ted States having been pleased, in the month of
June last, to give me leave of absence for some time from the court of
France, and to appoint Mr. William Short _charge des affaires_ for the
United States during my absence, and having since thought proper to call
me to the office of Secretary of State, comprehending that of Foreign
Affairs, I have now the honor of requesting you to give credence to
whatever Mr. Short shall say to you on my part. He knows the interest
which our republic takes in the prosperity of France, our strong desire
to cultivate its friendship, and my zeal to promote it by whatever may
depend on my ministry, and I have no doubt he will so conduct himself as
to merit your confidence. I avail myself of this occasion of tendering
you assurances of the sentiments of respect and esteem, with which I
have the honor to be your Excellency's most obedient and most humble
servant,

Th: Jefferson.

LETTER XXIV.--TO WILLIAM SHORT, April 6, 1790

TO WILLIAM SHORT.

New York, April 6, 1790.

Sir,

My last to you was of March the 28th. Since that, yours of the 2nd and
6th of January have come to hand, together with the ratification of the
consular convention.

I send you herewith a letter from the President to the King, notifying
my recall, with a letter of leave to Monsieur de Montmorin, and another
of credence for you to the same, all of which you will be pleased to
deliver to him. Copies of them are enclosed for your information.

We are extremely mortified at the prospect there is, that the act of
justice and gratitude to the court of France, which Congress, in the
first moment it ever was in their power, have been, and still are
preparing, may arrive too late, to save that court from the necessity of
parting with our debt to a disadvantage. The Secretary of the Treasury,
having by order of Congress reported a plan for funding both our foreign
and domestic debts, they thought it necessary, by a re-commitment, to
subject that part of it which concerned the domestic debt, to maturer
discussion. But the clause 'for making such adequate provision for
fulfilling our engagements in respect to our foreign debt,' was not
re-committed, because not susceptible of any abridgment or modification.
On the contrary, it was passed without a dissenting voice, and only
waits till the residue of that system of which it makes a part, can
be digested and put into the form of a law. I send you a copy of the
resol