TO THE COMMITTEE OF FOREIGN AFFAIRS.
Passy, 30th November, 1777.
Gentlemen,
In a former letter we acquainted you that we had engaged an officer, one of the most skilful in naval affairs this country possessed, to build us a frigate in Holland, on a new construction (drafts of which we sent you) and to go over in her to America, and enter your service. The frigate is almost finished. She is very large, is to carry thirty 24 pounders, on one deck, and is supposed equal to a ship of the line. But the infinite difficulties we find in equipping and manning such a ship in any neutral port, under the restrictions of treaties, together with the want of supplies from you, have induced us to sell her to the king, who, by a large pension offered to our officer, has engaged him to remain in his service, and pays us what we have expended on her.
We have built a small frigate at Nantes, which we hope to get away soon, laden with supplies of various sorts. We meet with difficulties too in shipping arms and ammunition in her, but hope they will be surmounted. Several other vessels, some under the direction of Mr Ross, others belonging to French merchants, are almost ready to sail for America, and we had thoughts of sending them in a little fleet, under convoy of the Raleigh, and Alfred, but on consultation, considering the spies maintained by England in all the ports, and thence the impossibility of making up such a fleet, without its being known, so as to give time for a superior force to be in wait for it, we concluded the chance better of their going off singly, as they should be ready. In these vessels are clothes, ready made, for thirty thousand men, besides arms, cloths, linens, and naval stores to a great amount, bought up by us and Mr Ross. The private adventures will also be very considerable. And as we shall continue our endeavor to complete your orders, we hope that if the ships have common success in passing, you will be better provided for the next campaign, than you have been for any of the preceding.
How we are enabled to make these supplies, must be a matter of some surprise to you, when you reflect that little or nothing from you has been received by us, since what came by Captain Wickes, till now by the arrival of the Amphitrite, and that the seeming uncertainty of your public affairs has prevented hitherto our obtaining the loan proposed. We have however found, or made some friends, who have helped, and will, we are confident, continue to help us.
Being anxious for supporting the credit of Congress' paper money, we procured a fund for payment of the interest of all the Congress had proposed to borrow. And we mentioned in several of our letters, that we should be ready to pay all bills drawn for the discharge of such interest, to the full value in money of France, that is, five livres for every dollar of interest due. We were persuaded, that thus fixing the value of the interest would fix the value of the principal, and consequently of the whole mass. We hope this will be approved, though we have yet no answer. We cannot apply that fund to any other purpose, and therefore wish to know as soon as may be, the resolution of Congress upon it. Possibly none of those letters had reached you, or your answers have miscarried; for the interruptions of our correspondence have been very considerable. Adams, by whom we wrote early this summer, was taken on this coast, having sunk his despatches. We hear that Hammond shared the same fate on your coast. Johnson, by whom we wrote in September, was taken, going out of the channel, and poor Captain Wickes, who sailed at the same time, and had duplicates, we just now hear foundered near Newfoundland, every man perishing but the cook. This loss is extremely to be lamented, as he was a gallant officer, and a very worthy man. Your despatches also, which were coming by a small sloop from Morris's River, and by the Mere Bobie packet, were both sunk, on those vessels being boarded by English men of war.
The Amphitrite's arrival, with a cargo of rice and indigo, near one thousand barrels of the one, and twenty of the other, is a seasonable supply to us for our support; we not having for some time past, (as you will see by our former letters) any expectations of further supplies from Mr Morris; and though we live here with as much frugality as possible, the unavoidable expenses, and the continual demands upon us for assistance to Americans, who escape from English prisons, &c. &c. endangered our being brought to great difficulties for subsistence. The freight of that ship too calls for an enormous sum, on account of her long demurrage.
We begin to be much troubled with complaints of our armed vessels taking the ships and merchandise of neutral nations. From Holland, they complain of the taking of the sloop Chester, Captain Bray, belonging to Rotterdam, by two privateers of Charleston, called the Fair American and the Experiment; from Cadiz, of the taking the French ship Fortune, Captain Kenguen, by the Civil Usage privateer, having on board Spanish property; and here, of the taking the Emperor of Germany, from Cork, with beef, belonging to the marine of France, just off the mouth of Bordeaux river. We send herewith the papers we have received, and answers given, relating to those captures, and we earnestly request, that if upon fair trials it shall appear that the allegations are true, speedy justice may be done, and restitution made to the reclaimants, it being of the utmost consequence to our affairs in Europe, that we should wipe off the aspersions of our enemies, who proclaim us every where as pirates, and endeavor to excite all the world against us.
The Spanish affair has already had very ill effects at that Court, as we learn by the return of the courier mentioned in our last. We have, by letters to our correspondents at the several ports, done all in our power to prevent such mischiefs for the future, a copy of which we herewith send you. The European maritime powers embarrass themselves, as well as us, by the double part their politics oblige them to act; being in their hearts our friends, and wishing us success, they would allow us every use of their ports consistent with their treaties, or that we can make of them without giving open cause of complaint to England; and it being so difficult to keep our privateers within those bounds, we submit it to consideration, whether it would not be better to forbear cruising on their coasts, and bringing prizes in here, till an open war takes place, which, though by no means certain, seems every now and then to be apprehended on both sides; witness among other circumstances, the recall of their fishing ships by France, and the king of England's late speech. In consequence of this embarrassed conduct, our prizes cannot be sold publicly, of which the purchasers take advantage in beating down the price, and sometimes the Admiralty Courts are obliged to lay hold of them in consequence of orders from Court, obtained by the English Ambassador. Our people, of course, complain of this as unfriendly treatment; and as we must not counteract the Court in the appearances they seem inclined to put on towards England, we cannot set our folks right by acquainting them with the essential services our cause is continually receiving from this nation, and we are apprehensive, that resentment of that supposed unkind usage may induce some of them to make reprisals, and thereby occasion a deal of mischief. You will see some reason for this apprehension, in the letter[45] from Captain Babson, which we send you herewith, relating to their two prizes confiscated here for false entries, and afterwards delivered up to the British, for which, however, we have hopes of obtaining full satisfaction, having already a promise of part.
The king of England's Speech blusters towards these kingdoms, as well as towards us. He pretends to great resolution, both of continuing this war, and of making two others, if they give him occasion. It is conceived he will, with difficulty, find men and money for another campaign of that already on his hands; and all the world sees it is not for want of will, that he puts up with the daily known advantages afforded us by his neighbors. They, however, we have reason to believe, will not begin the quarrel as long as they can avoid it, nor give us any open assistance of ships or troops. Indeed, we are scarce allowed to know that they give us any aids at all, but are left to imagine, if we please, that the cannon, arms, &c. which we have received and sent, are the effects of private benevolence and generosity. We have, nevertheless, the strongest reasons to confide, that the same generosity will continue; and it leaves America the glory of working out her deliverance by her own virtue and bravery, on which, with God's blessing, we advise you chiefly to depend.
You will see by the papers, and a letter of intelligence from London, that the continuance of the war is warmly condemned in Parliament, by their wisest and best men in the debates on the Speech; but the old corrupt majority continues to vote, as usual, with the Ministers. In order to lessen their credit for the new loans, we have caused the paper, which we formerly mentioned, to be translated and printed in French and Dutch, by our agent in Holland. When it began to have a run there, the Government forbad the further publication, but the prohibition occasions it to be more sought after, read, and talked of.
The monument for General Montgomery is finished, and gone to Havre, in nine cases, to lie for a conveyance. It is plain, but elegant, being done by one of the best artists here, who complains that the three hundred guineas allowed him is too little; and we are obliged to pay the additional charges of package, &c. We see, in the papers, that you have voted other monuments, but we have received no orders relating to them.
The Raleigh and Alfred will be well fitted and furnished with every thing they wanted, the Congress' part of the produce of their prizes being nearly equal to their demands. Be pleased to present our dutiful respects to the Congress, and assure them of our most faithful services.
We have the honor to be, &c.
B. FRANKLIN,
SILAS DEANE,
ARTHUR LEE.
FOOTNOTES:
[45] Missing.