Governor Matthews, with all the officers of government are now in town; and civil police fully established and supported.
I am, &c.
NATHANIEL GREENE.
TO THE COMMITTEE OF CONGRESS APPOINTED TO REPAIR TO RHODE ISLAND.
Philadelphia, December 20th, 1782.
Gentlemen,
I can only reply to your inquiries with respect to the probability of extending our loans in France, by informing you, that the general tenor of our public despatches discourages the idea, as will appear by the extracts of letters herewith sent you. To them I have added such official communications as I have received from time to time from the Minister of France.
I might add to these the result of several private conversations with him upon that subject, having frequently introduced it, to know how far we might in case of extreme necessity lean on France. He has always expressed on these occasions a strong sense of our wants, and a wish to relieve them, accompanied with an apprehension, that the heavy expense incurred by France, in creating and supporting a large marine, would render it highly imprudent to expect, that she should add anything to the liberal supplies already afforded us, and the maintenance of an army in America on our account. Of late, too, the unproductiveness of our taxes, and the uneasiness of the public creditors in the United States, has not escaped his observation. His reflections on this subject are so obvious, that I need not repeat them. I am seriously alarmed for their effect on the loans we have already opened. A private letter from Mr Jay informs me, that the paper struck by Spain has greatly depreciated, so that had we needed any further assurances on that head, we must now be fully convinced, that we have nothing to expect from that quarter.
I have the honor to be, &c.
ROBERT R. LIVINGSTON.