President of Congress (Samuel Huntington) to John Jay, 15 February 1781

[Philadelphia] February 15. 1781

Sir,

Congress having since their Instructions to you of the 29 th of September 1779 and the 4 th of October 1780, 1 relative to the Claim of the United States to the free Navigation of the river Mississippi, and to a free Port or Ports below the 31 st Degree of North Latitude, resumed the Consideration of that Subject, and being desirous to manifest to all the World, and particularly to his Catholic Majesty, the Moderation of their Views, the high Value they place on the Friendship of his Catholic Majesty and their Disposition to remove every reasonable Obstacle to his Accession to the Alliance subsisting between his most Christian Majesty and these United States, in order to unite the more closely in their Measures & Operations three Powers who have so great an Unity of Interests, and there by compel the common Enemy to a speedy, just and honorable Peace, have resolved , and you are hereby instructed to recede from the Instructions above referred to, so far as they insist on the free Navigation of that Part of the River Mississippi which lies below the 31 st Degree of North Latitude, and on a free Port or Ports below the same, provided such Cession shall be unalterably insisted upon by Spain and provided the free Navigation of the ^ said ^ River above the said Degree of North Latitude shall be acknowledged and guaranteed by his Catholic Majesty to the Citizens of the United States in Common with his own Subjects. 2 It is the Order of Congress at the same Time that you exert every possible Effort to obtain from his Catholic Majesty the Use of the River aforesaid with a free Port or Ports below the said 31 st Degree of North Latitude, for the Citizens of the United States, under such Regulations and Restrictions only as may be a necessary safe Guard against illicit Commerce–€” 3

By order of Congress. 4 Sam l . Huntington President

The Hon ble : John Jay Esq r