ministers may seem best. Be it as it may, I beg you to accept this line as a testimony of the sincere esteem and respect with which, &c. B. FRANKLIN." Friday, 28th June, M. de Rayneval called on me, and acquainted me that the ministers had received intelligence from England, that besides the orders given to General Carleton, to propose terms of re-union to America, artful emissariesy were sent over to go through the country and stir up the people to call on the Congress to accept those terms, they being similar to those settling with Ireland. That it would therefore be well for Mr. Jay and me to unite and caution Congress against these practices. He said M. de Vergennes wished to know what I had written respecting the negociation, as it would be well for us to hold pretty near the same language. I told him I did not apprehend the least danger that such emissaries would meet with success, or that the Congress would make any ⚫ treaty with General Carleton; that I would, however, write as he desired, and Mr. Jay coming in promised the same. He said the courier would go to-morrow. I accordingly wrote the following letter to Mr. Secretary Livingston. M. de Rayneval (who is secretary to the council of state) calling again in the evening, I gave him copies of the three preceding letters to peruse and shew to M. de Vergennes, to convince him we had no underhand dealings there. I own I had at the same time another view in it, which was that they should see I had been ordered to demand further aids, and had forborne to make the demands, with my reasons, hoping that if they possibly could help us to some money, they might be induced to do it. I had y It appears from the journal of Mr. Jay, that the afterwards much celebrated Sir William Jones, was considered as engaged by the British government to proceed to America, for the purposes here expressed; and had proceeded on his way to Paris, where he tarried a short time; but was recalled and the project abandoned. PHIL. EDITOR, z This paper does not appear. never made any visit to the count d'Aranda, the Spanish ambassador, for reasons before mentioned. M. de Rayneval told Mr. Jay and me this morning, that it would be well for us to wait on him; and he had authority to assure us we should be well received. We accordingly concluded to wait on his excellency the next morning. Saturday, June 29th. We went together to the Spanish ambassadors, who received us with great civility and politeness. He spoke with Mr. Jay on the subject of the treaty they were to make together, and mentioned, in general, as a principle, that the two powers should consider each other's conveniency, and accommodate and compensate each other as well as they could. That an exact compensation might perhaps not be possible; but should be approached as nearly as the nature of things would admit. Thus, says he, ‘if there is a certain thing which would be convenient to each of us, but more convenient to one than to the other, it should be given to the one to whom it would be the most convenient, and compensation be made by giving another thing to the other for the same reason.' I suppose he had in view something relating to boundaries or territories, because he added, we will sit down together with maps in our hands, and by that means shall see our way more clearly.' I learnt from him, that the expedition against Providence had failed, but no advice was yet received of its success. At our going out he took pains himself to open the folding doors for us, which is a high compliment here, and told us he would return our visit (rendre son devoir) and then fix a day with us for dining with him. I dined with Mr. Jay and a company of Americans at his lodgings, Sunday, July 1. Mr. Grenville called on me. [End of Dr. Franklin's journal.] NOTES BY THE EDITOR. NO part of the diplomatic correspondence contained in this volume, has been before published. The first part of the correspondence, beginning with page 1, and ending with page 202; and the journal of Dr. Franklin from page 202 to page 303, have been derived from two different sources, and the copies compared word for word with each other. The illness of Dr. Franklin, noticed in page 298, under date 18th and 20th June, and in the subsequent correspondence, closed his journal on the first of July 1782. Mr. Adams and Mr. Jay had previously arrived, and in time to share in the arduous and momentous duties of the mission; each continued a journal down to the establishment of the peace of 1783. As the journals - of these respectable citizens, do not properly belong to the works of Dr. Franklin, however closely interwoven with the history of the sage, and the great events in which they were concerned, they are omitted here; but are both in the possession of the Editor, and will at a day not very remote be offered along with other important historical matter to the public. That part of the diplomatic correspondence which follows, is derived from a third source, unconnected with the two preceding, but no less obviously authentic. Many of the articles of the correspondence may not possess intrinsic importance; but connected with the history of the events to which they appertain, they fix dates, unfold the true features of events as they arose, and throw the best lights on the characters of the actors, and display the spirit with which the delegates of a new nation conducted themselves among the courts and courtiers of Europe. A few articles, are necessarily introduced, which illustrate cotemporaneous events and correspondence. The passport to captain Cook on his tour of circumnavigation, from its original character, and the eclat which it produced for America in Europe, merits publication, and properly belongs to the diplomatic period. In like manner the article on paper credit, which was written, printed, and circulated at Paris, belongs to the same period. The effort of Dr. Jebb to bring about a federal union with Great Britain in 1780, is also remarkable and curious, and it is printed from the original, which is in the Philadelphia editor's possession. A few other smaller articles, as some letters of Mr. Adams, one of capt. J. Paul Jones, and one or two of W. T. Franklin, throw some beams of light on other parts of the correspondence, and on the history for which this volume furnishes for the first time important and authentic materials. I RECEIVED yours of the 10th instant. I shall be glad to learn how the taking of the Dutch ships has been accommodated. We have yet no news of the Alliance; but suppose she is cruizing. We are more in pain for the Confederacy, which sailed the 28th October from the Capes of Delaware. There is some hope that she went to Charleston to take in Mr. Laurens; for some passengers arrived in France who left Philadelphia several weeks after her sailing, say, that it was a general opinion she would call there before she departed for Europe. If this was not the case, we fear she must be lost, and the loss will be a very severe one. I send you inclosed a translation of a letter, that I think I sent you the original of before. Perhaps it may serve our Leyden friend. I am sorry you have any difference with the ambassador, and wish you to accommodate it as soon as possible. Depend upon it that no one ever knew from me that you had spoken or written against any person. There is one concerning whom I think you sometimes receive erroneous information. In one particular, I know you were misinformed, that of his selling us arms at an enormous profit, the truth is we never bought any of him. I am ever with great esteem, dear Sir, B. FRANKLIN. To the Same. DEAR SIR, Passy, March 29, 1780. IT is some time since I have written to you, having nothing material to communicate: but I received duly your several letters of Feb. 1, 18, 25; March 2, 11, 13, 17, and 23, and thank you for the intelligence they contain. The last this minute come to hand, and I shall answer it separately. I pray you to assure M F L X O P B NL Z P AAPC of my respect, and that it was only on one packet for him that I put my name, when I thought to have sent it by a friend. The baseness of the post-office in opening it, surprises me. No other letter for him has since past through my hands. If any others come to me for him, I shall send them under cover to you. The suite you mentioned is not a North American, but a West Indian; i. e. a native of one of the English sugar islands. 17 is not 21 of 196. X. P. acts only for 824 Ca. I forwarded your letter to captain Jones. I do not know which of his English pilots it was that is mentioned in yours to the 647. I know he has been generous to an excess with them. Explain to me, if you please, the fact that is the subject of that letter, and who Mr. Gordon is. I am curious to know what the States will do about the confiscation of the goods taken in Byland's convoy. I received your large packets. That for captain Jones shall be carefully sent him. I thank you for the philosophical pieces, which I will read attentively as soon as I have a little time. The original acts of confederation are very curious, and will be acceptable to congress. Please to present my thanks to Mr. Enschédé for his curious specimen of characters; and request him to send me the price of the following articles by the pound weight, and what is the proportion between the Holland and the English pound weight. Nonparel (Fr. Mignonne) Romein and Curef. Caractere de Finance. Debbelde Descendiaan Geschreeven Schrift. Descendiaan Duits, No. I. Garmont Duits.-Brevier Duits. |