ports would be prescribed, and the same duties must be paid upon removing goods, within or without those limits, as are now paid upon the imports and exports. Goods, however, might be brought into such free ports from abroad, and then landed and stored for a time, and then exported without paying duties; but whether this would be any great advantage to our trade, you are better judges than we. We should be glad of We should be glad of your advice upon this head, and if you think of any advantages of considerable moment that would arise, we shall be always ready to apply for such an appointment. We are sorry it is not in our power to give you any acceptable information respecting the article of the treaty which relates to the Barbary corsairs. All we can say is, that we have applied to the ministry upon this head some months ago, and received satisfactory expressions of the disposition of this government to do every thing which is stipulated in that article of the treaty. But some things remain to be determined by congress, to whom we have written upon the subject, and we must necessarily wait their instructions. There are two inquiries to be made, namely, - which of all the nations who now trade with France is the most favored, and what duties are paid by that nation? These duties, and these only, we suppose we are to pay, and as soon as circumstances will permit. (two of us having been for a fortnight very ill, and one of us continuing so,) we shall apply to the ministry for an éclaircissement upon this head, which we will endeavor to communicate to you as soon as we shall obtain it. We have received an answer to our last application for a convoy, from their Excellencies, Count de Vergennes and M. de Sartine; but the answers convinced us that M. de Sartine was under some misinformation or misunderstanding relative to the business, which obliged us to write again. As soon as we shall be honored with an answer, we will communicate the result of it to you. Meantime, we have the honor to be, with great respect, gen. tlemen, Your most obedient, humble servants, B. FRANKLIN, ARTHUR LEE, JOHN ADAMS. - то COUNT DE VERGENNES. Passy, 11 February, 1779. SIR, As your Excellency reads English perfectly well, my first request is, that you would do me the favor to read this, without a translation; after which, I submit it to your Excellency to make what use of it you shall think proper. I have hitherto avoided, in my single capacity, giving your Excellency any trouble by letter or conversation; but the present emergency demands that I should ask the favor to explain my sentiments, either by letter or in person; if you will permit a personal interview, I am persuaded I can make myself understood; if you prefer a correspondence, I will lay open my heart in writing before your Excellency. It is the address to the people in America, under the name of Mr. Silas Deane, that has occasioned this boldness in me. It is to me the most unexpected and unforeseen event that has happened. I hope your Excellency will not conclude from thence, that I despair of the commonwealth. Far otherwise. I know that the body of the people in the United States stand immovable against Great Britain; and I hope that this address of Mr. Deane, although it will occasion much trouble to individuals, will produce no final detriment to the common cause, but, on the contrary, that it will occasion so thorough an investigation of several things as will correct many abuses. It is my indispensable duty, upon this occasion, to inform your Excellency, without consulting either of my colleagues, that the Honorable Arthur Lee was, as long ago as 1770, appointed by the house of representatives of the Massachusetts Bay, of which I had then the honor to be a member, their agent at the Court of London, in case of the death or absence of Dr. Franklin. This honorable testimony was given to Mr. Lee by an assembly in which he had no natural interest, on account of his inflexible attachment to the American cause, and the abilities of which he had given many proofs in its defence. From that time to the year 1774, he held a constant correspondence with several of those gentlemen who stood foremost in the Massachusetts Bay against the innovations and illegal encroachments of Great Britain. This correspondence I had an opportunity of seeing; and I assure your Excellency, from my own knowledge, that it breathed the most inflexible attachment, and the most ardent zeal in the cause of his country. From September, 1774, to November, 1777, I had the honor to be in congress, and the opportunity to see his letters to congress, to their committees, and to several of their individual members. Through the whole of both these periods, he communicated the most constant and certain intelligence which was received from any individual within my knowledge; and since I have had the honor to be joined with him here, I have ever found in him the same fidelity and zeal, and have not a glimmering of suspicion that he ever maintained an improper correspondence in England, or held any conference or negotiation with anybody from thence, without communicating it to your Excellency and to his colleagues. I am confident, therefore, that every insinuation and suspicion against him of infidelity to the United States, or to their engagements with his Majesty, is false and groundless, and that they will assuredly be proved to be so. The two honorable brothers of Mr. Lee, who are members of congress, I have long and intimately known; and of my own knowledge I can say, that no men have discovered more zeal in support of the sovereignty of the United States, and in promoting, from the beginning, a friendship and alliance with France; and there is nothing of which I am more firmly persuaded, than that every insinuation that is thrown out to the disadvantage of the two Mr. Lees in congress is groundless. It would be too tedious to enter at present into a more particular consideration of that address; I shall, therefore, conclude this letter, already too long, by assuring your Excellency, that I am, with the most entire consideration, Your most obedient and most humble servant, JOHN ADAMS. COUNT DE VERGENNES TO JOHN ADAMS. A Versailles, le 13 Février, 1779. J'ai reçu, monsieur, la lettre que vous m'avez fait l'honneur de m'écrire, le 11 de ce mois, et conformément à vos désirs, je n'ai point appelé le secours d'un traducteur pour prendre connois. sance de son contenu. Je ne suis pas moins peiné que vous, monsieur, de l'appel au peuple d'Amérique que M. Silas Deane a publié. Il ne m'appartient pas de qualifier cette démarche; c'est à vos souverains respectifs d'en juger et de prononcer sur les différens qui peuvent s'être élevés entre messieurs leurs commissaires. La façon dont on vous a traités ici, ensemble et séparément, a dû vous convaincre, que si nous avons pu être instruits de vos contestations, nous n'y sommes entrés pour rien, et l'estime personelle que nous avons cherché à faire remarquer à chacun de messieurs les commissaires, fait preuve que nous n'avons point adopté les préventions qu'on semble vouloir inspirer à l'Amérique, et dont le fondement nous est inconnu ici; quoique cette désagréable discussion nous soit étrangère, et que nous devions à tous égards nous abstenir d'y entrer, je n'en serai pas moins charmé de vous voir, monsieur. Le jour qui vous conviendra sera le mien; je vous prie seulement de me prévenir à l'avance de celui que vous aurez choisi. J'ai l'honneur d'être, avec une véritable considération, monsieur, votre très humble et très obéissant serviteur, DE VERGENNES. TO THE COMMITTEE OF FOREIGN AFFAIRS. Passy, 13 February, 1779. GENTLEMEN,I had yesterday the honor of your favor of the 28th of October, inclosing a resolution of congress of the 22d of the same month, to which I shall give all the attention in my power. I have much satisfaction in the reflection that I have hitherto endeavored with much sincerity to conform to the spirit of it. What you recommend to me, namely, - to communicate to the ministers of other courts such intelligence as I may receive, will not in future be so much in my power; but as far as I can, while I stay in Europe, I shall endeavor to comply. Indeed, it is a long time that we have had no intelligence to communicate. Three vessels we know have been taken, each of which had many letters, and two of them public despatches; one that sailed from Philadelphia the 4th of November, another that sailed from the same port the 24th, 1 See the letter of the committee, page 60, of this volume, and the note. F and another that sailed from Boston on the 20th. These letters and despatches were all sunk, and we fear that others are lost. It would be agreeable to me, indeed, if I were able to throw any light on the subject of finances. As to a loan in Europe, all has been done that was in our power to this end, but without the desired effect. Taxation and economy comprehend all the resources that I can think of. We expect the honor of a visit from the Marquis de Lafayette this morning, whom we shall receive with gratitude for his gallant and glorious exertions in one of the best causes in which a hero ever fought. Be pleased to accept my thanks for your kind wishes for my happiness, and believe me to be your affectionate friend, JOHN ADAMS. TO M. DE SARTINE. Passy, 16 February, 1779. SIR, By the late appointment of a minister plenipotentiary at this court, I am left at liberty to return to my own country, as it does not appear that congress have any further service for me to do in Europe. I therefore wish to return as soon as possible. But the English have heard so much of me in times past, that I should be very loth to be exposed to their good-will. If it is in your Excellency's intention, therefore, to send any man-of-war to any part of the United States, I would ask the favor of a passage for myself, my little son, and a servant. I have the honor to be, with the highest consideration, &c. JOHN ADAMS. TO COUNT DE VERGENNES. Passy, 16 February, 1779. SIR, Last evening I had the honor of your letter of the 13th. of this month, in answer to mine of the 11th. I thank your Excellency for the politeness with which you have agreed to my proposition of a conference upon the subject of Mr. Deane's" Address to the People of the United States." At the time when my letter of the 11th was written and sent to your Excellency, there were three commissioners here, repre |