Chapter M: Dumas to the Commissioners

Translation.

Hague, November 4th, 1778.

Gentlemen,

The gentlemen from Amsterdam have returned with more strict instructions from their constituents. They will be followed, perhaps, by a third memorial, more forcible than the preceding. If the same evasions continue to be practised, Amsterdam will display other resources, which have not yet been communicated to me. The subject of the convoy will be discussed next week. Sir J. Yorke presented a memorial the day before yesterday, more moderate in its tone, but equally insidious in reality, on behalf of his Court. 1. It demands the appointment of Commissioners, with whom he may consult to settle the intent of the treaties relative to the articles, which it is desired to prohibit. 2. It declares that his Court is desirous, that the republic would not grant the convoys in question, as it cannot consent to allow the above mentioned articles to pass. He will find formidable adversaries from Amsterdam, who are firmly resolved on an absolute negative on these two points. A certain great personage, and the Grand Pentionary, are already prepossessed on the subject. The irritation against the English gains also in some of the nobility.

The project, with which you are acquainted, is prepared with some changes and additions on the basis already known to you. It is in the hands of the Burgomasters, who will examine the whole; after which a copy will be delivered to me, that I may also transmit one to you, to be examined by you in the same manner, and that your observations thereon may be communicated to them through me.

I have been assured on behalf of the Burgomasters, that it is not their intention to leave our future connexions dependent on Great Britain; on the contrary, it is their wish, that in course of time, their High Mightinesses may adopt a better system of measures, than is at present possible; this circumstance they have thought ought not to be concealed from you any more than their present situation, their wishes, and their expectation that you will be ready to concur in the steps, which it shall be in their power to take towards realising them.

On the whole, Gentlemen, I cannot give you a more clear idea of the whole matter, than the following; we correspond with a minority, which has this advantage over that of England, that if this republic will not declare itself our friend, it cannot be our enemy, on account of the unanimity required by the constitution; this circumstance alone is of high importance, and ought to persuade us to assist and confirm that minority.

Every time I see our friend, he begs me not to fail to communicate to him immediately any good news I may receive from America. He makes too good a use of such information to allow any delay on my part.

The two letters, for which I am indebted to Mr A. Lee, have been inserted in the Leyden Gazette. The Courier of the Lower Rhine contains a fine eulogy on Mr Joseph Reed, member of Congress; it is deserving of your notice. I wish I could send you the paper, but I have only one copy, which I am about to forward to Congress.

I am, &c.

DUMAS.

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TO M. DE SARTINE.

Passy, November 16th, 1778.

Sir,

We have the honor of your Excellency's letter of the 6th of this month, but as the memoir of the French surgeon, which your Excellency proposed to transmit to us, was by some accident omitted to be enclosed in your letter, we are ignorant of his case, and consequently unable to inform your Excellency whether it is in our power to afford him any relief. If your Excellency will have the goodness to send us the memoir, we will answer your letter without delay.

In the meantime we may acquaint your Excellency, that the United States have not adopted any precautions for sending succors to their subjects imprisoned in England. We have ventured, without orders or permission from the United States, to lend small sums of money to persons who have escaped from irons and dungeons in Great Britain, to bear their expenses to Nantes, L'Orient and Bordeaux. But we have sent no succor to them while in England, except a small sum of money, put into the hands of Mr Hartley, to be disposed of by him for the relief of such as should most want it.

We shall consider every Frenchman, taken by the English on board of American vessels, in the same light as if he was an American by birth, and entitled to the same assistance from us as Americans are in the same situation.

We have the honor to be, &c. &c.

B. FRANKLIN,
ARTHUR LEE,
JOHN ADAMS.

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TO THE PRESIDENT OF CONGRESS.

Passy, November 7th, 1778.

Sir,

We have the honor to enclose a copy of the declaration concerning the 11th and 12th articles of the treaty of commerce, which we have received from his Excellency the Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs, in exchange for a similar one signed by us, in pursuance of the instructions of Congress.

We have also the honor to enclose copies of a correspondence with his Excellency M. de Sartine, the Secretary of State for the Marine, concerning cases of recaptures, that Congress may, if they judge proper, take some resolution on this head; it seems to be equitable, that the same rule should be observed by both nations.

We also enclose copies of a correspondence on the subject of negotiation with the Barbary States. We do not find ourselves authorised to treat with those powers, as they are not in Europe, and indeed we are not furnished with funds for making them presents.

We have had the honor of a copy from the Auditor General, enclosing the form of bills of exchange to be drawn upon us, for the interest due upon loan office certificates, and acquainting us that this interest will amount to two millions and a half of livres annually. When it was proposed to pay the interest here, we had no idea of so much being borrowed. We shall pay the most punctual obedience to these and all other orders of Congress, as long as our funds shall last. But we are obliged to inform Congress, that expenses on prisoners being great, and being drawn upon by the order of Congress from various quarters, and receiving no funds from America, we suffer the utmost anxiety, lest we should be obliged to protest bills. We have exerted ourselves to the utmost of our power to procure money, but hitherto with little success. And we beg that some supplies may be sent us as soon as possible. We are very sorry that we are not able to send to Congress those supplies of arms, ammunition, and clothing, which they have ordered; but it is absolutely impossible, for the want of funds, and M. Beaumarchais has not yet informed us, whether he will execute the agreement made for him with you or not.

We have the pleasure to inform Congress, that Mr Matthew Ridley of Maryland has made a present to the United States of a valuable manuscript upon naval affairs, which he has left with us. We shall take the first opportunity of a frigate to send it to Congress.

We enclose to Congress copies of a correspondence between the Ambassador of the king of the two Sicilies and us, which, as his Majesty is the eldest son of the king of Spain, is considered as an event indicative of the good will of a greater power, although, this is respectable.

It is of great importance to penetrate the councils of an enemy, in order to be prepared beforehand against his designs; we shall therefore be happy to advise Congress of the intentions of Great Britain as far as we conjecture.

We have every reason to believe, that the hostility of the disposition of the British Court has no other bounds but those of their power. Their threats, however, of large reinforcements and of Russian auxiliaries, are without foundation. The interest of the king of Prussia, and of the Empress Queen (who both choose at present to pursue decent terms with Great Britain) to prevent a close alliance between England and Russia, we apprehend, will prevent it. In short, we see no probability of England's forming any alliance against America in all Europe; or indeed against France; whereas, on the other side, from the astonishing preparations of Spain, the family compact, and other circumstances, and from the insolent tyranny of the English over the Dutch, and their consequent resentment, which has shown itself in formidable remonstrances as well as advances towards a treaty with us, there is reason to believe, that if Great Britain perseveres in the war, both of these powers will at length be involved in it.

We had the honor to write to Congress on the 20th of July and the 17th of September, of which we have sent duplicates and triplicates, and to which we beg leave to refer. By this opportunity we shall send the newspapers, which contain all the public intelligence.

We enclose a number of notes of hand, which have been taken from our unhappy countrymen, who have escaped from England, to whom we have lent money, as they had no other way of subsistence.

We have the honor to be, &c.

B. FRANKLIN,
ARTHUR LEE,
JOHN ADAMS.

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