The Diplomatic Correspondence of the American Revolution Volume XI Part 7

I am convinced, Sir, that it will be the dearest object of your cares and labors to support the cause for which the United States are contending, and to maintain the principles, which serve as the basis of the union between them and his Majesty. Be a.s.sured, Sir, that I shall omit nothing that lies in my power, effectually to second your good intentions. My confidence in your zeal and patriotism is equal to the sentiments of respect, with which I have the honor to be, Sir,

Your most obedient and humble servant,

DE VERGENNES.

TO ROBERT R. LIVINGSTON.

Translation.

Philadelphia, February 1st, 1782.

Sir,

I have received the letter, with which you honored me on the 31st ultimo, and the affidavit enclosed in it. I have the honor of sending it back to you, and I also annex a letter for the commanding officer of the Island of St Domingo. It will be necessary, that Mr William Marshall should be charged to prosecute this affair himself.

I have the honor to be, &c.

LUZERNE.

_Instructions to Dr Franklin._

In Congress, February 5th, 1782.

On the Report of the Secretary of Foreign Affairs, to whom was referred the note (dated January 28) from the Minister of France,

Resolved, That the following powers and instructions be given to the Minister Plenipotentiary of the United States of America at the Court of Versailles.

Whereas, the Minister of his Most Christian Majesty has informed the United States in Congress a.s.sembled, that the loan of ten millions of livres tournois, opened in Holland on account of these United States, was in a great measure completed in October last, and requested in consequence thereof, that full powers might be expedited to bind these United States to discharge the princ.i.p.al and interest of the said loan, agreeably to the terms thereof, with such expenses as might have accrued in making such loan; you are, therefore, hereby authorised, directed, and empowered, to enter into such engagements with his Most Christian Majesty, with the States General of the United Provinces, with any particular State or Province, or with any man or body of men whatsoever, with whom you may find it necessary to enter into engagements, for the purpose of binding these United States to discharge the said loan, with interest, agreeably to the terms thereof; and also for the repayment of such expenses as have arisen, or may arise by reason of the said loan. And the said United States of America do hereby pledge their faith to confirm what you shall execute in pursuance of the above power.

JOHN HANSON, _President_.

RESOLVES OF CONGRESS RESPECTING THE COMMUNICATIONS MADE BY THE MINISTER OF FRANCE.

In Congress, February 8th, 1782.

On the Report of the Secretary of Foreign Affairs, to whom was referred the communication made to him by the Minister of France, (November 23d) containing, among other things, an opinion of Count de Vergennes, that his Catholic Majesty will not have it in his power to advance any money to the United States; and expressing in strong terms the Count's hopes, that the United States will not imagine that France should make up the sums they expected from Spain, after the a.s.sistance they have already derived from France;

Resolved, That Congress are fully sensible of the frequent, friendly and generous interposition of his Most Christian Majesty in their behalf, and are led from thence to hope a continuation of his a.s.sistance, since nothing has been wanting on their part, so to apply the aid he generously affords, as to distress the common enemy, and lead to the great object of their alliance, a safe and honorable peace.

Resolved, That Congress cannot, without injustice to themselves and their ally, withhold from him a knowledge of their present circ.u.mstances, or neglect to mention the ruinous consequences that may attend a refusal of those aids, which as well the friendly dispositions of his Most Christian Majesty, as the success that has attended his interposition in their behalf, gave them reason to hope would be continued till the States, which have lately been ravaged by the enemy, had so far recovered their commerce and agriculture, as to be able more effectually to contribute to the general expense; and that his Majesty may be a.s.sured, that their applications for this purpose shall not exceed what may be absolutely necessary for the support of the common cause.

Resolved, That the Secretary of Foreign Affairs, consulting with the Superintendent of Finance, explain to the Minister of the United States at the Court of Versailles, the extensive advantages, which have resulted from moneys supplied by his Most Christian Majesty to these United States, and the engagements, which have been entered into with a view to render the next campaign decisive, the consequence of failing in those engagements, and the little prospect there is of fulfilling them without an additional loan or subsidy, for the year 1782, of at least twelve millions of livres tournois, in order that the said minister may present a memorial on this subject to his Most Christian Majesty, and at the same time lay before him the several resolutions lately pa.s.sed by the United States in Congress a.s.sembled, which evidence their unalterable resolution to make every exertion, for a vigorous campaign, which their present situation will allow.

Resolved, That the Minister Plenipotentiary of the United States of America at the Court of Versailles be, and he is hereby instructed and empowered to borrow, on account of these United States, the sum or twelve millions of livres tournois, and to enter into engagements on the part of the United States for the repayment of the same, together with the interest, which is not to exceed the terms allowed or given on national security in Europe.

TO ROBERT R. LIVINGSTON.

Translation.

Philadelphia, February 18th, 1782.

Sir,

The Minister Plenipotentiary of France has the honor of communicating to Mr Livingston a letter from the Marquis de Bouille, commanding officer of the Windward Islands, and a memorial presented to that General by the Council and a.s.sembly of the Island of Dominica. One of the two cases mentioned in them, that of the Dutch vessel, the Resolution, has been decided by the Court of Appeals, and the sentence of the Court of Admiralty of Philadelphia, has been amended in almost every point. The case of the Eeirsten has been decided at Boston in the first instance, and recently by the Supreme Court of Appeals. As the annexed papers seem to contain means for the revision of the first case, and proofs which were not known to the Judges when the decision was made, the undersigned has the honor of communicating them to Mr Livingston, and requests him to be pleased, after reading them, to send them back to him.

The agent of the merchants at Dominica designs to solicit the said revision, with a view to have all the cargo, without exception, acquitted. The undersigned Minister flatters himself, that Congress will be pleased to enable the said agent to avail himself of the new proofs, which he says that he has obtained. The letter of the Marquis de Bouille, and the request of the Council and a.s.sembly of Dominica, may hereafter serve to determine the true meaning of the capitulations of the English Islands, taken by the forces of his Majesty; and it is for this reason also, that the undersigned requests that they may be laid before the Tribunal of Appeals. This letter and this request, leave no room to doubt, that the Ostend ship Eeirsten sailed under the faith of the capitulation, and that her owners ought to partic.i.p.ate in the advantages secured by it to the capitulators.

The undersigned Minister appeals to the justice of Congress, and of the American tribunals, in favor of those inhabitants or capitulators of the Island of Dominica, who are interested in the cargo of this ship, as subjects of the King, his master, and in favor of those people of Ostend who are interested, as subjects of his Imperial Majesty, who is allied to the King, his master, both by blood and by treaties.

LUZERNE.

THE MARQUIS DE BOUILLe TO M. DE LA LUZERNE.

Translation.

Without date.

Sir,

I have the honor to transmit you a Memorial from the Council and a.s.sembly of the Island of Dominica, who lay claim to the Dutch ship Resolution, Captain Waterburg, which has been retaken from an English privateer from Carolina, by the American privateer Ariel, belonging to Messrs Robert Morris, Samuel Inglis, and William Bingham, brought into Philadelphia, and condemned there as a legal prize.

This neutral ship, employed in the exportation of the produce of Dominica by virtue of the proclamation of his Britannic Majesty in favor of neutral ships bound for the British Colonies, conquered by France in the course of this war, would not have been condemned as a legal prize, had it remained in the power of the British privateer, and been brought into a port belonging to his Britannic Majesty. She could not, then, be condemned by the Admiralty of Philadelphia, since that Court could not consider her otherwise than as a neutral vessel, sailing under the faith of his Britannic Majesty's proclamation, which the commander of the English privateer was no doubt ignorant of, and after which she could no longer be considered as a recapture.

This affair, Sir, deserves all your attention, and the particular protection which I request you to grant it, that the owners of this vessel may obtain, from the Council of Prizes of the United States the justice due to them.

It is feared at Dominica, lest the Ostendian ship Eeirsten, Captain Thomson, which sailed for the said Island, and was taken by an American privateer and brought into Boston, may likewise have been condemned; and should this have been the case, I also request your interposition in favor of the owners of the said vessel.

I have the honor to be, &c.

BOUILLe.

MEMORIAL OF THE COUNCIL OF DOMINICA.

To his Excellency the Marquis de Bouille, Marshal of the King's Camp and Armies, Lieutenant General and Governor General, in and over the Islands of Martinico, Dominica, Grenada, and St Vincent, Tobago, &c.

&c.

The Memorial of the Council and a.s.sembly, representing the capitulants of this Island.