Thomas Jefferson to William Short.
New York, April 30th, 1790.
To
William Short, Esquire,
Chargé d'Affaires of the United States of America, Paris.
Dear Sir: It has become necessary to determine on a present proper to be given to diplomatic characters on their taking leave of us; and it is concluded that a medal and chain of gold will be the most convenient. I am therefore to ask the favour of you to order the dies to be engraved with all the despatch practicable. The medal must be of 30-lines diameter, with a loop on the edge to receive the chain. On one side must be the arms of the United States, of which I send you a written description, and several impressions in wax, to render that more intelligible; round them as a legend must be "The United States of America." The device on the other side we do not decide on; one suggestion has been a Columbia (a fine female figure) delivering the emblems of Peace and Commerce to a Mercury, with the legend "Peace and Commerce" circumscribed, and the date of our Republic, to-wit: IV Jul. MDCCLXXVI, subscribed as an Exerguum; but having little confidence in our own ideas in an art not familiar here, they are only suggested to you, to be altered, or altogether postponed to such better device as you may approve on consulting with those who are in the habit and study of medals. Duvivier and Dupré seem to be the best workmen, perhaps the last is the best of the two.
I am with great and sincere esteem,
Thomas Jefferson.
Thomas Jefferson to the Marquis de la Luzerne.
New York, April 30th, 1790.
To His Excellency
The Marquis de la Luzerne.
Sir: When in the course of your Legation to the United States your affairs rendered it necessary that you should absent yourself a while from that station, we flattered ourselves with the hopes that that absence was not final. It turned out in events that the interests of your Sovereign called for your talents, and the exercise of your functions in another quarter. You were pleased to announce this to the former Congress through their Secretary for Foreign Affairs, at a Time when that body was closing its Administration, in order to hand it over to a Government, then preparing on a different model. This Government is now formed, organized and in action, and it considers among its earliest duties and assuredly among its most cordial, to testify to you the Regret which the People and Government of the United States felt at your Removal from among them; a very general and sincere regret, and tempered only by the consolation of your personal advancement which accompanied it. You will receive, Sir, by order of the President of the United States, as soon as it can be prepared, a Medal and chain of gold, of which he desires your acceptance, in token of their Esteem and of the sensibility with which they will ever recall your Legation to their memory.
But as this compliment may hereafter be rendered to other missions, from which yours was distinguished by eminent circumstances, the President of the United States wishes to pay you the distinguished tribute of an express acknowledgment of your services, and our sense of them. You came to us, Sir, through all the perils which encompassed us on all sides. You found us struggling and suffering under difficulties as singular and trying as our situation was new and unprecedented. Your magnanimous nation had taken side with us in the conflict and yourself become the center of our common councils, the link which connected our common operations.