The jealousy which reigns among the maritime powers of Europe, with their narrow, weak, and contemptible system of politics, prevents our being able to procure ships of war; to remedy which, you have with you timber, iron, and workmen, and we must send you over sailcloth and cordage, as fast as we can. The importance of having a considerable naval force, is too obvious, to need our saying more than, that we conceive no apparent difficulty or obstruction ought to deter us from pushing it forward to the utmost of our power. We have sent you by a former conveyance a plan of a frigate on a new construction, and now send you the duplicate, which we submit to the judgment of those better skilled than we pretend to be in naval affairs, but imagine that on our coast, and perhaps anywhere, ships constructed in some such manner may be as formidable as those of seventyfour guns, and it is certain they will cost us less. The vessel building in Amsterdam is on this plan, which we hope will be in readiness for service this fall or autumn.
We are, with the utmost respect, &c.
B. FRANKLIN,
S. DEANE.
FROM THE COMMITTEE OF FOREIGN AFFAIRS TO THE COMMISSIONERS.
Philadelphia, May 30th, 1777.
Gentlemen,
We have delayed sending this packet, from a daily expectation of hearing from you, as some letters from France make mention of a quick sailing vessel, by which we were to receive despatches. Though it must be agreeable to you to hear frequently from us, yet as our letters by being taken might be of worse consequence than being delayed, we are desirous of waiting for the safest opportunity, and when you hear not so often as you wish, remember our silence means our safety. Acquainted as we are, with the situation and condition of the enemy, we well know, that the pompous paragraphs in the London papers are not the news, which the Ministry hear from their army; but the news they make for them.
The Amphitrite has arrived in Portsmouth, New Hampshire; and the Seine at Martinique, but she is made a prize of, in her passage from thence. We request you to expedite the loan of two millions, (which we have already sent you a commission for, and now send you a duplicate of the same) for though we conceive the credit of America to be as well founded at least as any in the world, having neither debt nor taxes when she began the war, yet she is like a man who, with a large capital all in property, is unable to make any new purchases, till he can either convert some of it into specie, or borrow in the mean time. Britain is now fighting us, and the greatest part of Europe negatively, by endeavoring to stop that trade from us to France, Spain, &c. which she has most effectually lost to herself, and we wish those Courts saw their interest in the same clear point of view in which it appears to us. We have little or no doubt of being able to reduce the enemy by land, and we likewise believe that the united powers of France, Spain, and America would be able to expel the British fleet from the western seas, by which the communication for trade would be opened, the number of interests reduced which have hitherto distracted the West Indies, and consequently the peace of all this side of the globe put on a better foundation than it has hitherto been; a mutual advantage, as we conceive, to France, Spain, and these States.
That Britain was formidable last war, in the West Indies, is true, but when it is considered that her power there arose from her possessions here, or that she was formidable chiefly through us, it is impossible to suppose that she can again arrive at the same pitch of power. Here she was assisted by numberless privateers. Here she supplied and partly manned her fleet; recruited, and almost raised her army, for that service; in short, America in the last war represented Britain removed to this side of the Atlantic. The scene is changed, and America now is that to France and Spain in point of advantages, which she was the last war to Britain. Therefore, putting the convenience, which we might receive, out of the question, by their making an attack on the West Indies, we are somewhat surprised, that such politic Courts as France and Spain, should hesitate on a measure so alluring and practicable. We do not mention these remarks, because we suppose they do not occur to you, but to let you know our thoughts on the matter, and to give you every advantage, by conveying our minds to you, as well as our instructions and informations.
This packet takes complete sets of our public paper, filed in order, for seventeen weeks past.