m your port. My duty leads me to care of
them, and my desire to give no offence makes me wish to give no further
alarm. I make the same communication to the ports of Nantes, L'Orient,
and Havre. I am, with much esteem, Sir, your most obedient humble
servant.

TO MONSIEUR DUMAS.

PARIS, September 10, 1787.

SIR,--I am honored with your favor of the 5th instant, and will forward
the letter to Mr. Jay by the packet-boat which sails the 25th of this
month. I am sorry for the situation in which Mr. Grand's refusal to
make further advances has placed you. I know its pain, because I
participate of it. The aspect of your affairs has also been
discouraging. Perhaps the war kindled between Russia and Turkey may
engage your friends, of necessity in measures they wished to avoid, and
may ultimately relieve you. Our Federal Convention is likely to sit
till October; there is a general disposition through the States to
adopt what they shall propose, and we may be assured their propositions
will be wise, as a more able assembly never sat in America. Happily for
us, that when we find our constitutions defective and insufficient to
secure the happiness of our people, we can assemble with all the
coolness of philosophers, and set it to rights, while every other
nation on earth must have recourse to arms to amend or to restore their
constitutions. The sale of our western lands begins this month. I hope
from this measure a very speedy reduction of our national debt. It can
only be applied to pay off the principal, being irrevocably made a
sinking fund for that purpose. I have the honor to be, with much esteem
and respect, Sir, your most obedient, and most humble servant.

TO DON FRANCISCO CHIAPPI.

PARIS, September 15, 1787.

SIR,--I have lately received from Mr. Jay, Secretary for foreign
affairs to the United States of America, the enclosed letter from
Congress to his Majesty the Emperor (whom God preserve), and their
ratification of the treaty between his Majesty (whom God preserve) and
the United States, together with an instruction to forward them to you,
to be delivered into the hands of his Majesty (whom God preserve). I am
at the same time to ask the favor of you to deliver the inclosed letter
to Taher Ben Abdelkack Fennish.

Mr. Jay also informs me that Congress had confirmed Mr. Barclay's
appointment of yourself to be their agent at Morocco, of Don Joseph
Chiappi to be their agent at Mogador, and Don Girol