TO THE COMMITTEE OF FOREIGN AFFAIRS.
Paris, March 4th, 1779.
Gentlemen,
I had the honor of writing to you on the 28th of January, and have since received your letter of the 28th of October, informing me of the appointment of Dr Franklin to be Minister Plenipotentiary at the Court of France, and enclosing a resolution of Congress of the 22d of the same month. The respect, which I owe to the Representatives of my country in Congress, would make me follow any advice which I might receive from them. I am most perfectly convinced, that the cultivation of harmony and good understanding between the Ministers, Commissioners, and Representatives of Congress, is necessary for the honor and interest of the United States, and I have acted to the utmost of my power in conformity to that opinion.
Congress will be enabled to judge how far their other servants have done so, from the papers which have already been, and will be, laid before them. I beg leave to repeat again the high sense I have of the honor that Congress did me, in appointing me one of their Representatives in Europe, and to request that you will be so good as to obtain their leave for me to return to America, as I see no prospect of my having it in my power to render them any service in this part of the world. I should embrace the opportunity of going under the convoy of the Alliance frigate, but do not think myself at liberty to leave Europe without the permission of Congress.
I have the honor to be, &c.
RALPH IZARD.
THE COMMITTEE OF FOREIGN AFFAIRS TO RALPH IZARD.
Philadelphia, July 17th, 1779.