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Title

Document, 1781 October 3

Library Location

National Archives and Records Administration

Name

Jay, John, 1745-1829 (Author)

McKean, Thomas, 1734-1817 (Addressee)

Format

correspondence

Digital Project

Papers of John Jay

Date

1781 October 3

Physical Description

0 pages

Subjects

United States--History--Revolution, 1775-1783; Jay, John, 1745-1829

Summary

Letter signed. Lengthy narrative and analysis of negotiations relating to navigation of the Mississippi. Warns Congress that the French have intercepted his correspondence and instructions from America and may share information with Spain. Thus Jay has moved cautiously. Describes Spanish intransigence on the point and on possibility of a free port in West Florida. A remark of the French minister leads Jay to believe that Spanish are withholding funds to extort concessions on Mississippi. Describes in detail his evidence that his mail has been tampered with, and its contents made known to the Spanish court and the ways in which the disclosures have hampered his negotiations with Floridablanca over the spring and summer months. Describes enormous pleasure and relief at receiving Congress's letter of May 28, even though it too "bore evident marks of inspection." Narrates relations with Franklin. Effect of arrival of Robert Morris's letters. Major Franks' arrival and fruitless wait for dispatches that would carry news of substantive progress in negotiations with Spain. Floridablanca's excuses for avoiding a conference with Jay in August and September. Detailed "recital" of Jay's "notes of a conference held at San Ildefonso" on 19 September with Floridablanca ranging over the entire list of Spanish-American issues and interests. Del Campo has now been named to confer with Jay. Jay does "not despair of seeing some good result; finally, from all this complication of political Solecisms. It would not surprise me if we should, in the end, be the gainers by them. My greatest fears," he concludes, concern the bills Congress has drawn on him. "If protested ... they will become the source of much evil." Jay's massive dispatch includes extracts from or complete texts of the following letters: Jay to Floridablanca, 2 and 13 July and 3, 17, and 22 September; Floridablanca to Jay, 21 July, 20 August, and 5, 19, and 27 September; Jay to Montmorin, 2 July and 16 September.

Identifier

columbia.jay.04165