The Diplomatic Correspondence of the American Revolution Volume IV Part 30

Sir,

I have received the letter, which you did me the honor to write on the 28th of this month, touching the advance of a million, which you say was made by the Farmers-General to the United States of America, the 3d of June, 1777. I have no knowledge of that advance. What I have verified is, that the King, by the contract of the 25th of February, 1783, has confirmed the gratuitous gift, which his Majesty had previously made, of the three millions hereafter mentioned, viz. one million delivered by the Royal Treasury, the 10th of June, 1776, and two other millions advanced also by the Royal Treasury, in 1777, on four receipts of the Deputies of Congress, of the 17th of January, 3d of April, 10th of June, and 15th of October, of the same year. This explanation will, Sir, I hope, resolve your doubt, touching the advance of the 3d of June, 1777. I further recommend to you, Sir, to confer on this subject with M. Gojard, who ought to be better informed than we, who had no knowledge of any advances, but those made by the Royal Treasury.

I have the honor to be, &c.

DURIVAL.

M. DURIVAL TO MR GRAND.

Translation.

Versailles, September 5th, 1786.

Sir,

I laid before the Count de Vergennes the two letters, which you did me the honor to write, touching the three millions, the free gift of which the King has confirmed in favor of the United States of America.

The Minister, Sir, observed that this gift has nothing to do with the million, which the Congress may have received from the Farmers-General in 1777; consequently he thinks, that the receipt, which you desire may be communicated to you, cannot satisfy the object of your view, and that it would be useless to give you the copy which you desire.

I have the honor to be, with perfect attachment, &c.

DURIVAL.

MR GRAND TO B. FRANKLIN.

Paris, September 9th, 1786.

My Dear Sir,

The letter you honored me with, covered the copies of three letters, which Mr Thompson wrote you to obtain an explanation of a million, which is not to be found in my accounts. I should have been very much embarra.s.sed in satisfying and proving to him, that I had not put that million in my pocket, had I not applied to M. Durival, who, as you will see by the answer enclosed, informs me, that there was a million paid by the Royal Treasury, on the 10th of June, 1776. This is the very million about which Mr Thompson inquires, as I have kept an account of the other two millions, which were also furnished by the Royal Treasury, viz. the one million in January and April, 1777, the other in July and October of the same year, as well as that furnished by the Farmers-General in June, 1777.

Here then are the three millions exactly, which were given by the King before the treaty of 1778, and that furnished by the Farmers-General.

Nothing then remains to be known, but who received the first million in June, 1776. It could not be myself, as I was not charged with the business of Congress until January, 1777. I therefore requested of M.

Durival a copy of the receipt for the one million. You have the answer, which he returned to me. I wrote to him again, renewing my request, but as the courier is just setting off, I cannot wait to give you his answer, but you will receive it in my next, if I obtain one.

In the meanwhile, I beg you will receive the a.s.surances of the sentiments of respect, with which I have the honor to be, my dear Sir, &c.

GRAND.

M. DURIVAL, TO MR. GRAND.

Translation.

Versailles, September 10th, 1786.

Sir,

I have laid before the Count de Vergennes, as you seemed to desire, the letter which you did me the honor to write yesterday. The Minister persists in the opinion, that the receipt, the copy of which you request, has no relation to the business with which you were intrusted on behalf of Congress, and that this piece would be useless in the new point of view in which you have placed it. Indeed, Sir, it is easy for you to prove, that the money in question was not delivered by the Royal Treasury into your hands, as you did not begin to be charged with the business of Congress until January, 1777, and the receipt for that money is of the 10th of June, 1776.

I have the honor to be, with perfect attachment, Sir, &c.

DURIVAL.

MR GRAND TO B. FRANKLIN.

Translation.

Paris, September 12th, 1786.

Sir,

I hazard a letter in hopes it may be able to join that of the 9th at L'Orient, in order to forward to you the answer I have just received from M. Durival. You will there see, that notwithstanding my entreaty, the Minister himself refuses to give me a copy of the receipt which I asked for. I cannot conceive the reason for this reserve, more especially since, if there has been a million paid, he who has received it has kept the account, and it must in time be known. I shall hear with pleasure, that you have been more fortunate in this respect in America than I have been in France; and I repeat to you the a.s.surance of the sentiments of regard, with which I have the honor to be, &c.

GRAND.

TO CHARLES THOMPSON.

Philadelphia, January 27th, 1787.

Dear Friend,

You may remember, that in the correspondence between us in June last, on the subject of a million _free gift_ of the King of France, acknowledged in our contract to have been received, but which did not appear to be accounted for in our banker's accounts, unless it should be the same with the million said to be received from the Farmers-General, I mentioned, that an explanation might doubtless be easily obtained by writing to Mr Grand, or Mr Jefferson. I know not whether you have accordingly written to either of them, but being desirous that the matter should speedily be cleared up, I wrote myself to Mr Grand a letter upon it, of which I now enclose a copy, with his answers, and several letters from M. Durival,[32] who is _Chef du Bureau des Fonds_ (and has under his care the finance) _des Affaires Etrangeres_.

You will see by these letters, that the million in question was delivered to somebody, on the 10th of June, 1776, but it does not appear to whom. It is clear, however, that it could not be to Mr Grand, nor to the Commissioners from Congress, for we did not meet in France till the end of December, 1776, or beginning of January, 1777, and that banker was not charged before with our affairs.

By the Minister's reserve in refusing him a copy of the receipt, I conjecture it must be money advanced for our use, to M. de Beaumarchais, and that it is a _Mystere du Cabinet_, which perhaps should not be further inquired into, unless necessary to guard against more demands than may be just from that agent; for it may well be supposed, that if the Court furnished him with the means of supplying us, they may not be willing to furnish authentic proofs of such a transaction, so early in our dispute with Britain. Pray tell me, has he dropped his demands, or does he still continue to worry you with them?

I should like to have these original letters returned to me, but you may if you please keep copies of them. It is true the million in question makes no difference in your accounts with the King of France, it not being mentioned or charged, as so much lent and to be repaid, but stated as freely given. Yet, if it was put into the hands of any of your agents, or ministers, they ought certainly to account for it.

I do not recollect whether Mr Deane had arrived in France before the 10th of June, 1776;[33] but from his great want of money, when I joined him a few months after, I hardly think it could have been paid to him. Possibly Mr Jefferson may obtain the information, though Mr Grand could not, and I wish he may be directed to make the inquiry, as I know he would do it directly; I mean if, by Hortalez and Co's further demands, or for any other reason, such an inquiry should be thought necessary.[34]

I am, &c.

B. FRANKLIN.

FOOTNOTES:

[32] See these letters, pp. 223, 224, 225.

[33] Deane did not arrive in Paris till the first week in July.