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Fulwar Skipwith French LS Demanding Restitution For American Ship Captains & Traders Dogged by French Directory Bureaucracy On Eve of Quasi-War
Fulwar Skipwith French LS Demanding Restitution For American Ship Captains & Traders Dogged by French Directory Bureaucracy On Eve of Quasi-War
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Description:

French Directory
Paris, France, 12 Pluviôse l'An 4 [February 1, 1796]
Fulwar Skipwith French LS Demanding Restitution For American Ship Captains & Traders Dogged by French Directory Bureaucracy On Eve of Quasi-War
MLS
A 3pp manuscript letter in French boldly signed by Fulwar Skipwith (1765-1839), the U.S. Consul-General to France between 1795 and the early 1800s, as "Fulwar Skipwith" at the center of the third page. 12 Pluviôse l'An 4 [February 1, 1796.] American Consulate, No. 17 Quai Voltaire, Paris, France. Secretarially inscribed on laid watermarked bifold paper, with a pre-printed "Consulat Américain. / Fulwar Skipwith, Consul [General] des Etat-Unis de l'Amérique…" letterhead, complete with an American eagle seal at center. With several contemporaneous edits. Docketed at upper left by two French functionaries, Citizen Nollane and Citizen Vielle, four days later, on 16 Pluviôse. A note in red colored pencil can be found in the left margin of the first page, translated as: "it is not attached," referring to a copy that was supposed to be attached to Skipwith's letter. The outer leaf is blank. Expected wear including flattened paper folds, isolated smudging, and adhesive mounting traces along some of the edges. Else near fine. 7.875" x 12.25."

Fulwar Skipwith addressed this letter to "the Minister Plenipotentiary of the United States of America to the French Republic." Though not identified, we can assume that this individual was Skipwith's official liaison with the French government. In the letter, Skipwith implores his contact to help him obtain immediate financial compensation for American ship masters and traders otherwise facing "inevitable Ruin." This was not inflammatory language, for, the Americans had indeed encountered considerable challenges trying to conduct business in France: receiving notices of protest (protêt) indicating a delay in or impediment to payment; being paid in government drafts (traites or réscriptures) instead of hard currency; and facing endless agency delays and bureaucratic runarounds, all without final resolution. Default and insolvency threatened American merchants.

Paragraph breaks have been silently added for clarity. Translated in part:

"Citizen Minister,

It is my Duty to request Your Intercession in relation to the Government of the French Republic for the benefit of many Traders from the United States, whose Ruin is inevitable unless their just Demands are granted - …

Since this Letter, Many Americans have received a Notice of Protest [for] lack of payment of the Government Drafts, that the treasury cannot reimburse for fault of Order to this Effect - Capt. Buffinton of the Brigantine Olive Branch received Treasury drafts in payment of his cargo consisting of flour, codfish and other articles delivered to the Stores of the Republic - the Drafts were returned at protest [for] lack of Payment, and he has not been able to obtain Reimbursement - ...

Citizen Sadler of New-York, and Citizen Pitcairn of the same city as well as Citizen Barnet, furnished considerable supplies to the Republic; their Accounts passed to the Committees of Finance and Public Safety of the National Convention, and they received by order of the Interior Minister a part of their payment in foreign drafts, but they cannot obtain from the Minister an Order for the remainder of the payments due…

A number of American Traders find themselves in the same situation; and me, tasked with the operations of many Americans for whom I have the power of attorney, I have given my own drafts in payment for their use in advance, having the greatest confidence in the paper of the Government; my drafts are returned at protest, and, for having been the intermediary between the Government and the American traders [and] provisioners, I am [now] on the threshold of being pursued and ruined; if the Government doesn't reimburse…

Regarding this Revelation, Citizen Minister, you are able to judge how interesting it is to our Commerce, and I can even say for the provisioning of France, if this Government proposes to draw from the United States, that the Executive Directory takes immediate measures so that Payments due to American Traders are made, to reimburse right away the treasury drafts returned by Protest, and to put American creditors in the position where they will be able to fulfill the Engagements contracted by them…"

Skipwith gives numerous examples of American ship masters and merchants who had financial grievances. These include: Captain Buffinton, of the brigantine "Olive Branch"; Captain Whaler of the ship "Le Genêt" (named after the yellow broom flower); and Citizens Livingston, Sadler, Pitcairn, and Barnet, two being from "New-York."

Another serious allegation that Skipwith makes is French nonpayment even after American ship masters had delivered supplies to French forces during the French Revolutionary Wars. From context, Skipwith is likely referring to the Biscay Campaign of mid-June 1795, in which the British Channel Fleet fought a sea battle against the French Atlantic Fleet off the coast of Brittany.

Skipwith writes (translated):

"Many American Ships last Summer, when the British fleet encircled Belle Isle [Belle Île, the largest island off the southwestern coast of Brittany], braved the Perils of this fleet in order to deliver provisions that certainly contributed to saving this place - their Devotion to the French Republic in this Circumstance merited without doubt a generous and prompt payment, and one which had been promised them; It is thus with Regret that I find myself forced to relate to you that two of these cargoes of whom a Captain and supercargo are currently in Paris, are not yet paid - the Request was made in the first place to the Department of the Interior, which redirected it to the Agency of Military Subsistence, this one redirected it to the War Department, who redirected all to that of the Navy - where the business has remained still without a decision."

The French Directory - comprised of a five-person leadership committee - ruled France between 1795 and 1799. During this era, the French Revolution had almost run its course, the king was dead, the Terror was over, and a novel Constitution organized French government around a Directory and a bicameral legislature comprised of the upper house. So many violent political upheavals over a short period had destabilized French society. Poverty was widespread, prices were high, and inflation and devaluation loomed. This period also marked the beginning of a significant deterioration in Franco-American diplomatic relations. As Skipwith describes, relations between the two countries were surprisingly unpleasant in early 1796, but they were about to get so much worse!

In the so-called Quasi-War with France (July 1798-September 1800), though hostilities were never openly declared between the two countries, the French began harassing American shipping, and the Americans retaliated by stopping their Revolutionary War debt repayment to the French. The French felt betrayed by the 1794 Jay Treaty between the United States and Great Britain, which was perceived by the French as a violation of its 1778 Treaty of Amity and Commerce with the American colonies. In retaliation, France declared its intention to search and confiscate neutral vessels (including American ones) in July 1796. In fact, a spoilation claim for Capt. Buffinton's "Olive Branch" is registered from 1796, the same year as this letter.

Fulwar Skipwith was a Revolutionary War veteran from Virginia who had served as U.S. Consul in the French colony of Martinique from 1790-1793. In 1794, Skipwith acted as the Secretary of the American Legation at Paris. From 1795 until at least 1804, Skipwith served as U.S. Consul-General and commercial agent in Paris, and, in this capacity, helped to negotiate the 1803 Louisiana Purchase. Skipwith served as the first and only Governor of the Republic of West Florida briefly in 1810.

This item comes with a Certificate from John Reznikoff, a premier authenticator for both major 3rd party authentication services, PSA and JSA (James Spence Authentications), as well as numerous auction houses.

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  • Dimensions: 7.875" x 12.25"
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