990. TO M. DE SARTINE (D. S. W.) Passy, April 18, 1779. SIR, By letters I am daily receiving I find there are in various prisons of France a number of American sailors who, having been forced into the English service and since taken, remain confined with those of that nation, but are very desirous of serving their own country in any of our ships of war; and to that end request I would obtain their discharge from their present confinement. To prevent giving your excellency the frequent trouble of particular application and orders upon every occasion, I beg leave to submit it to your consideration whether it would not be well to give a general order to those who have the care of the prisoners, to examine in each of them those who pretend to be Americans and who desire to enter our service; and such as are found to answer that description be sent immediately to L'Orient and ship with Captain Jones or in the Alliance. I am with sincere respect, your excellency's most obedient and most humble servant, B. FRANKLIN. SIR, 991. TO JOHN ADAMS (M. H. S.) Passy, April 21, 1779 I have received your two Favours of the 13th inst. I am much obliged to you for undertaking the Trouble of contenting the Officers and People of the Alliance. I must now beg Leave to make a little Addition to that Trouble by requesting your Attention to the situation of the Officers and Sailors, late Prisoners in England, which Mr. Williams will acquaint you with, and that you would likewise order for them such Necessaries and Comforts as we can afford. I wish we were able to do all they want and desire; but the scantiness of our Funds and the Multitude of Demands prevent it. The English Papers talk much of their Apprehensions about Spain; I hope they have some Foundation. With great esteem, I have the honour to be, etc., B. FRANKLIN. 992. TO JOHN QUINCY ADAMS1 (D. S. W.) DEAR MASTER JOHNNY, Passy, April 21, 1779 I am glad you have seen Brest and the fleet there. It must give you an Idea of the naval force of this Kingdom which you will long retain with Pleasure. 1 John Quincy Adams, aged eleven, accompanied his father, as John Adams wrote to Franklin, "in the capacity of Interpreter, Secretary, Companion, and Domestick, to his Poppa." The following letter from him taking farewell of Franklin is in A. P. S. : DEAR FRIEND Alliance April ye 22 1779 I just now arrived here from Nantes & once more find myself aboard Ship & hope soon to sail for America once more, this is about 38 miles from Nantes. Yesterday morning with the wind very high against us, and sail'd on the boat till 12 o'clock last night when we arrived at painboeuf which is about 30 miles from Nantes & this morning set out from there at about eight oclock and arrived here as I said before. Just now but as the boat is just agoing I cannot write anymore & so conclude myself your affectionate Friend M Benj* Franklin JOHN Q. ADAMS. I caused the Letters you inclosed to me to be carefully delivered, but have not received Answers to be sent you. Benjamin whom you so kindly remember, would have been glad to hear of your Welfare, but he is gone to Geneva. As he is destined to live in a Protestant Country, and a Republic, I thought it best to finish his Education where the proper Principles prevail. I heartily wish you a good Voyage & happy sight of your Mama, being really your Affectionate Friend, DEAR SIR, B. FRANKLIN. 993. TO JOSIAH QUINCY (L. C.) Passy, April 22, 1779. I received your very kind Letter by Mr. Bradford, who appears a very sensible and amiable young Gentleman, to whom I should with Pleasure render any service here upon your much respected Recommendation; but I understand he returns immediately. It is with great Sincerity I join you in acknowledging and admiring the Dispensations of Providence in our Favour. America has only to be thankful, and to persevere. God will finish his Work, and establish their Freedom; and the Lovers of Liberty will flock from all Parts of Europe with their Fortunes to participate with us of that Freedom, as soon as Peace is restored. I am exceedingly pleas'd with your Account of the French Politeness and Civility, as it appeared among the Officers and People of their Fleet. They have certainly advanced in those Respects many degrees beyond the English. I VOL. VII-U L find them here a most amiable Nation to live with. The Spaniards are by common Opinion suppos'd to be cruel, the English proud, the Scotch insolent, the Dutch Avaricious, &c., but I think the French have no national Vice ascrib'd to them. They have some Frivolities, but they are harmless. To dress their Heads so that a Hat cannot be put on them, and then wear their Hats under their Arms, and to fill their Noses with Tobacco, may be called Follies, perhaps, but they are not Vices. They are only the effects of the tyranny of Custom. In short, there is nothing wanting in the Character of a Frenchman, that belongs to that of an agreable and worthy Man. There are only some Trifles surplus, or which might be spared. Will you permit me, while I do them this Justice, to hint a little Censure on our own Country People, which I do in Good will, wishing the Cause removed. You know the Necessity we are under of Supplies from Europe, and the Difficulty we have at present in making Returns. The Interest Bills would do a good deal towards purchasing Arms, Ammunition, Clothing, Sail-cloth, and other Necessaries for Defence. Upon Enquiry of those who present these Bills to me for Acceptance, what the Money is to be laid out in, I find that most of it is for Superfluities, and more than half of it for Tea. How unhappily in this Instance the Folly of our People, and the Avidity of our Merchants, concur to weaken and impoverish our Country. I formerly computed, that we consum❜d before the War, in that single Article, the value of £500,000 Sterling annually. Much of this was sav'd by stopping the Use of it. I honoured the virtuous Resolution of our Women in foregoing that little Gratification, and I lament that such Virtue should be of so short Duration. Five Hundred Thousand Pounds Sterling, annually laid out in defending ourselves, or annoying our Enemies, would have great Effects. With what Face can we ask Aids and Subsidies from our Friends, while we are wasting our own Wealth in such Prodigality? With great and sincere Esteem, I have the honour to be, dear Sir, &c. B. FRANKLIN. 994. FROM SAMUEL COOPER TO B. FRANKLIN (A. P. S.) Boston, 4th January, 1779. MY DEAR SIR, The Marquis de la Fayette will do me the Honour to be the Bearer of this Letter. This young Nobleman has done Honour to his Nation, as well as to himself, by the manner in which he has served these States. His Intrepidity and Alertness in the Field are highly distinguished. His Prudence and good Temper are equally remarkable. He is highly esteemed and beloved in Congress, in the army, and, thro' the States; and, tho' we are not without Parties, and his Situation has been sometimes very delicate, I have never heard that he has made a single enemy. He has gone thro' great Fatigues, he has faced uncommon Dangers, he has bled for our Country, and leaves it, as far as I am able to find, with universal applause. In short, his whole Conduct, both public and private, appears to me to have been most happily adapted to serve the great Purpose of the Alliance, and cement the two Nations. Justice obliges me to make this mention of one, who has done so much for our Country, as well as his own, and from whose acquaintance, with which he has honoured me, I have received the greatest Pleasure. His acquaintance with our military and political Affairs will enable him to give you many Details, which cannot easily be conveyed by Writing. You will hear, before this reaches you, of what has been done in this Quarter by the Armament under the orders of the Count d'Estaing. The abilities of this commander, his Bravery, and Zeal for our common cause, are indisputably great. No man could have done more in his Situation, than he has done. He was unfortunate in the Weather he met with, which greatly delayed his Passage to these Seas, gave an opportunity to the British Navy and Army to escape from Philadelphia, snatch'd a Victory from him off Rhode Island, and put his Fleet in such a condition, that he was indispensably |