TO THE COMMITTEE OF FOREIGN AFFAIRS.
Paris, 18th December, 1777.
Gentlemen,
Since our last, of November 30th, a copy of which is herewith sent you, we received your despatches of October 6th, from Yorktown. They came to us by a packet from Boston, which brought the great news of Burgoyne's defeat and surrender; news that apparently occasioned as much general joy in France, as if it had been a victory of their own troops over their own enemies, such is the universal, warm, and sincere good will and attachment to us and our cause in this nation.
We took the opportunity of pressing the ministry, by a short memorial, to the conclusion of our proposed treaty, which had so long been under their consideration, and been from time to time postponed. A meeting was had accordingly, on Friday the 12th instant, in which some difficulties were mentioned and removed, some explications asked and given, to satisfaction. As the concurrence of Spain is necessary, we were told that a courier should be despatched the next day to obtain it, which we are since assured was done, and in three weeks from the time the answer was expected.
On signifying to the ministry the importance it might be of, at this juncture, when probably Britain would be making some propositions of accommodation, that the Congress should be informed explicitly what might be expected from France and Spain, M. Gerard, one of the secretaries, came yesterday to inform us, by order of the king, that after long and full consideration of our affairs and propositions, in council, it was decided, and his majesty was determined to acknowledge our independence, and make a treaty with us of amity and commerce; that in this treaty no advantage would be taken of our present situation, to obtain terms from us, which otherwise would not be convenient for us to agree to; his majesty desiring that the treaty, once made, should be durable, and our amity subsist forever; which could not be expected, if each nation did not find its interest in the continuance, as well as in the commencement of it. It was therefore his intention, that the terms of the treaty should be such as we might be willing to agree to, if our State had been long since established, and in the fulness of strength and power, and such as we shall approve of when that time shall come. That his majesty was fixed in his determination, not only to acknowledge, but to support, our independence, by every means in his power. That in doing this, he might, probably, soon be engaged in a war, with all the expenses, risks, and damages, usually attending it, yet he should not expect any compensation from us on that account, nor pretend that he acted wholly for our sakes; since, besides his real good will to us and our cause, it was manifestly the interest of France, that the power of England should be diminished by our separation from it. He should, moreover, not so much as insist, that if he engaged in a war with England on our account, we should not make a separate peace; he would have us be at full liberty to make a peace for ourselves, whenever good and advantageous terms were offered to us. The only condition he should require and rely on would be this, that we, in no peace to be made with England, should give up our independence, and return to the obedience of that government. That as soon as the courier returned from Spain, with the concurrence expected, the affair would be proceeded in and concluded; and of this we might give the Congress the strongest assurances in our despatches, only cautioning them to keep the whole, for the present, a dead secret, as Spain had three reasons for not immediately declaring; her money fleet not yet come home; her Brazil army and fleet the same; and her peace with Portugal not yet quite completed; but these obstacles would, probably, soon be removed.
We answered, that in what had been communicated to us we perceived, and admired equally the king's magnanimity and his wisdom; that he would find us faithful and firm allies, and we wished, with his majesty, that the amity between the two nations might be eternal. And, mentioning that republics were usually steady in their engagements, for instance, the Swiss cantons, the Secretary remarked, that France had been as steady with regard to them, two hundred years having passed since their first alliance for fifty years had commenced, which had been renewed from time to time; and such had been her uniform good faith toward them, that, as it appeared in the last renewal, the Protestant cantons were free from their ancient prejudices and suspicions, and joined readily with the rest in the league of which we herewith send you a copy.
It is sometime since we obtained a promise of an additional aid of three million of livres, which we shall receive in January. Spain, we are told, will give an equal sum; but finding it inconvenient to remit it here, she purposes sending it from the Havanna, in specie, to the Congress. What we receive here will help to get us out of debt. Our vessels laden with supplies have, by various means, been delayed, particularly by fear of falling into the hands of the British cruising ships, which swarm in the bay and channel. At length, it is resolved that they shall sail together, as they are all provided for defence, and we have obtained a king's ship to convoy them out of the channel, and we hope quite to America. They will carry, we think, to the amount of seventy thousand pounds sterling, and sail in a few days.
Also, in consideration of the late frequent losses of our despatches, and the importance of the present, we have applied for, and obtained a frigate to carry them.
These extraordinary favors, of a nature provoking to Great Britain, are marks of the sincerity of this Court, and seem to demand the thanks of the Congress. We have accepted five bills, drawn on us by the President, in favor of some returned officers, and shall pay them punctually. But, as we receive no remittances for our support, and the cargo in the Amphitrite is claimed from us by M. Beaumarchais, and we are not certain that we can keep it, we hope Congress will be sparing in their drafts, except for the interest mentioned in our former letters, of which we now repeat the assurances of payment; otherwise, we may be much embarrassed, and our situation rendered very uncomfortable.