The Diplomatic Correspondence of the American Revolution, Vol. IV (of 12)

The Project Gutenberg EBook of The Diplomatic Correspondence of the

American Revolution, Vol. IV (of 12), by Various

This eBook is for the use of anyone anywhere at no cost and with

almost no restrictions whatsoever.  You may copy it, give it away or

re-use it under the terms of the Project Gutenberg License included

with this eBook or online at www.gutenberg.org

Title: The Diplomatic Correspondence of the American Revolution, Vol. IV (of 12)

Author: Various

Editor: Jared Sparks

Release Date: December 17, 2012 [EBook #41640]

Language: English

*** START OF THIS PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK DIPLOMATIC CORRESPONDENCE, VOL IV ***

Produced by Frank van Drogen, Julia Neufeld and the Online

Distributed Proofreading Team at http://www.pgdp.net (This

file was produced from images generously made available

by the Bibliothèque nationale de France (BnF/Gallica) at

http://gallica.bnf.fr)

THE

DIPLOMATIC CORRESPONDENCE

OF THE

AMERICAN REVOLUTION

VOL. IV

THE

DIPLOMATIC CORRESPONDENCE

OF THE

AMERICAN REVOLUTION;

BEING

THE LETTERS OF BENJAMIN FRANKLIN, SILAS DEANE, JOHN

ADAMS, JOHN JAY, ARTHUR LEE, WILLIAM LEE, RALPH

IZARD, FRANCIS DANA, WILLIAM CARMICHAEL, HENRY

LAURENS, JOHN LAURENS, M. DE LAFAYETTE, M.

DUMAS, AND OTHERS, CONCERNING THE FOREIGN

RELATIONS OF THE UNITED STATES DURING

THE WHOLE REVOLUTION;

TOGETHER WITH

THE LETTERS IN REPLY FROM THE SECRET COMMITTEE OF

CONGRESS, AND THE SECRETARY OF FOREIGN AFFAIRS.

ALSO,

THE ENTIRE CORRESPONDENCE OF THE FRENCH MINISTERS,

GERARD AND LUZERNE, WITH CONGRESS.

Published under the Direction of the President of the United States, from

the original Manuscripts in the Department of State, conformably

to a Resolution of Congress, of March 27th, 1818.

EDITED

BY JARED SPARKS.

VOL. IV.

BOSTON:

NATHAN HALE AND GRAY & BOWEN;

G. & C. &. H. CARVILL, NEW YORK; P. THOMPSON, WASHINGTON.

1829.

HALE'S STEAM PRESS.

No. 6 Suffolk Buildings, Congress Street, Boston.

CONTENTS

OF THE

FOURTH VOLUME.

BENJAMIN FRANKLIN'S CORRESPONDENCE,

CONTINUED.

THE

CORRESPONDENCE

OF

BENJAMIN FRANKLIN,

COMMISSIONER AND MINISTER PLENIPOTENTIARY TO

THE COURT OF FRANCE, AND COMMISSIONER

FOR NEGOTIATING A PEACE.

THE

CORRESPONDENCE

OF

BENJAMIN FRANKLIN.

CORRESPONDENCE CONTINUED.

COUNT DE VERGENNES TO B. FRANKLIN.

Translation.

Versailles, August 23d, 1782.

Sir,

I have received the letter you did me the honor of writing to me on the 9th instant, as well as the memorial enclosed in it. I communicated the paper to the Marquis de Castries, and I make no doubt, but that the Minister will take into consideration its contents, as far as circumstances will permit. We are desirous to adopt every measure, that may tend to the prosperity of the commerce established between France and the United States, and we shall neglect nothing to accomplish this object to the universal satisfaction of the two countries. Congress will greatly facilitate our labor, if they will communicate their ideas and wishes on this subject; and I make the request with greater confidence, as I am convinced that that assembly desires as much as we do to establish, on an advantageous and solid basis, the commercial concerns between France and America.

I have the honor to be, &c.

DE VERGENNES.

THOMAS TOWNSHEND TO RICHARD OSWALD.

Whitehall, September 1st, 1782.

Sir,

I have received and laid before the King your letters of the 17th, 18th, and 21st ultimo; and I am commanded to signify to you his Majesty's approbation of your conduct in communicating to the American Commissioners the fourth article of your instructions; which could not but convince them, that the negotiation for peace, and the cession of independence to the Thirteen United Colonies, were intended to be carried on and concluded with the Commissioners in Europe.

Those gentlemen having expressed their satisfaction concerning that article, it is hoped they will not entertain a doubt of his Majesty's determination to exercise, in the fullest extent, the powers with which the act of Parliament has invested him, by granting to America, full, complete, and unconditional independence, in the most explicit manner, as an article of treaty.

T. TOWNSHEND.

TO ROBERT R. LIVINGSTON.

Passy, September 3d, 1782.

Sir,

I have just received yours, No. 13, dated the 23d of June. The accounts of the general sentiments of our people, respecting propositions from England, and the rejoicings on the birth of the Dauphin, give pleasure here; and it affords me much satisfaction to find the conduct of Congress approved by all who hear or speak of it, and to see all the marks of a constantly growing regard for us, and confidence in us, among those in whom such sentiments are most to be desired.

I hope the affair of Captain Asgill was settled as it ought to be, by the punishment of Lippincott. Applications have been made here to obtain letters in favor of the young gentleman. Enclosed I send you a copy of the answer I gave to that made to me.

I had before acquainted M. Tousard, that his pension would be paid in America, and there only, it being unreasonable to expect that Congress should open a Pay Office in every part of the world, where pensioners should choose to reside. I shall communicate to him that part of your letter.

You wish to know what allowance I make to my private Secretary. My grandson, William T. Franklin, came over with me, served me as a private Secretary during the time of the Commissioners; and no Secretary to the Commission arriving, though we had been made to expect one, he did business for us all, and this without any allowance for his services, though both Mr Lee and Mr Deane at times mentioned it to me as a thing proper to be done, and in justice due to him. When I became appointed sole Minister here, and the whole business, which the Commissioners had before divided with me, came into my hands, I was obliged to exact more service from him, and he was indeed, by being so long in the business, become capable of doing more. At length, in the beginning of the year 1781 when he became of age, considering his constant close attention to the duties required, and his having thereby missed the opportunity of studying the law, for which he had been intended, I determined to make him some compensation for the time past, and fix some compensation for the time to come, till the pleasure of Congress respecting him should be known. I accordingly settled an account with him, allowing him from the beginning of December 1776 to the end of 1777, the sum of 3,400 livres, and for the year 1778, the sum of 4,000 livres, for 1779, 4,800 livres, and for 1780, 6,000 livres. Since that time I have allowed him at the rate of three hundred louis per annum, being what I saw had been allowed by Congress to the Secretary of Mr William Lee, who could not have had, I imagine, a fourth part of the business to go through; since my Secretary, besides the writing and copying the papers relative to my common ministerial transactions, has had all those occasioned by my acting in the various employments of Judge of Admiralty, Consul, purchaser of goods for the public, &c. &c. besides that of accepting the Congress bills, a business that requires being always at home, bills coming by post, from different ports and countries, and often requiring immediate answers, whether good or not; and to that end, it being necessary to examine by the books, exactly kept of all preceding acceptances, in order to detect double presentations, which happen very frequently. The great number of these bills makes almost sufficient business