Ambassador here for a loan of five millions of florins, or five
hundred thousand pounds, at four per cent, nor with his notes lately
presented for this purpose to the Graphiary, M. Fagel; and although
the Ambassador does not yet know that I am acquainted with it, I
thought myself obliged to abstain discreetly from writing or speaking
about it for obvious reasons. I am now happy with the assurance given
me, that the proposition of this loan is committed, and will soon be
agreed by their High Mightinesses, either by their taking up the money
themselves, and lending it to France, or by their countenancing and
warranting the taking it up directly by France; the only secret, or at
least not publicly acknowledged particular of this agreement, will be
the destination of this money in behalf of the United States. This
true account is given me by a friend, who has it officially from the
mouth of the Grand Pensionary.
The Baron Lynden had written and delivered into the hands of the
President of the States-General, a letter to their High Mightinesses,
containing the reason which engaged him to resign his Embassy to
Vienna, and to decline any other, viz; the unconstitutionality of a
foreigner's (the Duke of Brunswick,) being the only counsel to the
Stadtholder, for internal as well as external politics and
administration of this Republic. This letter the Baron had been
prevailed upon to desist from having read to their High Mightinesses;
and he took it out of the hands of the President, in presence of the
Grand Pensionary of Holland, and of the Graphiary of their High
Mightinesses, reserving to himself, however, the liberty of presenting
it again, whenever he should think it convenient. Some persons (your
servant for one) have been favored with the perusal of this letter.
This compliance having somewhat discredited the Baron among the
patriots, he brought his letter back on Tuesday last to the President;
telling him it must be laid open to their High Mightinesses without
any further delay, otherwise, he should publish it by printing.
_August 24th._ I have been favored by the Baron de Lynden with the
sight, 1st of a letter written by him last Monday to the Stadtholder,
in which he tells him, that seeing him still influenced and
prepossessed in favor of, and directed by the Duke of Brunswick, he
found his own honor and conscience did not suffer him to withhold any
longer from their High Mightinesses and from his country, the
abovementioned letter; 2dly. The answer of the Stadtholder, telling
him, that it was for the sake of the Baron personally, that he had
endeavored to persuade him to suppress that letter; but seeing him now
determined to pull off the mask, and join with his adversaries, he
gave him up to his own reflections; 3dly. The reply of the Baron,
viz.; that whereas his Highness was sorry for the letter's being
presented for his (the Baron's) sake only, he was determined to
present it for the same sake, which he did accordingly; and the letter
has been read to their High Mightinesses, the Baron himself being
present at the second reading, or _resumption_, as they call it, the
day following.
The original of a very noble and unanimous resolution of the city of
Dort, respecting the Duke of Brunswick, where he is considered merely
as a military servant of the Republic, and where the conduct of the
Regency of Amsterdam is vindicated, has been read confidentially to
me. Several other authentic and interesting pieces are in my hands,
viz., 1st. A resolution of the city of Dort, of June 25th last, in
which their Deputies are ordered to insist upon the important
propositions of Amsterdam of May 18th being taken into serious
consideration; and principally upon a good plan of operations during
this war being concluded with France and her allies. 2dly. The reports
of the several Admiralties of this Republic, showing their having
accomplished the building, equipping, and putting into service ships,
according to the orders of their High Mightinesses; to which the
Admiralty of Amsterdam has added a remark, which has much displeased
this Court, viz. that, after having done their duty in this matter, an
account of the most proper application and disposition of the forces
set in readiness, for the protection of this country, must not be
asked from them, but from the higher power, which had the direction of
their exertions; 3dly. A resolution of the Province of Holland, for
another squadron to be speedily ordered to convoy to the Baltic, not
only the merchant fleet of Amsterdam, lying in the Texel roads, which,
after the glorious action of the 5th, against Parker, has been obliged
to come back, but also those of Rotterdam, whose merchants, in a
spirited address, have complained of being neglected. I would fain
join herewith translated copies of these voluminous and interesting
pieces, but without the aiding hand of a clerk, such a task is
impossible for me to perform.
_August 30th._ To shorten the business of the abovementioned loan,
probably, their High Mightinesses will open it themselves on their own
credit, by warranting the capital and interest at four per cent, for
surety of which they will receive, in that case, a general bond from
France. Regularly they may pay no more than three per cent for
themselves, and notwithstanding such small interest, the course of
their paper is at twelve, fourteen, and even sixteen per cent purchase
above the capital sum. By this method, if pursued, the subscription at
four per cent will be rapidly completed.
_September 2d._ A very interesting resolution of August 28th, of one
of the principal cities of this Province, was received the day before
yesterday by her Deputies here, of which the substance is as follows.
"Having been informed by their Deputies of the contents of two notes,
which they were told by the Grand Pensionary had been presented
successively to the Graphiary of their High Mightinesses by the French
Ambassador; and being desirous of facilitating the use which the Court
of France intends to make of the proposed loan, because such a
compliance with her desire will not only fasten a most necessary
confidence between that Court and this Republic, but also annoy
directly the common enemy, by strengthening the Congress of North
America, in whose behalf his Majesty the King of France intends,
according to certain secret informations, to dispose of the whole
loan, so that the said Congress may the better carry on the war
against Great Britain;--Resolved; that the Deputies of this city at
the Assembly of this Province, shall be, and are hereby qualified,
when the business shall be reported to the Assembly, to favor with all
their power the conclusion of it, and moreover to advise and further a
resolution, that may promote the intents and purposes aforesaid.
Besides this, when done, our said Deputies at the Provincial Assembly
are charged herewith, pursuant to our resolution of June 25th last, to
insist by way of proposition, upon their Noble and Grand Mightinesses
taking into serious deliberation the proposition laid before them by
the Regency of Amsterdam on the 18th of last May, and bring forth a
final resolution about the same; and particularly upon the Deputies of
this Province, in the Assembly of the States-General, being ordered to
direct things there to such effect, that the French Court may be
requested by their High Mightinesses to deliberate with them on the
manner of acting jointly, by communicating the plans of operation; a
measure which must visibly clog the enemy, and directly fortify the
affair of this Republic."
_September 12th._ Last Thursday they were busy at the Assembly of this
Province in deliberating on the Duke's letter to their High
Mightinesses. The votes of eight cities, viz. Dort, Haerlem, Delft,
Leyden, Amsterdam, Rotterdam, Gorcum, and Schiedam, were directly
against it. The speeches of Haerlem and Leyden, which being written
were read, have been admired. The points wherein the eight agree, are
1st. The impropriety of the Duke's addressing himself by letter (when
as a military servant he should have done it by request) to their High
Mightinesses, which are by no means competent judges, when he should
have applied to the true and only Sovereign here, viz. to the Province
of Holland. 2dly. That of any foreigner whatever being in fact the
only counsel of the eminent chief of this Republic. 3dly. That,
without crediting or countenancing current charges of corruption, this
foreigner's being hated and suspected by the bulk of this nation, as
not patriotic, produces the same effect, and forbids his having any
management, or influence, direct or indirect, in public affairs.
4thly. That the nobility's constantly opposing the advices of the
cities is a circumstance, which will at last ruin this Republic.
5thly. That the cities have the constitutional right of remonstrating
against whomsoever they think proper, according to the resolutions of
1586, 1622, and 1663, which last is the strongest _act of indemnity_
for the purpose. With all that they could not come to a resolution;
the nobility, with the ten other cities, pretending their not having
yet enough considered the matter. I think the Duke will dispute the
ground with some success, as long as he can preserve his old influence
over his pupil; but, on the other hand, he will by no means obtain the
satisfaction he craves.
I have been favored, by a very good patriot, with the sight of the two
short notes of the French Ambassador. The contents are, that the King
being satisfied with the notice given him of their being now disposed
to exert all their powers for annoying the enemy, his Majesty proposes
to them an occasion for distressing them greatly, by their consenting
to a loan of five millions of florins, at four per cent a year,
payable every six months, which interest as well as the capital the
King should procure to be paid exactly at their expiration. The
destination of the money in behalf of the United States has been added
verbally.
There are two very strong propositions against the Duke made by the
Quarter of Westergo in Friesland, to which that of Ostergo, and part
of Sevenwolde, have acceded. The first is inserted already in the
Leyden Gazette; the second the Gazetteer hesitates as yet to insert,
because it is very violent against their High Mightinesses. If he does
not, I shall translate and transmit it.
_September 13th._ I am just now informed, that this Province has
consented in the loan for France, by their resolutions of the 7th and
10th inst.
I have the honor to be, &c.
DUMAS.
* * * * *
TO THE PRESIDENT OF CONGRESS.
The Hague, October 11th, 1781.
Sir,
On the 12th of September the Baron Lynden wrote a letter to the Prince
of Orange, telling him, that after he had so much complied with the
wishes of his Highness, as to withhold for a considerable time his
letter from their High Mightinesses, he had expected from the honor of
his Highness, that the Embassy for Vienna would not be disposed of in
behalf of another, till there was a greater necessity for it than
there is at present, and till his own motives for refusing a post,
which in every other respect would have been very delightful to
himself, had been attended to; but seeing himself not fairly treated,
by another's (the Count of Waffenaar Twickels, who, however, has not
yet dared to accept it) being appointed to it, he should be obliged if
his Highness should go on, without paying regard to the present
letter, to publish it with the foregoing ones that had passed between
his Highness and him, together with what he knew from the late Counts
of Rhoon and Bentinck, concerning a secret _Act_, by which his
Highness, when of age, had promised the Duke, that he should ever be
his _only counsel_.
A very unfaithful account having since been circulated of this letter,
the Baron makes no difficulty of showing it to those whom he wishes to
be undeceived, and probably he will at last publish it with the
others. In the meantime, I have seen the original draft. Several very
violent Dutch pamphlets have been published within a few days, not
only against the Duke, but even against the Stadtholder and against
the Stadtholdership in general, and the whole Orange dynasty, the last
of which is a masterly performance, but too large for me to translate.
There is more moderation in the _considerations_ herewith enclosed;
and therefore I have consented without difficulty to get them printed,
at the request of some very good people, as your Excellency will see,
by the annexed copy of my letter to their society at Rotterdam.
The States of Holland have met again this morning. I have not heard if
any of the Provinces, besides Holland and Friesland, have consented to
the loan proposed by France, in the manner I told your Excellency in
my last. They are too much taken up at present with their domestic
quarrels.
I have the honor to be, &c.
DUMAS.
* * * * *
ROBERT R. LIVINGSTON TO C. W. F. DUMAS.
Philadelphia, November 28th, 1781.
Sir,
It is necessary to inform you, that the correspondence with you will
in future be through the office of Foreign Affairs, at the head of
which Congress have done me the honor to place me, as will appear by
the enclosed resolutions.
I have before me your interesting letters from December to July. The
minute detail into which you go, of the facts in which either your
government or ours is concerned, is highly acceptable to Congress. You
will not, therefore, fail to continue it; and from time to time
transmit, in addition thereto, such papers and pamphlets as serve to
throw light on the politics of the United Provinces, or of the
Northern Powers. Dr Franklin will defray the expense to which this may
put you. Be pleased to subscribe for the Leyden and Amsterdam
Gazettes, and transmit them to me as opportunity offers. We have as
yet received no account from Mr Adams of the presentation of his
Memorial, or the reception it met with, nor any other particulars on
this interesting subject, than what you have related. We consider this
as a proof of his reliance upon your exactness in the relation.
You have before this heard the variety of agreeable events, which have
with the divine blessing taken place in America. The particulars of
the capture of Cornwallis and General Green's victory are sent to Mr
Adams, though you will probably have them earlier by way of France.
Our affairs here are in such a situation, that even our enemies have
given up the idea of conquest, or the most distant expectation of our
re-union with Great Britain, whose unheard of cruelties have excited
the most inveterate hatred. This is perhaps the moment in which other
nations might, by a generous and decided conduct, take their place in
our affections; and before our tastes were so formed as to give the
preference to the fashions or manufactures of any one country, to
establish their commerce with us on the ruin of that of Britain. I
wish both for your sake and ours, that the United Provinces knew how
to avail themselves of this invaluable opportunity by entering boldly
into commercial connexions with us, and by ingratiating themselves
into our affections by some such act of friendship as would strike the
senses of the people. But alas! this is too daring for your Councils,
and is rather to be wished than expected.
It gives me pain to inform you, that Lieutenant-Colonel Bedaulx is
dead. It will, however, be some consolation to his friends, (in whose
sorrows I sympathise) to hear, after what has been injuriously
repeated to them, that his reputation was untarnished, and that he
died, with the character of a man of honor and a soldier, fighting in
the cause of freedom at Savannah.[45]
Congress are very sensible of your attention to their interest, and
wish the situation of their finances would admit of their rewarding it
more liberally, but having retrenched expenses of every kind, and
reduced the salaries as low as the strictest frugality requires, they
do not think it expedient at this time to make any additions to that
allowed you by Dr Franklin, which they will direct him to pay
regularly. You will be pleased in future to direct your letters, not
to the President, but to me, as Secretary of the States for Foreign
Affairs; and when you favor us with anything written in French or
Dutch, to give it in the original language. This may save you some
trouble, and enable us in quoting it to make use of the original
expression, which you know is often very necessary. As you appear to
labor under a mistake, with respect to Mr Searle, I take the liberty
to inform you that he is not a member of Congress, his delegation
having expired before he left America. I cannot close my letter
without congratulating you on the spirit and gallantry of Admiral
Zoutman, and his officers and men. Had Britain known that your Van
Tromps and De Ruyters were still alive, she would have thought the
treasures of your islands too dearly purchased by provoking their
resentment.
It will give you pleasure to hear that the British have been foiled in
every quarter of this country. A considerable body of them with a
number of Indians, who crossed the lakes from Canada upon a ravaging
expedition, with no nobler view than that of burning farm houses, and
scalping women and children, were met twice and defeated, with
considerable loss in killed and prisoners, by _an inferior number of
militia_.
Congress are engaged in preparations for the most vigorous exertions
as soon as the spring shall open, from which, by the blessings of
Divine Providence, we have the highest reason to promise ourselves
success.
I am, Sir, with great esteem and respect, &c.
R. R. LIVINGSTON.
FOOTNOTES:
[45] See General Bedaulx's letter to M. Dumas on this subject, above,
p. 452.
* * * * *
TO THE PRESIDENT OF CONGRESS.
Amsterdam, January 7th, 1782.
Sir,
It would require a volume and several hands, to relate the events of
which I have been a daily witness, and not seldom an active one, since
my last despatch of October 11th. Indifferent health, as well as
prudence, has forbidden me to write down and send a journal of them,
as I formerly did. The rage of the English, and of their faction here,
is increased with their late disappointments; and while things draw
nearer to some conclusion, my own experience and that of others has
taught me not to trust too much to any public conveyance.
I heartily congratulate Congress upon the glorious event of the 19th
of October last, which has given joy to our friends and confusion to
our enemies here.
The loan of five millions of guilders to France in behalf of the
United States having been unanimously agreed to by their High
Mightinesses has been subscribed in one day; and this stock is no more
to be had under two per cent above the capital.
Tomorrow the States of Holland will meet again at the Hague, to
deliberate about the offered mediation of Russia, already accepted by
Great Britain, for a peace between the latter and this Republic. In
spite of the English faction, I have good reason to foretell that two
conditions, _sine quibus non_, will be insisted on as preliminaries by
the Republic. 1st. All the rights of a free and unlimited navigation
offered to this Republic, in virtue of former treaties as well as of
her being part of the armed neutrality. 2dly. That this negotiation
for a particular peace shall not hinder the Republic in the meantime,
and till concluded, from concerting measures with France for carrying
on the war. Without these clauses expressed in the resolution that is
to be taken this or next week, I am assured that none will be taken,
because it is a matter which requires unanimity.
After having managed an interview between Mr Adams and some gentlemen
at the Hague, I have accompanied him hither during the vacation time.
Tomorrow we intend to go back to the Hague, where we have agreed with
the said gentlemen, and with the French Ambassador, upon Mr Adams's
addressing their High Mightinesses for a categorical answer on the
errand of his mission.
I have the honor to be, &c.
DUMAS.
* * * * *
TO THE PRESIDENT OF CONGRESS.
The Hague, January 15th, 1782.
Sir,
According to my last of the 7th instant, I went with Mr Adams on the
9th to the President of their High Mightinesses, to whom his
Excellency having made his requisition, I repeated it, that the
President might understand it exactly, in the same terms as are to be
seen in the Leyden Gazette here sent, where I have got them inserted;
and he promised to make his report accordingly. After this, having
received word from the Grand Pensionary of Holland, where we intended
to go, that being himself very sick, he could receive nobody but by
the means of his Secretary, I alone made the communication to the
latter the same morning. The day following, being Thursday, we were
received by M. Fagel, the Graphiary of their High Mightinesses, who,
after I had read to him the requisition, told us, "that the President
had made report of it to the States-General, and that the Deputies of
_all_ the Provinces had taken it _ad referendum_, to be transmitted to
their several Provinces; that the same had been done respecting the
first report in May last, without any instruction being hitherto
received about it; and, therefore, some patience more was necessary
for a categorical answer."
The reception met with from the President and the said Ministers was
duly polite. From them we went round to the deputations of the
eighteen cities of this Province, now assembling here, who received
us, without exception, with a very good humored cordiality, thanking
us for our kind communication, of which they promised to make report
to their cities, and assuring us, that they wished earnestly for a
speedy establishment of amity and good harmony between both Republics;
to which several of them added, affectionately, that they loved the
Americans.
_January 17th._ This morning those of Dort have loudly complained in
the Assembly of Holland, of the disregard shown by the other
Provinces, and even by part of this Province, to the common welfare,
roundly declaring that they will not consent to the proposed mediation
for a peace with Great Britain, unless it should be agreed and
resolved before, to concert measures with France for carrying on the
war without any truce, till peace should be fairly concluded. The same
city, with that of Leyden, I am assured, will soon insist also in the
Assembly, upon due attention being paid to our requisition.
I have the honor to be, &c.
DUMAS.
* * * * *
TO THE PRESIDENT OF CONGRESS.
The Hague, January 30th, 1782.
Sir,
Last Friday, the co-operating with France against the common enemy
would have been resolved upon, if the little city of Briel had not
voted with the nobility, for resolving, at the same time, the
acceptance of the mediation proposed by Russia for a particular peace
with Great Britain, which the other refused to do. Neither of these
points being agreed on, they have adjourned till Tuesday, the 5th of
February.
Before their parting, Dort and six other principal cities inserted
their protest against the unconstitutional manner of carrying on the
correspondence by their High Mightinesses with the Emperor,
concerning the abolition of the barrier treaty and the dismantling of
the barrier cities without consulting the Provinces about it;
threatening to recall their Deputies at the States-General. This
unexpected step has much frightened and humiliated the latter.
Probably the next week will decide, first of all, the business of
concerting measures with France, and then that of the mediation, of
which they are determined to limit the acceptance by such clauses as
may disappoint the friends of Great Britain.
I have the honor to be, &c.
DUMAS.
* * * * *
TO ROBERT R. LIVINGSTON.
The Hague, March 29th, 1782.
Sir,
It is with great satisfaction that I find myself authorised to begin
an official correspondence with you, by congratulating the United
States on the acquisition of two illustrious sisters, whose example
will be speedily followed by five others. On the 26th of February
last, Friesland, and yesterday Holland adopted the Provincial
resolutions to instruct their Deputies in the States-General, to
direct affairs in that body in such a manner as to procure Mr Adams's
admission for the purpose of presenting his credentials from the
United States to their High Mightinesses. This is an acknowledgment of
your independence, and opens the road to negotiation. I have received
triplicates of your favor, and shall have the honor of answering more
fully on the first opportunity.
I hope the two pamphlets accompanying this, ---- and ----, which are
very celebrated, rare, and valuable here, will reach you in safety.
I am, &c.
DUMAS.