Excellency's most obedient, and very humble servant,
SILAS DEANE.
_P. S._ His Excellency the Admiral desires, that on the arrival of the
pilots at the Hook, where they will find his fleet, they would make a
signal with a white flag, either on board their boat, if they have
one, or from the shore, formed in a triangle. Mons. Chouen, who will
wait on you with a letter from the Admiral, sets out suddenly, and may
want money to bear his expenses on his further journey. Mons. Gerard
desires he may be supplied on his account, with any sum to the amount
of twenty thousand livres.
* * * * *
TO THE PRESIDENT OF CONGRESS.
Philadelphia, 28th July, 1778.
Sir,
I had the honor of receiving on the 4th of March last, in a letter
from Mr Lovell, (a copy of which I now enclose,[12]) the orders of
Congress, announcing my recall, and directing my immediate return.
This was the first and only intimation I ever received of the
resolutions of Congress on the subject; I immediately complied with
it, and left Paris the 1st of April, with hopes of arriving in season
to give Congress that intelligence, which in the order for my return,
they express their want of.
Unfortunately my passage has been much longer than I expected, and I
but now begin to find myself recovering from the fatigues of it; yet
my desire of giving Congress, as early as possible, an account of the
state of their affairs in Europe, when I left France, as well as the
peculiar situation in which my recall has placed me personally, has
induced me to address them through your Excellency, to solicit for as
early an audience as the important business in which they are engaged
will admit of.
I have the honor to be,
With the most sincere respect, &c.
SILAS DEANE.
FOOTNOTES:
[12] See above, page 117.
* * * * *
TO THE PRESIDENT OF CONGRESS.
Philadelphia, 8th September, 1778.
Sir,
I pray your Excellency to remind the Congress, that I still wait to
receive their orders, and though I am sensible that they have many and
important affairs under their consideration, yet I must entreat them
to reflect on the peculiar situation I have for some time past been
placed in, and inform me if they desire my further attendance.
I have the honor to be, with the highest respect, your Excellency's,
&c.
SILAS DEANE.
* * * * *
TO THE PRESIDENT OF CONGRESS.
Philadelphia, 11th September, 1778.
Sir,
I received your note, in which you politely informed me that you had
laid before Congress the letter, which I did myself the honor of
writing to your Excellency a few days since. I now return you my
thanks for the attention you have paid me, and again take the liberty
to ask of you to remind Congress, that the circumstances under which I
left France, and the situation of the affairs in Europe, which I had
been principally concerned in transacting, (as I had the honor of
mentioning to Congress) render it indispensably necessary on my part,
that I return as early as possible, and that if my further attendance
here is not necessary, I pray to be informed of it, that I may be at
liberty to visit my friends, and prepare for my voyage; or that if
further intelligence is expected from me, I may have an early
opportunity of giving it.
I flatter myself your Excellency and the Congress will not judge my
repeated applications improper, when the circumstances which attended
my leaving Europe, and the situation I have been in since my arrival
in America, are recollected and considered.
I have the honor to be, &c.
SILAS DEANE.
* * * * *
TO THE PRESIDENT OF CONGRESS.
Philadelphia, 22d September, 1778.
Sir,
In consequence of an order of Congress on the 8th of December, 1777,
for me to embrace the first opportunity of returning to America, and
"upon my arrival to repair with all possible despatch to Congress,
that they might be well informed of the state of affairs in Europe in
that critical juncture," I left Paris the 1st of April last, having
received the order on the 4th of March preceding, and arrived in
Philadelphia, the seat of Congress, on the 13th of July following,
ready at the pleasure of Congress to render such information as was in
my power to give. In this situation I continued until the 15th of
August, when I received the order of Congress to attend them on the
17th, on which day, and on the 21st, I had the honor personally to
inform Congress generally, of my public transactions under their
authority from the time of my departure from Philadelphia in March,
1776, until my return.
In these audiences, I particularly stated and explained the unsettled
state, in which the commercial transactions of the commissioners in
Europe were at my departure, and that as well from their nature and
extent, as that even at my departure from Paris many large orders were
not completed, and of consequence, neither the accounts or vouchers
delivered; that the interval between my receiving my order of recall,
and my departure in compliance with it was so short, as to render it
impossible for me to arrange those affairs further, than to be able to
give a general state of them, which I then mentioned generally, and
added, that I was under the necessity of returning speedily to Europe,
as well on account of those, as of other important affairs left by my
sudden departure in an unsettled state. At my last audience, I found
and expected, that I should be called upon to answer questions, which
might be put to me for the obtaining more clear and explicit
information, than what I had given of some particulars in my general
narration, and I held myself in readiness to attend the pleasure of
Congress for that purpose. In this situation my private affairs
pressed my immediate departure from Philadelphia, and my public as
well as private affairs in Europe no less urged my departure from
America. On the 8th of September, I took the liberty of reminding that
honorable body, that I was still waiting to receive their orders, if
they desired my further attendance upon them, and my affairs daily
pressing, on the 11th of September, I again reminded Congress of my
waiting their pleasure, and took the liberty of mentioning the reasons
that pressed me to be anxious for their immediate decision. As
Congress have not thought proper to make any reply to my letters, nor
to admit me to lay before them such further information as they may
desire, and I am enabled to give, and as from the many weighty
affairs upon their hands it is uncertain when I may be admitted, and
as my concerns will not permit my longer continuance in Philadelphia,
I take the liberty of enclosing to your Excellency the account of the
banker, in whose hands all the public monies were deposited, of which
I gave you some time since a general state for your private
information, and which I obtained from the banker but a day or two
before my departure from Paris, with the view of giving all the
information in my power on every subject to Congress, in which they
were interested, and which account I expected in the course of my
narration to have delivered personally to Congress.
As to any other subject on which further information may be desired, I
shall be ready to give it, whenever that honorable body shall call on
me for it, during the short time my affairs will permit me to tarry in
this city. I have indeed thought that some further information would
be necessary; I have daily expected to be called upon for it. On this
consideration alone, I have, notwithstanding the pressing
circumstances I have found myself in, waited with patience the orders
of Congress. I shall be happy if such information or any other service
in my power may be found agreeable and of use to that respectable body
and the United States, to whom I have long since, and ever shall be
devoted. I have only further to request that honorable body to be
assured, that I shall ever retain a most grateful sense of the
confidence, which they have heretofore honored me with, and consider
it as the most honorable and happy circumstance of my life, that I
have had the opportunity of rendering important services to my
country, and that I am conscious of having done them to the utmost of
my ability.
I have the honor to remain, with the utmost respect, &c.
SILAS DEANE.
* * * * *
TO THE PRESIDENT OF CONGRESS.
Philadelphia, 24th September, 1778.
Sir,
Being informed that letters from Mr Izard, reflecting on my character
and conduct whilst in the service of the public abroad, have been read
in Congress, I have to ask that honorable body to grant me copies
thereof, and that I may be permitted to wait on Congress, and to be
heard in my vindication. I have that regard for Mr Izard's opinion of
my ability and disposition to transact public business, which I ought
to have, and am consequently easy on that subject; but facts asserted,
which affect either, call for an explanation. Those indeed, which
respect myself personally, require none before Congress, nor will I
trouble that honorable body with the making any; but those which
regard my character and conduct as a public minister, and in so
important a transaction as that of the late treaties of Paris, call on
me, as well in justice to the public as to myself, for an explanation,
which I am very happy in the having it in my power to give, as well as
in the confidence I have, that Congress will neither delay nor refuse
doing this justice to a faithful and greatly injured servant of
theirs.
I have the honor to be, &c.
SILAS DEANE.
* * * * *
TO THE PRESIDENT OF CONGRESS.
Philadelphia, 7th October, 1778.
Sir,
In consequence of my letter of the 24th ult. I had the honor of
receiving the order of Congress of the 26th, directing me to attend
on the 29th, at three o'clock in the afternoon, that day being
assigned for my being heard; I was at the same time favored with
extracts from Mr Izard's letters.[13] On the 29th, I was served with
an order of Congress, which postponed my being heard to some future
time. On the 3d instant an extract of a letter from the honorable
Arthur Lee, dated Paris, June 1st, 1778, was given me by order of
Congress. I have for some time past waited with the greatest
impatience for an opportunity of being heard before that honorable
body, confident that my peculiar situation will excuse my impatience.
I must, without repeating what I have already had the honor of writing
to you, once more urge for as early an audience as the important
business before Congress will admit of.
I have the honor to be, &c.
SILAS DEANE.
FOOTNOTES:
[13] See Mr Izard's letters to the President of Congress, Feb. 16th
and April 1st.
* * * * *
TO THE PRESIDENT OF CONGRESS.
Philadelphia, 12th October, 1778.
Sir,
I received your letter of the 7th instant, in which you informed me,
that mine of the same date to you was by Congress ordered to lie on
the table, until the examination of Mr Carmichael should be finished.
Though totally unable even to conjecture, what relation the
examination of that gentleman can possibly have to those abusive and
injurious letters, written by Mr Izard and Mr Lee, yet, as I had so
often troubled Congress during a three months' attendance, with my
repeated solicitations to be heard, I forbore repeating them until
neither my health, my interest, nor my honor will permit me a much
longer stay in America; I have, therefore, taken the liberty of
enclosing my answers to the letters of those gentlemen. It pains me to
be obliged to answer at all, and it grieves me exceedingly to be
deprived of the opportunity of doing it in person; I still hope to be
indulged before leaving America. I have only further to inform
Congress, that I shall go into the country tomorrow, for a few days,
that having engaged a passage in a ship, which will sail for France
sometime next month, I propose to leave Philadelphia in a few days
after I return from the country, in order to embark, and shall esteem
myself honored by Congress if they have any thing further in which I
may be of service to my country, if they will favor me with their
commands.
I have the honor to remain, &c.
SILAS DEANE.
* * * * *
TO THE PRESIDENT OF CONGRESS.
Philadelphia, 12th October, 1778.
Sir,
In the extracts from the letters of the honorable Mr Izard, I find
charges which respect me, supported by his opinions, and by what he
declares to have heard from the honorable Arthur Lee, who, by his own
account, is my irreconcilable enemy. I find also charges against the
honorable Dr Franklin and myself jointly, supported on the same
grounds, with this difference, that almost every complaint against us
lies equally against Mr Lee, and it is worthy of remark, that where
the charge lies equally against us all, Mr Izard leaves Mr Lee wholly
out, and fixing it solely on Dr Franklin and myself, proceeds to
represent the Doctor as entirely under my influence. My situation has,
through the whole been peculiarly unfortunate, and in nothing more so
than in this, that Mr Izard's letters, written as much with the design
of impeaching Dr Franklin's conduct as mine, now operates solely
against me.
Mr Izard says, in his letter of the first of April, "_That if the
whole world had been searched_, it would have been impossible to have
found a person more unfit than I was for the trust, with which
Congress had honored me." It does not become me, and possibly not even
Mr Izard himself, to determine on my competency to that trust, and I
have only to observe, that both of us were appointed by the authority
of Congress, with this only difference, that I had the honor of being
personally known to the members who composed that body, and I can add
with pleasure, that I always paid respect to Mr Izard from the choice
they had made of him, which I doubt not was on good information. I
shall feel no uneasiness on my own account, that Mr Izard's opinions
of me remain on the journals of Congress, whilst on the same records
there will be found that of his Most Christian Majesty, of his
Minister, and Secretary of State, and of my venerable colleague,
revered through Europe as the first of patriots, as well as
philosophers, whom this age has produced. I find but two charges which
respect me personally; the first is, the exercising such a degree of
hauteur and presumption as to give offence to every gentleman with
whom I transacted business. I transacted none with Mr Izard, and
therefore must appeal from his opinion to the business I transacted,
and the worthy and honorable persons with whom I transacted it, and
who, from the first of my acquaintance with them to my leaving the
kingdom, honored me with their friendship and their confidence. I
desire it may be remembered, that, when I went abroad, charged with
the transaction of political and commercial business for Congress, in
the year 1776, I arrived at Paris as late in the season as the month
of July, without funds, uncertain of remittances, without credit,
ignorant of the language and manners of France, and an utter stranger
to the persons in power and influence at Court; that I had not the
patronage of any person of importance, and had no correspondence or
connexions established in any part of Europe. The news of our
misfortunes in Canada arrived in France with me, and that of our
subsequent misfortunes immediately after, and was, as usual,
exaggerated by the British Ambassador and his emissaries. In a word,
without remittances, or even intelligence from Congress, and under all
these disagreeable circumstances, I had to oppose the artifice, the
influence, and the power of Great Britain; yet I have the pleasing
reflection that before the first of December following, I procured
thirty thousand stand of arms, thirty thousand suits of clothes, more
than two hundred and fifty pieces of brass artillery, tents, and other
stores to a large amount, provided the ships to transport them, and
shipped a great part of them for America. Many of these supplies
fortunately arrived at the commencement of the last year's operations,
and enabled my brave countrymen, in some parts of America, to make a
good stand against the enemy, and in the north to acquire immortal
renown by the defeat and surrender of General Burgoyne and his whole
army, an event peculiarly fortunate in its consequences, as it
accelerated the completion of that alliance, to which the honorable
Congress, with every true friend to the United States, have given
their approbation. During this short period I had established a very
extensive correspondence for the service of my country, not only in
France but in Holland, at the Court of Russia, and elsewhere in
Europe; and though the grant of money by the Court of Versailles was
not at this time actually made, I had entered upon the negotiation and
laid the foundation for obtaining it. These facts, without mentioning
others of no less importance, will shew what business I transacted;
and the character given me by those great personages, with whom I was
in my public character connected, will evince the degree of reputation
in which I stood. It is my misfortune that Mr Izard was of a different
opinion.
The second charge is, that Mr Arthur Lee had assured him, that his
despatches to Congress, and even one of his private letters had been
opened by me. I am surprised Mr Arthur Lee never intimated this to me,
and that he should communicate it to Mr Izard, to be reported in this
manner. I think it however sufficient for me to say here, what I shall
say elsewhere, and on all occasions, that this is a groundless
calumny, which I should not have expected, even from an enemy, at
least not from a candid or generous one.
Mr Izard complains that Dr Franklin and myself concealed from him, or
attempted to conceal the opportunities of writing to America, as well
as the intelligence received from thence. In reply to this, it need
only be observed, that no packets or letters were sent by the
commissioners to America and to Congress, without the knowledge and
consent of Mr Arthur Lee, and no intelligence received to which he was
not privy. That he was often with Mr Izard, and therefore it was
naturally to be supposed would give him every necessary information;
if Mr Lee did not acquaint Mr Izard, he is at least equally culpable
with us, and if he did, there is no ground for the complaint. It is
true, that neither Dr Franklin nor myself considered ourselves at
liberty to communicate the treaty or its contents, until the consent
of the Court should be had; we considered ourselves in the same
situation as to the appointment of Mons. Gerard, and the sailing of
the Toulon fleet. Mr Izard appears, however, to have been well
informed of the former at least, and that very early, and of the
latter on the day of our leaving Paris. Mr Arthur Lee knew of it
sometime before, as he wrote many letters by his Excellency Mons.
Gerard. In justice, therefore, the complaint ought not to have been
made solely against Dr Franklin and Mr Deane, and particularly against
the latter.
Mr Izard represents that there were dissensions and misunderstandings
between the commissioners at Paris. It is true. He is of opinion that
the interest of the public suffered by it, but in this he is mistaken,
as the treaty itself and all our other public transactions will
demonstrate. Mr Izard is of opinion that France might have been
brought to have taken an active part much earlier. If circumstances,
not in our power, had taken place earlier, they possibly might; but
even in that case they would have done it under great disadvantages,
as is evident from the representation I made to Congress when I had
the honor of being heard on the 19th of August last. As the 11th and
12th articles of the treaty are complained of, and as this subject
immediately interests the public, I have drawn up a concise narration
of the whole of that transaction and have communicated it to his
Excellency Mons. Gerard, who agrees to the truth of every part
thereof, which has come to his knowledge. This I beg leave to present
to Congress, as it will show that Mr Izard had not the best
information, and that neither Dr Franklin or myself (though "born in
New England") procured the insertion of those articles; it will
further show that the Court of France never urged it, but on the
contrary left us perfectly free to have them both inserted or both
omitted. It will also appear, that Mr Lee himself wrote and signed the
letter, desiring they might be inserted, and that he afterwards had a
private conference with M. Gerard on the subject, and appeared
perfectly satisfied. If any doubts arise on this subject, I shall be
happy to refer for satisfaction on that head to Mons. Gerard, and also
for what passed between Mr Lee and himself on the occasion, as well as
for the pretended verbal promise that the article should be expunged
if objected to by Congress. I have signed that narration, and shall
sign these observations in which I have avoided taking those
advantages of Mr Izard, which the passionate and partial complexion of
his letters has given me, were I disposed to make use of them;
because, I conceive it to be an abuse, if not an insult to trouble
Congress with any thing merely personal, though I have provocation
sufficient to justify me in the eyes of the world, and am by no means
deficient in materials.
I recollect perfectly well the interview at Passy with Mr William Lee,
at which Mr Izard was present, but I do not remember that any such
letter as he describes was either desired or refused. I rather think
that Mr Izard misunderstood Dr Franklin at the time, or that his
memory has deceived him. The facts are these. The late Mr Thomas
Morris had a commission to act as commercial agent; his commission was
entirely distinct from, and independent of, the commissioners; he at
least construed it so himself from the beginning. We were very early
informed of his irregularities, and admonished him, and advertised
Congress of them. As we could get no account of the disposition of the
prizes brought into France, and the expense of repairing and equipping
the vessels of war fell on the commissioners, Dr Franklin and myself
(Mr A. Lee being then at Berlin) deputed Mr Williams to take the care
of the prizes into his own hands, and ordered the Captains to account
with him. On Mr William Lee's arrival at Nantes he joined with Mr
Morris in writing a severe letter to the commissioners on what they
had done, in which they complained, that the office or department of
commercial Agent was broken in upon, and that we had no power over it.
Dr Franklin, at the desire of Mr A. Lee and myself prepared an answer,
in which the reason of our orders was given, and Mr Morris' conduct
urged as our principal motive, but that as he, Mr William Lee, was
there, we would recall our commission from Mr Williams. Mr Arthur Lee
would not agree to the form of the letter, and after much dispute upon
it, a second was written, when Mr Arthur Lee observed, that his
brother was coming to Paris soon to receive his commission for Vienna
and Berlin, and as there were then no prizes in port, or expected, the
matter might rest. This was the reason why Mr W. Lee's letters were
not answered. He came to Paris soon after, and represented the
confused state in which affairs were at Nantes, and urged the
interposition of the commissioners to put the whole agency into his
hands. The situation of Mr William Lee at that time was precisely
this; he had never received any commission either from Congress or
their committee for the commercial agency, whilst Mr Thomas Morris
was, and had been in the possession of a commission, and in the
exercise of the agency.