2023. DEBT (French), Desire to pay.—
We desire strongly to pay off our debt to
France, and for this purpose we will use our
credit as far as it will hold good. * * * Under
these dispositions and prospects, it would grieve
us extremely to see our debt pass into the hands
of speculators, and be subjected ourselves to the
chicaneries and vexations of private avarice.
We desire you, therefore, to dissuade the government
* * * from listening to any overtures
of that kind, and as to the speculators
themselves, whether native or foreign, to inform
them without reserve that our government
condemns their projects, and reserves to
itself the right of paying nowhere but into
the Treasury of France.—
To William Short. Washington ed. iii, 253.
(Pa.,
1791)
