To Citizen Skipwith Spring 1800

To Citizen Skipwith Spring 1800

Prairial 13 8th year

PARIS

DEAR FRIEND:

I received your favor with the information I had asked for which I am obliged to you. On my return to Paris I received letters from America with a postscript as late as the 23 March. They are on private affairs and contain no news, except that they were written in December and were to have been sent by the Washington Frigate, which, the postscript says, was to be sent for the purpose of bringing off the American commissioners. If you compare things and dates you will see, that in December the American government would know only of the success of the Russians and Austrians, and of the then promising expedition to Holland, and [the] failure of the expedition to Holland. In that state of things John Adams was pompously calling away the commissioners, but as the defeat of the Prussians at Zurich and their defection from the coalition would arrive soon after that time, the Washington was not sent. The letters I believe came by the frigate to Havre. I will take a morning’s walk when the weather is better to Putaux. In the meantime I shall be glad you would give me a call at Rue du Theatre francais.

Your affectionate friend,

THOMAS PAINE.