United States of North America, agree that the present treaty shall be
in full force, reckoning from the date of its ratification, and the
two contracting parties reciprocally promise to observe it exactly.
* * * * *
FROM THE POPE'S NUNCIO TO B. FRANKLIN.
Translation.
The Apostolical Nuncio has the honor to send Mr Franklin the enclosed
note, which he requests he will be pleased to forward to the Congress
of the United States of North America, and support it with his credit.
July 28th, 1783.
NOTE.
Before the revolution, which has just been completed in North America,
the Catholics and missionaries of those provinces depended, as to
their spiritual concerns, on the Apostolical Vicar, resident in
London. It is well known that this arrangement can no longer exist;
but as it is essential that the Catholic subjects of the United States
should have an ecclesiastic to govern them in their religious
concerns, the congregation _de Propagandâ Fide_ existing at Rome for
the establishment and conservation of missions, has come to the
determination of proposing to Congress to establish, in some city of
the United States of North America, one of their Catholic subjects,
with the powers of Apostolical Vicar, and in the character of Bishop,
or simply in quality of Apostolical Prefect.
The establishment of an Apostolical Vicar Bishop appears the most
eligible, the more so as the Catholic subjects of the United States
would find themselves in a situation to receive confirmation and
orders in their own country, without being obliged to go for that
purpose to the country of a foreign power. And as it might sometimes
happen, that among the subjects of the United States, there might be
no person in a situation to be charged with the spiritual government,
either as Bishop or Apostolical Prefect, it would be necessary, in
such circumstances, that Congress should consent to choose him from
among the subjects of a foreign nation the most friendly with the
United States.
* * * * *
TO COUNT DE VERGENNES.
Passy, August 16th, 1783.
Sir,
I have the honor to inform your Excellency, that the English Ministry
do not agree to any of the propositions that have been made, either
by us or by their Minister here; and they have sent over a plan for
the definitive treaty, which consists merely of the preliminaries
formerly signed, with a short introductory paragraph, and another at
the conclusion, confirming and establishing the said preliminary
articles. My colleagues seem inclined to sign this with Mr Hartley,
and so to finish the affair.
I am, with respect, Sir, your Excellency's, &c.
B. FRANKLIN.
* * * * *
M. DE RAYNEVAL TO B. FRANKLIN.
Translation.
Versailles, August 29th, 1783.
Sir,
I have informed the Count de Vergennes of the difficulty, which Mr
Hartley has made to signing at Versailles, and this Minister has
directed me to say, that nothing ought to prevent your signing at
Paris on Wednesday next, the day proposed for the signature of the
other treaties; but I request you to fix the hour with Mr Hartley at
nine o'clock in the morning, and to send here an express immediately
after your signature is completed.
M. de Vergennes is desirous of being informed of the completion of
your labors at the same time with his own. You receive for Wednesday a
note of invitation, as well as for your colleagues and Mr Hartley; I
presume that the latter will make no difficulty.
I have the honor to be, Sir, with perfect consideration, your most
obedient humble servant,
DE RAYNEVAL.
* * * * *
TO THE PRESIDENT OF CONGRESS.
Passy, August 31st, 1783.
Sir,
After a continued course of treating for nine months, the English
Ministry have at length come to a resolution to lay aside, for the
present, all the new propositions, that have been made and agreed to,
their own as well as ours; and they offer to sign again as a
Definitive Treaty, the articles of November the 30th, 1782, the
ratifications of which have already been exchanged. We have agreed to
this, and on Wednesday next, the third of September, it will be
signed, with all the definitive treaties, establishing a general
peace, which may God long continue.
I am, with great respect, &c.
B. FRANKLIN.
* * * * *
TO DAVID HARTLEY.
Passy, September 6th, 1783.
My Dear Friend,
Enclosed is my letter to Mr Fox. I beg you would assure him, that my
expressions of esteem for him are not mere professions. I really think
him a _great_ man, and I would not think so if I did not believe he
was at bottom, and would prove himself a _good_ one. Guard him against
mistaken notions of the American people. You have deceived yourselves
too long with vain expectations of reaping advantage from our little
discontents. We are more thoroughly an enlightened people, with
respect to our political interests, than perhaps any other under
Heaven. Every man among us reads, and is so easy in his circumstances
as to have leisure for conversations of improvement, and for acquiring
information. Our domestic misunderstandings, when we have them, are of
small extent, though monstrously magnified by your microscopic
newspapers. He who judges from them, that we are on the point of
falling into anarchy, or returning to the obedience of Britain, is
like one who being shown some spots in the sun should fancy, that the
whole disk would soon be overspread with them, and that there would be
an end of daylight. The great body of intelligence among our people,
surrounds and overpowers our petty dissensions, as the sun's great
mass of fire diminishes and destroys his spots. Do not, therefore, any
longer delay the evacuation of New York, in the vain hope of a new
revolution in your favor, if such a hope has indeed had any effect in
occasioning the delay. It is now nine months since the evacuations
were promised. You expect with reason, that the people of New York
should do your merchants justice in the payment of their old debts;
consider the injustice you do them in keeping them so long out of
their habitations, and out of their business, by which they might have
been enabled to make payment. There is no truth more clear to me than
this, that the great interests of our two countries is a thorough
reconciliation. Restraints on the freedom of commerce and intercourse
between us, can afford no advantage equivalent to the mischief they
will do, by keeping up ill humor and promoting a total alienation. Let
you and me, my dear friend, do our best towards advancing and securing
that reconciliation. We can do nothing, that will in a dying hour
afford us more solid satisfaction.
I wish you a prosperous journey, and a happy sight of your friends.
Present my best respects to your good brother and sister, and believe
me ever, with sincere and great esteem, yours affectionately,
B. FRANKLIN.
* * * * *
TO JOHN JAY.
Passy, September 10th, 1783.
Sir,
I have received a letter from a very respectable person in America,
containing the following words, viz.
"It is confidently reported, propagated, and believed by some among
us, that the Court of France was at the bottom against our obtaining
the fishery and territory in that great extent, in which both are
secured to us by the treaty; that our Minister at that Court favored,
or did not oppose this design against us, and that it was entirely
owing to the firmness, sagacity, and disinterestedness of Mr Adams,
with whom Mr Jay united, that we have obtained these important
advantages."
It is not my purpose to dispute any share of the honor of that treaty,
which the friends of my colleagues may be disposed to give them, but
having now spent fifty years of my life in public offices and trusts,
and having still one ambition left, that of carrying the character of
fidelity at least to the grave with me, I cannot allow that I was
behind any of them in zeal and faithfulness. I therefore think, that I
ought not to suffer an accusation, which falls little short of treason
to my country, to pass without notice, when the means of effectual
vindication are at hand. You, Sir, were a witness of my conduct in
that affair. To you and my other colleagues I appeal, by sending to
each a similar letter with this, and I have no doubt of your
readiness to do a brother Commissioner justice, by certificates, that
will entirely destroy the effect of that accusation.
I have the honor to be, with much esteem, &c.
B. FRANKLIN.
* * * * *
JOHN JAY TO B. FRANKLIN.
Passy, September 11th, 1783.
Sir,
I have been favored with your letter of yesterday, and will answer it
explicitly. I have no reason whatever to believe, that you were averse
to our obtaining the full extent of boundary and fishery secured to us
by the treaty. Your conduct respecting them throughout the negotiation
indicated a strong, a steady attachment to both those objects, and in
my opinion promoted the attainment of them.
I remember, that in a conversation, which M. de Rayneval, the first
Secretary of Count de Vergennes, had with you and me, in the summer of
1782, you contended for our full right to the fishery, and argued it
on various principles.
Your letters to me, when in Spain, considered our territory as
extending to the Mississippi, and expressed your opinion against
ceding the navigation of that river, in very strong and pointed terms.
In short, Sir, I do not recollect the least difference in sentiment
between us respecting the boundaries or fisheries. On the contrary, we
were unanimous and united in adhering to, and insisting on them. Nor
did I perceive the least disposition in either of us to recede from
our claims, or be satisfied with less than we obtained.
I have the honor to be, with great respect and esteem, &c.[23]
JOHN JAY.
FOOTNOTE:
[23] See other letters from Mr Jay respecting Dr Franklin, above,
pp. 8, 9.
* * * * *
JOHN ADAMS TO B. FRANKLIN.
Paris, September 13th, 1783.
Sir,
I have received the letter, which you did me the honor to write me on
the 10th of this month, in which you say you have received a letter
from a very respectable person in America, containing the following
words, viz. "It is confidently reported, propagated, and believed by
some among us, that the Court of France was at the bottom against our
obtaining the fishery and territory in that great extent, in which
both are secured to us by the treaty; that our Minister at that Court
favored, or did not oppose this design against us, and that it was
entirely owing to the firmness, sagacity, and disinterestedness of Mr
Adams, with whom Mr Jay united, that we have obtained those important
advantages."
It is unnecessary for me to say anything upon this subject, more than
to quote the words which I wrote in the evening of the 30th of
November, 1782, and which have been received and read in Congress,
viz; "As soon as I arrived in Paris, I waited on Mr Jay, and learned
from him the rise and progress of the negotiation. Nothing that has
happened, since the beginning of the controversy in 1761, has ever
struck me more forcibly or affected me more intimately, than that
entire coincidence of principles and opinion between him and me. In
about three days I went out to Passy, and spent the evening with Dr
Franklin, and entered largely into conversation with him upon the
course and present state of our foreign affairs. I told him my opinion
without reserve of the policy of this Court, and of the principles,
wisdom, and firmness with which Mr Jay had conducted the negotiation
in his sickness and my absence, and that I was determined to support
Mr Jay to the utmost of my power in pursuit of the same system. The
Doctor heard me patiently and said nothing."
"The first conference we had afterwards with Mr Oswald in considering
one point and another, Dr Franklin turned to Mr Jay and said, 'I am of
your opinion, and will go on with these gentlemen without consulting
this Court.' He has accordingly met us in most of our conferences, and
has gone on with us in entire harmony and unanimity throughout, and
has been able and useful, both by his sagacity and reputation, in the
whole negotiation."[24]
I have the honor to be, very respectfully, Sir,
JOHN ADAMS.
FOOTNOTE:
[24] For further information on this subject, and particularly for an
account of the part taken by Dr Franklin in the negotiation before he
was joined by Mr Jay and Mr Adams, see the North American Review for
January, 1830, p. 15 et seqq.
* * * * *
TO THE PRESIDENT OF CONGRESS.
Passy, September 13th, 1783.
Sir,
I received a few days since, the private letter your Excellency did me
the honor of writing to me of the 13th of June. I regret with you the
resignation of the late Secretary. Your present cares are increased by
it, and it will be difficult to find a successor of equal abilities.
We found no difficulty in deciphering the resolution of Congress. The
Commissioners have taken no notice of it in our public letter.
I am happy to hear that both the device and workmanship of the medal
are approved with you, as they have the good fortune to be by the best
judges on this side of the water. It has been esteemed a well-timed,
as well as a well-merited compliment here, and has its good effects.
Since the two first, which you mention as received, I have sent by
different opportunities so many, as that every member of Congress
might have one. I hope they are come safe to hand by this time.
I wrote a long letter to Mr Livingston by Mr Barney, to which I beg
leave to refer, enclosing a copy.
We had, before signing the definitive treaty, received the
ratification of the preliminary articles by his Britannic Majesty,
exchanged with us by Mr Hartley for that of the Congress. I send
herewith a copy of the first and last clauses.
In a former letter I mentioned the volunteer proceedings of a merchant
at Alicant, towards obtaining a treaty between us and the Emperor of
Morocco. We have since received a letter from a person who says, as
you will see by the copy enclosed, that he is sent by the Emperor to
be the bearer of his answer to the United States, and that he is
arrived in Spain on his way to Paris. He has not yet appeared here,
and we hardly know what answer to give him. I hope the sending a
Minister to that Court, as recommended in my last, has been taken into
consideration, or at least that some instructions respecting that
nation have been sent to your Minister in Spain, who is better
situated than we are for such a negotiation.[25]
The Minister from Denmark often speaks to me about the proposed
treaty, of which a copy went by Mr Barney. No commission to sign it,
nor any instructions from Congress relating to it are yet arrived; and
though pressed, I have not ventured to do anything further in the
affair.
I forward herewith a letter to the Congress from the city of
Hamburg.[26] I understand that a good disposition towards us prevails
there, which it may be well to encourage.
No answer has yet been given me from the Court of Portugal, respecting
the plan of a treaty concerted between its Ambassador here and me. He
has been unwell and much in the country, so that I have not seen him
lately. I suspect that the false or exaggerated reports of the
distracted situation of our government, industriously propagated
throughout Europe by our enemies, have made an impression in that
kingdom to our disadvantage, and inclined them to hesitate in forming
a connexion with us. Questions asked me, and observations made by
several of the foreign Ministers here, convince me that the idle
stories of our disunion, contempt of authority, refusal to pay taxes,
&c. have been too much credited, and been very injurious to our
reputation.
I sent before a copy of the letter I wrote to the Grand Master of
Malta, with a present of our medal. With this you will have a copy of
his answer.[27] I send also a copy of a note I received from the
Pope's Nuncio.[28] He is very civil on all occasions, and has
mentioned the possibility of an advantageous trade America might have
with the Ecclesiastical State, which he says has two good ports,
Civita Vecchia, and ----.
This Court continues favorable to us. Count de Vergennes was resolute
in refusing to sign the definitive treaty with England before ours was
signed. The English Ministers were offended, but complied. I am
convinced that Court will never cease endeavoring to disunite us. We
shall, I hope, be constantly on our guard against those machinations,
for our safety consists in a steady adherence to our friends, and our
reputation in a faithful regard to treaties, and in a grateful conduct
towards our benefactors.
I send herewith sundry memorials recommended to my care by Count de
Vergennes, viz. one respecting a claim of Messieurs Fosters, of
Bordeaux, one of M. Pequet, and one of M. Bayard. The Congress will
take such notice of them as they shall think proper.
With great esteem and respect, I have the honor to be, &c.
B. FRANKLIN.
FOOTNOTES:
[25] See p. 135 of this volume.
[26] See p. 88.
[27] p. 112.
[28] p. 158.
* * * * *
TO LEWIS R. MORRIS.[29]
Passy, September 14th, 1783.
Sir,
I received by the Washington the bills and accounts mentioned in yours
of the 5th of June, and shall soon send you an account of the
disposition of the money.
My account as stated by you appears to be correct.
With much esteem, I have the honor to be, &c.
B. FRANKLIN.
FOOTNOTE:
[29] Mr Morris was a Secretary in the Department of Foreign Affairs.
* * * * *
DAVID HARTLEY TO B. FRANKLIN.
Bath, September 24th, 1783.
My Dear Friend,
I am at present at Bath with my dearest sister, whom I have found as
well as I could have expected, and I hope with reasonable prospect of
recovery in time. I have seen my friends in the ministry, and hope
things will go on well; with them I am sure all is right and firm. The
chief part of the Cabinet Ministers are out of town, but there will be
a full cabinet held in a few days, in which a specific proposition, in
the nature of a temporary convention, will be given in instructions to
me. I imagine nearly upon the ground of my memorial of May 19th, 1783,
which I delivered to the American Ministers, viz. "American ships not
to bring foreign manufactures into Great Britain, nor to trade
directly between the British West Indies and Great Britain;" all the
rest to be as before the war. I expect that something to this effect
will be their determination in the affair, and if it should be so, I
shall hope not to meet with difficulty on your parts. I want to see
some specific beginning. As to any further proposition respecting the
trade between Great Britain and the British West Indies, I doubt
whether any such can be discussed before the meeting of Parliament. I
wish to look forward not only to the continuation of peace between our
two countries, but to the improvement of reconciliation into alliance,
and therefore I wish the two parties to be disposed to accommodate
each other, without the strict account by weights and scales, as
between aliens and strangers, actuated towards each other by no other
principle than cold and equalizing indifference. Friendly dispositions
presumed have their fairest chance of being realized, but if we should
set out presuming against them, the good which might have happened may
be prevented. Pray remember me to your three colleagues, and to all
friends.
Yours, ever most affectionately,
D. HARTLEY.
_P. S._ I have put in a word for our Quaker article, and I hope with
some impression.
* * * * *
TO THE PRESIDENT OF CONGRESS.
Passy, September 27th, 1783.
Sir,
Mr Thaxter, late Secretary of Mr Adams, who is charged with all our
despatches, that were intended to go by the French packet boat, writes
from L'Orient, that though he arrived there two days before the time
appointed for her sailing, he missed reaching her by four hours; but
another light vessel was fitting, and would sail the 21st instant, in
which he hoped to arrive at New York, nearly as soon as the packet. We
shall send duplicates by the next from hence.
In the meantime I enclose a printed copy of the Definitive Treaty,
which I hear is ratified. Indeed we have the ratification of the
preliminaries.
Mr Hartley, when he left us, expected to return in three weeks, in
order to proceed with us in forming a treaty of commerce. The new
commission, that was intended for us, is not yet come to hand.
With great respect, I have the honor to be, Sir, &c.
B. FRANKLIN
* * * * *
TO DAVID HARTLEY.
Passy, October 16th, 1783.
My Dear Friend,
I have nothing material to write to you respecting public affairs, but
I cannot let Mr Adams, who will see you, go without a line to inquire
after your welfare, to inform you of mine, and assure you of my
constant respect and attachment.
I think with you, that your Quaker article is a good one, and that men
will in time have sense enough to adopt it, but I fear that time is
not yet come.
What would you think of a proposition, if I should make it, of a
compact between England, France, and America? America would be as
happy as the Sabine girls, if she could be the means of uniting in
perpetual peace her father and her husband. What repeated follies are
those repeated wars! You do not want to conquer and govern one
another. Why then should you be continually employed in injuring and
destroying one another? How many excellent things might have been done
to promote the internal welfare of each country; what bridges, roads,
canals, and other useful public works and institutions, tending to the
common felicity, might have been made and established with the money
and men foolishly spent, during the last seven centuries by our mad
wars in doing one another mischief! You are near neighbors and each
have very respectable qualities. Learn to be quiet and to respect each
other's rights. You are all Christians. One is _The Most Christian
King_, and the other _Defender of the Faith_. Manifest the propriety
of these titles by your future conduct. "By this," says Christ, "shall
all men know that ye are my disciples, if ye love one another." Seek
peace, and insure it.
Adieu, yours, &c.
B. FRANKLIN.
* * * * *
TO DAVID HARTLEY.
Passy, October 22d, 1783.
I received my dear friend's kind letter of the 4th instant from Bath,
with your proposed temporary convention, which you desire me to show
to my colleagues. They are both by this time in London, where you will
undoubtedly see and converse with them on the subject. The
apprehension you mention, that the cement of the confederation may be
annihilated, &c. has not, I think, any foundation. There is sense
enough in America to take care of their own china vase. I see much in
your papers about our divisions and distractions, but I hear little of
them from America; and I know that most of the letters, said to come
from there with such accounts, are mere London fictions. I will
consider attentively the proposition abovementioned, against the
return of my colleagues, when I hope our commission will have arrived.
I rejoice to hear that your dear sister's recovery advances, and that
your brother is well. Please to present my affectionate respects to
them, and believe me ever yours, &c.
B. FRANKLIN.
* * * * *
TO THE PRESIDENT OF CONGRESS.
Passy, November 1st, 1783.
Sir,
Enclosed is a copy of my last, which went by the English packet. I
heard after I wrote it, that the French packet putting back by
contrary winds, Mr Thaxter had an opportunity of getting on board her,
and that she sailed the 26th of September.
The mentioned new commission is not yet come to hand. Mr Hartley is
not returned, and I hear will stay for the meeting of Parliament,
which is to be the 11th instant, and he will not come hither till the
recess for the Christmas holidays. Mr Jay went to England about three
weeks since on some personal affairs; and Mr Adams followed last week
to see that country, and take some exercise during this vacancy of
business.