Great and good Friend and Emperor,—Desirous of promoting useful intercourse and good understanding between your majesty's subjects and the citizens of the United States, and especially to cultivate the friendship of your majesty, I have appointed William Short, one of our distinguished citizens, to be in quality of Minister Plenipotentiary of the United States, the bearer to you of assurances of their sincere friendship, and of their desire to maintain with your majesty and your subjects the strictest relations of amity and commerce: he will explain to your majesty the peculiar position of these States, separated by a wide ocean from the powers of Europe, with interests and pursuits distinct from theirs, and consequently without the motives or the appetites for taking part in the associations or oppositions which a different system of interests produces among them; he is charged to assure your majesty more particularly of our purpose to observe a faithful neutrality towards the contending powers, in the war to which your majesty is a party, rendering to all the services and courtesies of friendship, and praying for the re-establishment of peace and right among them; and we entertain an entire confidence that this just and faithful conduct on the part of the United States will strengthen the friendly dispositions you have manifested towards them, and be a fresh motive with so just and magnanimous a sovereign to enforce, by the high influence of your example, the respect due to the character and the rights of a peaceable nation. I beseech you, great and good friend and emperor, to give entire credence to whatever he shall say to you on the part of these States, and most of all when he shall assure you of their cordial esteem and respect for your majesty's person and character, praying God always to have you in his safe and holy keeping.
TO GENERAL WILKINSON.
Monticello, August 30, 1808.
Dear General,—The absence of General Dearborne and his great distance render it necessary to recommend a measure which should regularly go from him, but will not admit of that delay. The armed resistance to the embargo laws on the Canada line induced us at an early period to determine that the new recruits of the northern States should be rendezvoused there, and I presume you received such instructions from General Dearborne. In the meantime we have been obliged to make several detachments of militia to points on that line. This is irksome to them, expensive, troublesome, and less efficacious. Understanding that there are three companies of new recruits filled, or nearly filled, at New York, I must pray you to order these, and indeed all the recruits of the State of New York, to Sackett's Harbor, Oswegatchie, and Plattsburgh, in equal proportions to each, in order to support the collectors in the execution of their duties, and this without any avoidable delay, giving notice to Governor Tompkins of their march and time of probable arrival at their destination, that he may give corresponding orders respecting the relief of the militia. I salute you with esteem and respect.
TO THE SECRETARY OF THE TREASURY.
Monticello, August 30, 1808.
Dear Sir,— * * * * * Mr. Madison and myself on repeated consultations, (and some of the other members of the executive expressed the same opinion before they left Washington,) have concluded that the mission to Petersburgh should not be delayed. Being special, and not permanent, the waiting the meeting of the Senate is less important, and, if we waited, that it could not go till spring, and we know not what this summer and the ensuing winter may produce. We think secrecy also important, and that the mission should be as little known as possible, till it is in Petersburgh, which could not be, if known to the Senate. Mr. Short goes therefore in the aviso from Philadelphia, to be engaged for September 15th. He is peculiarly distressed by sickness at sea, and of course more so the smaller the vessel. I think, therefore, the occasion justifies the enlargement of our vessel somewhat beyond what might be necessary for a mere aviso. The season, too, by the time of her return, might render it desirable for safety, which circumstance may be mentioned in your instructions to the collector, to prevent his suspicions of the real ground. I salute you with affection and respect.
TO THE SECRETARY OF STATE.
Monticello, September 5, 1808.
Dear Sir,—The last post brought me the counter addresses now enclosed. That from Ipswich is signed by about forty persons; the town meeting which voted the petition consisted of thirty. There are 500 voters in the place. The counter address of Boston has 700 signatures. The town meeting voting the petition is said to have consisted of 500. In the draught of an answer enclosed, I have taken the occasion of making some supplementary observations which could not with propriety have been inserted in the answers to the petitions. The object is that the two together may present to our own people the strongest points in favor of the embargo in a short and clear view. An eye is also kept on foreign nations, in some of the observations. Be so good as to make it what it should be, and return it by the first post. * * * * *