Hands of that Evil by predicting it in Congress, and proposing Means, that would have been effectual to prevent it if they had been adopted. Subsequent Operations that I have executed, demonstrate that my Plan was practicable. But it was unfortunately rejected. Considering all our Mistakes and Mismanagements, it is wonderful we have finished our Affair so well, and so soon. Indeed, I am wrong in using that Expression, We have finish'd our Affairs so well. Our Blunders have been many, and they serve to manifest the Hand of Providence more clearly in our Favour; so that we may much more properly say, These are thy Doings, O Lord, and they are marvellous in our Eyes.

Mr. Storer, whom you recommended to me is now in England. He needed none of the Advice you desired me to give him. His Behaviour here was unexceptionable, and he gained the Esteem of all that knew him.

The epitaph on my dear and much esteemed young Friend,' is too well written to be capable of Improvement by any Corrections of mine. Your Moderation appears in it, since the natural affection of a Parent has not induced you to exaggerate his Virtues. I shall always mourn his Loss with you; a Loss not easily made up to his Country.

How differently constituted was his noble and generous Mind from that of the miserable Calumniators you mention! Having Plenty of Merit in himself, he was not jealous of the Appearance of Merit in others, but did Justice to their Characters with as much Pleasure as these People do Injury. It is now near two Years since your Friendship induced you to acquaint me with some of their Accusations. I guess'd easily at the Quarter from whence they came; but, conscious of my 1 Josiah Quincy, Junior. — ED.

Innocence, and unwilling to disturb public Operations by private Resentments or Contentions, I pass'd them over in Silence; and have not, till within these few days, taken the least Step towards my Vindication. Inform'd that the Practice of abusing me continues, and that some heavy Charges are lately made against me respecting my Conduct in the Treaty, written from Paris and propagated among you, I have demanded of all my Colleagues that they do me Justice, and I have no doubt of receiving it from each of them. I did not think it necessary to justify myself to you, by answering the Calumnies you mentioned. I knew you did not believe them. It was improbable, that I should at this Distance combine with anybody to urge the Redemption of the Paper on those unjust Terms, having no Interest in such Redemption. It was impossible, that I should have traded with the Public Money, since I had not traded with any Money, either separately or jointly with any other Person, directly or indirectly, to the Value of a Shilling since my being in France. And the Fishery, which it was said I had relinquished, had not then come in question, nor had I ever dropt a Syllable to that purpose in word or writing; but was always firm in this Principle, that, having had a common Right with the English to the Fisheries while connected with that Nation, and having contributed equally with our Blood and Treasure in conquering what had been gained from the French, we had an undoubted Right on breaking up our Partnership, to a fair Division. As to the two Charges of Age and Weakness, I must confess the first, but I am not quite so clear in the latter; and perhaps my Adversaries may find that they presum'd a little too much upon it, when they ventur'd to attack me.

But enough of these petty Personalities. I quit them to

rejoice with you, in the PEACE God has blest us with, and in the Prosperity it gives us a prospect of. The Definitive Treaty was signed the third instant. We are now Friends with England and with all Mankind. May we never see another War! for in my opinion there never was a good War, or a bad Peace. Adieu, believe me ever, my dear Friend, yours most affectionately,

SIR,

B. FRANKLIN.

1440. TO ELIAS BOUDINOT

(L. C.)

Passy, Sept 13, 1783.

I received, a few Days since, the private Letter your Excellency did me the honour of writing to me of the 8th of June. I regret with with you the Resignation of the late Secretary. Your present Cares are encreas'd by it, and it will be difficult to find a Successor of equal Abilities.

We found no difficulty in decyphering the Resolution of Congress. The Commissioners have taken no Notice of it in our public Letter.

I am happy that both the Device and Workmanship of the Medal are approoved with you, as they have the good Fortune to be by the best Judges on this Side the Water. It has been esteemed a well-tim'd, as well as a well-merited Compliment here, and has had good Effects. Since the two first which you mention as receiv'd, I have sent by different Opportunities so many, as that every Member of Congress might have one. I hope they are come safe to hand before this time. I wrote a long Letter to Mr. Livingston by Mr. Barney, to which I beg leave to refer, inclosing a Copy.

We had, before signing the Definitive Treaty, receiv'd the Ratification of the preliminary Articles by his Britannic Majesty, exchang'd with us by Mr. Hartley for that of the Congress. I send herewith a Copy of the first and last Clauses.

In a former Letter, I mentioned the volunteer Proceedings of a Merchant at Alicant, towards obtaining a Treaty between us and the Emperor of Morocco. We have since receiv'd a Letter from a Person who says, as you will see by the Copy enclos'd, that he is sent by the Emperor to be the Bearer of his Answer to the United States, and that he is arriv'd in Spain on his way to Paris. He has not yet appear'd here, and we hardly know what Answer to give him. I hope the sending a Minister to that Court, as recommended in my last, has been taken into Consideration, or at least that some Instructions respecting that Nation have been sent to your Minister in Spain, who is better situated than we are for such a Negotiation.

The Minister from Denmark often speaks to me about the propos'd Treaty, of which a Copy went by Barney. No Commission to sign it, nor any Instructions from Congress relating to it, are yet arriv'd; and, tho' press'd, I have not ventur'd to do any thing further in the Affair.

I forward herewith a Letter to the Congress from the City of Hamburgh. I understand that a good Disposition towards us prevails there, which it may be well to encourage.

No answer has yet been given me from the Court of Portugal, respecting the Plan of a Treaty concerted between its Ambassador here and me. He has been unwell and much in the Country, so that I have not seen him lately. I suspect

1 Giacomo Crocco. - ED.

* See "Diplomatic Correspondence" (Sparks), Vol. IV, p. 88. — ED.

VOL. IX-H

that the false or exaggerated Reports of the distracted Situation of our Government, industriously propagated thro'out Europe by our Enemies, have made an Impression in that Kingdom to our Disadvantage, and inclin'd them to hesitate in forming a connection with us. Questions asked me, and Observations made by several of the foreign Ministers here, convince me, that the idle Stories of our Disunion, Contempt of Authority, Refusal to pay Taxes, &c.; have been too much credited, and been very injurious to our Reputation.

I sent before a Copy of the Letter I wrote to the Grand Master of Malta,' with a present of our Medal. With this you will have a Copy of his Answer. I send also a Copy of a Note I received from the Pope's Nuncio. He is very civil on all Occasions, and has mention'd the Possibility of an advantageous Trade America might have with the Ecclesiastical State, which he says has two good Ports, Civita Vecchia, and

3

This Court continues favourable to us. Count de Vergennes was resolute in refusing to sign the Definitive Treaty with England before ours was signed. The English Ministers were offended, but comply'd. I am convinc'd that Court will never cease endeavouring to disunite us. We shall, I hope, be constantly on our Guard against those Machinations; for our Safety consists in a steady adherence to our Friends, and our Reputation in a faithful Regard to Treaties, and in a grateful Conduct towards our Benefactors.

I send herewith sundry Memorials recommended to my

1 See letter dated April 6, 1783. — ED.

2 For the reply of the Pope's Nuncio, July 28, 1783 (D. S. W.), see "Diplomatic Correspondence" (Wharton), Vol. VI, p. 614. — ED.