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mistaken intelligence, imagining he had a body of troops with him to make descents, have had all their northern coasts alarmed, and been put to very expensive movements of troops, &c. B. FRANKLIN.

TO DR. COOPER.

American Privateers.-Commodore Jones.-Rumour of

DEAR SIR,

Peace, &c.

Passy, Oct. 27, 1779.

It is a long time since I have had the pleasure of hearing from you. The intelligence you were used to favour me with, was often useful to our affairs. I hope I have not lost your friendship together with your correspondence. Our excellent Mr. Winthrop, I see, is gone. He was one of those old friends for the sake of whose society I wished to return and spend the small remnant of my days in New England. A few more such deaths will make me a stranger in my own country. The loss of friends is the tax a man pays for living long himself. I find it a heavy one.

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You will see by the newspapers that we have given some disturbance to the British coasts this year. One little privateer out of Dunkerque, the Black Prince, with a Congress commission, and a few Americans mixed with Irish and English smugglers, went round their islands and took 37 prizes in less than three months. The little squadron of Commodore Jones, under the same commissions and colours, has alarmed those coasts exceedingly, occasioned a good deal of internal expence, done great damage to their trade, and taken two frigates, with 400 prisoners. He is now with his principal prizes in Holland, where he is pretty well received, but must quit that

VOL. I.

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neutral country as soon as his damages are repaired. The English watch with a superior force, his coming out, but we hope he will manage so as to escape their vigilance. Few actions at sea have demonstrated such steady, cool determined bravery as that of Jones in taking the Serapis.

There has been much rumour this summer throughout Europe, of an approaching peace, through the mediation of Russia and Holland: but it is understood to arise from the invention of stock-jobbers and others interested in propagating such opinions. England seems not to be yet sufficiently humbled, to acknowledge the independence of the American States, or to treat with them on that footing and our friends will not make a peace on any other. So we shall probably see another campaign.

By the invoices I have seen and heard of, sent hither with Congress Interest Bills of Exchange to purchase the goods, it should seem that there is not so great a want of necessaries as of superfluities among our people. It is difficult to conceive that your distresses can be great, when one sees that much the greatest part of that money is lavished in modes, gewgaws, and tea! Is it impossible for us to become wiser, when by simple economy, and avoiding unnecessary expences, we might more than defray the charge of the war. We export solid provision of all kinds which is necessary for the sustenance of man, and we import fashions, luxuries, and trifles. Such trade may enrich the traders, but never the country.

The good will of all Europe to our cause, as being the cause of liberty, which is the cause of mankind, still continues, as does the universal wish to see the English pride humiliated, and their power curtailed. Those circumstances are encouraging, and give hopes of a happy issue.

Which may God grant, and that you, my friend, may live long a blessing to your country. I am, &c.

B. FRANKLIN."

TO JAMES LOVELL, ESQ."

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The Marquis de la Fayette.-State of Affairs in

DEAR SIR,

England, &c.

Passy, March 16, 1780.

The Marquis de la Fayette, our firm and constant friend, returning to America, I have written a long letter by him to the president, of which a copy goes by this ship. M. Gerard is since arrived, and I have received the dispatches you mentioned to me, but no letter in answer to mine, a very long one by the Chevalier de la Luzerne, nor any acknowledgment that it came to hand.

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By the many newspapers and pamphlets I send, you will see the present state of European affairs in general, Ireland continues to insist on complete liberty, and will probably obtain it. The meetings of counties in England, and the committees of correspondence they appoint, alarm a good deal the ministry, especially since it has been proposed to elect of each committee, a few persons to assemble in London, which, if carried into execution, will form a kind of congress, that will have more of the confidence and support of the people than the old parliament. If the nation is not too corrupt, as I rather think it is, some considerable reformation of internal abuses may be expected from this; with regard to us the only advantage to be reasonably expected from it is a peace, 'the general bent of the nation being for it. The success of admiral Rodney's fleet against our allies, has a little elated our enemies for the present, and probably they will not now think of proposing

it. If the approaching campaign, for which great prepara tions are making here, should end disadvantageously tó them, they will be more treatable, for their debts and taxes are daily becoming more burthensome, while their commerce the source of their wealth diminishes; and though they have flattered themselves with obtaining assistance from Russia, and other powers, it does not appear that they are likely to succeed; on the contrary, they are in danger of losing the neutrality of Holland.

Their conduct with regard to the exchange of prisoners, has been very unjust. After long suspense and affected delays, for the purpose of wearing out our poor people, they have finally refused to deliver us a man in exchange for those set at liberty by our cruisers on parole. A letter I send enclosed from captain Mitchel, will show the treatment of the late flags of truce from Boston. There is no gaining any thing upon these barbarians by advances of civility or humanity.

Enclosed I send for congress, the justification of this court against the accusation published in the late English memorials. With great esteem, &c.

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Confederacy of the neutral Powers.-Clinton's Letter.

(EXTRACT.)

DEAR SIR,

Passy, June 5, 1780.

A Dutch ship belonging to Messrs. Little, Dale, and Co. of Rotterdam, being brought into France as having an English cargo on board, I have followed your opinion with regard to the condemnation of the cargo, which I think the more right, as the English have in the West

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Indies confiscated several of our cargoes found in Dutch ships. But to show respect to the declaration of the em press of Russia, I have written to the owners of our pri vateers, a letter of which I enclose a copy, together with a copy of the judgment, for your use, if you hear of any complaint. I approve much of the principles of the con federacy of the neutral powers, and am not only for res specting the ships as the house of a friend, though containing the goods of an enemy, but I even wish for the sake of humanity, that the law of nations may be farther improved, by determining that even in time of war, all those kinds of people who are employed in procuring subsistence for the species, or in exchanging the necessaries or conveniencies of life, which is for the common benefit of mankind; such as husbandmen on their lands, fishermen in their barques, and traders in unarmed vessels, shall bet permitted to prosecute their several innocent and useful employments without interruption or molestation, and nothing taken from them, even when wanted by an enemy, but on paying a fair price for the same.

I think you have done well to print the letter of Clinton; for though I have myself had suspicions whether some parts of it were really written by him, yet I have no doubt of the facts stated, and think the piece valuable, as giving a true account of the state of British and American affairs in that quarter. On the whole, it has the appearance of a letter written by a general who did not approve of the expedition he, was sent upon, who had no opinion of the judgment of those who drew up his instructions,-who had observed that preceding commanders, Gage, Burgoyne, Keppel, and the Howes, had all been censured by the ministers for having unsuccessfully attempted to execute injudicious instruc

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