Though uninstructed to say any thing upon the 4th. article,1 yet as I had officially informed the French ministers in my note of 15 june of the execution of the convention on the part of the U. S. I thought myself bound to obtain some explanation of their intentions on that article. It’s objects are of a perishable nature & the inquietudes* & intrigues without number respecting it. On conversing with Mr. Roederer some days since—the others I was not fortunate enough to find at home after several calls—he referred me to Mr. Talleyrand, considering the matter as out of his competence. He promised to speak to him & to urge the execution of the 4h article immediately. I had twice before called on Mr. Talleyrand but he was at Malmaison. On the 9th. I wrote to him a billet telling him that I would call on him at two yesterday. He received me.

I informed him that I came to talk with him on the execution of the 4h article of the Convention: That in my note of the 15 june I had officially assured them that my Government was executing that act “independently of events”—That I had not demanded that such a declaration should be reciprocated—but that I certainly had expected it of them. That the 4th article was of a nature to be in a great measure defeated by delay & that now the exchange was made, & after my official declaration, good faith required that they should give a prompt execution especcially to that article. He assured me with great cordiality that it should be done; & that he would immediately write to the commissary of the Government near the Council of prizes to recommence the trials of American cases. On my informing him that I should now immediately leave Paris—he promised to send to me at the Hague a copy of his letter of which I could make official use.

To-morrow I shall set off for the Hague & it gives me pleasure to give you the above intelligence. I am with great respect Sir Yr. mo. ob. set. &c &