Philada. May 20th 1783. Sir Your Excellency's favor of the 9th inst: was duly recd. by yesterday's mail. We had communicated to Mr. Thomson the mistake contained [struck: contained] in your preceding letter, relative to a recall of the Territorial Cession, but have now corrected it as you desire. If our official & joint correspondence with your Excelly [sic] be less circumstantial than that which individual delegates may enter into with their private friends, we persuade ourselves that your Excellency is too sensible both of our public & private respect for your character, to impute to any defect of either. The difference can only proceed from the necessity in the former case of confining ourselves [inserted: not only] to such matters as are [struck: illegible] [inserted: worthy of] the public & for which we can be officially responsible, but to such also with respect to which no dibersity [sic] of private opinions may exist. Notwithstanding the numerous arrivals from Europe we receive no other information than what passes through the public prints. Sir G. Carlton in answer to a letter from General Washington on the subject of the provisional Treaty repeats the same sentiments regarding the Negroes, which he advanced in the Conference at Orange Town; entering a Caution however against their being considered as a final construction of the article. We have the honor to be with great esteem Yr. Excellency's obt. & humble Servants J. Madison Jr Thedr . Bland John Meusr