About the Letter
Monroe begins this July 4, 1795 letter with an account of an American vessel being stopped and searched by the French government. He recounts how the searches affect commerce. Monroe reports that he has brought up the issue to the government and they have agreed to find a more efficient way to search "suspicious" vessels. Another point of relative contention between the Consuls and France, according to Monroe, is the issuing of passports. Monroe reports that in order to remedy the situation, he has supplied the French government with a list of the American citizens in Paris and has agreed to have the list updated every ten years. He hypothesizes that the issue stems from jealousy surrounding the success of America's mercantile trade in France and abroad. The next portion of his letter reports Monroe's concern regarding Hamburg's American Consul, Mr. Parish. His concern is based on the fact that the aforementioned Mr. Parish is a British citizen and, according to his sources, unfit to represent the United States. In fact, his appointment would injure American and French relations. Monroe's letter next details the state of the French navy and he reports that due to misconduct, the navy recently suffered the loss of three ships. Lastly, Monroe reports on France's strengthened relations with Holland, Denmark and Sweden. Additionally, he details the concerns of Baron Stahl of Sweden.