University of Virginia Library

TO EDMUND RANDOLPH.[1]

Dear Sir,—The Ceres man-of-war, we are informed
by a New York paper, arrived there, in
twenty-five days, on the fifth instant, having on board
His Excellency, Sir Guy Carleton, Commander-in-Chief,
&c., and commissioned for making peace or war
in North America. The intelligence brought by this

conveyance is, that the vibrations of power between
the Ministry and their rivals had terminated in the
complete dissolution of the former and organization
of the latter. What change of measures will follow
this change of men is yet concealed from us. The
bill for empowering the King to conclude a peace or
truce with the revolted Colonies in North America
had been brought into Parliament on the twenty-seventh
of March. The language of it is at the same
time cautious and comprehensive, and seems to make
eventual provision for our independence, without betraying
any purpose of acknowledging it. The terms
peace and truce are scarcely applicable to any other
conventions than national ones. And the King is
authorized to annul or suspend all acts of Parliament
whatever, as far as they speak of the Colonies. He
can, therefore, clearly remove any parliamentary bar
to his recognition of our Independence, and I know of
no other bar to his treating with America on that
ground. All this is, however, very different from a
real peace. The King will assuredly prefer war as
long as his Ministry will stand by him, and the sentiments
of his present Ministry, particularly of Shelburne,
are as peremptory against the dismemberment
of the Empire as those of any of their predecessors.
They will at least try a campaign of negotiation
against the United States, and of war against their
other enemies, before they submit to it. It is probable
that the arrival of Sir Guy Carleton will not
long precede an opening of the first campaign. Congress
will, I am persuaded, give a proper verbal
answer to any overtures with which he may insult
them; but the best answer will come from the States,
in such supplies of men and money as will expel him
and all our other enemies from the United States.

We have at length brought our territorial business
to an issue. It was postponed sine die on the sixth
instant. We have transmitted the whole proceeding
to the Governor, to be laid before the Assembly.

There are various accounts from the West Indies,
which render it pretty certain that an engagement
has taken place between the two fleets. The circumstances
are not ascertained. The issue seems, at
least, to have been so far in favor of our allies as to leave
them free to pursue their course with their convoy to
Hispaniola, where a junction is to be made with the
Spaniards. The object of this junction is universally
supposed to be Jamaica.

Since I finished the above, a letter has come to
Congress from General Washington, enclosing one to
him from Sir Guy Carleton, announcing his commission,
in conjunction with Admiral Digby, to treat
of peace with this country, and requesting a passport
for his secretary, Mr. Morgan, to bring a similar
letter of compliment to Congress. The request will
certainly be refused, and General Washington probably
directed to receive and forward any despatches
which may be properly addressed to Congress.

A public audience was yesterday given to the
Minister of France, in which he formally announced
the birth of the Dauphin. It was deemed politic
at this crisis to display every proper evidence of

tionate attachment to our ally. The Minister was
accordingly received with military honors, and the
audience concluded with the discharge of cannon, and
a feu de joi of small arms. A public entertainment
followed, and fireworks at night closed the scene.

The answer reported by the committee on Mr.
Dana's letter gave him a cautionary instruction. It
afterwards went to the Secretary of Foreign Affairs,
and thence, I suppose, in his dress, to Petersburg.
Mr. Jones will give you more satisfactory information
on this, as also with respect to the answer to Mr. Jay's
letter.

Your surmises relative to a revival of paper currency
alarms me. It is impossible that any evil can
render such an alternative eligible. It will revive the
hopes of the enemy, increase the internal debility of
the States, and awaken the clamors of all ranks
throughout the United States against her. Much
more to Virginia's honor would it be to rescind the
taxes, although the consequence of that can but be of
a most serious nature.