The Diplomatic Correspondence of the American Revolution Volume III Part 23

[26] The reference here is to the letters of Sir Grey Cooper, and Mr Charles Vernon. See this volume, pages 174, 175, 176.

I hope the Alliance, with the ship _Marquis de Lafayette_ under her convoy, is by this time arrived, as they sailed the 27th of March. I flatter myself that the supplies of clothing, &c. which they carry, will be found good of the kind, and well bought. I have by several late opportunities sent copies of the government letters taken in the New York packet. Your Excellency will see, that they are written in the perfect persuasion of our submitting speedily, and that the Commissioners are cautioned not to promise too much, with regard to the future const.i.tutions to be given us, as many changes of the old may be necessary, &c. One cannot read those letters from the American Secretary of State, and his Under-Secretary, Knox, without a variety of reflections on the state we should necessarily be in, if obliged to make the submission they so fondly hope for, but which I trust in G.o.d they will never see. Their affairs in the East Indies, by the late accounts, grow worse and worse; and twentytwo ships of the prey they made in the West are wrenched out of their jaws by the squadron of M.

de la Motte Piquet.

I mentioned in a former letter, my purpose of remaining here for some time after I should be superseded. I mean it with the permission of Congress, and on the supposition of no orders being sent me to the contrary; and I hope it will be so understood.

With the greatest respect, I have the honor to be, &c.

B. FRANKLIN.

TO THOMAS LEWIS.

Pa.s.sy, May 16th, 1781.

Sir,

I received the letter you did me the honor of writing to me the 1st of January. The bill for four thousand four hundred and fortyfour Mexican dollars, which you remitted to Mr Schweighauser, being refused payment by Mr Jay, for want of a regular endors.e.m.e.nt by Mr Laurens, in whose favor it was drawn, and which endors.e.m.e.nt could not now be obtained, Mr Schweighauser applied to me, informing me that he should not send the things ordered by your Board, unless the bill was paid; and it appearing on the face of the bill, that it was drawn for public service, I concluded to take it up, on which he has purchased the things and shipped them. Colonel Laurens has put on board some other supplies for the army, and I suppose she will now sail directly.

The drafts from Congress upon me for various services, and those on Mr Jay and Mr Laurens, all coming upon me for payment, together with the expenses on the ships, &c. &c. have made it impracticable for me to advance more for loading the Active; but as we have obtained lately promises of a considerable aid for this year, I shall now try what I can do, as the money comes in, towards supplying what is demanded in the invoice you mention. You will receive, I hope, twentyeight cannon, and a large quant.i.ty of powder and saltpetre, by the ship Marquis de Lafayette.

I have by several opportunities written in answer to your questions relative to the ship Alliance.

I have the honor to be, &c.

B. FRANKLIN.

_P. S._ Please to present my respects to the Board.

JAMES LOVELL TO B. FRANKLIN.

Philadelphia, May 17th, 1781.

Sir,

Doctor Putnam, whose letter is enclosed, by the uniformity of his attachment to our public cause, merits your patronage. And I enclose for your information some former proceedings of Congress, in which this same gentleman is interested; requesting, Sir, that you would obtain a knowledge of the proceedings consequent upon efforts which M.

Gerard has undoubtedly made to obtain compensation for the sloop, which Count d'Arband restored to the Governor of Antigua, after it had been taken by Doctor Putnam and others.

Your most humble servant, JAMES LOVELL.

COUNT DE VERGENNES TO B. FRANKLIN.

Translation.

Versailles, June 8th, 1781.

Sir,

I have received the letter you did me the honor to write me on the 4th instant. I do not know whether Mr Laurens has purchased the clothing in Holland on account of Congress; I only know (and you were likewise informed of it at the same time) that this officer was _to employ for his purchases in France_ part of the six millions, which the King has granted to Congress, and that the residue of this sum was intended to be sent to America, with a view of re-establishing the credit of the United States.

If Mr Laurens, instead of paying ready money in Holland, has contented himself with giving bills on you, I have no concern in it, and the King can furnish no means for your reimburs.e.m.e.nt.

As to the monies arising from the loan opened in Holland, we have no pretensions to regulate the employment of them, as they belong to the United States. You must, therefore, Sir, apply to Congress for the power of disposing of them, in discharge of the drafts drawn on you from all quarters.

I have the honor of being, &c.

DE VERGENNES.

TO THE PRESIDENT OF CONGRESS.

Pa.s.sy, June 11th, 1781.

Sir,

I have lately done myself the honor of writing largely to your Excellency by divers conveyances, to which I beg leave to refer. This is chiefly to cover the copy of a letter I have just received from the Minister, relative to the disposition of the late loans, by which will be seen the situation I am in with respect to my acceptances of the quant.i.ties of bills drawn by Congress on Mr Jay, Mr Laurens, Mr Adams, and myself, which I entered into, in the expectation, which both Colonel Laurens and myself entertained, that a part of these loans might be applied to the payment of these bills, but which I am now told cannot be done without an express order from Congress.

I shall endeavor to change the sentiments of the Court in this respect, but I am not sure of succeeding. I must therefore request that a resolution of Congress may immediately be sent, empowering me to apply as much of those loans as shall be necessary for the discharge of all such drafts of Congress, or for the repayment of such sums, as I may in the meantime be obliged to borrow for the discharge of those drafts.

I have the honor to be, &c.

B. FRANKLIN.

TO JOHN ADAMS.

Pa.s.sy, June 11th, 1781.

Sir,

Mr Grand has communicated to me a letter from your Excellency to him, relating to certain charges in your account, on which you seem to desire to have my opinion. As we are all new in these matters, I consulted, when I was making up my account, one of the oldest foreign Ministers here, as to the custom in such cases. He informed me, that it was not perfectly uniform with the Ministers of all Courts, but that in general, where a salary was given for service and expenses, the expenses understood were merely those necessary to the man, such as housekeeping, clothing, and coach; but that the rent of the hotel in which he dwelt, the payment of couriers, the postage of letters, the salary of clerks, the stationary for his bureau, with the feasts and illuminations made on public occasions, were esteemed the expenses of the Prince, or State that appointed him, being for the service or honor of his Prince or nation; and either entirely, or in great part, expenses that, as a private man, he would have been under no necessity of incurring. These, therefore, were to be charged in his accounts. He remarked, it was true that the Minister's housekeeping as well as his house was usually, and in some sort necessarily more expensive, than those of a private person, but this he said was considered in his salary to avoid trouble in accounts; but that where the Prince or State had not purchased or built a house for their Minister, which was sometimes the case, they always paid his house rent.

I have stated my own accounts according to this information; and I mention them, that if they seem to you reasonable, we may be uniform in our charges, by your charging in the same manner; or if objections to any of them occur to you, that you would communicate them to me for the same reason.

Thus you see my opinion, that the articles you mention of courtage, commission, and port de lettres, are expenses that ought to be borne, not by you, but by the United States. Yet it seems to me more proper, that you should pay them, and charge them with the other articles abovementioned, than that they should be paid by me, who, not knowing the circ.u.mstances, cannot judge (as you can) of the truth or justice of such an account when presented, and who, besides, have no orders to pay more on your account, than your net salary.

With regard to that salary, though your receipts to Fitzeaux and Grand, shown to me, might be quite sufficient to prove they had paid you the sums therein mentioned, yet, as there are vouchers for them, and which they have a right to retain, I imagine it will be clearest, if you draw upon me, agreeably to the order of Congress, and if this is quarterly, it will be the most convenient to me.

With great respect, I have the honor, &c.

B. FRANKLIN.