[5 Aug^t. 1799 To Geo. Washington. D, m H. [undecipherable]] [Private] [undecipherable: probable reading Trenton] 5^th Aug. 1799 Dear Sir. M^r Murray has executed his instructions and M^r Pickering has received from him the answer of M^r Talayrand. viz. That M^r Ellsworth &c &c will be received according to their functions, and respected agreeably to the Law of nations and one or several persons be duly appointed to treat with them. So far the answer would seem a compliance with the conditions announced to the Senate by the President. The being inserted in his letter to M^r Murray by order of the President, that they were to have an audience of the Directory and this condition was also communicated to M^r Tallyrand. On this condition Tallyrand is silent, of course it is reserved to the Directory to omit or grant it, as the one or the other may best suit their purpose. In this point they have not complied with the [President's] conditions. There is besides this reserve, an insult on Talyrands communication. He thinks it strange that at so much time should have been suffered to elapse, to [strikethrough: repeat] our [strikethrough: inquiry] [strikethrough: question], that he had before answered to M^r Gerry and also to M^r Murray The Note has been sent to Quincy to take its fate there. You will observe that a very great change has taken place in the affairs of Europe since this mission was thought of: that a treaty with France cannot in point of Trade and commerce place us in as good a situation as that we are now in; that if we form a [strikethrough: treaty &] [strikethrough: intimate connexion] trade with France we expose [strikethrough: our] to the most serious inconveniences from the and finally, that a treaty gives us no hold upon [the] other powers opposed to France; with all this before us, [should] we to desire a treaty? I really find the dilemma extremely distressing. yours affly.