FROM M. DE SOUZA TO THE COMMISSIONERS. Translation. Paris, December 22, 1784. Gentlemen, I have received the letter you did me the honor to write, with the plan of a treaty which the United States of North America propose to the Queen, my Sovereign, all of which I transmitted to the Court of Lisbon. I have the honor to be, &c. DE SOUZA, Ambassador of Portugal. FROM BARON DE THULEMEIER TO THE COMMISSIONERS. Gentlemen, The Hague, December 10, 1784. The letter you have done me the honor to write to me, dated November 10th, reached me on the 26th of the same month, by a Dutch courier. I have transmitted to the King a French translation of the project of a treaty of commerce, to be concluded for the reciprocal advantages of the subjects of his Majesty, and of the citizens of the United States of America, to which the recent orders of Congress have compelled you to make some alterations, in opposition to the project I had the honor to place in the hands of Mr. Adams, on the 9th of April of the present year. As soon as the orders from my Court reach me, I shall lose no time, gentlemen, in informing you of the observations which the King will think proper to make on this new project. The twenty-third article is dictated by the purest zeal in favor of humanity. Nothing can be more just than your reflections on the noble disinterestedness of the United States of America. It is to be desired that these sublime sentiments may be adopted by all the maritime powers without any exceptions. The calamities of war will be much softened, and hostilities, often provoked by the cupidity and inordinate love of gain, of more rare occurrence. Allow me, gentlemen, to bring to your recollection, the requisition which I had the honor to make to you in the last lines of my letter of 18th of October of the present year. The King having expressed to me that he would learn with pleasure the choice which the United States might make of any city, for the exchange of commerce between the merchants of the two nations, I desired you, accordingly, to let me know your ideas on this subject. 1 added, that Stettin and Embden, both Prussian maritime places, or even some French or Dutch ports, might fulfil this object. I have the honor to be, &c. FROM THE COMMISSIONERS TO BARON DE THULEMEIER. Passy, January 21, 1785. Sir, We have received the letter you did us the honor to write us on the 10th day of December last. We supposed that the principles contained in the project of a treaty, which we had the honor to transmit to you, were a virtual answer to the requisition in the last VOL. II-33 lines of your letter of the 18th of October. By the second and third articles, the citizens and subjects of each power may frequent all coasts and countries of the other, and reside and trade there in all sorts of produce, manufactures or merchandizes, paying no greater duties than the most favored nation. By the fourth article, each party shall have a right to carry their own produce, manufactures and merchandizes in their own vessels, to any ports of the dominions of the other, where it shall be lawful for all the subjects or citizens of that other party to purchase them; and thence to take the produce, manufactures and merchandize of that other, which all the said citizens or subjects shall in like manner be free to sell them, paying in both cases such duties, charges and fees only as are, or shall be paid, by the most favored nation. But if by a city for the commerce of exchange, between the merchants of the two nations, be meant a port more free than any intended in the said second, third or fourth articles; that is to say, a port absolutely free, from all duties and charges, or a port where merchandize may be landed and stored and afterwards re-embarked and exported, without paying any imposts or duties, we submit to your consideration whether it will not be for the interest of Prussia, that both Embden and Stettin at least, should be made such; however, should it be thought otherwise, and be still desired to elect one of the two ports, we should ask for time to communicate the proposition to Congress, and to receive their instructions thereon. We have the honor to be, &c. JOHN ADAMS. B. FRANKLIN. THOS. JEFFERSON. The Baron de Walterstorff having personally informed each of the American Ministers, that he had obtained permission to return to Copenhagen, and that he had it in charge to solicit such communications, as they should judge it might be useful to make, on the 1st February, 1785, announced the same officially in the following letter: FROM M. WALTERSTORFF TO THE COMMISSIONERS. Gentlemen, Translation. Paris, February 1, 1785. Monsieur the Count de Bernstorff in communicating to me the permission of the King, to make a visit to Copenhagen, where my private affairs demand my presence at this time, has recommended that I should request of the American Ministers to be pleased to furnish me with such ideas, as they may judge useful to hasten the end we have in view. I have nothing so pressing on hand as the conveying to you the information of the little voyage I am about to make. have even had the honor of seeing Messrs. Adams and Franklin, and I have now that of informing you, that I have fixed upon Friday next, as the day of my departure, if by that time, you can prepare the documents, with which I am to be entrusted. Permit me, gentlemen, in the meantime to assure you, that I shall always regard the having made your acquaintance, as one of the greatest advantages of my residence at Paris. I hope that events will be sufficiently favorable to my prayers, to find other occasions of cultivating it, and of repeating the assurances of my perfect attachment and the consideration with which, I have the honor to be, &c. DE WALTERSTORFF. FROM THOMAS JEFFERSON TO THE BARON DE WAL Sir, TERSTORFF. Paris, February 3, 1785. I had the honor of receiving yesterday the letter you were pleased to address to me, wherein you mention (as you had before done to Mr. Adams and Doctor Franklin) that the Count De Bernstorff, in communicating to you the permission of your Sovereign, to pay a visit to Copenhagen, had desired you to ask of the American Ministers their proposition, for forwarding the objects respecting the two nations; I immediately communicated your letter to Mr. Adams and Dr. Franklin, and in consequence thereof, have now the honor of enclosing to you the draft of a treaty of amity and commerce, in such form as we would wish to see established between our two Sovereigns. To emancipaté commerce from the shackles which oppress it, to increase the general happiness, and lessen the miseries of mankind, are the objects of these propositions, and we flatter ourselves that the means proposed are founded in the most perfect équality and reciprocity of right. We shall attend with great respect to such improvements, as your Court may wish to make, for the furtherance of the same good objects. |