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LETTER CXLVI. TO JOHN JAY.
Paris, January 2, 1786.
SIR,
Several conferences and letters having passed between the Count de Vergennes and myself, on the subject of the commerce of this country with the United States, I think them sufficiently interesting to be communicated to Congress. They are stated in the form of a report, and are herein enclosed. The length of this despatch, perhaps needs apology. Yet 1 have not been able to abridge it, without omitting circumstances which I thought Con gress would rather choose to know. Some of the objects of these conferences present but small hopes for the present, but they seem
to admit a possibility of success at some future moment.
- &&*&&*
I am, Sir, your most obedient and
most humble servant, -
TH: JEFFERSON.
[The following is an extract from the report referred to in the preceding letter, embracing every thing interesting therein, not communicated to the reader in the previous correspondence.]
The next levee day at Versailles, I meant to bring again under the view of the Count de Vergennes, the whole subject of our commerce with France ; but the number of audiences of ambas sadors and other ministers, which take place, of course, before mine, and which seldom, indeed, leave me an opportunity of audience at all, prevented me that day. I was only able to ask of the Count de Vergennes, as a particular favor, that he would permit me to wait on him some day that week. He did so, and I went to Versailles the Friday following, (the 9th of December.) M. de Reyneval was with the Count. Our conversation began with the usual topic ; that the trade of the United States had not yet learned the way to France, but continued to centre in Eng land, though no longer obliged by law to go there. I observed, that the real cause of this, was to be found in the difference of the commercial arrangements in the two countries; that merchants would not, and could not trade but where there was to be some gain; that the commerce between two countries could not be kept up, but by an exchange of commodities; that, if an American
