The Diplomatic Correspondence of the American Revolution Volume VIII Part 7

"My dear Sir,

"I had yesterday the satisfaction of receiving your favor of the 15th instant. You will find by a letter, which I wrote you on the 11th instant, that I imputed your silence to its true cause, being well persuaded, that the same attention you have always paid to the public affairs in general, would not be withheld from those, which call for it in this kingdom.

"I am happy to find, that you have a prospect of terminating the difficulties, which the bills drawn upon me have occasioned, and though I cannot but observe, that Count de Vergennes' letter is peculiarly explicit and precise, yet I must confess, I should not have been surprised if it had been conceived in terms still less soft.

Would it not be well to transmit a copy of it to Congress? France has done, and is still doing so much for us, that grat.i.tude, as well as policy, demands from us the utmost moderation and delicacy in our applications for aids; and considering the very singular plan of drawing bills at a venture, I think we have no less reason to admire the patience, than to be satisfied with the liberality of our good and generous allies.

"M. de Neufville had given me a hint of the embarra.s.sments occasioned by the affair of our goods in Holland.

"It seems as if trouble finds its way to you from every quarter. Our credit in Holland leans upon you on the one hand, and in Spain on the other. Thus you continue, like the key-stone of an arch, pressed by both sides and yet sustaining each. How grateful ought we to be to France for enabling you to do it.

"Mr Joshua Johnson, in a letter dated the 18th instant, mentions the arrival at Nantes, of the brig Betsey from Philadelphia, that she brought letters for me, and that the captain put them in the post-office. None of them have as yet reached me.

"I have received too many unequivocal proofs of your kind attention, to render a punctilious return of line for line necessary to convince me of it. Let such ideas, therefore, be banished, and be a.s.sured that matters of ceremony and etiquette can never affect the esteem and affectionate regard with which I am, &c. &c.

JOHN JAY."

Not having heard anything further from M. Del Campo respecting his instructions, I wrote him on that subject as follows.

"Madrid, February 1st, 1782.

"Mr Jay presents his compliments to M. Del Campo, and requests to be informed whether he has as yet received the instructions necessary to enable him to execute his appointment relative to the affairs of the United States at this Court.

"Mr Jay begs leave again to mention his being ready and anxious to enter, with M. Del Campo, into the discussion of these affairs at any time and place that may be agreeable to him."

On the 5th of February, I received the following answer.

Translation.

"M. Del Campo has the honor to address his compliments to Mr Jay, and to transmit him several bundles of letters, which he has just received. He regrets that he is obliged to inform Mr Jay, that the Count, by reason of the delicate state of his health, and other difficulties, has not yet been able to arrange the instructions under consideration. _The Pardo, February 3d, 1782._"

The packets mentioned in the above note were the first public letters I have had the honor of receiving from you.

I afterwards found that these despatches were brought to Cadiz from Philadelphia by the brig Hope. How they came into M. Del Campo's hands I am not informed. On the same day (February 5th, 1782,) I received a letter from Dr Franklin, which almost entirely dissipated my hopes of aid from him. The following extract from it, contains every part of it except a few paragraphs that have no relation to our affairs here.

"Pa.s.sy, January 19th, 1782.

"Dear Sir,

"In mine of the 15th, I mentioned my intention of writing fully to you by this day's post. But understanding since, that a courier will soon go from Versailles, I rather choose that conveyance.

"I received duly your letter of November 21st, but it found me in a very perplexed situation. I had great payments to make for the extravagant and very inconvenient purchase in Holland, together with large acceptances by Mr Adams, of bills drawn on Mr Laurens and himself, and I had no certainty of providing the money. I had also a quarrel upon my hands with Messrs de Neufville and others, owners of two vessels hired by Gillon to carry the goods he had contracted to carry in his own ship. I had worried this friendly and generous Court with often repeated after-clap demands, occasioned by these unadvised, (as well as ill advised) and, therefore, unexpected drafts, and was ashamed to show my face to the Minister. In these circ.u.mstances, I knew not what answer to make you. I could not encourage you to expect the relief desired, and, having still some secret hope, I was unwilling to discourage you, and thereby occasion a protest of bills, which possibly I might find means of enabling you to pay. Thus I delayed writing perhaps too long.

"But to this moment, I have obtained no a.s.surance of having it in my power to aid you, though no endeavors on my part have been wanting. We have been a.s.sisted with near twenty millions since the beginning of last year, besides a fleet and army; and yet I am obliged to worry them with my solicitations for more, which makes us appear insatiable.

"This letter will not go before Tuesday. Perhaps by that time I may be able to say explicitly yes or no.

"I am very sensible of your unhappy situation, and I believe you feel as much for me.

"You mention my proposing to repay the sum you want in America. I tried that last year. I drew a bill on Congress for a considerable sum to be advanced me here, and paid there in provisions for the French troops. My bill was not honored.

"I was in hopes the loan in Holland, if it succeeded, being for ten millions, would have made us all easy. It was long uncertain. It is now completed. But, unfortunately, it has most of it been eaten up by advances here. You see by the letter of which I sent you a copy, upon what terms I obtain another million of it. That (if I get it) will enable me to pay the thirty thousand dollars you have borrowed, for we must not let your friend suffer. What I am to do afterwards G.o.d knows.

"I am much surprised at the dilatory and reserved conduct of your Court. I know not to what amount you have obtained aids from it, but if they are not considerable, it were to be wished you had never been sent there, as the slight they have put upon our offered friendship is very disreputable to us, and, of course, hurtful to our affairs elsewhere. I think they are short-sighted, and do not look very far into futurity, or they would seize with avidity so excellent an opportunity of securing a neighbor's friendship, which may hereafter be of great consequence to their American affairs.

"If I were in Congress I should advise your being instructed to thank them for past favors, and take your leave. As I am situated, I do not presume to give you such advice, nor could you take it if I should.

But I conceive there would be nothing amiss in your mentioning in a short memoir, the length of time elapsed since the date of the secret article, and since your arrival, to urge their determination upon it, and pressing them to give you an explicit, definitive, immediate answer, whether they would enter into treaty with us or not, and in case of refusal, solicit your recall, that you may not continue from year to year at a great expense, in a constant state of uncertainty with regard to so important a matter. I do not see how they can decently refuse such an answer. But their silence, after the demand made, should in my opinion be understood as a refusal, and we should act accordingly. I think I see a very good use that might be made of it, which I will not venture to explain in this letter.

"I know not how the account of your salary stands, but I would have you draw upon me for a quarter at present, which shall be paid, and it will be a great pleasure to me if I shall be able to pay up all your arrears.

"Mr Laurens being now at liberty perhaps may soon come here, and be ready to join us if there should be any negotiations for peace. In England they are mad for a separate one with us, that they may more effectually take revenge on France and Spain. I have had several overtures hinted to me lately from different quarters, but I am deaf.

The thing is impossible. We can never agree to desert our first and our faithful friend on any consideration whatever. We should become infamous by such abominable baseness.

"With great and sincere esteem, I am ever, &c.,

B. FRANKLIN."

You will easily perceive, Sir, that my situation now became very unpleasant; largely indebted to M. Cabarrus, and without funds, as well as almost without the hopes of speedily procuring any, either to satisfy him or pay the swarm of bills that would be payable in the next month.

M. Cabarrus had offered to advance, or rather to supply me with any sum of money, that the Minister would authorise him to furnish, on the same terms on which he procured money for the government. The answer I received to this proposition was, that the government had occasion for all the money that M. Cabarrus could possibly collect. He also repeatedly offered to advance the money wanted for the month of March, if the Minister or the Amba.s.sador of France would become responsible for the repayment of it, with interest, within a reasonable time, sometimes mentioning seven months, and at others extending it to ten or twelve. The Amba.s.sador did not conceive himself authorised to enter into any such engagement, and the Minister remained silent; M.

Cabarrus began to grow uneasy, and a day was appointed between us to confer on this subject. Some intervening business, however, prevented his attendance, and on the 10th of February he wrote me the following letter.

Translation.

"Madrid, February 10th, 1782.

"Sir,

"I was summoned yesterday to the Pardo, which prevented me from paying you my respects as I had intended. Not knowing whether I shall be able to do it before Tuesday, I write to inform you, that it will be necessary for me to know on what I am to depend in regard to the reimburs.e.m.e.nt you were to make me by drafts on Paris. You are aware, that I have actually advanced seven hundred and fifty thousand reals vellon. Independently of this sum, on the 14th of March, which we are now approaching, nearly thirtyfive thousand dollars of your bills will become due. I will not conceal from you, that although this double advance is neither beyond my means nor my disposition, yet the former is entirely absorbed by the necessities of the government, so that I shall be the more desirous, that you would enable me to meet these engagements, as I shall always find a difficulty in disposing of your paper. I speak to you frankly, since I shall always endeavor, as I have heretofore done, to serve you in the same spirit.

"I have the honor to be, &c.

CABARRUS."

By way of answer to this letter, I instructed Mr Carmichael to inform M. Cabarrus of the exact state I was in, with respect to my expectations of aid both here and from France, for I did not choose to commit a matter of this kind in writing to M. Cabarrus's discretion. I could not give him positive a.s.surances of being speedily repaid, either by a credit on Dr Franklin, or by money to be obtained here, but I submitted to his consideration the improbability, that this or the French Court would permit these bills to be protested, and a.s.sured him, that Dr Franklin was using his best endeavors in our favor, and had so far succeeded as to encourage me to expect, that he would soon be able at least to replace the sum, which M. Cabarrus had already advanced to me.

The next day, viz. the 11th of February, I waited upon the Amba.s.sador of France. I represented to him in the strongest terms the critical situation of our credit, and communicated to him the contents, both of Dr Franklin and M. Cabarrus' letters.

I requested him to speak seriously and pressingly to the Minister on the subject, and to remind him, that M. Cabarrus' offer was of such a nature as to remove any objection, that could arise from the low state of the public funds. The Amba.s.sador was just then setting out for the Pardo. He promised to speak to the Minister accordingly, and that his Secretary, the Chevalier de Bourgoing, (who has been very friendly, and given himself much trouble on this occasion) should inform me of the result in the evening.