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ORIGINAL DOCUMENTS. (p. 117)

_John Adams to the President of Congress._

To His Excellency
John JAY, Braintree, August 3, 1779.
President of Congress.

Sir: The Chevalier de la Luzerne is a Knight of the Order of St.
John of Jerusalem, of an ancient and noble family, connected by
blood with many characters of principal name in the kingdom; a
grandson of the celebrated Chancellor de la Moignon; a nephew of
Monsieur Malesherbes, perhaps still more famous as first
President of the Court of Aids, and as Minister of State, a
brother of the Comte de la Luzerne, and of the Bishop of Langres,
one of the three Dukes and Peers who had the honour to assist in
the consecration of the King; a near relative of the Marshal de
Broglie, and the Comte his brother, and of many other important
personages in that country; nor is his personal character less
respectable than his connections. As he is possessed of much
useful information of all kinds, and particularly of the
political system of Europe, obtained in his late Embassy in
Bavaria; and of the justest sentiments of the mutual interests of
his country and ours, and of the utility to both of that alliance
which so happily unites them, and at the same time divested of
all personal and party attachments and aversions, Congress and
their constituents, I flatter myself, will have much satisfaction
in his negotiations, as well as in those of the Secretary to the
Embassy, Monsieur Marbois, who was also Secretary to the Embassy
in Bavaria, and is a Counsellor of the Parliament of Metz, a
gentleman whose abilities, application and disposition cannot
fail to make him useful in this momentous office he sustains.

I have the honour to be with great respect, Sir,
Your most obedient and most humble servant,
John ADAMS.

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_Thomas Jefferson to William Short._

To
William SHORT, Esquire, New York, April 30th, 1790.
Charge d'Affaires of the United States of America,
Paris.

Dear Sir: It has become necessary to determine on a present
proper to be given to diplomatic character