The Diplomatic Correspondence of the American Revolution Volume XII Part 18

I think it right to send you this statement, on which I will make a few observations. I could have wished that the whole of the moneys, which the Court have furnished us had been what the greater part is, _a loan_. I know that the United States will find no difficulty in making payment, and I take this opportunity to give _you_ an a.s.surance, which is not meant for the Court, that I will endeavor to provide _even now_ the means of repayment, by getting laws pa.s.sed, to take effect at a future period, or otherwise, as shall be most convenient and agreeable to all parties, after the amount is ascertained and the times of payment fixed. I wish it had all been a loan, because I do not think the weight of the debt would be so great as the weight of an obligation is generally found to be, and the latter is of all others what I would least wish to labor under, either in a public or private capacity. A still further reason with me is, that there is less pain in soliciting the _aid_ of a loan, when there is no expectation that it is to be a gift.

Prompted by such reasons, I could be well content, that the advances made previously to the year 1778, were by some means or other brought into this account. By Mr Grand's accounts is appears, that Messrs Franklin, Deane and Lee, on the 1st of January, 1777, paid him five hundred thousand livres; on the 28th of April, other five hundred thousand livres; on the 4th of June, one million of livres; on the 3d of July, five hundred thousand livres; and on the 10th of October, other five hundred thousand livres; amounting in the whole to three millions of livres. I suppose, that these sums were received of private persons in like manner with those supplies, which were obtained through M. de Beaumarchais, and if so they will be payable in like manner with those supplies.

I have in a former letter estimated the yearly interest on Loan Office certificates, payable in France at two million livres, consequently taking in the months intervening between September and March, the total amount from September the 10th, 1777, to March the 1st, 1782, may be stated at nine million livres; which is just one half of the supplies granted for the years 1778, 1779, 1780, and 1781.

A resolution now before Congress will, I believe, direct that no more bills be drawn for this instant; but Mr Grand in his letter of the 4th of March, tells me he has paid six million two hundred and thirtynine thousand one hundred end eightysix livres, thirteen sous, four deniers, in sixteen thousand eight hundred and nineteen bills, from the 11th of February, 1779, to the 28th of January, 1782. His accounts are now translating, and when that is completed, I shall transmit them to the treasury, and I hope soon to have the accounts of the several loan officers in such a train of settlement, that all these matters may finally be wound up.

Should the Court grant six million livres more for the service of the current year, making twelve million livres in the whole, which to tell you the truth, I do expect, then the sum total in five years will be forty million livres, or eight million annually. And when the occasion of this grant is considered, the magnitude of the object, and the derangement of our finances, naturally to be expected in so great a revolution, I cannot think this sum is by any means very extraordinary. I believe with you most perfectly in the good dispositions of the Court, but I must request you to urge those dispositions into effect. I consider the six millions mentioned to me by the Minister here, and afterwards in your letters, as being at my disposal. The taxes come in so slowly, that I have been compelled and must continue to draw bills, but I shall avoid it as much as possible.

In my letters of the 23d and 29th of May, of which I enclose copies, are contained my sentiments as to M. de Beaumarchais' demand. Indeed, if the sums paid to him and others for expenditures previous to the year 1778, and the amount of the interest money, of which the princ.i.p.al was also expended at that time, be deducted, the remaining sum will be considerably less than thirty millions.

I must entreat of you, Sir, that all the stores may be forwarded from Brest as soon as possible, and I shall hope that the Court will take measures to afford you the necessary transports, so that they may come under proper convoy. As to the cargo of the ship Marquis de Lafayette, it is true, that some of it has arrived here from neutral ports, but it is equally true that money was necessary to purchase it, and that money is quite as scarce as any other article. If, however, all the cargo of that ship was like some which I procured, the taking of her has been no great loss, for the clothing was too small to go on men's backs. The goods from Holland we still most anxiously expect. Would to G.o.d that they never had been purchased. Mr Gillon, however, is at length arrived, and I hope we shall have those matters, in which he was concerned, brought to some kind of settlement.

I have the honor to be, &c.

ROBERT MORRIS.

TO ALEXANDER HAMILTON.

Office of Finance, July 2d, 1782.

Sir,

I yesterday received your letter of the 17th of June, and am very happy to find that you have determined to accept the office I had the pleasure of offering to you.[8] I enclose the commission, instructions, &c. together with a bond for performance of the duties, which I must request you to fill up and execute, with some sufficient surety, and transmit.

[8] Receiver of the Continental taxes for the State of New York.

The complaint you make of the system of taxation in New York, might, I believe, very justly be extended; for though it may be more defective in some than in others, it is, I fear, very far from perfect in any. I had already heard, that no part of the taxes were appropriated to Continental purposes, but I expect that the Legislature will, when they meet, make such appropriation, as well as lay new, and I hope productive taxes, for the purposes of paying what may remain of their quota.

It gives me a singular pleasure to find, that you have yourself pointed out one of the princ.i.p.al objects of your appointment. You will find that it is specified in the enclosure of the 15th of April. I do not conceive that any interview will be necessary, though I shall always be happy to see you, when your leisure and convenience will admit. In the meantime, I must request you to exert your talents in forwarding with your Legislature the views of Congress. Your former situation in the army, the present situation of that very army, your connexions in the State, your perfect knowledge of men and measures, and the abilities which Heaven has blest you with, will give you a fine opportunity to forward the public service, by convincing all who have claims on the justice of Congress, that those claims exist only by that hard necessity, which arises from the negligence of the States. When to this you shall superadd the conviction, that what remains of the war, being only a war of finance, solid arrangements of finance must necessarily terminate favorably, not only to our hopes but even to our wishes, then, Sir, the government will be disposed to lay, and the people to bear these burdens, which are necessary, and then the utility of your office and of the officer will be as manifest to others as at present to me.

I am, with respect, &c.

ROBERT MORRIS.

TO M. JOLIE DE FLEURY.

Office of Finance, July 6th, 1782.

Sir,

I have received the letter which you did me the honor to write in February last. It gives me very particular pleasure to find that my operations are approved by a gentleman whose talents and situation conspire together in giving the means and the power of forming a proper judgment. I receive, Sir, with so much greater satisfaction your promise to concur in promoting the success of my measures, as I persuade myself that a true Frenchman must deeply interest himself in the present American Revolution.

The indissoluble bands which unite our sovereigns, have connected the success of that revolution with the glory of the King, and the interests of his subjects. Being therefore alike prompted by that animated zeal and attachment to your prince which forms a beautiful trait in the French character, and by your own benevolence, you cannot but pursue the road which leads to the establishment of our independence. It is by these motives, Sir, that you are a.s.sured of my confidence. I shall take the liberty to lay before you my arrangements, as soon as they can be completed, in order that you may possess the views of my administration.

I have the honor to be, with perfect esteem and respect, ROBERT MORRIS.

TO MR GRAND.

Office of Finance, July 5th, 1782.

Sir,

I have received your several favors of the 2d of February and 4th of March last, together with the accounts accompanying the latter. I am sorry to find the funds we have in Europe are so deeply antic.i.p.ated.

This circ.u.mstance introduces a degree of hesitancy and doubtfulness into my measures, which is alike disagreeable and pernicious. I hope, therefore, that all the old accounts will soon be wound up and finally closed; and then in future I shall possess a full view of what is in my power. With respect to any arrangements with the Court of Spain, I incline to think that they will be necessary, for I persuade myself that money negotiations through Havana might be performed to equal, if not greater advantage, by private channels.

I am, Sir, with respect and esteem, &c.

ROBERT MORRIS.

TO THE GOVERNOR OF MARYLAND.

Office of Finance, July 9th, 1782.

Sir,

I have not been until this moment favored with your letter in Council of the 5th. I pray that you will accept and present to the Council my sincere thanks for your attention to the public service. Your offer to pay for the transportation of clothing to the southern army, gives me an additional reason to believe that a sense of the public distresses will always operate a desire to relieve them. To go into detail of those distresses, is at all times dangerous, and indeed it would be impracticable, for they are so numerous that all my time would be insufficient for the purpose. The publications made by the receivers in the several States, will however carry a conviction of them, to every man of sense end reflection.

It is my constant endeavor to administer the little aid which is afforded to the best advantage; and I am in hourly apprehensions from the dilatoriness which has been shown by almost all the States, in granting the supplies required by Congress. No proposition can be clearer than this, that the salvation of our country must depend upon such grants; and it will be a matter of wonder for future generations, how a people who once showed such enthusiastic ardor, should at the moment when it is within their grasp, put everything to the hazard, by omitting to make the little exertion that remains. Yet such is the fact.

I shall rely on receiving considerable supplies of money from Maryland in the course of the present month; and shall, in consequence, make engagements for transporting the clothing and stores to the southern army, and for other services equally pressing and essential. That you will be obliged to sell the property of the State, at less than you suppose it to be worth, I had long foreseen, and am thoroughly convinced of. That is one among the very many objections against raising specific taxes; but you may depend that the longer they are kept on hand, the greater will be the loss. The people must be undeceived, and the sales of such property will have a tendency to produce that effect. They will at length, I hope, open their eyes, and be convinced of a truth which all history and experience bear witness to, namely, that the true art of governing is to simplify the operations of government.

Permit me, Sir, before I close this letter, to press upon your consideration the state of public affairs. Every operation is, at present, supported by credit, and that credit has long hung but by a thread. Unless the States give speedy and effectual aid, that thread must break. It would long since have broken, and scenes of military pillage, waste, murmuring, extravagance and confusion would again have been opened, if I had not for some time declined all expenditure, except what was necessary merely to feed the army. If, under such circ.u.mstances, the enemy has made offensive operations, you may easily guess the consequences. Your State will, I hope, contribute amply to provide against them. Should anything happen, the fault will not lie at the door of Congress or of their servants.

With perfect esteem and respect, &c.

ROBERT MORRIS.

TO JAMES LOVELL OF Ma.s.sACHUSETTS.

Office of Finance, July 10th, 1782.

Sir,

I have received your favors of the 24th and 27th of June. The conduct of the States is very alarming, and has given me much serious apprehension. A want of knowledge or of zeal among those who compose the several Legislatures, produces misfortunes which their const.i.tuents must feel, although they do not themselves appear to be aware of them. Had permanent funds been established on which to borrow money, in all human probability our credit would have been such, as that a considerable part of every year's expenditure might have been obtained in that way. The advantages of such a measure are self evident. If we suppose the states at war possessed of equal force and resources, the one of them enjoying credit, which the other wants, the efforts would be so unequal, that the nation in credit might compel her antagonist to ask peace in a very short period.

In America we have disdained to profit by experience, and therefore are reduced to the sad necessity of bearing the whole burden of the war at the present moment, when least able to bear it. Still, however, I had hoped, by making antic.i.p.ations on the taxes, to lay a foundation for more extensive credit; and at length to recover that useful confidence, which has been too carelessly squandered away. But in fixing the first stone of this useful edifice, I am disappointed by finding that after taxes are laid, and in the moment when I expect to feel the benefits, the collection is postponed unto a future day. I shall not dwell longer on this disagreeable topic. I deeply feel and sincerely lament the consequences, which you may rely on it are far more pernicious even in the article of expense than any person is aware of; besides other things which are of equal, and may perhaps, be of greater importance.

I find by examining the sums I have drawn on you for, that you can find no great difficulty in making the payments by sales of the bills.