Congress proceeded to the election of a Secretary of Foreign Affairs; and, the ballots being counted, Robert R. Livingston was elected, having been previously nominated by Mr Floyd.
TO MAJOR GENERAL NATHANIEL GREENE.
Philadelphia, October 20th, 1781.[20]
Dear Sir,
Congress having done me the honor to appoint me their Secretary of Foreign Affairs, and made it my duty to collect and transmit such intelligence as may be useful to our Ministers, I take the liberty to open a correspondence with you. From the past, I have reason to hope, that your future operations will furnish the most agreeable and useful information at foreign Courts; for nothing is more incontrovertibly true, than that splendid victories and a wise Administration at home, are the best negotiators abroad.
Give me leave, Sir, to congratulate you upon your success. We have reason to hope, that it will be attended with the most important consequences, more especially, if as we may expect, the Commander in Chief should be enabled to make a considerable addition to the brave corps you command.
The enemy have sailed from New York with twentysix ships of the line, including three of fifty guns, having on board their ships of war five thousand land forces, in order to attempt the relief of Cornwallis. For that, happily, they are too late; but as sympathising friends afford consolation to the distressed, he may possibly derive some comfort from their sharing, at least in part, his fate.
I have the honor to be, &c.
ROBERT R. LIVINGSTON.