The Diplomatic Correspondence of the American Revolution Volume XI Part 6

I have the honor to be, &c.

ROBERT R. LIVINGSTON.

TO ROBERT R. LIVINGSTON.

Translation.

Philadelphia, January 20th, 1782.

Sir,

I thank you for communicating to me Mr Deane's two letters. I shall transmit them to my Court. I am not at present, sending any express to the Chesapeake, but I shall probably send one as soon as I shall have received the letters, which should have been brought by the Sybil. It is still possible that the Hermione may be charged with them.

I proposed to have the honor, at the first opportunity, of conversing with you upon a circ.u.mstance, which it is desirable that Congress should alter. In the State of Ma.s.sachusetts there is no Marshal of the Court of Admiralty. The custom in that State is, to put into the hands of the agent of the _libellant_ the effects _libelled_, and the proceeds of their sale, if it has taken place. This practice has already been attended with great inconveniences, as it respects French merchants, and particularly as it respects a Spanish vessel, the owners of which, it is thought, have lost from twentyfive to thirty thousand pounds sterling, merely because the contested property had not been put into the hands of a responsible public officer. You will be better able, Sir, than I am, to judge by what means these inconveniences may be remedied.

I have the honor to be, &c.

LUZERNE.

ROBERT R. LIVINGSTON TO M. DE LA LUZERNE.

Office of Foreign Affairs, January 24th, 1782.

Sir,

Reflecting that our not communicating the resolutions of the 22d to you, when we send them to Dr Franklin, might appear to the Count de Vergennes to betray a want of confidence in you, which I am persuaded Congress do not entertain, I am led to consider my not having received instructions to communicate them as a mere accidental omission, and accordingly take upon me to enclose a copy of them. You will, I presume, put them in cypher before they are sent off. To give you leisure to do it, I have not sent them to your house, but have ordered my servant to find you at the a.s.sembly.

I have the honor to be, &c.

ROBERT R. LIVINGSTON.

TO ROBERT R. LIVINGSTON.

Translation.

Philadelphia, January 25th, 1782.

Sir,

I have the honor of sending back the resolution of Congress of the 22d instant, and of thanking you for this communication. The letters which I have had to write to France, in answer to those which I received by the Sibyl, being now finished, I shall have the honor of communicating to you, before the end of the week, the news which I have received.

I have the honor to be, &c.

LUZERNE.

TO THE PRESIDENT OF CONGRESS.

Translation.

Philadelphia, January 28th, 1782.

Sir,

The undersigned, Minister Plenipotentiary of France to the United States, has the honor of informing Congress that a great part of the loan of ten millions of livres tournois, opened in Holland on account of the United States, was taken up in October last, and that the interest on it has been fixed at 4 per centum. It is now proper that Congress should be pleased to send to Mr Franklin, the instructions and the authority necessary for performing the acts required to bind the United States, in their engagements with his Majesty on account of this loan, as well as of the interest and expenses which it has occasioned. The undersigned has informed the Superintendent of the Finances, that after deducting the money advanced by his Majesty for this loan, there would remain about four millions of livres, at the disposal of the United States when the loan is entirely taken up.

LUZERNE.

THE SECRETARY OF FOREIGN AFFAIRS TO THE PRESIDENT OF CONGRESS.

Philadelphia, January 29th, 1782.

Sir,

The Minister of France informed me, that he was desirous of making some communications from letters received by the Sibyl. Ten o'clock this day was appointed to receive them. He accordingly came, and read to me pa.s.sages of a letter of Count de Vergennes to him, dated October 17th, 1781, which contained in substance,

That France wished (as was evident, from her going into the war on our account) to obtain every advantage for us. That powers at war must often be governed by circ.u.mstances. That if events would enable her to command them, we might depend on everything she could obtain. That her political system depended not only on America, but on the other powers at war. That if France should continue hostilities merely on account of America, after reasonable terms were offered, it was impossible to say what the event might be. That his Majesty was, however, at all events, determined to adhere to the true principles of the alliance, and would farther endeavor to obtain for us whatever we demanded, as far as events would justify.

He observed, that people in America appeared to be greatly deceived with respect to the disposition of the belligerent and mediating powers, and to imagine that all were anxious for a peace; that this was so far from being the case, that Great Britain had not yet returned any answer to the overtures of the Imperial Courts, nor had any reply been made by the latter to the answer given them by France, from which delay it might be easily imagined peace was far distant.

That from the present situation of Spain, there was strong reason to suppose she could not spare us any money, her own operations requiring all she had. That he hoped France would not be called upon to make up her deficiencies, as they were in no situation to make new grants.

Besides, that in order to rid us of our embarra.s.sments, they had already made efforts in our behalf, which they had reason to believe exceeded our expectations, and that what they had done for America this year, ent.i.tled them to an exemption from further demands.

In a letter of October 20th, 1781, from the Count de Vergennes to the Minister of France, it is observed, that the United Provinces would not embarra.s.s themselves at present by an alliance with us; that in this they will follow the example of Spain; that, however, it will be prudent to keep an agent in Holland, and direct him to advise constantly with Dr Franklin, that we may observe some consistency in our politics. That he fears America founds hopes on the aid of Russia; that nothing can be more groundless; that though he believes she is not averse to the independence of America, yet we ought not to expect that she will move a step in our favor; that she has no particular interest in terminating the war; that as she means to a.s.sume the character of a mediator, she must preserve that of justice and impartiality; that nothing, therefore, can extort from her measures that are favorable to us, but a conviction, that we cannot be brought back to the dominion of Great Britain. That this should lead us to think (a sentiment which he desires the Minister to inculcate) that our success depends upon our exertions, and upon our relinquis.h.i.+ng the inactivity into which false hopes, excited by success, do sometimes plunge us.

He repeated, that France could lend us no more money; that the ten millions borrowed upon our account in Holland, were greatly sunk by advances made in France; that no bills would be paid in France, which the Minister did not authorise us to draw; that he hoped our officers would have too much prudence to risk the credit of the United States by drawing; that the negotiations are still inactive, and will remain so, till events oblige one or other of the parties to sue for peace.

That the success of the expedition against Portsmouth (that being the supposed post of Cornwallis) might possibly have some effect. That the great object of England is America; that she will not cede it while she can carry on the war; that she will certainly make great exertions the ensuing campaign; that equal exertions are therefore necessary on our part. That Spain and Holland view America as the great obstacle to a peace, from which consequences may flow, which people of judgment may easily foresee.

ROBERT R. LIVINGSTON.

COUNT DE VERGENNES TO ROBERT R. LIVINGSTON.

Translation.

Versailles, January 31st, 1782.

I have received, Sir, the letter with which you honored me on the 20th of October of last year. I heard of your appointment as Minister of Foreign Affairs of the United States, with the greater pleasure, as I already knew the extent of your knowledge and your zeal for the interests and the glory of your country.