1966. DEANE (Silas), Official books of.—[continued].
A Monsieur Foulloy,
who has been connected with Deane, lately offered
me for sale two volumes of Deane's letter
books and account books, that he had taken
instead of money which Deane owed him. I
have purchased them on public account. He
tells me Deane has still six or eight volumes
more, and being to return soon to London, he
will try to get them also, in order to make us
pay high for them. You are sensible of the impropriety
of letting such books get into hands
which might make an unfriendly use of them.
You are sensible of the immorality of an exminister's
selling his secrets for money; and
consequently that there can be no immorality
in tempting him with money to part with them;
so that they may be restored to that government
to whom they properly belong. Your
former acquaintance with Deane may, perhaps,
put it in your power to render our country the
service of recovering those books. It would
not do to propose it to him as for Congress.
* * * I suppose his distresses and his crapulous
habits will not render him difficult on this
head. On the supposition that there are six
or eight volumes, I think you might venture as
far as fifty guineas, and proportionably for
fewer.—
To Dr. Edward Bancroft. Washington ed. ii, 578.
(P.
1789)
