was impossible for
anything to be more ungracious, than their notice of Mr. Adams and
myself. I saw, at once, that the ulcerations of mind in that quarter,
left nothing to be expected on the subject of my attendance; and, on
the first conference with the Marquis of Caermarthen, the Minister for
foreign affairs, the distance and disinclination which he betrayed
in his conversation, the vagueness and evasions of his answers to
us, confirmed me in the belief of their aversion to have anything
to do with us. We delivered him, however, our Projét, Mr. Adams not
despairing as much as I did, of its effect. We afterwards, by one or
more notes, requested his appointment of an interview and conference,
which, without directly declining, he evaded, by pretences of other
pressing occupations for the moment. After staying there seven weeks,
till within a few days of the expiration of our commission, I informed
the minister, by note, that my duties at Paris required my return to
that place, and that I should, with pleasure, be the bearer of any
commands to his Ambassador there. He answered, that he had none, and,
wishing me a pleasant journey, I left London the 26th, and arrived at
Paris the 30th of April.
While in London, we entered into negotiations with the Chevalier Pinto,
Ambassador of Portugal, at that place. The only article of difficulty
between us was, a stipulation that our bread stuff should be received
in Portugal, in the form of flour as well as of grain. He approved
of it himself, but observed that several Nobles, of great influence
at their court, were the owners of wind-mills in the neighborhood of
Lisbon, which depended much for their profits on manufacturing our
wheat, and that this stipulation would endanger the whole treaty. He
signed it, however, and its fate was what he had candidly portended.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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