University of Virginia Library

WEDNESDAY MARCH 26.

Communication was made, thro' the Secry. of F. A., by the
Minister of France, as to the late negotiation, from letterS recd. by
him from the Ct. de Vergennes, dated in Decr. last & brought by
the Washington Packet. This communication shewed, though
delicately that France was displeased with our Ministers for signing
the prely. arts. separately; that she had labored by recommending
mutual concessions to compromise disputes between Spain &
the U. S., and that she was apprehensive that G. B. would hereafter
as they already had endeavored to sow discords between
them. It signified that the "intimacy between our Ministers &
those of G. B." furnished a handle for this purpose.

Besides the public communication to Congress other parts of
letters from the Ct. de Vergennes were privately communicated to
the Presidt. Of Congs. & to sundry members, expressing more
particularly the dissatisfication of the Ct. of F. at the conduct of
our Ministers; and urging the necessity of establishing permanent
revenues for paying our debts & supporting a national character.
The substance of these private communications, as taken on the
23. instant by the President, is as follows;

FINANCE.

"That the Ct. de Vergennes was alarmed at the extravagant demands
of Docr. Franklin in behalf of the U. S.; that he was surprised
at the same time that the inhabitants paid so little attention
to doing something for themselves. If they could not be brought
to give adequate funds for their defence during a dangerous war,
it was not likely that so desirable an end could be accomplished
when their fears were allayed by a general peace that this reasoning
affected the credit of the U. S., and no one could be found
who would risque their money under such circumstances; that
the King would be glad to know what funds were provided for
the security and payment of the 10 Millions borrowed by him in
Holland, that the Count de Vergennes hardly dared to report in
favor of the U. S. to the King & Council, as money was so scarce
that it would be with the greatest difficulty that even a small part of
the requisition could be complied with. The causes of this scarcity
were a five years' war which had increased the expenses of Government
to an enormous amount—the exportation of large sums
of specie to America for the support and pay of both French and
English armies—the loans to America—the stoppage of Bullion
in S. America, which prevented its flowing in the usual channels."[81]
A letter of a later date added

"That he had received the Chevrs. letter of Ocr. and rejoiced to
find that Congress had provided funds for their debts, which gave
him great encouragemt., and he had prevailed on the Comptroller
General to join him in a report to his Majesty & Council for 6
Millions of livres for the U. S. to support the war, but assures the
Chevalier de la Luzerne, that he must never again consent to a
further application."

NEGOTIATIONS.

"He complains of being treated with great indelicacy by the
American Commissrs., they having signed the Treaty without any
confidential communication, that had France treated America

with the same indelicacy she might have signed her Treaty first
as every thing between France & England was settled, but the
King chose to keep faith with his allies, and therefore always
refused to do any thing definitively, till all his allies were ready;
that this conduct had delayed the definitive Treaty, England having
considered herself as greatly strengthened by America; that
Docr. Franklin waited on the Ct. de Vergennes & acknowledged
the indelicacy of their behavior & had prevailed on him to bury
it in oblivion; that the English were endeavouring all in their
power to sow seeds of discords between our Commissrs. & the
Court of Spain, representing our claims to the Westward as extravagant
and inadmissible, that it became Congress to be attentive
to this business, & to prevent the ill effects that it might be
attended with, that the King had informed the Court of Spain,
that tho' he heartily wished that the U. S. might enjoy a cordial
coalition with his Cath. Majesty, yet he should leave the whole
affair entirely to the two States and not interfere otherwise than
as by his counsel & advice when asked, that altho' the U. S. had
not been so well treated by Spain as might have been expected,
yet that his Majesty wished that America might reap the advantage
of a beneficial Treaty with Spain. That as the peace was
not yet certain, it became all the powers at war, to be ready for a
vigorous campaign, and hoped Congs. would exert themselves to
aid the common cause by some offensive operations against the
Enemy, but if the British should evacuate the U. S., the King
earnestly hoped Congs. would take the most decided measures to
prevent any intercourse with the British, and particularly in the
way of merchandize or supplying them with provisions, wch. would
prove of the most dangerous tendency to the campaign in the W.
Indies, that the British now had hopes of opening an extensive
trade with America, tho' the war should continue, which, if they
should be disappointed in, might hasten the definitive Treaty, as
it would raise a clamor among the people of England.

The Chevr. added that as he had misinformed his Court with regard
to Congs. having funded their debts, on which presumption
the 6 Milon. had been granted, he hoped Congs. would enable him
in his next despatches to give some satisfactory account to his
Court on this head."