es, to ask
of the Portuguese ambassador, if he had yet received from his court an
answer to our letter. He told me he had not, but that he would make
it the subject of another letter. Two days ago, his _secretaire
d'ambassade_ called on me, with a letter from his minister to the
ambassador, in which was the following paragraph, as he translated it to
me; and I committed it to writing from his mouth. 'Your Excellency has
communicated to us the substance of your conversation with the American
minister. That power ought to have been already persuaded, by the manner
in which its vessels have been received here; and consequently that his
Majesty would have much satisfaction in maintaining perfect harmony and
good understanding with the same United States. But it would be proper
to begin with the reciprocal nomination, on both sides, of persons, who,
at least with the character of agents, might reciprocally inform their
constituents, of what might conduce to a knowledge of the interests of
the two nations, without prejudice to either. This first step appears
necessary to lead to the proposed object.'

By this, it would seem, that this power is more disposed to pursue a
track of negotiation, similar to that which Spain has done. I consider
this answer as definitive of all further measures, under our commission
to Portugal. That to Spain was superseded by proceedings in another
line. That to Prussia is concluded by actual treaty; to Tuscany will
probably be so; and perhaps to Denmark: and these, I believe, will
be the sum of the effects of our commissions for making treaties of
alliance. England shows no disposition to treat. France, should her
ministers be able to keep the ground of the _Arret_ of August, 1784,
against the clamors of her merchants, and should they be disposed,
hereafter, to give us more, very probably will not bind herself to it by
treaty, but keep her regulations dependent on her own will. Sweden will
establish a free port at St. Bartholomew's, which, perhaps, will render
any new engagement, on our part, unnecessary. Holland is so immovable
in her system of colony administration, that, as propositions to her, on
that subject, would be desperate, they had better not be made. You will
perceive by the letter No. 11, from the Marquis de la Fayette, that
there is a possibility of an overture from the Emperor. A hint from
the _charge des affaires of Naples_, lately, has induced me to suppose
something of the same k