The Diplomatic Correspondence of the American Revolution Volume XI Part 26

Sir,

I have the honor to communicate to your Excellency an extract from a letter, which I received from Count de Vergennes, dated the 24th of December last.

I received orders at the same time to inform his Majesty's Minister of the measures, which have been taken by the United States, relative to the payment of portions of the princ.i.p.al, and of the interest of the sums, which have been loaned them by the King. I make mention, Sir, of portions of the capital, because, by the terms of the contract of the 16th of July, 1784, the reimburs.e.m.e.nt of the first loan of eight millions is to begin three years after the peace, and it is expedient to take seasonable measures with regard to this subject.

I am also to inform my Court of the arrangements, which have been made for the payment of interest on the loan of five millions of florins, made in Holland, the 5th of November, 1781, and for which his Majesty became guarantee. I know the efforts of Congress to effect the discharge of the public debt, and their wish to fulfil their engagements; and I consider it superfluous to recall to your Excellency all the motives, which combine to induce the United States to fulfil faithfully those, which they have contracted with the King.

I confine myself to desiring you to enable me to dissipate the uneasiness, which may have been excited at my Court, by the delay in proceeding to raise funds to effect the payment of this debt.

I am with respect, Sir, &c.

LUZERNE.

COUNT DE VERGENNES TO M. DE LA LUZERNE.

Translation.

Versailles, December 24th, 1783.

Sir,

His Majesty has decided irrevocably, that the port of L'Orient shall be free, and American sailors may actually consider it so. The edict of the King has not yet been published, however, because his Majesty's intention being to give this arrangement as wide an extent as possible, the regulations should be drawn up after a careful deliberation, and conceived in such terms, that the advantages allowed to the merchants of the United States, may not be essentially prejudicial to our own commerce, and the revenues of the State.

The merchants of the United States enjoy equally the liberty of frequenting the ports of Ma.r.s.eilles and Dunkirk, and they partake, like other nations, in the immunities and privileges of these two places.

DE VERGENNES.

CONGRESS TO THE KING OF FRANCE.

The United States in Congress a.s.sembled to their Great, Faithful, and Beloved Friend and Ally, Louis the Sixteenth, King of France and Navarre.

Great, Faithful, and Beloved Friend and Ally,

Your Majesty's letter of the 13th of August last, has been received by the United States in Congress a.s.sembled, with a degree of satisfaction and pleasure, which those only can conceive, who, to the highest sentiments of respect, unite feelings of the most affectionate friends.h.i.+p.

The portraits of your Majesty and of your royal consort having arrived at Philadelphia, have been carefully preserved by your faithful Minister, the Chevalier de la Luzerne, whose attention on this, as on all other occasions, merits the acknowledgements of Congress.

These lively representations of our august and most beloved friends will be placed in our council chamber; and can never fail of exciting in the mind of every American, an admiration of the distinguished virtues and accomplishments of the royal originals.

We beseech the Supreme Ruler of the universe constantly to keep your Majesty and your royal consort in his holy protection, and to render the blessings of your administration as extensive as the objects of your Majesty's benevolent principles.

Done at Annapolis, in the State of Maryland, this 16th day of April, 1784, by the United States in Congress a.s.sembled.

Your faithful Friends and Allies,

THOMAS MIFFLIN, _President_.

TO THE PRESIDENT OF CONGRESS.

Office of Finance, April 16th, 1784.

Sir,

I do myself the honor to enclose to Congress the duplicate of a letter from the Marquis de Lafayette, dated the 26th of December, together with the copy of his letter of the 18th of June last, to the Count de Vergennes; the Count's answer of the 29th of the same month; a letter to him from M. de Calonne of the 18th, and another of the 25th of December, all which were enclosed in that duplicate to me, as were also the observations on the commerce between France and the United States, which I have also the honor of transmitting. With respect to this paper, I must pray leave to refer Congress to the caution contained in the letter to me, and pray their compliance with his intention. The masterly manner in which the Marquis has treated a subject, certainly foreign to his former habits and views, merits great applause, and will I doubt not, procure that approbation from Congress, which will be to him a grateful reward for his zealous and dexterous exertions to promote the interests of America.[18]

I pray leave also to submit to Congress the enclosed extract from another letter of the Marquis de Lafayette, of the 10th of January, together with the copy of M. de la Calonne's letter therein mentioned.

This last, which shows the labors of that young n.o.bleman to have been crowned with the wished for success, will I doubt not be pleasing to Congress, as it is certainly very interesting to the commerce of the United States.

I have the honor to be, &c.

ROBERT MORRIS.

FOOTNOTES:

[18] This paper on commerce, as well as the letters above referred to, are missing.

TO THE PRESIDENT OF CONGRESS.

Translation.

Annapolis, April 21st, 1784.

Sir,

In the course of last summer I requested leave of his Majesty to return to France. By letters from my friends, I am informed that it is granted; but the loss of the packet, which conveyed the Minister's letter, lays me under the necessity of writing again on that subject.

I should have waited his answer before I took leave of Congress, had I not reason to believe, that it will not reach me till their recess.

I cannot however depart, without entreating your Excellency to communicate to them my warm acknowledgements for the manner, in which they have treated with me during my mission, which has lasted near five years. I have had the satisfaction of agreeing with Congress on all the subjects, which I have had the honor of negotiating with them; and I owe my success to the good fortune I had of being the Representative of a just and generous Monarch, to a wise and virtuous Republic. I shall ever retain a grateful remembrance of this, and shall always consider the time I have spent on this continent, as the most honorable period of my life. My satisfaction would be complete, were it not accompanied with regret, at parting from a Senate composed of members, on whose friends.h.i.+p I flatter myself I have a just claim, by an intimate acquaintance of several years. Your Excellency permits me to rank you among those who honor me with their friends.h.i.+p; and I am persuaded, that the expression of my attachment and respect for Congress will lose nothing of its force, if you will be pleased to convey it.

The letters, by which I have received advice of my having obtained leave to return, inform me also, that M. de Marbois will be his Majesty's _Charge d'Affaires_ with the United States. His zeal, and his attachment for the cause, which unites France and America, are well known to Congress, and I have not the least doubt, but his Majesty's choice will be agreeable to that a.s.sembly.

I am, Sir, with great respect, &c.

LUZERNE.

TO THE PRESIDENT OF CONGRESS.

Translation.