238 The Winning of the West 



borrow five thousand dollars from this representa 

 tive of a foreign and unfriendly power; Gardoqui, 

 of course, lending the money under the impression 

 that its receipt would bind Lee to the Spanish in 

 terest. 55 



Madison, Knox, Clinton, and other men of posi 

 tion under the Continental Congress, including 

 Brown, the delegate from Kentucky, were among 

 those who conferred freely with Gardoqui. In 

 speaking with several of them, including Madison 

 and Brown, he broached the subject of Kentucky's 

 possible separation from the Union and alliance with 

 Spain ; and Madison and Brown discussed his state 

 ments between themselves. So far there was noth 

 ing out of the way in Brown's conduct; but after 

 one of these conferences he wrote to Kentucky in 

 terms which showed that he was willing to entertain 

 Gardoqui's proposition if it seemed advisable to 

 do so. 



His letter, which was intended to be private, but 

 which was soon published, was dated July 10, 1788. 

 It advocated immediate separation from Virginia 

 without regard to constitutional methods, and also 

 ran in part as follows : "In private conferences which 

 I have had with Mr. Gardoqui, the Spanish Minis 

 ter, I have been assured by him in the most explicit 

 terms that if Kentucky will declare her independence 

 and empower some proper person to negotiate with 



55 Gardoqui MSS., Gardoqui to Florida Blanca, Decembers, 

 1787; August 27, 1786; October 25, 1786; October 2, 1789, etc. 

 In these letters White is frequently alluded to as " Don Jaime. ' ' 



