The Foreign Service Journal, October 2009

Spain contracted during the Revolu- tionary War. Short remained in Paris with dual responsibilities as chargé and fiscal agent until 1792, all the while hoping to be named minister. Instead, Pres. Washington gave that position to Gou- verneur Morris, naming Short minister to the Netherlands. This made good sense in view of his job as fiscal agent, since it facilitated his relationship with the Dutch bankers; but it also took him away from Rosalie, so he was again un- happy with his assignment. While in The Hague, Short was much distracted, both professionally and personally, by events in France. The revolution had turned increas- ingly violent, and Rosalie’s husband was arrested and executed. Short managed to put some of Rosalie’s property in his name to protect it from confiscation, a maneuver that was honorable in the circumstances — he eventually returned the property to her — but would not likely be toler- ated by today’s State Department. Treaty Commissioner in Spain In 1792, Short acquired a third im- portant position, in addition to his roles as minister to the Netherlands and U.S. fiscal agent, when Pres. Washington named him and William Carmichael (who was then chargé in Madrid) as joint treaty commissioners to Spain. They were to negotiate a treaty defin- ing boundaries, securing navigation rights on the Mississippi and resolving various commercial and maritime claims. Thus, after only seven months of residence, on Dec. 18, 1792, Short departed The Hague for Madrid. On the way, he was able to spend two weeks with the now-widowed Rosalie. Short’s tenure in Spain proved to be professionally frustrating. Soon after his arrival in February 1793, Spain be- came allied with Britain in the war with France, and this stalled negotiation of a Spanish-American treaty. Little progress had been made by the sum- mer of 1794, when his co-commis- sioner Carmichael was recalled and Short was named sole commissioner and, concurrently, minister to Spain. At the same time, John Quincy Adams succeeded him as U.S. fiscal agent and minister to the Netherlands. Delayed communications and ru- mors led to the impression in Wash- ington that Short was on poor terms with the Spanish government and that this was the cause of delays in the treaty negotiations. Although this was untrue — or at least no fault of Short’s — it led to his replacement as treaty commissioner by Thomas Pinckney in late 1794. In fact, the negotiations had been largely completed by this time. Adding personal distress to Short’s professional frustrations was his deep concern about Rosalie, who had been imprisoned by the Revolutionary Committee of Public Safety in 1793. She was released after 10 months, but Short was increasingly anxious to re- turn to France and be with her. Resignation and Return As soon as he learned of Pinckney’s appointment, Short submitted his res- ignation from the diplomatic service. It was only at the personal request of Pres. Washington that he remained in Spain until Pinckney’s arrival (in June 1795) to assist with final conclusion of the treaty, which was signed in Octo- ber. Short resubmitted his resignation as soon as this was accomplished and departed for Paris in November. He planned to marry Rosalie and take her to the United States. Rosalie welcomed Short and was happy to live with him in France. She proved unwilling, however, to marry him or to move to the United States, probably because she did not want to abandon her aristocratic lifestyle or ex- change her position as duchess to be- come plain Mrs. Short. Always hoping she would change her mind, Short con- tinued to live with her for the next seven years. Finally, he concluded that marriage was impossible and also decided that he did not wish to spend the rest of his life as an expatriate. So in June 1802, he boarded a ship for Norfolk. After his return to the United States Short’s relatives and friends engaged in vigor- ous matchmaking, but he remained a bachelor for the rest of his life. (In 1810, Rosalie married another aristo- crat, the Marquis de Costellano.) Since Jefferson had become presi- dent in 1801 and frequently invited him to Washington, Short hoped for another diplomatic post. However, Jefferson reminded him of his policy that no one would be continued in a foreign mission after an absence from the United States of more than six or eight years — and Short had been ab- sent for 17 years. Moreover, by this time successful participation in do- mestic politics had become a prereq- uisite for senior diplomatic appoint- ments. Short had inherited property in Vir- ginia, but did not wish to become a planter; nor did he want to resume his abandoned legal career. He used his capital and financial skills to invest, with considerable success, in canals and later in railroads, as well as in land on the western frontier. He took up residence in Philadelphia and was elected a mem- ber of the American Philosophical So- ciety. O C T O B E R 2 0 0 9 / F O R E I G N S E R V I C E J O U R N A L 61 In 1792, Short acquired a third important position: Pres. Washington named him a joint treaty commissioner to Spain.