[Private] July 22 1798 Dear Sir. Would it not be proper that you should talk with the President as soon as may be, upon the points suggested in the within memorandum. It presses very seri-ously on my mind, that we ought not to lose a moment in forming our resolutions relative to the 2^d & 3^d. especially as they [undecipherable] [undecipherable] must sensibly influence my arrangements & respecting the public force and ought to be known to me as soon as possible. yours sincerely James McHenry [Timothy Pickering Esq^r Secy. of State] [Docket: 22 July 1798 / To Secy. of State. / French W. India Islands / & N. Orleans.] [Enclosure] Sir. b. July 22 1798 Would it not be proper that [undecipherable] be immediately instructed relative to the French West India Islands, and N Orleans, 1. Is it right that the measures taken by [our] government, which [undecipherable: probable reading "culminate"] in [undecipherable] Britain in possession of the French [undecipherable] west India Islands, should be [undecipherable] yielding or entitle [undecipherable] the U.S. to no equivalent by the U.S. [undecipherable] from [undecipherable] means of such [undecipherable: probable reading "captures"]. 2. Is it not expedient, that the U.S should in the event of the French [undecipherable] west India Islands declaring themselves Independent, be in a situation to give them aid, and that provisional arrangements be made with England to prevent her from taking exceptions thereto or defeating the same. 3. Ought not [undecipherable] to inform [undecipherable] the British cabinet, that the U.S. can in no event permit N. Orleans [undecipherable] from the hands of Spain unless it is to become a possession, & part of the U.S.