[ [34] The insinuation here, that Dr Franklin was disposed to favor Mr Williams, because he was his nephew, seems to have been made without just grounds. The contrary indeed would appear from the following extract of a letter, written by Dr Franklin to Mr William Lee, March 6th, 1778, when Mr Lee proposed to him that the Commissioners should appoint Mr Williams as a commercial agent at Nantes.
“Your proposition,” says Dr Franklin, “about appointing agents in the ports, shall be laid before the Commissioners when they meet. In the mean time, I can only say, that as to my nephew, Mr Williams, though I have from long knowledge and experience of him a high opinion of his abilities, activity, and integrity, will have no hand in his appointment, or in approving it, not being desirous of his being in any way concerned in that business.
“I am obliged to you for your good opinion of my nephew, manifested in your intention of nominating him as above, and I beg you to accept my thanks, though for particular reasons, which you know, I do not wish him to accept the employment.”
[ [35] For a full explanation of all the charges contained in this letter, see Silas Deane’s Correspondence in the present work, Vol. I, p. 139, under the date of October 12th, 1778,—also, p. 148 of the same volume. And for a further notice of Mr Williams’s accounts, see p. 172.
[ [36] This relates to military articles for the State of Virginia, which Mr Lee was authorised to procure. The correspondence concerning this subject will be found in the first volume of the Life of Arthur Lee.
[ [37] Both missing.
[ [38] “In Congress, December 3d, 1777. The great quantity of paper money, issued to defray the necessary expenses of the war, having at length become so considerable as to endanger its credit, and Congress apprehending, that the slow operation of taxes may not be adequate to the prevention of an evil so pernicious in its consequences, and as experience proves, that the method of paying the interest by bills on France does not fill the loan office so fast as the urgent calls of war demand,
“Resolved, That the Commissioners at the Courts of France and Spain be directed to exert their utmost endeavors to obtain a loan of two millions sterling on the faith of the United States, for a term not less than ten years, with permission if practicable to pay the same sooner if it shall be agreeable to these States, giving twelve months’ previous notice to the lender, of such intention to return the money. That the Commissioners be instructed to consider the money hereby directed to be borrowed, as a fund to be applied, unless Congress direct otherwise, solely to the purpose of answering such drafts as Congress shall make for the purpose of lessening the sum of paper money in circulation.
“That in order more effectually to answer the good purposes intended by this plan, the Commissioners be also instructed to keep as secret as the nature of the thing will admit, whatever loan they shall be able to obtain for this purpose on account of the United States.”
[ [39] Several of these letters are missing.