success will, however, depend on a variety of sources and
contingencies; on a more perfect knowledge of the state of Europe than
can be obtained at this distance; on the ultimate views of her
Imperial Majesty, the temper of her cabinet, the avenues to their
confidence, the dispositions of the neutral powers with whom she is
connected, and the events of war. Under such circumstances, precise
instructions for your conduct cannot be expected; on the contrary, the
greatest room must be left for the exercise of your own penetration
and assiduity in gaining proper information, and for your prudence and
address in improving it to the best advantage. Your zeal for the
public interest will lead you to embrace every favorable incident and
expedient, which may recommend these States to the friendship of her
Imperial Majesty and her Ministers. Your attachment to the honor and
independence of your country will restrain you from every concession
unbecoming the dignity of a free people. The diplomatic order in which
you are placed by your commission, will prevent embarrassments, which,
in so delicate a case, might arise from the punctilio of ceremony;
while it entitles you to all the confidence and protection essential
to the office of a public Minister.
For the further execution of your trust, you will conform, as far as
possible, to the following instructions.
1. You shall communicate your powers and instructions to our Ministers
Plenipotentiary, at the Court of Versailles, and for negotiating
peace, and avail yourself of their advice and information; and it may
be prudent through them to obtain the sense of the Court of France
thereon.
2. You shall communicate the general object of your mission to the
Minister of his Most Christian Majesty at the Court of Petersburg, and
endeavor through his mediation to sound the disposition of her
Imperial Majesty, or her Ministers, towards these United States.
3. If the result of your inquiries should point out a fair prospect of
an honorable reception, you are to announce your public character, and
deliver your letters of credence in the usual form.
4. You are to manifest on all proper occasions the high respect, which
Congress entertain for her Imperial Majesty; for the lustre of her
character, and the liberality of her sentiments and her views; and
particularly you are, in the strongest terms, to testify our
approbation of the measures, which her Imperial Majesty has suggested
and matured for the protection of commerce against the arbitrary
violations of the British Court. You will present the act of Congress
herewith transmitted, declaring our assent to her Imperial Majesty's
regulations on this subject, and use every means, which can be devised
to obtain the consent and influence of that Court that these United
States shall be formally invited, or admitted, to accede as principals
and as an independent nation to the said convention. In that event,
you are authorised to subscribe the treaty or convention for the
protection of commerce in behalf of these United States, either with
her Imperial Majesty conjunctly with the other neutral powers, or if
that shall be inadmissible, separately with her Imperial Majesty, or
any one of those powers.
5. You are to impress her Imperial Majesty and her Ministers with a
sense of the justice of our cause, the nature and stability of our
union, and the solemn engagements by which not only the States but his
Most Christian Majesty, are reciprocally bound to maintain the
sovereignty, rights and jurisdiction of each of the thirteen States
inviolably; and the utter impracticability of our acceding to any
treaty of peace with Great Britain, on the principles of a _uti
possidetis_, or on any other terms than such as shall imply an express
or tacit acknowledgment of the sovereignty of each and every part, and
which shall be consistent with the letter and spirit of our treaty of
alliance and friendship and commerce with his Most Christian Majesty.
You shall represent, in pointed terms, the barbarous manner in which,
contrary to the laws of all civilized nations, the war has been
conducted by the enemy, the difficulties, which we have surmounted,
and the certain prospect, under the divine blessing, of expelling our
enemies, and establishing our independence on such basis as will
render us useful to the whole commercial world, and happy in
ourselves. You shall assure her Imperial Majesty of our ambition to
number so wise and magnanimous a Princess among our friends, and to
assign her a distinguished place among those illustrious personages of
ancient and modern times, who have delighted in promoting the
happiness of mankind, and in disarming tyranny of the power of doing
mischief.
6. You shall assure her Imperial Majesty and her Ministers of the
sincere disposition of these United States to enter into a treaty of
friendship and commerce with her on terms of the most perfect
equality, reciprocity and mutual advantage, and similar to those
expressed in our treaty with his Most Christian Majesty; and you are
authorised to communicate with her Imperial Majesty's Ministers on the
form and terms of such treaty, and transmit the same to Congress for
their ratification.
7. You shall communicate punctually with our respective Ministers in
Europe, and avail yourself of their advice and information, and of the
success of their respective negotiations to raise our importance and
support our interest at the Court of Petersburg.
8. You shall endeavor to acquire a perfect knowledge of the manners
and etiquette of the Court at which you reside, and particularly in
the diplomatic line; and of the manufactures and commerce of that
empire; and point out in your correspondence how far and on what
conditions the two nations can be mutually beneficial to or improve
each other in commerce or policy, arts or agriculture.
Lastly. And, in general, you shall pursue all such measures as shall
appear to you conducive to the interests of the United States, to the
faithful discharge of your important trust, and which circumstances
may point out to be salutary and beneficial.
I am, &c.
SAMUEL HUNTINGTON, _President_.
FOOTNOTES:
[15] _In Congress, December 15th, 1780._--"Whereas a good
understanding and friendly intercourse between the subjects of her
imperial Majesty, the Empress of all the Russias, and these United
States, may be for the mutual advantage of both nations;
"Resolved, That a Minister be appointed to reside at the Court of the
Empress of Russia.
"Ordered, that Monday next be assigned for electing such Minister.
"Ordered, that a committee of three be appointed to prepare a
commission and draft of instructions for the said Minister.
"_December 19th, 1780._--Congress proceeded to the election of a
Minister to reside at the Court of the Empress of Russia; and the
ballots being taken, the honorable Francis Dana was elected."
* * * * *
TO THE COMMITTEE OF FOREIGN AFFAIRS.
Paris, February 16th, 1781.
Gentlemen,
I do myself the honor to acquaint you, that I returned to this city
the 28th of December, where it is probable I shall continue till the
public business may require me to join Mr Adams, who still remains at
Amsterdam. It was judged by both of us, that no possible detriment
could happen to our public concerns by this separation. On the other
hand, Mr Adams was pleased to say it might be attended with some
benefit.
Shortly after I came to town, your despatches by Captain Bell were
forwarded to me. Though they were addressed to Mr Adams, agreeably to
his standing directions, I broke them open, and sent on to him such of
them only as I knew he had not received before, and were necessary for
the regulation of his present business. The additional instructions of
the 18th of October, founded on his letters of the 23d and 24th of
March last, and all the duplicates, I have still by me, not thinking
it advisable to hazard them by the post. I have made Mr Adams fully
acquainted with this.
You will permit me to say, that it is by no means prudent to commit to
the care of the posts, papers of the nature of some of your last
despatches.
Mr Adams has not been able to obtain the amount of the bills actually
drawn on Mr Laurens. The resolution of Congress of the 23d of
November, 1779, expresses a certain sum; so does that of the 6th of
October last. But Mr Searle says, it is not the design of Congress to
draw to the amount of both resolutions; that they had stayed their
hands upon the first, after having drawn for about a quarter part of
the sum named in it, for particular reasons, which he mentions. It
would have been a relief under present circumstances, to have had
this made certain. I am persuaded it would be acceptable to every one
concerned in such business, to be acquainted as early as possible with
the amount of bills drawn upon him from time to time, so that they
might not fall in unexpectedly.
Congress, it appears from their printed journals, have taken into
consideration the Declaration of the Empress of all the Russias,
relative to the commercial rights of neutral nations, and have
thereupon passed several resolutions, and ordered that copies of them
should be transmitted to their Ministers, yet no such copies have yet
been received. Although there does not appear at present any pressing
occasion for them, nevertheless it is possible, though I cannot say I
think probable, that one may offer, in which case there would be a
total deficiency of the necessary powers. Mr Adams, in his last letter
of the 8th instant, has desired me to consult with Dr Franklin upon
this business, which I shall soon do. Lest Mr Adams should not have an
opportunity to write from Holland, I would just say, that the
principal matter then remained _in statu quo_.
I am this moment acquainted by Mr Temple Franklin, that a vessel has
arrived at Nantes, which left the Capes of Delaware on the 7th of
January, and that the Doctor has received copies of the resolutions of
Congress relative to the above Declaration of the Empress of Russia.
I am, Gentlemen, with much respect, your most obedient and most humble
servant,
FRANCIS DANA.
* * * * *
TO THE PRESIDENT OF CONGRESS.
Paris, March 24th, 1781.
Sir,
I have the honor to acquaint your Excellency, that Mr Laurens arrived
at Passy the 15th instant, and in the evening of the same day, sent me
your despatches intrusted to his care, as well as those which came by
the Duke of Leinster, both for Mr Adams and myself. In a day or two
after, I forwarded Mr Adams's to him by a private opportunity, it
being very unsafe to send anything by the post, which it is of
importance to keep secret. As I did not open them, I am wholly
ignorant whether they contain anything relative to our first
commissions, or in what light to consider myself respecting them,
provided I should not proceed to the Court of St Petersburg. My
actually going there is a condition precedent, and in virtue of which
alone, I am entitled to anything under the resolution of Congress of
the 20th of December last.[16]
I have communicated my instructions and commission, and everything
respecting it, to Dr Franklin, and have asked his opinion whether it
was expedient to make a communication of the general object of my
commission to the administration here. He said he thought it was, and
that it might be advisable likewise to take the opinion of the Count
de Vergennes, whether it would not be proper to make this
communication also to the Court of St Petersburg, and obtain their
approbation of the measure, before I should set off for that country;
that a similar course was taken in the case of Mr Arthur Lee for
Madrid, and of Mr William Lee for Vienna. My own opinion exactly
coincides with the first part of his advice, but not with the latter
part. I think that would rather create than clear away obstacles; it
would lay the Court of St Petersburg under a necessity of considering
the general object of my commission, and if after this they should
approve of the journey, it might involve them in consequences they are
not prepared to meet; for Britain would consider such an act as
absolutely decisive of the part the Court of St Petersburg meant
finally to take, and this consideration, however well they might stand
affected towards us, in my opinion would prevent their approving of
the proposition, if it did not draw after it an absolute prohibition.
There is no difficulty in going in the character of a private citizen
of the United States, and when one has once entered, the ground is
changed. Admission and rejection are essentially different. Besides,
one would be at hand to open the way gradually, as favorable
occurrences might arise.
I have been at Passy this day to consult the Doctor again on this
point, and to lay my objections before him, but he was not at home. I
shall do it the first opportunity. If we should finally differ on any
point after having consulted Mr Adams, agreeably to my instructions,
if they concur in opinion, I shall make no difficulty in conforming
exactly to their better judgments, otherwise I must exercise my own
upon the choice of opinions. But if the result should be, that I am
not to proceed, how, and in what character am I to consider myself? Is
my former commission superseded, and what am I to depend upon? The
resolution of Congress of the 20th of December last, mentions a
certain sum for which I have a letter of credit, conditionally, upon
their Minister at this Court, as a salary for one year. Is it the
intention of Congress, that that sum is to be my whole support, in the
character of their Minister, empowered to do the same things at the
Court of St Petersburg, that their Ministers at other Courts, which
have not yet acknowledged the independence of the United States, are
empowered to do? Or is it their intention, that my former commission
should continue in force, and that I should receive the salary of
both, which would make my whole support but nominally equal to that,
which Congress allows to their other Ministers.
Further, there is no mention made of a secretary or clerk, appointed
to assist me, or any provision for either. Is it the intention of
Congress to confine me to the sum mentioned in their resolution of the
20th of December last, and even leave me to provide out of it for a
clerk or private secretary, (for one will be indispensable,) and for
all other expenses? Congress will not surely take it amiss if I ask
for information on these points. The absolute necessity I am under of
knowing on what I have to depend, I trust will be my sufficient
apology. I cannot but lament, that the expediency of advising on these
points, did not occur to the Committee on Foreign Affairs. I have as
yet received no information upon this subject, but what comes to me in
the acts of Congress, and in your Excellency's letter accompanying
them.
Convinced as I am of the propriety of such an appointment, it is my
present determination, throwing aside all pecuniary considerations, to
accept of this honorable trust. I wish my abilities were equal to the
importance of it. I can engage for nothing more, than sincere and
uniform endeavors to promote the great end of it. Through you, Sir, I
beg leave to communicate my most respectful acknowledgments to
Congress for this distinguished instance of their confidence in me.
I am, with the greatest respect, &c.
FRANCIS DANA.
_P. S._ I will under my present uncertainties, keep a regular account
of all my expenses under this commission, and shall cheerfully submit
to the justice of Congress, the propriety of the charges I shall make,
and how much ought to be allowed under the denomination of salary,
expenses, &c. I shall hope, however, that Congress will reduce these
things to a certainty as soon as is convenient. If I find it
impracticable to conform to their views, the step I ought to take is
very clear and plain.[17]
F. D.
FOOTNOTES:
[16] _In Congress, December 20th, 1780._ "Resolved, That the President
furnish the Minister appointed to the Court of Petersburg with letters
of credit on the Minister Plenipotentiary of the United States at the
Court of Versailles, for fifteen hundred pounds sterling, as his
salary for one year; provided the said Minister shall proceed to the
Court of Petersburg."
[17] See resolutions of Congress, on the subject of Mr Dana's salary
and expenses, in the Secret Journal. Vol. II. p. 457.
* * * * *
TO THE PRESIDENT OF CONGRESS.
Paris, March 28th, 1781.
Sir,
I did myself the honor to write to your Excellency, on the 24th
instant, and to acknowledge the receipt of your despatches by Colonel
Laurens, and by the Duke of Leinster, both for Mr Adams and myself. I
also acquainted your Excellency, that I had communicated my
instructions, my commissions, and everything respecting it, to Dr
Franklin. I mentioned also the question I proposed to him, and his
advice upon it, that I differed from him in the latter part of his
advice, and assigned my reasons for doing so. I added I would the
first opportunity lay before him my objections, for his further
consideration of that part of his advice. I have done so this day, and
have the satisfaction to find that he now perfectly concurs in opinion
with me, so that a simple communication of the general object only
will be made here.
I have left the papers with him to consider whether he or I should
make it. I think the last paragraph of the first article of my
instructions, seems to point it out to be the sense of Congress, that
he should do it. Through whatever channel it should be made, it seems
to be agreed between us, that the voyage is already settled, and not
now a question for consideration, I hope none will be made about it.
If there should not arise any obstructions out of this communication,
I shall leave Paris on Sunday next, and proceed for Holland, where I
shall consult with Mr Adams upon the whole business of my mission, and
it shall be my constant endeavor, to give Congress the earliest
information of every material circumstance respecting it. My situation
may however render my communications less frequent than I could wish,
or they expect, especially when it is considered, that there is no
safety in corresponding through the posts of these countries.
I hope no occasion will be lost to keep me properly informed of the
state of our affairs, particularly of all military operations; so that
I may be able to prevent our enemies making impressions to our
disadvantage, in which business they constantly labor with much
industry, and I wish I could not add with too much success; owing
principally to our wanting the necessary information to counteract
them.
The accession of Maryland to the Confederation is an event, which may
have some good influence upon our affairs, as it may serve to convince
a great part of Europe that a strong principle of union exists among
us. Yet of this we have not any other account than what comes in
private letters, at least I have not seen or heard of any other.
Nothing but an anxious concern which I feel to be furnished with
authentic evidences of events, which may be improved to the benefit of
our country, has led me to speak of this, which I deem important in
the manner I have done, and I presume Congress will not attribute it
to a querulous disposition.
I am, with the greatest respect and esteem, &c.
FRANCIS DANA.
* * * * *
TO THE COUNT DE VERGENNES.
Paris, March 31st, 1781.
Sir,
I have the honor to acquaint your Excellency, that Congress have been
pleased to charge me with a commission as their Minister at the Court
of St Petersburg, and that reposing the highest confidence in his
Most Christian Majesty, their first and illustrious ally, and in his
Ministers, they have particularly instructed me to communicate the
general object of my mission to his Majesty's Minister at the Court of
St Petersburg, to the end without doubt, that their negotiations at
that Court might be carried on in perfect harmony with those of his
Majesty, upon whose gracious and powerful assistance, through his
Minister there, Congress place much reliance.
Had Congress apprehended their despatches would have met me here, they
probably would not have failed to direct this communication to be made
to his Majesty in the first instance, through your Excellency. Under
this persuasion, I beg leave to acquaint your Excellency, that the
general view of Congress in this mission is, to engage her Imperial
Majesty to favor and support the sovereignty and independence of the
United States, and to lay a foundation for a good understanding, and
friendly intercourse between the subjects of her Imperial Majesty, and
the citizens of the United States, to the mutual advantage of both
nations, and consistent with the treaties subsisting between his Most
Christian Majesty and the United States.
In the firm confidence, that this measure will meet with the cordial
approbation of his Majesty, I do not doubt but I shall experience his
benevolence, in a proper encouragement and support, in the execution
of my mission. It may be proper to acquaint your Excellency, that I
propose to set off for Holland next Wednesday morning, if there should
be no occasion for further delay, and from thence to proceed to St
Petersburg. It is not my intention to assume any public character on
my arrival there, but to appear only as a private citizen of the
United States, until the result of my inquiries shall point out a
ready and honorable reception. I shall most cheerfully obey my
instructions to communicate the general object of my mission to his
Majesty's Minister at St Petersburg, whose able advice and assistance,
I hope your Excellency will be pleased to assure to me.
I am, with the greatest respect, &c.
FRANCIS DANA.
* * * * *
TO THE PRESIDENT OF CONGRESS.
Paris, March 31st, 1781.
Sir,
My letter of the 28th instant will inform your Excellency, that on
that day I had a further consultation with Dr Franklin upon the
subject of my mission, particularly upon the mode of communicating the
general object of it here, that having agreed upon that, I left the
papers with him, to the end that if he thought it proper to make the
communication, he might have them before him, and do it without loss
of time.
Partly to save time in case the Doctor should be of the opinion, that
it was most proper for me to make it, and partly to lay before him my
idea about it in writing, I drew up a letter to the Count de
Vergennes, which I left with the other papers, a copy of which you
will have enclosed. The Doctor called upon me late last evening with
the whole, and told me he had attentively considered them, and that he
thought it best I should make the communication; and was pleased to
add, that he had carefully examined my draft of a letter in
particular, and approved of it entirely; that he did not know of any
alteration, which could be made in it for the better. Confiding in
his judgment more than in my own, I this morning sent a fair copy of
it to the Count de Vergennes, (adding only the few words underscored,)
which was received at his office at five o'clock this afternoon. This
mode obliges me to postpone the time of my departure from Sunday to
Wednesday next, when, as I have said in my last, if there should not
arise any obstructions out of this communication, I shall set off for
Holland.
I am not without my apprehensions on this head, yet I do not see that
the measure could have been decently avoided, most certainly not,
consistent with the letter and spirit of my instructions. I have
endeavored to adapt the mode to the main end I have in view, that is,
to stave off any question touching the expediency of the voyage at
this time, or prior to my obtaining permission to make it; for the
reasons mentioned in my letter of the 24th instant, as well as for
others, which it may not be prudent to mention just now. Perhaps they
are not well founded. I shall not fail to do myself the honor to
transmit to your Excellency the answer I may receive to the enclosed,
and a particular account of every material circumstance, which may
take place here before my departure. It is probable I shall have a
safe opportunity to send duplicates of the whole from Holland.
I am, with the greatest respect, &c.
FRANCIS DANA.
* * * * *
COUNT DE VERGENNES TO FRANCIS DANA.
Translation.
Versailles, April 1st, 1781.
Sir,
I have received the letter, which you did me the honor to write to me
on the 31st ultimo. I was already informed of the part taken by
Congress in the mission, with which you are charged for the Court of
St Petersburg. As it would seem, that present circumstances ought to
have some influence in fixing the time of your departure, I should be
glad on this account to have an interview with you. The reflections,
which I shall communicate, have for their principle the sincere
interest which I take in the cause of your country, as well as in the
dignity of Congress.
I have the honor to be, &c.
DE VERGENNES.
* * * * *
TO THE COUNT DE VERGENNES.
Paris, April 2d, 1781.
Sir,