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328 CORRESPONDENCE AND PUBLIC PAPERS.
money, which, considering the state of our finances,
was a desirable object.
Though Congress was desirous of an alliance with
Spain, and ready to take measures for the purpose,
yet whom to employ became a serious question. Mr.
Lee's connections insisted that he ought to be the
man; while others, who had neither a predilection for
nor aversion to him, thought it inexpedient to commit
that business to one respecting whom America at
present entertained doubts, and who had become disagreeable to France, and, consequently, in a certain
degree, to Spain. By these unfortunate circumstances
nearly a year was wasted in fruitless altercation, and
the opportunity of obtaining loans from Spain lost, by
her having entered into war, and having occasion for
all her money to defray the expense of it.
Some time prior to my appointment to Spain, suspicions of it prevailed, and both Mr. Gerard and Mr.
Miralles expressed much satisfaction at the prospect
of that event. On my coming to Congress in the
fall of 1778, and constantly after, both Mr. Gerard
and Mr. Miralles, the Spanish agent, had shown me
every mark of civility and attention, though I have
reason to think that both of them entertained higher
opinions of my docility than were well founded.
As a member of Congress, it appeared to me very
improper to make their proceedings a topic of conversation out-of-doors; and I made it an invariable
rule not to speak of their debates, or of any matters
before them, to any who were not members. Mr.
Gerard used very frequently to spend an evening with
| Title | The correspondence and public papers of John Jay - 1 |
| Creator | Jay, John |
| Type | Books/Pamphlets |
| Title | 00000359 |
| Type | Books/Pamphlets |
| Transcript | 328 CORRESPONDENCE AND PUBLIC PAPERS. money, which, considering the state of our finances, was a desirable object. Though Congress was desirous of an alliance with Spain, and ready to take measures for the purpose, yet whom to employ became a serious question. Mr. Lee's connections insisted that he ought to be the man; while others, who had neither a predilection for nor aversion to him, thought it inexpedient to commit that business to one respecting whom America at present entertained doubts, and who had become disagreeable to France, and, consequently, in a certain degree, to Spain. By these unfortunate circumstances nearly a year was wasted in fruitless altercation, and the opportunity of obtaining loans from Spain lost, by her having entered into war, and having occasion for all her money to defray the expense of it. Some time prior to my appointment to Spain, suspicions of it prevailed, and both Mr. Gerard and Mr. Miralles expressed much satisfaction at the prospect of that event. On my coming to Congress in the fall of 1778, and constantly after, both Mr. Gerard and Mr. Miralles, the Spanish agent, had shown me every mark of civility and attention, though I have reason to think that both of them entertained higher opinions of my docility than were well founded. As a member of Congress, it appeared to me very improper to make their proceedings a topic of conversation out-of-doors; and I made it an invariable rule not to speak of their debates, or of any matters before them, to any who were not members. Mr. Gerard used very frequently to spend an evening with |
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