Spanish envoy Casa Yrujo tells James Madison that the King has opened the port of New Orleans to United States merchants. Madison summarizes the letter and sends it to the local newspaper, the National Intelligencer, for publication. Meanwhile, Meriwether Lewis completes his work at the Harpers Ferry armory.
National Intelligencer
Letter from Yrujo
Washington Intelligencer, 20 April 1803.
New Orleans Re-opens
James Madison summarizes a letter regarding the re-opening of New Orleans to commercial traffic.
§ From Carlos Martínez de Yrujo
19 April 1803, Washington. Informs JM without losing a moment that by documents just received from Spain in a warship dispatched solely for that purpose, he sees confirmed all the assurances he gave on previous occasions regarding the intendant’s orders rescinding the right of deposit at New Orleans. The king has ordered that the deposit be continued until the two governments come to an agreement about another location. So that this decree may be effected promptly, suitable orders have been communicated to the intendant and captain general of Louisiana.[1]Carlos Martínez de Yrujo to James Madison (abstract), Founders Online, National Archives, founders.archives.gov/documents/Madison/02-04-02-0637 accessed 16 May 2022. [Original source: The Papers of … Continue reading
Yrujo’s Letter
Yrujo original letter, summarized by Madison above, was translated from the Spanish and printed in the Washington Intelligencer.
National Intelligencer.
WEDNESDAY, APRIL 20th, 1803.
The following Important Letter was yesterday sent by Express to New Orleans.
OFFICIAL
(Translation)
Sir
I have the pleasure to impart to you, without a moment’s delay, that by dispatches which I have just received from my government, brought by a Brig of war of the King my master, dispatched for this purpose alone, I see confirmed all the assurances which I gave you on various preceding occasions, when I received information of the difficulties, which the citizens of the United States experienced in consequence of being deprived of the place of deposit on the Spanish Banks of the Mississippi, by decree of the Intendant of New-Orleans. His Catholic Majesty, as just in his resolutions as desirous of living in the greatest harmony with the United States, has provided that the deposit should continue at New-Orleans until the two governments shall come to an agreement about another equivalent place; and to the end that this Royal provision may be promptly and punctually carried into effect, the necessary orders are communicated to the Intendant and to the Captain General of Louisiana, of which I transmit you the originals in order that you may be pleased to forward them to New-Orleans.
I hasten to acquaint you of it with much satisfaction, in order that you may communicate it to the President of the United States, as soon as possible; and I pray God to preserve your life many years.
Washington, April 19, 1803.
I kiss your hand.
Your most obedient, and faithful servant,
The Marquis of Casa Yrujo.
James Madison, Esquire.[2]The National Intelligencer and Washington Advertiser (Washington City [D.C.]), 20 April 1803 at Chronicling America: Historic American Newspapers. Lib. of Congress. … Continue reading
Notes
| ↑1 | Carlos Martínez de Yrujo to James Madison (abstract), Founders Online, National Archives, founders.archives.gov/documents/Madison/02-04-02-0637 accessed 16 May 2022. [Original source: The Papers of James Madison, Secretary of State Series, vol. 4, 8 October 1802–15 May 1803, ed. Mary A. Hackett, J. C. A. Stagg, Jeanne Kerr Cross, Susan Holbrook Perdue, and Ellen J. Barber. Charlottesville: University Press of Virginia, 1998, p. 535.] |
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| ↑2 | The National Intelligencer and Washington Advertiser (Washington City [D.C.]), 20 April 1803 at Chronicling America: Historic American Newspapers. Lib. of Congress. https://chroniclingamerica.loc.gov/lccn/sn83045242/1803-04-20/ed-1/seq-3/ |
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