1780.
Arthur Lee--Deane--Franklin--Madison.
IN the year 1780 Arthur Lee returned to America after a long absence. He
was born in Westmoreland County, Virginia, on the 20th of December,
1740, being the youngest of five brothers, all of whom became eminent.
After passing some time at Eton he entered the University of Edinburgh,
where he took the degree of doctor of medicine about 1765. The other
students from Virginia there at the same time were Field, Blair,
Bankhead, and Gilmer--the earliest pioneers in this profession in the
colony, at a time when the apothecary, physician, and surgeon were
united in the same person, and when quackery enjoyed full license.
Arthur Lee's extreme aversion to slavery and to negroes, and the
lamentable state of dependence to which he foresaw that his own country
would be doomed for many years, made him dread to return; and he even
thought of settling in England, which he looked upon as "the Eden of the
world, the land of liberty and independence." Yet he was conscious of
such a want of confidence in himself as unfitted him for taking up his
abode and embarking in a profession in a land of strangers.[701:A]
Gladly quitting Scotland, which he disliked extremely, Dr. Lee travelled
through Europe, and then returned to Virginia, and commenced the
practice of physic at Williamsburg. Here he could not fail to view with
interest the stirring events of the day; and although successful in his
medical practice, the bent of his genius induced him to return to London
for the purpose of studying the law in the Temple, and fitting himself
for taking a part in public affairs. At this time he became the intimate
friend of Sir William Jones. In London he associated himself with
Wilkes, and other opponents of the government, and prevailed on them to
favor the cause of the colonies. In 1768 Dr. Lee was appointed political
agent of Massachusetts. In 1769 he wrote the Monitor's Letters, and for
some years was a frequent writer in the _Public Advertiser_, over the
signature of Junius Americanus; and he held an amicable discussion with
Junius on American matters.[702:A] That writer remarked of him: "My
American namesake is plainly a man of abilities." His writings procured
for him the friendship of Burke, Dr. Price, and other leading men. He
became acquainted with the celebrated Dr. Samuel Johnson. In 1770 Arthur
Lee was admitted to the bar, and he enjoyed a lucrative practice for
some years. In the spring of 1774 he set out on a tour through France
and Italy; and while at Paris published an "Appeal to the People of
Great Britain." During the same year he succeeded Dr. Franklin as agent
of Massachusetts; and in the following he was agent for Virginia. The
secret committee of congress appointed him their London correspondent;
and through the French ambassador there he obtained early assurances of
aid from France to the colonies. In August he presented the second
petition of congress to the king. He was afterwards made commissioner to
France in conjunction with Deane and Franklin; and he joined them at
Paris in December, 1776, and assisted in making the treaty of alliance.
Discord ensuing between Dr. Lee and the other commissioners, involved
them, especially Lee and Deane, in a controversy, which engendered an
inveterate hostility, and gave rise to factions in congress, in which
the French minister, Gerard, became implicated, and which endangered the
cause of independence. Deane, who, in the guise of a merchant, conducted
the public business, was subtle and unscrupulous. Mr. Lee had exposed
the peculations of some of the agents employed in conducting the
commercial details of the public business; and this interference gave
rise to many aspersions upon him, which were encouraged by the
countenance which congress appeared to lend Deane and those associated
with him. Deane, at length, recalled by congress in November, 1777,
reached America in the following summer, and gave an account of his
transactions to congress, making an artful defence against Arthur Lee's
accusations. Deane published virulent attacks upon him and Richard Henry
Lee, and they retorted with indignant severity.
Congress coming to no determination in the matter, Deane appealed to the
public, in December, in an address to the "Free and Virtuous Citizens of
America." In 1780 he repaired to Paris to adjust his accounts, but never
did so; and after refusing ten thousand dollars offered him by congress
to cover his expenses, he fell into pecuniary straits, became alienated
from his country, (if he had been true before, which was doubted,)
writing home letters representing the American cause as desperate, and
favoring immediate accommodation with the enemy. These letters were
intercepted by the enemy and published, and his real character was now
made manifest. Mr. Jay, who had been his friend and supporter, hearing
this at Madrid, took down his portrait and burnt it. Deane appears
afterwards to have associated with the traitor Arnold. Deane died in
extreme poverty at Deal, England, (1789.) He certainly rendered the
colonies great service at one time,[703:A] and found a strong party in
congress in his support, including men of both sections and of high
character. Mr. Paca, of Maryland, and Mr. Drayton, of South Carolina,
protested against the further continuance of Dr. Lee in the place of
commissioner in France and Spain. Dr. Lee's dissensions with Dr.
Franklin resulted in bitter enmity. Dr. Lee charged Franklin with
vanity, inflated by French flattery, with overweening and dictatorial
arrogance, with connivance at fraud and corruption, and with being under
French influence. William Lee and Richard Henry sympathized warmly with
Arthur in these disputes. John Adams sided with the Lees. Arthur Lee, in
1780, resigning his post, returned to America, and prepared to vindicate
himself before congress, but that body expressed their full confidence
in his patriotism. In 1781 he was elected to the assembly of Virginia,
and returned to congress, where he continued to represent the State for
several years. He was a pure, earnest, incorruptible patriot, love of
country being his ruling passion. Of a jealous disposition, and
melancholy, discontented temperament; of polite manners and strong
passions. He was well skilled in Greek, Latin, French, Spanish, and
Italian. He never married. He meditated writing a history of the
American Revolution. In a letter to General Washington, dated at Berlin,
in June, 1777, he says: "It is my intention to write a history of this
civil contention. The share you have had in it will form an interesting
and important part. It will be in your power to preserve a variety of
materials, papers, and anecdotes for such a work. May I venture to hope
that you may think me so far worthy of your confidence as to preserve
them for me? Dubious parts of history can be cleared only by such
documents, and we shall want every authentic record to vouch against the
forgeries which will be offered to the world."[704:A]
William Lee, brother of Arthur, was born in Virginia, about the year
1737. Sent to London as Virginia's agent before the Revolution, he took
up his residence there. Being a zealous whig, he was elected, in 1773,
one of the sheriffs of London. At the commencement of the Revolution he
retired to France, and afterwards was appointed by congress their
commissioner at Vienna and Berlin. An able man, and an ardent and
inflexible patriot, by communicating important intelligence, and by his
diplomatic agency, he rendered invaluable services to his country. As a
writer he was little inferior to Arthur.
During the year 1780 James Madison took his seat in congress. He was
born in March, 1751, O. S., in the County of Caroline, Virginia, on the
Rappahannock River, near Port Royal, the son of James Madison, of Orange
County, and Nelly Conway, his wife. At the age of twelve young Madison
was at school under Donald Robertson, a distinguished teacher in the
neighborhood, and afterwards under the Rev. Thomas Martin, the parish
minister, a private tutor in his father's family. He was next sent to
the College of New Jersey, of which Dr. Witherspoon was then president.
Here Mr. Madison received the degree of bachelor of arts in the autumn
of 1771. He had impaired his health at college by too close
application; nevertheless, on his return home he pursued a systematic
course of reading. Shortly after his return he signed resolutions of his
county approving of Henry's proceedings in the affair of the gunpowder.
He became a member of the convention in May, 1776, and it was during
this session that the body unanimously instructed the deputies of
Virginia in congress to propose a declaration of independence. He did
not enter into public debate during this session. At the next election
he was defeated, his successful opponent being Colonel Charles Porter,
who was subsequently his frequent colleague in the house of delegates.
Mr. Madison was at the ensuing session appointed a member of the council
of state, and this place he held till 1779, when he was elected to
congress. While he was of the council Patrick Henry and Mr. Jefferson
were governors. Mr. Madison's knowledge of French, of which Governor
Henry was ignorant, rendered him particularly serviceable in the
frequent correspondence held with French officers: he wrote so much for
Governor Henry that he was called "the governor's secretary." Mr.
Madison took his seat in congress in March, 1780, and continued a
leading member until the fall of 1783, when his congressional term
expired by limitation. Such was the commencement of the career of this
man so illustrious for his genius, his learning, and his virtue, and who
was destined to pass through every eminent station, and to fill all with
honor to himself and benefit to his country and the world. As a writer,
a debater, a statesman, and a patriot, he was of the first order, and
his name goes down to posterity one of the brightest of those that adorn
the annals of the age in which he lived.[705:A]
FOOTNOTES:
[701:A] MS. letter of Arthur Lee, Edinburgh, March 20, 1765.
[702:A] See Woodfall's Junius, i. 102, where Arthur Lee is erroneously
called Dr. _Charles_ Lee.
[703:A] Flanders' Lives of Chief Justices, art. JAY.
[704:A] Arthur Lee's Life, i. 88.
[705:A] The Life of Madison, by the Honorable William C. Rives, is a
recent important addition to Virginia biography.