obliged to leave that Place at a critical Time, which occasioned reflections from some, that were unmerited. He bore all with a manly Patience and uncommon Prudence. I admired his Firmness, Silence, and Condescension. He relyed on the Proofs he had given of attachment to our Cause, and of the Capacity and undauntedness with which he had prosecuted the Service upon which he was sent.

The account he gave of the Reasons for coming to Boston with his Fleet, before the Council of this State, not only satisfied that Body, but gave them a high Idea of his Merits as a Commander. The Prejudices of a few soon vanished, which had been raised by an honest but indiscreet Warmth in some officers employed in the Expedition against Rhode Island. His officers imitated their commander in preserving the best order thro' the Fleet during their Residence here; everybody admired the peaceable, inoffensive, courteous Behaviour of such a number of men, and the Count left us on the 4th of November last, with the strongest Impressions of Esteem and Affection for him, of the Friendship of his Court and Nation for us, and of the superior order and civility prevailing in the French Forces. He is gone, it is conjectur'd (for no-Body pretends to know), for the West Indies. We hope, if the War continues, to see him in the Spring, and that Canada will be wrested from the British Power. This may easily be done by a joint Invasion by Sea and Land, provided our Finances will allow us to support an army; but the Depreciation of our Money is so great, that I fear our Inability to do this, unless we have assistance and can procure Loans from abroad. If such a Plan of Operation is adopted, France must give us the most unequivocal assurances, that she means not to resume the Government of Canada, but to incorporate it with the United States. This is her true Interest, and is so agreeable to the Principles and Basis of the alliance, that I have not the least doubt she intends it, and it will only be needful to make known her Intentions in the most explicit manner, at least to us.

It gives me great Pleasure to hear of the continuance of your Health and Vivacity. Though it is long since I have had the Pleasure of a Line from you, I am sure you do not forget one, who is, with the greatest Respect and the warmest Friendship, ever your's,

SAMUEL COOPER.

995. TO SAMUEL COOPER

MY DEAR FRIEND,

(L. C.)

Passy, April 22, 1779.

I received your valuable Letter by the Marquis de la Fayette, and another by Mr. Bradford. I can only write

a few Words in answer to the latter, the former not being at hand. The Depreciation of our Money must, as you observe, greatly affect Salary Men, Widows, and Orphans.1 Methinks this Evil deserves the attention of the several Legislatures, and ought, if possible, to be remedied by some equitable law, particularly adapted to their Circumstances. I took all the Pains I could in Congress to prevent the Depreciation, by proposing first, that the Bills should bear Interest; this was rejected, and they were struck as you see them. Secondly, after the first Emission, I proposed that we should stop, strike no more, but borrow on Interest those we had issued. This was not then approved of, and more Bills were issued. When, from the too great Quantity, they began to depreciate, we agreed to borrow on Interest; and I propos'd, that, in order to fix the Value of the Principal, the Interest should be promised in hard Dollars. This was objected to as impracticable; but I still continue of Opinion, that, by sending out Cargoes to purchase it, we might have brought in Money sufficient for that purpose, as we brought in powder, &c. &c.; and that, tho' this Operation might have been attended with disadvantage, the Loss would have been a less Mischief than any Measure attending the Discredit of the Bills, which threatens to take out of our Hands the great Instrument of our Defence.

The Congress did at last come into the Proposal of paying the Interest in real Money. But when the whole Mass of the Currency was under Way in Depreciation, the Momentum of its Descent was too great to be stopt by a Power, that might at first have been sufficient to prevent the Beginning of the Motion. The only Remedy now seems to be a 1 Salt sold in April, 1779, for £7 10s. a bushel. - ED.

Diminution of the Quantity by a vigourous Taxation, of great nominal Sums, which the People are more able to pay, in proportion to the Quantity and diminished Value; and the only Consolation under the Evil is, that the Publick Debt is proportionably diminish'd with the Depreciation; and this by a kind of imperceptible Tax, every one having paid a Part of it in the Fall of Value that took place between his receiving and Paying such Sums as pass'd thro' his hands. For it should always be remembered, that the original Intention was to sink the Bills by Taxes, which would as effectually extinguish the Debt as an actual Redemption.

This Effect of Paper Currency is not understood on this Side the Water. And indeed the whole is a Mystery even to the Politicians, how we have been able to continue a War four years without Money, and how we could pay with Paper, that had no previously fix'd Fund appropriated specifically to redeem it. This Currency, as we manage it, is a wonderful Machine. It performs its Office when we issue it; it pays and clothes Troops, and provides Victuals and Ammunition; and when we are obliged to issue a Quantity excessive, it pays itself off by Depreciation.

Our Affairs in general stand in a fair Light thro'out Europe. Our Cause is universally approved. Our Constitutions of Government have been translated and printed in most Languages, and are so much admired for the Spirit of Liberty that reigns in them, that it is generally agreed we shall have a vast accession of People of Property after the War, from every Part of this Continent, as well as from the British Islands. We have only to persevere to be great and happy. With the sincerest esteem, I am ever, Dear Friend Yours most affectionately

B. FRANKLIN.

996. TO JOHN ADAMS

(M. H. S.)

Passy, April 24, 1779

SIR, By the enclosed Letter from M. de Sartine expressing his Majesty's Desire that the Alliance should be retained here a little longer, you will see that I am under a kind of Necessity of disappointing you in your Intentions of making your Passage in that Vessel, which would be more unpleasing to me but for these Considerations, that possibly it may be safer for you to go in a Ship where the Crew, not being so mixed, can be better depended on, where you will not be so incommoded by the Misunderstandings subsisting between the Officers and their Capt. and where you will have the Society of the French Ambassador, M. le Chevalier de la Luzerne, who appears to me a most amiable Man, and of very sensible & pleasing Conversation. I hope this will in some Measure compensate for the Inconvenience of shifting your Stores from one Ship to the other. And as I shall order the Alliance to L'Orient, where the King's Frigate is that carries the Ambassador, the Removal of your Things from one Ship to the other will be more easy; you can even go thither in the Alliance if you chuse it. The Ships in the American Trade which were at Nantes when I offer'd them the Convoy of the Alliance having declined that offer and sailed, as I understand, under another and perhaps safer Convoy, makes her immediate Departure for America less necessary, and perhaps she may now make a Cruize in these Seas, for which I understand she will have time; and which will be probably more advantageous,

and therefore more satisfactory, to her People than a direct Return. I hope she may procure us some more Prisoners to exchange the Rest of our Countrymen, and at the same time reimburse us the Charges of her Refitting, which you know we stand much in need of. M. Dumas writes me from the Hague of the 19th: "Je sçais depuis hier de bonne part, que l'Espagne s'est enfin declarée. Cela fera un bon effet ici & partout." I hope his Intelligence is good, but nothing of it has yet transpired here.

Enclosed I send you a Cover which I have just received from Martinique, directed to me, but containing only a Letter for you. The Cover being unskilfully seal'd over, the Seal of your Letter was so attached to it that I had like to have broke open the one in opening the other. I send you also another Letter which came from Spain.

I am obliged for your Offer of taking Charge of my Dispatches for America. I shall send them down to you by M. De la Luzerne, who is to set off in a few Days.

With great Esteem, I have the honour to be, etc.,

B. FRANKLIN.

997. TO JOHN PAUL JONES (D. S. W.) Passy, April 27, 1779.

DEAR SIR,

I have at the Request of M. de Sartine, postponed the sending the Alliance to America and have ordered her to proceed immediately from Nantes to L'Orient, where she is to be furnished with her Complement of Men, join your little Squadron, and act under your Command.

The Marquis De la Fayette will be with you soon. It