Having been honoured with your Letter of the 4th Inst. I remark with pleasure that the mode in which Congress propose to perpetuate the success obtained by the Allied Armies at York, is Such as will, in your Opinion be agreeable to His Most Christian Majesty. As Congress must concur with you in wishing to render this monument of the alliance of the Military Virtues of the Combined forces, as lasting, (if possible), as the advantages they may reasonably hope to reap from both, they will, without doubt, pay all due Attention to any Ideas you may think proper to suggest relative to the manner of carrying the resolutions of the 28th of October, into Effect and shall receive, Sir, with pleasure, and submit to Congress any Communications that you will do me the honor to make on this subject.

I am sorry to find that you Consider the order in which the allied Nations or their sovereigns are placed in the Resolutions, as anyways Exceptionable. This mode of Expression might perhaps be justified by the absolute Equality Established between sovereign Powers, and the common Practice of Independent Nations to recognize no Superior in Acts to be Executed by themselves, within their own Limits; But, Sir, I am So well Satisfied that Congress wish to avoid discussions which must be treated with great delicacy by Nations circumstanced as ours, where Every demand on the one part, not strictly authorized by the Law of Nations, might derogate from the generous protection which we make it our boast to have received, and the denial of just rights on the other, subject us to the imputation of ingratitude, that I think you may Safely rely upon their practice when Some future Occasion shall present, to Evince that the Order in which the Allied Nations are mentioned, did not originate from any Settled rule, and above all, that no want of respect for his Most Christian Majesty dictated the resolution to which you object. Be persuaded, Sir, that regardless as the United States are of form and ceremony, in matters that relate to themselves alone, they will think their endeavour to Support France in the high rank which her Extent, wealth and power have given her, a small return for the wise and generous use she makes of those advantages.

I have the honor to be with the greatest respect and Esteem, Sir, Your most obedient and humble servant.