and established beforehand, for the regular payment at least of the interest. With sincere esteem and respect, I am, &c. B. FRANKLIN. TO ROBERT R. LIVINGSTON. The Swedish Ambassador exchanges full Powers with Dr. Franklin. SIR, Passy, 24 December, 1782. Sundry circumstances, occurring since mine of the 5th and 14th, have hitherto retarded the departure of our despatches. They will now go under the security of a British passport, be accompanied by a sum of money, and by some further intelligence from England, which shows the still unsettled state of minds there, and, together with the difficulties and small progress in the Dutch and Spanish negotiations, makes the speedy conclusion of peace still uncertain. The Swedish ambassador has exchanged full powers with me. I send a copy of his herewith. We have had some conferences on the proposed plan of our treaty, and he has despatched a courier for further instructions respecting some of the articles. The Commissioners have joined in a letter to you, recommending the consideration of a proposal from Mr. Bridgen, relating to copper coin. With this you have a copy of that proposal, and a sample of the copper. If it should be accepted, I conceive the weight and value of the pieces (charge of coinage deducted) should be such that they should be aliquot parts of a Spanish dollar. By the copy enclosed, of an old letter of mine to Mr. Brigden, you will see the ideas I had of the additional utility such a coinage might be of in communicating instruction.* See this letter in Vol. VIII. p. 383. December 25th. Enclosed is a copy of a letter just received from Count de Vergennes, upon the present state of the negotiation with England. With great regard, I have the honor to be, &c. B. FRANKLIN. TO FRANCIS HOPKINSON. Planting Trees in Philadelphia. - Newspaper Abuse. DEAR SIR, Passy, 24 December, 1782. I thank you for your ingenious paper in favor of the trees. I own I now wish we had two rows of them in every one of our streets. The comfortable shelter they would afford us, when walking, from our burning summer suns, and the greater coolness of our walls and pavements, would, I conceive, in the improved health of the inhabitants, amply compensate the loss of a house now and then by fire, if such should be the consequence. But a tree is soon felled; and, as axes are at hand in every neighbourhood, may be down before the engines arrive. You do well to avoid being concerned in the pieces of personal abuse, so scandalously common in our newspapers, that I am afraid to lend any of them here, until I have examined and laid aside such as would disgrace us, and subject us among strangers to a reflection like that used by a gentleman in a coffeehouse to two quarrellers, who, after a mutually free use of the words, rogue, villain, rascal, scoundrel, &c., seemed as if they would refer their dispute to him; "I know nothing of you, or your affairs," said he; "I only perceive that you know one another." The conductor of a newspaper should, methinks, consider himself as in some degree the guardian of M M his country's reputation, and refuse to insert such writings as may hurt it. If people will print their abuses of one another, let them do it in little pamphlets, and distribute them where they think proper. It is absurd to trouble all the world with them; and unjust to subscribers in distant places, to stuff their paper with matters so unprofitable and so disagreeable. With sincere esteem and affection, I am, &c. B. FRANKLIN. FROM COUNT DE VERGENNES TO B. FRANKLIN. Translation. Versailles, 25 December, 1782. SIR, I have the honor to send you my despatches for the Chevalier de la Luzerne. The packet is voluminous, but it contains many duplicates. I should be glad if it were in my power to inform him, that our treaty is in as good progress as yours, but this is far from being the case. I cannot even foresee what will be the issue, for difficulties multiply. It will be well for you to forewarn the Congress to be prepared for whatever event may arise. I do not despair; I rather hope; but as yet all is uncertainty. I have the honor to be, Sir, &c. DE VERGEnnes. TO SAMUEL COOPER. Preliminaries of a Treaty. - Importance of the DEAR SIR, Passy, 26 December, 1782. We have taken some good steps here towards a peace. Our independence is acknowledged; our boun daries as good and extensive as we demanded; and our fishery more so than the Congress expected. I hope the whole preliminaries, will be approved, and with the definitive treaty, when made, give entire satisfaction to our country. But there are so many interests to be considered between five nations, and so many claims to adjust, that I can hardly flatter myself to see the peace soon concluded, though I wish and pray for it, and use my best endeavours to promote it. I am extremely sorry to hear language from Americans on this side the water, and to hear of such language from your side, as tends to hurt the good understanding that has hitherto so happily subsisted between this court and ours. There seems to be a party with you that wish to destroy it. If they could succeed, they would do us irreparable injury. It is our firm connexion with France, that gives us weight with England, and respect throughout Europe. If we were to break our faith with this nation, on whatever pre tence, England would again trample on us, and every other nation despise us. We cannot, therefore, be too much on our guard, how we permit the private resentments of particular persons to enter into our public counsels. You will hear much of an intercepted letter, communicated to us by the British ministry.* * Alluding to a letter written in Philadelphia by M. de Marbois to the French ministry. It was intercepted on its passage and sent to England, where it was deciphered and forwarded to the American Commissioners, during the negotiation of the treaty. See this letter, as deciphered and translated, in PITKIN's History of the United States, Vol. II. p. 528. Count de Vergennes, in writing some time afterwards to M. de la Luzerne, the French minister in America, said; "An intercepted letter from M. de Marbois was communicated to the American Commissioners by the British ministry, which, by a forced interpretation, was designed to render us suspected in regard to the fisheries. In the first place, the opinion of M. de Marbois is not necessarily that of the King; The channel ought to be suspected. It may have received additions and alterations; but, supposing it all genuine, the forward, mistaken zeal of a secretary of legation should not be imputed to the King, who has in so many ways proved himself our faithful and firm friend and ally. In my opinion, the true political interest of America consists in observing and fulfilling, with the greatest exactitude, the engagements of our alliance with France, and behaving at the same time towards England, so as not entirely to extinguish her hopes of a reconciliation. I long to see you and my country once more before I die, being ever, my dear friend, yours most affectionately, B. FRANKLIN. FROM ROBERT R. LIVINGSTON TO B. FRANKLIN. Enclosing Resolutions of Congress. - Departure of the French Fleet. Financial Distresses of the United States. SIR, Philadelphia, 2 January, 1783. I was honored with your letters by the Danae. I congratulate you upon the promising staté of our negotiations, since peace begins to be no less desirable here than elsewhere. But I will not enter into that subject at present, as I mean to write very fully both to Mr. Jay and you by Mr. Jefferson, who will sail in company with this frigate in the Romulus, a ship of forty-four guns. Lest, and, in the next place, the views indicated in that despatch have not been followed." . Versailles, September 7th, 1783. MS. Letter. |