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rica 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.

In another part of the preceding letter to the Hon. Rob. R. Livingston, Dr. Franklin thus notices the commencement of the negotiation ordered by congress to be opened with the court of Sweden.

"As soon as I received the commission and instructions for treating with Sweden, I waited on its ambassador here, who told me he daily expected a courier on that subject. Yesterday he wrote a note to acquaint me, that he would call on me to-day, having something to communicate. Being obliged to go to Paris, I waited on him, when he showed me the full powers he had just received, and I showed him mine. We agreed to meet on Wednesday next, exchange copies, and proceed to business. His commission has some polite expressions in it; viz. 'That his Majesty thought it for the good of his subjects to enter into a treaty of amity and commerce with the United States of America, who had established their independence, so justly merited by their courage and constancy;' or to that effect. I imagine this treaty will soon be completed."

This actually took place about four months afterwards, (April 3d, 1783,) when a treaty of amity and commerce between the United States of America and Sweden, was concluded and signed by the respective plenipotentiaries, Dr. Franklin and the Count de Krutz.

Not long after this transaction, Dr. Franklin received the following letter from the Swedish chargé d'affaires, afterwards ambassador at the court of France, (Baron de Staël) announcing the reception from his court of the ratification of the treaty, and renewing the request made by the late ambassador, Count de Krutz, (intended no doubt as a compliment to Dr. Franklin,) relative to Mr. Franklin being appointed by congress resident minister at the court of Sweden, where the Count then held the situation of prime minister.

A SON EXCELLENCE M. FRANKLIN. MONSIEUR, Paris, le 13 Juin, 1783.

Je viens de recevoir la ratification de sa Majesté, du traité de commerce conclu avec les Etats Unis; laquelle j'aurai l'honneur de vous remettre aussitôt qu'elle pourra être échangée contre celle du congrès.

Permettez, Monsieur, que je vous repète à cette occasion, la demande que Mons. l'ambassadeur (le Comte de Krutz) vous a faite, au sujet de Monsieur Franklin, votre petit-fils. Il a eu l'honneur de vous dire, que le Roi verroit avec plaisir résider

auprès de lui, en qualité de ministre du congrès, une personne qui porte votre nom; et y joint des qualités aussi estimables que le jeune M. Franklin. Avant de partir,* il m'a chargé de vous répéter la même assurance; et vous me permettrez d'y ajouter les vœux que je fais en mon particulier, pour la réussite de cette affaire.

J'ai l'honneur d'être avec l'estime et l'attachement les plus parfaits et inviolables, Monsieur, &c. (* de Paris.) LE BARON DE STAEL.

Dr. Franklin shortly after communicated this request to the American secretary for foreign affairs (R. R. Livingston, Esq.) in his official dispatch of the 22d July, 1783, as follows:

"You mention that an entire new arrange ment with respect to foreign affairs, is under consideration. I wish to know, whether any notice is likely to be taken in it of my grandson. He has now gone through an apprenticeship of near seven years in the ministerial business, and is very capable of serving the States in that line, as possessing all the requisites of knowledge, zeal, activity, language, and address. He is well liked here, and Count de Vergennes has expressed to me in warm terms his very good opinion of him. The late Swedish ambassador, Count de Krutz, who is gone home to be prime minister, desired I would endeavor to procure his being sent to Sweden with a

public character, assuring me that he should be glad to receive him there as our minister, and that he knew it would be pleasing to the king. The present Swedish ambassador has also proposed the same thing to me, as you will see by a letter of his, which I enclose. One of the Danish ministers, Mr. Waltersdorff, who will probably be sent in a public character to congress, has also expressed his wish that my grandson may be sent to Denmark. But it is not my custom to solicit employments for myself or any of my family, and I shall not do it in this case. I only hope, that if he is not employed in your new arrangement, I may be informed of it as soon as possible; that while I have strength left for it, I may accompany him in a tour to Italy, returning through Germany, which I think he may make to more advantage with me than alone, and which I have long promised to afford him, as a reward for his faithful service, and his tender filial attachment to me."

These intimations from foreign courts, and this honorable and satisfactory testimony from one who had rendered the most eminent services to his country, were unnoticed by the American government; they are, however, no mean consolation to the object of them.

Shortly after signing the preliminary articles of peace with Great Britain, Mr. Oswald's functions ceased; and a change in administration taking place, David Hartley, Esq. was appointed minister

plenipotentiary, and repaired to Paris, invested, as expressed in his commission, with full powers there to meet and confer with the ministers of the United States of America, duly authorised, for the purpose of perfecting and establishing the peace, friendship, and good understanding so happily commenced; and for opening, promoting, and rendering perpetual, the mutual intercourse of trade and commerce between the British dominions and the United States of America.

Several private communications had taken place relative to these objects, between Dr. Franklin and Mr. Hartley, previous to the latter receiving his appointment; these, together with the subsequent propositions and various transactions that occur, red, after the respective plenipotentiaries had exchanged their full powers, will be seen in that Part of the PRIVATE COrrespondenCE allotted to the negotiations in general. Those with Mr. Hartley proceeded very slowly, owing principally to his conceiving it necessary to send every proposition, either of his own or the American minister's, to his court for their approbation, and their delay in answering. Eventually, the English ministry would not agree to any of the propositions that had been made on either side; and sent over a project for the definitive treaty, consisting merely of the preliminaries formerly signed, with a short introductory paragraph, and an article at the conclusion, confirming and ratifying the said articles.