icans, I shall take the liberty of sending a copy of it to
Congress, as well as to the abovementioned officer.

"I cannot omit this opportunity of expressing my acknowledgments for
your Excellency's promise to write to me from the Escurial, as soon as
you shall be in a capacity to speak positively on the subject of my
late letter. Permit me only to remark, that the season wears away
fast, and that Congress must be extremely anxious to hear that the
delays, which have so long kept them in a disagreeable state of
suspense, are finally and happily terminated.

"I have the honor to be, &c.

JOHN JAY."

The letter written to the commanding officer of the frigate, a copy of
which was furnished to the Count de Florida Blanca, is as follows.

TO COMMODORE GILLON.

"Madrid, October 9th, 1781.

"Sir,

"The paper herewith enclosed is a copy of a letter which I received
this morning from his Excellency, the Count de Florida Blanca, his
Catholic Majesty's Principal Secretary of State, and Minister for
Foreign Affairs.

"You will perceive from it that two men on board your frigate are
claimed by this government, as deserters from one of his Majesty's
Irish regiments of infantry; and that you are said to have refused to
deliver them up, because, among other reasons, your crew are the
subjects of his Most Christian Majesty.

"If the men in question are citizens of one or other of the United
States of North America, and admitted to be such, refusing to deliver
them up, as deserters from the service of Spain, may be proper,
because while their own country is at war, they cannot without her
consent enter into the service of any other power.

"If they are Spaniards, then they are the subjects of his Catholic
Majesty, and ought not to be withheld from him.

"If they are foreigners, in that case whatever right they might have
to enter into the American service, they certainly had an equal one to
enter into that of Spain; and if they had previously engaged with the
latter, their subsequent enlistments with you were void, and Spain
being in friendship with us has a just right to reclaim them.

"If they deny their having enlisted in the Spanish service, still like
all other foreigners who come into this kingdom they ought to submit
to the justice of the country, and you ought not to screen them fro