The Diplomatic Correspondence of the American Revolution Volume III Part 20

The bearer, William Palfrey, our late Paymaster General, has been appointed Consul in France, with powers adequate to a general agency in our commercial concerns there. But, while I take up my pen to introduce him to your patronage, I ought to use it rather, perhaps, by way of apologising for myself, in the line of a member of the Committee of Foreign Affairs, from whom you will find no letter. There was a prospect of much business being committed to you by this opportunity, but it was altogether depending upon the President and Secretary to transmit it, which, it seems, they were prevented from doing, by an arrangement being but partly accomplished, which Congress has thought fit to connect with those affairs. This proceeding is of a nature not to admit of my enlarging upon it, because neither my head nor heart suggests anything of eulogium, and my conscience forbids me to pursue the usual style of minorities.

The Journals which I send you will show that we have had no letter from you since that of May last, except two short ones lately, respecting the private concerns of two officers, Baron d'Arendt, and another, whose name is not now in my memory. Colonel Palfrey will be able to give you information additional to the gazettes.

I am, Sir, your most humble servant, JAMES LOVELL, _For the Committee of Foreign Affairs_.

ADDITIONAL INSTRUCTIONS FROM CONGRESS TO B. FRANKLIN.

In Congress, December 27th, 1780.

Sir,

Since your last instructions[25] Congress have thought it expedient to send Colonel John Laurens, with powers to negotiate specially the important affairs to which they more immediately relate. This gentleman, from the nature of his services and situation, has had opportunities of information, which peculiarly qualify him for giving to His Most Christian Majesty a more lively idea of our circ.u.mstances, of our indispensable wants, and of the great advantages which must result to the allies from his Majesty's complying with our request.

[25] See above, p. 176.

The negotiation is, besides, so critically important, that it was deemed highly requisite by the mission of this special Minister, to guard against the accident of your want of health, and the consequent delay in making the application.

Notwithstanding this appointment, should the duplicates of the despatches reach you before this Minister's arrival, you will consider it as the desire of Congress, that you take, with all possible expedition, every step in your power for effecting the business, or at least for disposing His Most Christian Majesty and his Ministers to take a favorable impression from the representation which Colonel Laurens, from his advantages of fuller information, may be better able to make.

It is intended, and it is well known to be his own disposition, to avail himself of your information and influence, and Congress doubt not that the success of this measure will be much promoted by the a.s.sistance he will derive from you; and they desire you to consider your attention to him as a matter, which will be very satisfactory to Congress and advantageous to your country.

I have the honor to be, &c.

SAMUEL HUNTINGTON, _President_.

TO COUNT DE VERGENNES.

Pa.s.sy, February 13th, 1781.

Sir,

I have just received from Congress their letter for the King, which I have the honor of putting herewith into the hands of your Excellency.

I am charged at the same time, to "represent in the strongest terms, the unalterable resolution of the United States to maintain their liberties and independence; and inviolably to adhere to the alliance at every hazard, and in every event; and that the misfortunes of the last campaign, instead of repressing, have redoubled their ardor; that Congress are resolved to employ every resource in their power to expel the enemy from every part of the United States, by the most vigorous and decisive co-operation with marine and other forces of their ill.u.s.trious ally; that they have accordingly called on the several States for a powerful army and ample supplies of provisions; and that the States are disposed effectually to comply with their requisitions.

That, if in aid of their own exertions, the Court of France can be prevailed on to a.s.sume a naval superiority in the American seas, to furnish the arms, ammunition, and clothing, specified in the estimate heretofore transmitted, and to a.s.sist with the loan mentioned in the letter, they flatter themselves, that under the divine blessing, the war must speedily be terminated, with glory and advantage to both nations."

By several letters to me from intelligent persons, it appears, that the great and expensive exertions of the last year, by which a force was a.s.sembled capable of facing the enemy, and which accordingly drew towards New York, and lay long near that city, was rendered ineffectual by the superiority of the enemy at sea, and that their successes in Carolina had been chiefly owing to that superiority, and to the want of the necessary means for furnis.h.i.+ng, marching, and paying the expense of troops sufficient to defend that province. The Marquis de Lafayette writes to me, that it is impossible to conceive, without seeing it, the distress which the troops have suffered for want of clothing, and the following is a paragraph of a letter from General Was.h.i.+ngton, which I ought not to keep back from your Excellency, viz. "I doubt not that you are so fully informed by Congress of our political and military State, that it would be superfluous to trouble you with anything relative to either. If I were to speak on topics of the kind, it would be to show that our present situation makes one of two things essential to us; a peace, or the most vigorous aid of our allies, particularly in the article of _money_. Of their disposition to serve us, we cannot doubt; their generosity will do everything which their means will permit." They had in America great expectations, I know not on what foundation, that a considerable supply of money would be obtained from Spain; but that expectation has failed, and the force of that nation in those seas has been employed to reduce small forts in Florida, without rendering any direct a.s.sistance to the United States; and indeed the long delay of that Court, in acceding to the treaty of commerce, begins to have the appearance of its not inclining to have any connexion with us; so that for effectual friends.h.i.+p, and for the aid so necessary in the present conjuncture, we can rely on France alone, and in the continuance of the King's goodness towards us.

I am grown old. I feel myself much enfeebled by my late long illness, and it is probable I shall not long have any more concern in these affairs. I therefore take this occasion to express my opinion to your Excellency, that the present conjuncture is critical, that there is some danger lest the Congress should lose its influence over the people, if it is found unable to procure the aids that are wanted; and that the whole system of the new government in America may thereby be shaken. That if the English are suffered once to recover that country, such an opportunity of effectual separation as the present may not occur again in the course of ages; and that the possession of those fertile and extensive regions, and that vast sea-coast, will afford them so broad a basis for future greatness, by the rapid growth of their commerce, and breed of seamen and soldiers, as will enable them to become the _terror of Europe_, and to exercise with impunity that insolence, which is so natural to their nation, and which will increase enormously with the increase of their power.

I am, with great respect, your Excellency's, &c.

B. FRANKLIN.

TO THE COUNT DE VERGENNES.

Pa.s.sy, March 6th, 1781.

Sir,

By perusing the enclosed instructions to Colonel Laurens and myself, your Excellency will see the necessity I am under of being importunate for an answer to the application lately made for aids of stores and money. As vessels are about to depart for America, it is of the utmost importance that the Congress should receive advice by some of them, of what may or may not be expected. I therefore earnestly entreat your Excellency to communicate me, as soon as possible, the necessary information.

With sincere esteem, I am, &c.

B. FRANKLIN.

JAMES LOVELL TO B. FRANKLIN.

March 9th, 1781.

Sir,

I forward gazettes, journals, and some particular Resolves of Congress, via Amsterdam.

The arrival of the Ariel has given us despatches from you, long expected, of June 1st, August 9th, December 23d. Congress had, before the receipt of your letters of February 19th, written to Mr Adams, January 10th, and signified their concurrence in opinion with Count de Vergennes, as to the time and circ.u.mstances of announcing his (Mr Adams's) powers to Great Britain. They had also on December 12th expressed their sentiments upon his letters of June 24th, enclosing to them his correspondence relative to the act of March 18th, calling in the old paper money.

I send you extracts from the Journals for your fuller information on these points, and I shall forward yet for a time all acts of Congress intended for your guidance whenever they are finished; but I most earnestly look for the appointment of a Secretary for Foreign Affairs, agreeably to their determinations of January 10th. Such an officer may authoritatively communicate his opinions, and in many ways make your station more easy and reputable to you, than it can have been under great want of information of our circ.u.mstances.

Your most humble servant, JAMES LOVELL, _For the Committee of Foreign Affairs_.

TO M. DE RAYNEVAL, SECRETARY TO THE COUNCIL OF STATE.

Pa.s.sy, March 11th, 1781.

Sir,

I have examined the list of supplies wanted in America, which I received yesterday from you, in order to mark as desired what may be most necessary to forward thither. As that list is of old date, and I do not know what part of it may have been already procured by other channels, and I understand by my letter that a new list has been made out, which is given to Colonel Laurens, and though mentioned to be sent to me also is not yet come to my hands, I have thought it may be well for the present to order the making of a quant.i.ty of soldiers'

and officers' clothing, equal to one third part of what has been demanded from page 31 to page 42 inclusive; and to collect and get ready also one third of the other articles mentioned in the said pages, which I have marked with a red line in the margin, the whole to be sent by the first good opportunity. I think it would be well also to send five thousand more good fusils, with fifty tons of lead, and two hundred thousand flints for fusils. If these could go with the fleet, it would be of great service. More powder is not necessary to be sent at present, as there goes in the Marquis de Lafayette the remainder of the two thousand barrels granted last year, and also two hundred tons of saltpetre, which they will make into powder. For the other articles that may be wanted, as Colonel Laurens will come fully instructed, as well by the list given to him as from his own observation and experience in the army, and from the information he will receive from General Was.h.i.+ngton, with whom and the Marquis de Lafayette he was to consult before his departure, I conceive it will be best to wait a little for his arrival.

I return the lists, and having by some unaccountable accident mislaid and lost the paper you gave me, containing what Count de Vergennes said to me yesterday, I must beg the favor of you to repeat it, and send it by the bearer. I am ashamed to give you this trouble, but I wish to be exact in what I am writing of it to Congress.

With the greatest esteem, &c.

B. FRANKLIN.

TO THE PRESIDENT OF CONGRESS.