Chapter M: Holker to Joseph Reed, President of Pennsylvania

Translation.

Philadelphia, July 24th, 1779.

Sir,

I have the honor of forwarding to your Excellency Mr Dunlap's publication of this day, in which I find, with some degree of surprise, a paragraph levelled at me and my official transactions. I observe that notwithstanding the most explicit and repeated offers I made to you yesterday morning, and through you to the honorable the Supreme Executive Council of this State, of proving that I had not in any shape violated or infringed the laws of Pennsylvania, that I had acted in perfect conformity therewith; notwithstanding I solemnly declared that the flour seized was bought and destined for the sole use of his Majesty's fleet; notwithstanding the many and forcible reasons urged to your Excellency to convince you that more proper and more decent measures might have been pursued, and that the steps I had taken to supply his Majesty's fleet were not only proper, but were dictated by mere necessity; notwithstanding all these circumstances, I am still held up to the public in a suspicious light, and as if I were answerable or accountable for the private and personal transactions of Mr Rumford of Wilmington, transactions totally foreign to me and to the instructions or orders given him by me.

My application to you, Sir, in this respect, seems to have been so far ineffectual, as also your just and pointed representation on this subject, which you were pleased to communicate to me by your letter of this day. I am sorry to remark, that though I have acted in concert with his Excellency, our Minister Plenipotentiary, that Congress has always been apprised of the purchases made by my orders; though all the provisions purchased and delivered into the hands of my agents have been at all times at the disposal of Congress in consequence of express stipulations; though I have given with pleasure the widest room for inquiry into the grounds of all suspicions, in order that a thorough investigation might establish public tranquillity and public confidence, which I had the greatest reason to expect, because it is evident, even by the publications, that not a single suspicion was founded on solid ground, but merely on surmise; still his Majesty's representative in this Commonwealth, his Agent General in all the ports of the United States, acknowledged as such by Congress, by yourself, and the board at which you preside, specially charged, in conjunction with the Minister Plenipotentiary, with procuring the necessary supplies for his Majesty's squadron, expressly fitted out for the defence of these States against the common enemy, and for the protection of his dominions in America, acting in the strict line of his office and duty, is most wantonly traduced to the public, branded with the most injurious and unfair imputations in the newspapers published in this very city, where these facts and my public character are most notorious, under your eyes, with your knowledge, and in contradiction to your personal advice and disapprobation.

I need not expatiate on the evil consequences, that may arise from such illiberal aggression. I need not claim your interposition. But the reasons I gave you yesterday, becoming every instant more forcible and more pressing, it is necessary that I demand the most immediate exertions of government on this occasion.

It is with the utmost reluctance I sit down to appeal in this solemn manner to the Executive power of Pennsylvania for justice, lest my request may be construed an opposition to the respectable motives of the informers on my conduct; but I am accountable to my royal master for my actions, and obliged to exact that respect due to his representative in this State, and to support the dignity of the character with which he has been pleased to invest me. Therefore, it is in compliance with my duty, that I submit these facts and the repeated insults I meet with, to the reflections of your Excellency and Council, relying fully on your sense of propriety, and on your exertions on this occasion, as in all others, where I have applied for redress.[26]

I remain with respect, your Excellency's most obedient and humble servant.

HOLKER.

FOOTNOTE:

[26] The publications relative to these complaints are found in the Pennsylvania Packet of Saturday, July 24th, 1779.

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TO THE PRESIDENT OF CONGRESS.

Translation.

Philadelphia, July 28th, 1779.

Sir,

The Minister Plenipotentiary of France thinking it necessary to lay before Congress all the information relative to the affair of the flour from Wilmington, has the honor to annex the copy of a letter, which the President of the Executive Council of Pennsylvania has written to M. Holker, as well as of the three pieces, which were annexed to this letter, and of which this Consul has informed the said President that he retained a copy.

The undersigned Minister must at the same time have the honor to represent to Congress, that he is informed that there will be a new meeting of the city on Monday morning, and that the critical state of affairs seems to require, that it should be seen fit, before this time, to take some effectual measures conformable to the petition and to the request, which he has had the honor to address to Congress. Otherwise the undersigned, and the other officers of the King, would have no protection and no security against the effects of the unjust, injurious and violent principles and proceedings, of which the said Minister has complained; and he would be compelled to leave Philadelphia and Pennsylvania, in order to seek an asylum in another State, where liberty and protection could be secured to him, till he could receive the orders of the King, his master.

GERARD.

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_Copies of the Papers enclosed in the above Letter._

No 1.

JOSEPH REED TO M. HOLKER.

Philadelphia, July 24th, 1779.

Sir,

After the visit you favored me with yesterday, and in consideration of the point on which we conversed, I wrote the letter enclosed, and about six o'clock the answer, also enclosed, was delivered me. I informed the gentlemen, two of the committee, that I had seen you that morning, that you conceived yourself able to remove the imputations conveyed in their representations, and had requested the Council to point out the parts of your conduct, on which doubts might arise. The gentlemen promised me they would inform the other gentlemen of what I had represented; and also that I still thought there would be an impropriety in making the publication in the present circumstances. I observe this morning, that the gentlemen have been of a different opinion, doubtless deeming themselves under a public obligation to communicate the transaction to the world without delay.

I have the honor to be, &c.

JOSEPH REED.

_P. S._ Not having any copies of the enclosed, I must beg you to return them after perusal.

No. 2.

In Council, Philadelphia, July 23d, 1779.

A paper, dated in committee, and signed William Henry, chairman, in
answer to the reference made by this Board on the 14th instant,
having been read,

Ordered, that the Secretary do write to the said Mr Henry to inform him, that the papers alluded to in said answer did not accompany it, and to desire that they may be forwarded as soon as convenient.

The President having informed this Board, that M. Holker had conferred with him on the above representation, and showed a copy thereof received by him (M. Holker) from the committee, and requested that this Board would point out such parts thereof as may appear to convey any imputations upon him, or distrust of his faithful performance of his duty as a public officer,

Ordered, that the said paper be further considered tomorrow, that a proper answer may be given to the said request.

Extract from the minutes,

JAMES TRIMBLE,
_for_ T. MATLACK, _Secretary_.

No. 3.

JOSEPH REED TO WILLIAM HENRY, CHAIRMAN OF THE COMMITTEE.

Walnut Street, July 23d, 1779.

Sir,

I received this morning the report of the committee on the affairs of M. Holker, which by a particular accident I was prevented from laying before the Council this morning. I observe it is proposed to publish it, but I presume this does not mean an immediate publication, as there will be an indelicacy and violation of usual forms to do this, until a return has been officially made thereupon by us to Congress, through whom the matter came to us. In all cases of petitions or other papers, to be presented to any public body, I take it to be a standing rule, that the matter shall be first communicated to them, before it is published to the world. As I observe you have sent a copy to M. Holker, I presume it is intended thereby to give him an opportunity to explain, deny, or admit, such a part of it as he may think proper to do. A publication will in some measure debar him from this, whereas at a future day, if the publication is still thought necessary, the whole may be given together; at all events, it will be the duty of the Council to make some report to Congress, in which this narration will appear. As to the flour itself, perhaps there may be no inconvenience in letting it remain a few days in its present condition. My earnest wish is, that this business may be conducted without fear, favor, or partiality, to the real interests of the community, all first suspicions converted into solid proof, and those of a contrary kind effectually banished.

The good sense of the gentlemen to whom I address myself will, I am persuaded, make the necessary and present distinction between persons acting in a public capacity and character, especially of another nation, and our own citizens, who are to stand or fall by their own laws, and the estimation of their countrymen.

I am, Gentlemen, &c.

JOSEPH REED.

No. 4.

WILLIAM HENRY TO JOSEPH REED.

Friday Afternoon, 5 o'clock, Committee Room.

Sir,

We had the honor of your favor of this morning, and beg leave to observe in answer thereto, that Mr Morris having already published an account of the flour, both in behalf of himself and M. Holker, as may be judged by his publishing M. Holker's letters, and that publication being prior to any report from the Council to Congress, we conceive there can be no impropriety in our now taking the matter publicly up. Besides which, we apprehend ourselves laid under an immediate necessity to give satisfaction to our fellow citizens on the subject, and to publish our proceedings for the previous consideration of the meeting on Monday.

M. Holker, we conceive, ought in justice to himself to have appealed to the Council agreeably to the resolution of Congress, which he has not done. We have deferred the matter to the last moment, and cannot now, without exposing the reputation of the committee, defer it longer.

Your Excellency is sensible that nothing but the most pressing necessity could induce us to depart from the advice you are pleased to give, and we request you to accept the reasons we have assigned as an apology for so doing.

By order of the committee.

I have the honor to be your Excellency's most obedient, humble servant,

WILLIAM HENRY, _Chairman_.

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All the above memorials, letters, and papers received from the Minister this day, were referred to a committee of five, namely, Mr Huntington, Mr Laurens, Mr Smith, Mr Morris, and Mr Kean, who were instructed to confer with the President and the Supreme Executive Council of the State of Pennsylvania and with the Minister and Consul of France, and to prepare and report a state of facts, together with their opinion of the measures proper for Congress to adopt thereupon.

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