before seen either by MySelf or Mr. Adams, among whose Papers you had left those Accounts. He was as much surprized at seeing it as I was, and as much dissatisfied with another you had made in the body of the Accounts, which taken with the first, imports that, notwithstanding it appeared from Mr. Williams's own Acc that he has now and has long had in his hands upwards of an hundred thousand livres belonging to the Public, that have not been applyed to the public Use, "B. Franklin and John Adams, Esqrs., had given an Order on the Public Banquer for the payment of all Mr. Williams' Demands." This being a severe Reflection upon us both, might be suspected, if I were disposed to be suspicious, as one Reason why it was shown to neither of us, but left conceal'd among the Papers to appear hereafter as a charge, not controverted at the Time, whereby a future accusation might be confirmed. Mr. Adams spoke in strong Terms of your having no right to enter Notes upon Papers without our Consent or Knowledge, and talk'd of making a counter Entry, in which he would have shown that your assertion of our having "given an Order for the Payment of all Mr. Williams' Demands" was not conformable to truth nor to the express Terms of the Order, but his attention being taken up with what related to his departure, was probably the cause of his omitting to make that Entry. On the whole, I judg'd it now encumbent on me, for my own sake and Mr. Adams', as well as for the Public Interest, to have those accounts fully examined, as soon as possible, by skilful and impartial persons, of which I inform'd you in mine of the 13th Instant, requesting you to aid the Enquiry by stating your Objections, that they might be considered by those judges, which I am sorry you do not think fit to comply with. I have no desire to screen Mr. Williams on acc of his being my Nephew; if he is guilty of what you charge him with, I care not how soon he is deservedly punish'd and the family purg'd of him; for I take it that a Rogue living in [a] Family is a greater Disgrace to it than one hang'd out of it. If he is innocent, Justice requires that his Character should be speedily clear'd from the heavy Charge with which it has been loaded. I have the honour to be, etc. B. FRANKLIN. 978. TO ARTHUR LEE (D. S. W.) Passy, March 27, 1779 SIR: The offer you make of sending me Copies, sealed and authenticated, of all the Papers in your Hands is very satisfactory; and as you say they are but few I suppose it may soon be done.' I imagined, when I desired you to send me the Originals, that they were a great many, and at present of no Importance to you, and therefore not worth copying. I assure you I had not the least intention of depriving you of anything you might think necessary for your Vindication. The suspicion is groundless and injurious. In a former Letter I offer'd you authenticated Copies of any remaining in my hands that you should judge might be of such Use to you; and I now offer you the originals if you had rather have them, and will content myself with keeping Copies. 1 Franklin wrote to A. Lee, February 18, 1779, "Sir, I beg you will be pleased to send me by the bearer all the public papers in your hands belonging to this department." - ED. VOL. VII —T Mr. Adams did not as you insinuate exact any Promise of me to arrange and keep in order the Papers he sent me. He knew such a Promise unnecessary, for that I had always kept in order and by themselves the public Papers that were in my hands, without having them so confounded among a multitude of other Papers "that they could not be found when called for." I have the honour to be with great respect, sir, etc., 1 979. TO STEPHEN SAYRE 1 (D. S. W.) Passy, March 31, 1779. SIR, I have just received your Favour of the 10th inst. from Copenhagen. The Account you give of the Disposition of the Swedish Court is very agreeable. I saw in the NewsPapers that a Deputy of Congress was at Stockholm; did you obtain the Audiences you mention by assuming that Character? The Informations you did not chuse to venture by the Post from Copenhagen may be safely sent from Amsterdam. I am not, as you have heard, the sole Representative of America in Europe. The commission of Mr. A. Lee, Mr. Wm. Lee, and Mr. Izard, to different Courts still subsist. I am only sole with Regard to France. Nor have I Power to give you any Employ worth your Accepting. 1 Stephen Sayre was born on Long Island, N. Y., in 1734. Episodes of his adventurous career frequently appear in the correspondence of Franklin. He became a successful merchant and banker in London. He was chosen sheriff in 1774. Upon a charge of high treason he was committed to the Tower. He visited Berlin and Amsterdam, and at every opportunity eagerly solicited some salaried appointment at the hands of Franklin. — ED. Much has been said by the English about Divisions in America. No Division of any Consequence has arisen there. Petty Disputes between particular Persons about private Interests there are always in every Country: But with Regard to the great Point of Independence there is no Difference of Sentiment in the Congress, and as the Congress are the annual Choice of the People, it is easy to judge of their Sentiments by those of their Representatives. The taking of Savannah makes a Noise in England and helps to keep up their Spirits: But I apprehend, before the Summer is over, they will find the Possession of that Capital of Georgia of as little Consequence as their former Possessions of Boston & Philadelphia; and that the Distempers of that unwholesome Part of the Country will very much weaken, if not ruin, that Army. The principal Difficulty at Present in America consists in the Depreciation of their Currency, owing to the overquantities issued and the diminished demand for it in Commerce. But as the Congress has taken Measures for sinking it, expeditiously, and the several Governments are taxing vigorously for that Purpose, there is a Prospect of its recovering a proper Value. In the meantime, though an evil to particulars, there is some Advantage to the Publick in the Depreciation, as large nominal Values are more easily paid in Taxes, & the debt by that Means more easily extinguished. I have the Honour to be, B. FRANKLIN 980. TO WILLIAM LEE (D. S. W.) Passy, April 2, 1779. SIR, Before I apply for the Arms you desire, I wish to be informed whether your Brother did not apply for them at the same time he apply'd for the Cannon he obtained, or since, in Consequence of the Letter you mention to have sent us in January last, and whether they were refused or promised. Since I had the Honour of seeing you I have received an Application from the Government of Maryland for a similar quantity of Arms and military Stores, which I am requested to obtain in the same Manner, and these with the Orders of Congress, will make so vast a quantity, that I apprehend greater difficulties in obtaining them. I should be glad, therefore, if a Part could be obtained elsewhere, that the quantity now to be apply'd for might be diminished. On this Occasion permit me to mention that the D'Acostas have presented a Memorial to me setting forth that they have provided Arms, etc., to a great Amount, in Consequence of a Contract made with you through your Brother, and that for no other Reason but because they were not furnished at the time agreed, there having been a Delay of a Month, which they say was not their Fault, but inevitable, he had refused to take them. Upon this they desire that I wou'd procure Justice to be done them, or that I would approve of their sending the Goods and endeavour to have the Contract comply'd with on the Part of Virginia.1 1 The acrid correspondence of D'Acosta Brothers with Arthur Lee, dated December 12, 1778, is in A. P. S. (Franklin Papers, Vol. XII, No. 185). — Ed. |