From John Jay to William Carmichael, 2 October 1789
To William Carmichael
New York 2d. October 1789
Sir
I have been favd. with your Letters of the 5. 8. & 28 of Novr. & 2d Decr. in the last year, and of the 6 May in this—1
My two Letters of the 9 Septr. and the 24 Novemr. 17882 covered Papers of Importance, and as yet I am uninformed whether they have come safe to your Hands.
The long period ^Time^ before their Dissolution, during which the late Congress had not a sufficient number of ^nine^ States represented in it, and the other important Matters which necessarily engaged the immediate Attention ^consideration^ of the present Governmt., prevented the Affairs of my ^the foreign^ Department from recieving that Degree of Attention, wh. would otherwise have been the Case.
An opinion prevailed that appointments under the former Government (if not vacated), at least became suspended on the Establishment of the present
one; so that and it was not till very lately that the Difficulties occasioned by this Circumstance were removed by new appointments being made— Mr Jefferson is to be Secy for foreign affairs if he should pl that is, if he ^shd.^ think proper to accept that place;3 his arrival here is daily expected. You have been reappointed Chargé des Affaires for Spain,4 and the Necessary Documents will be sent to You. The public papers herewith sent will inform ^you^ of the general State of things here5— we are solicitous to know whether you have done any thing, & what, & with what Success on the Subject of the asylum given to fu in Pensacola—to fugitive Negroes from So Car Georgia &c.— This gives much Uneasiness, & ^it is said^ occasions much Loss to our People in that Quarter. It is to be hoped that your Representations will induce the Court to order their Governors to deliver ^up^ these Fugitives, & to discountenance the Reception of them.6 I have the honor to be Sr Your most obt. & hble Sert
Sent the above by Mr. Gardoqui.
1. See Carmichael to JJ, 5 Nov., LS, DNA: PCC, item 97, 308–10 (EJ: 03671); 8 Nov., LS, DNA: PCC, item 97, 316–18 (EJ: 03672); 28 Nov. 1788, LS, DNA, PCC, item 88, 584–86; 2 Dec. 1788, LS, DNA: PCC, item 88, 588–89; and 6 May 1789, above.
2. See JJ to Carmichael, 9 Sept. 1788, Dft, NNC (EJ: 07723) and LbkC, DNA: PCC, Foreign Letters, 304–5 (EJ: 02531); and 24 Nov. 1788, Dft, NNC (EJ: 07731), and LbkC, DNA: PCC, Foreign Letters, 310–11 (EJ: 02535).
3. GW nominated TJ to be Secretary of State on 25 Sept. 1789. He was confirmed the following day. See , 4: 85; and the , 32–33.
4. Carmichael was appointed and confirmed on 29 Sept. 1789. , 4: 116; and the , 33–34.
6. On 19 May 1788, Congress had referred to JJ a complaint from the Georgia House of Representatives about the refusal of the Governor of East Florida to return slaves who had fled into Spanish territory from Georgia. See JJ’s report of 14 Aug. 1788, above; JJ to Carmichael, 9 Sept. 1788, cited in note 2, above; and , 34: 188, 430–31, 444.