University of Virginia Library

TO EDMUND RANDOLPH.[1]

Dear Sir,—The gentleman by whom I wrote this
morning having waited till I had the opportunity of
knowing the contents of the despatches from Holland,
I take advantage of it to add that we are disappointed
by their silence with regard to peace.
Those from Mr. Adams relate chiefly to his transactions
with the States General. A letter from Mr.
Laurens, of the thirtieth of May, informs us that he
is returning to the United States, having declined
the service of Minister for peace. There is an

uninteresting part of a letter from Mr. Dana, the first
pages of it having been omitted. Mr. Berkley writes,
on the thirteenth of July, that the mail from England,
subsequent to the resignation of Fox, Burke,
&c., breathes war. He confirms the success of the
combined fleets against the Quebec, &c., and the
sailing of a fleet from the Texel, consisting of eleven
sail of the line, five or six frigates, &c., to cruise in
the North Seas, and the retreat of Admiral Howe
into port. A New York paper of the seventh contains
a very interesting conversation on the—
July, in the House of Lords, between Shelburne and
the Duke of Richmond, on the subject of ministerial
politics, in which the latter assigns his reasons for
not following the example of Fox, &c., and both
their sentiments with respect to American Independence.
The Duke of Richmond seems tolerably well
reconciled to it, but Shelburne speaks out his antipathy
without depriving himself of the plea of
necessity. He professes to adhere, however, to the
principles which the Administration carried into office
relative to the war against America. I have written
this in extreme haste; you will be very sensible of it
by its incorrectness.