I recd. on the 24th. inst. your favor dated I presume by mistake the 10th. of Sept. inclosing a Letter from the President of Congress with sundry papers which your Grand Father did me the honer to direct to be transmitted to me, for which I beg you to present him my respectful compliments & acknowledgements—These are the only Letters or papers which I have recd. from Congress of a Later date than the 7th. of May. Having thus been left entierly without Official information with regard to the proceeding and intentions of that Body since the Period Above mentioned I have been constrained to act at this court to the best of my Judgement aided by such Intelligence as I have from time to time collected thro’ Private ghernals or the Public Prints & by these means early explained or contradicted reports derogatory to the honer & Interest of the States to which the Transaction explained by the President & other incidents gave use. My situation on this & other Accts. has been embarassing and cruel, & I should have seized with avidity a Slighter pretext than the one alluded to in your Letter which Mr. Jay furnished me, had not circumstances at the period I had the honor to recieve his Letter joined to the advice and remonstrances of a personage whose opinion I respected & of whose wisdom & Attachment to our Interests I have had repeated proofs precluded me from following the influence of Sentiments inspired by that request as well as by the embarassing position in which I found myself here—As I perceive you have seen my answers to Mr. Jay I shall not trouble you with further remarks on this Subject. Should however any Doubts remain in the Breast of your Grand Father with respect to the propriety of my conduct I am persuaded his Excy. the Ct. de Montmorin who is now with you will readily give him every detail that he may think proper to demand on this head. I have been many times on the point of writing a long letter to the Former on this and other Subjects which have given me much pain; But as I know how much he is averse to meddle in discussions of little differences I have avoided interupting his tranquillity, altho’ I have had Ministerial information that I did not enjoy that Share of his good opinion, which from former proofs of it I had reason to expect

My reliance on his cander, his justice, & I flatter myself his friendship overuled every sentiment which a surmise to the Contrary might have inspired. I have born his silence with patience & Submission. The Pater Patria has a right to this deference. The Day I hope will come when my purgatory will be at an end, for with respect to him at Least my faults are venial—I recd. by a private conveyance a printed copy of our Treaty with G.B., for which I beg you to accept my thanks. I wish to have some copies of the Constitutions of the States translated into French & published at Paris as also some of the Medals struck to commemorate the ara of our Independance, because I have been sollicited for the one & the Other by people of high Consideration here—These are things which I presume ought to be furnished by the Public to public Servants to be employed for public purposes, I am very willing however that the Amt. of what may be sent to me should be deducted from the first remittances which Mr. Grand may receive for my use. I have at present very reason to be satisfied with the Conduct of the Ministry here, at least as far as it comes to my knowledge—I have had no late Complaints from the Sea Ports or these which exist. I flatter myself will be terminated, If I am not too sanguine to the Satisfaction of the Parties Interested with all convenient dispatch—You will please in presenting the proper compliments for me to Mrs. Jay to inform her that I have recd. a Letter from Governeur Morris dated in Augt. in which he desires his respects & adds that he would have written to Mr. Jay had he known where to address him—I am My Dear Sir