TO MESSRS. DE VIAR AND JAUDENES.
Philadelphia, July 9, 1792.
Gentlemen,—Information has been received that the government of West Florida has established an agent within the territory of the United States, belonging to the Creek Indians, and it is even pretended that that agent has excited those Indians to oppose the making a boundary between their district and that of the citizens of the United States. The latter is so inconsistent with the dispositions to friendship and good neighborhood which Spain has always expressed towards us, with that concert of interest which would be so advantageous to the two nations, and which we are disposed sincerely to promote, that we find no difficulty in supposing it erroneous. The sending an agent within our limits we presume has been done without the authority or knowledge of your Government. It has certainly been the usage, where one nation has wished to employ agents of any kind within the limits of another, to obtain the permission of that other, and even to regulate by convention and on principles of reciprocity, the functions to be exercised by such agents. It is not to a nation whose dominions are circumstanced as those of Spain in our neighborhood, that we need develop the inconveniences of permitting reciprocally the unlicensed mission of agents into the territories of each other. I am persuaded nothing more is necessary than to bring the fact under the notice of your Government in order to its being rectified, which is the object of my addressing you on this occasion; with every assurance that you will make the proper communications on the subject to your court. I have the honor to be, with sentiments of perfect esteem and respect, Gentlemen, your most obedient, and most humble servant.
TO COLONEL HUMPHREYS.
Philadelphia, July 12, 1792.
Dear Sir,—We have been very long indeed without any vessel going from this port to Lisbon. This is the reason why I have been so long without acknowledging the receipt of your letters. Your Nos. from 45 to 53 inclusive are received, except No. 52, not yet come to hand. The President set out yesterday for Virginia, and I shall follow him to-morrow. During my absence the public papers will be forwarded to you by every opportunity by Mr. Taylor, with whom this letter is left, as we know of no present opportunity of forwarding it. The State of Vermont has lately taken some decisive step to extend its jurisdiction nearer to the British ports than has hitherto been done. This has produced a complaint from Mr. Hammond. We shall endeavor to keep things quiet, in hopes of voluntary justice from them. We shall probably have no campaign this year against the Indians. There are some hopes they will accept of peace and the rather as we have never asked anything in return for it. We really wish not to hurt them. I need not repeat occurrences which you will see in the gazettes. I am, with great and sincere esteem, dear Sir, your most obedient, and most humble servant.