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Ireland you will see has obtained all her demands triumphantly. I meet no one from that country who does not express some obligation to America for their success.

Before I received your just observations on the subject, I had obtained for the English ministers a resolution to exchange all our prisoners. They thought themselves obliged to have an act of parliament for authorising the king to do it. This war being different from others, as made by an act of parliament declaring us rebels, and our people being committed as for high treason. I empowered Mr. Hodgson, who was chairman of the committee that collected and dispensed the charitable subscription for the American prisoners, to treat and conclude on terms of their discharge, and having approved of the draft he sent me of the agreement, I hope the congress will see fit to order a punctual execution of it. I have long suffered with those poor brave men, who with so much public virtue have endured four or five years hard imprisonment, rather than serve against their country. I have done all I could afford towards making their situations more comfortable; but their numbers was so great, that I could do but little for each; and that very great villain defrauded them of between three and four hundred pounds, which he drew from me on their account. He lately wrote me a letter, in which he pretended he was coming to settle with me, and to convince me that I had been mistaken with regard to his conduct; but he never appeared, and I hear he is gone to America. Beware of him, for he is very artful, and has cheated many. I hear every day of new rogueries committed by him in England.

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The embassador from Sweden to this court applied to me lately, to know if I had powers that would authorise my making a treaty with his master, in behalf of the United States. Recollecting a general power that was formerly given to me with the other commissioners, I answered in the affirmative. He seemed much pleased, and said the king had directed him to ask the question, and had charged him to tell me, that, he had so great an esteem formed, that it would be a par

ticular satisfaction to him to leave such a transaction with me. I have perhaps some vanity in repeating this, but I think too that it is right that congress should know it, and judge if any use may be made of the reputation of a citizen for the public service. In case it should be thought fit to employ me in that business, it will be well to send a more particular power and proper instructions. The embassador added, that it was a pleasure to him to think, and he hoped it would be remembered, that Sweden was the first power in Europe which had voluntarily offered its friendship to the United States, without being solicited. This affair should be talked of as little as possible, till completed.

I enclose another complaint from Denmark, which I request you will lay before congress.

I am continually pestered with complaints from French seamen, who were with captain Conynham in his first cruize from Dunkirk, from others who were in the Lexington, the Alliance, &c. being put on board prizes that were re-taken, were never afterwards able to join their respective ships, and so have been deprived of the wages, &c. due to them. It is for our national honor that justice would be done them, if possible; and I wish you to procure an order from congress for inquiring into their demands, and satisfying such as shall be found just. It may be addressed to the consul.

I enclose a note from M. de Vergennes to me, accompanied by a memoire relating to a Swiss who died at Edenton. If you can procure the information desired, it will much oblige the French embassador in Switzerland.

I have made the addition you directed to the cypher. I rather prefer the old one of Dumas, perhaps because I am more used to it. I enclose several letters from that ancient and worthy servant of our country. He is now employed as secretary to Mr. Adams, and I must, from a long experience of his zeal and usefulness, beg leave to recommend him warmly to the consideration of congress with regard to his appointments, which have never been equal to his merit. As Mr. Adams writes me the good news,

that he shall no longer be obliged to draw on me, for his salary. I suppose it will be proper to direct his paying that which shall be allowed to M. Dumas.

Be pleased to present my duty to the congress, and believe me to be with great esteem and regard, &c.

B. FRANKLIN.

SIR,

Count de Vergennes to Dr. Franklin.

Versailles, April 23, 1782.

THE Baron de Blome has just sent me the annexed memorial, and the only use I can make of it is to communicate it to you, persuaded that you will forward it to congress.

I have the honor to be, &c.

DE VERGENNES.

Complaint from Denmark against an American privateer, called the

Henry.

NOTE.

THE court of Denmark has been informed that the ship Providence of Christiana in Norway, destined from London for St. Thomas's, a Danish island, with a cargo of divers merchandize, has been stopped in the latitude of Antigua by an American privateer called the Henry, captain Thomas Benson, and has been conducted into a port of New England, under the pretence that the cargo might be English property.

As this act is prejudicial to the credit, security, and liberty of the Danish flag; the underwritten has been charged by order of his court to communicate the same to his excellency the count de Vergennes, requesting that he will be pleased to effect, by his intervention, a prompt and entire restitution of the said vessel and cargo, with damages proportioned to the unjust detention; and that he will be kind enough at the same time, to endeavor to obtain thatprecise orders be given to the American privateers not to

trouble, in any wise the navigation and commerce of Denmark, but to respect its flag.

The court has the greater right to expect this compliance on the part of the Americans, as they continue to enjoy every liberty, and to find every assistance in its American islands, and they will always experience the same kind treatment on the part of Denmark, provided they correspond by proceedings equally amicable.

From the Count de Vergennes, transmitting a memoir from John James Vallier, a Swiss subject.

THE count de Vergennes has the honor to send to Mr. Franklin a memorial," which has been addressed to him by the king's embassador in Switzerland. He requests that he will inform him of whatever answer he may receive to it.

To Robert R. Livingston, Esq. Secretary for Foreign affairs. Passy, June 29, 1782.

SIR,

IN mine of the 25th inst. I omitted mentioning, that, at the repeated earnest instances of Mr. Laurens, who had given such expectations to the ministry of England, when his parole or securities were discharged, as that he could not think himself at liberty to act in public affairs till the parole of lord Cornwallis was absolved by me in exchange. I sent to that general the paper of which the enclosed is a copy; and I see by the English papers that his lordship immediately on the receipt of it has appeared at court, and has taken his seat in the house of peers, which he did not before think warrantable. My authority for doing this appeared questionable to myself, but Mr. Laurens judged it deducible from that respecting general Burgoyne, and, by

u This memorial from John James Vallier, a Swiss subject of the Canton of Soleure, bailiwic of Fleumenthal, that related to John Vallier, a younger bro ther, who died at Edenton, North Carolina, in the house of Mr. Francis la Fond, a Frenchman, from Bourdeaux. Its design appears meerly to ascertain the truth of his death.

U

his letters to me, seemed so unhappy till it was done that I ventured it, with a clause, however (as you will see) reserving to congress the approbation or disallowance of it.

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The enabling act is now said to be passed, but no copy of it is yet received here, so that as the bill first printed, has suffered alterations in passing through parliament, and we know not what they are, the treaty with us is not yet commenced. Mr. Grenville expects his courier in a few days, with the answer of his court to a paper given him on the part of this. That answer will probably afford us a clearer understanding of the intentions of the British ministry, which for some weeks past have appeared somewhat equivocal and uncertain. It looks as if since their late success in the West Indies, they a little repented of the advances they had made in their declarations respecting the acknowlegement of our independence; and we have pretty good information, that some of the ministry still flatter the king with the hope of recovering his sovereignty over us, on the same terms as are now making with Ireland. However willing we might have been, at the commencement of this contest, to have accepted such conditions, be assured that we can have no safety in them at present. The king hates us most cordially, and his character for falsehood and dissimulation is so thoroughly known, that none even of those who call themselves his friends, have any dependance on him. If he is once admitted to any degree of power or government among us, however limited, it will soon be extended by corruption, artifice, and force, till we are reduced to absolute subjection; and that the more easily, as by receiving him again for our king, we shall draw upon ourselves the contempt of all Europe, who now admire and respect us, and shall never again find a friend to assist us. There are, it is said, great divisions in the ministry on other points as well as this: and those who aim at engrossing the power, flatter the king with this project of re-union; and it is said have much reliance on the operation of private agents sent into America, to dispose minds there in favor of it, and to bring about a separate treaty there with general

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