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8778.

Dec.

9.

That Mr. Deane be informed, that if he hath any thing to communicate to congrefs in the interim, of immediate importance, he fhall be heard to-morrow evening at fix o'clock." Mr. Deane attending was called in, and the foregoing refolutions were read. Thus were the ears of congrefs opened to him: but their good difpofition was not improved for the communication of that wondrous information which he had threatened to give in his addrefs. The conduct of Mr. Deane in his address to the public, was the fubject of debate in congrefs; many members were for having no more concern with him at prefent, but for leaving him to the public as he had appealed to them, till he had done with them and they with him. They judged that the honor of congrefs bound them to this meafure: but others apprehended that dif contents would arife from a fuppofed inattention, and were therefore inclined to a different line of conduct. This divifion of fentiment on what might be fuppofed the honor of the house, occafioned Mr. Laurens, who adhered to the former opinion, to refign the chair, on the, 9th of December. The next day John Jay efq; was elected prefident.

Such was the clamor rapidly raifed, and the torture occafioned through the United States, by Mr. Deane's publication, that Mr. Payne, under the former fignature of Common Sense, endeavoured to allay them in an addrefs to him. This led on to further publications proand con, in which Mr. Payne made a confpicuous figure, and had great advantage, from being secretary to the committee of congrefs for foreign affairs. They have brought to light feveral important fecrets, and particularly the following-The commiffioners, Meffrs. Frank

lin, Arthur Lee and Deane, in their joint letter of Febru- 1778 ary 16, 1778, fay, "We hear Mr. Beaumarchais has fent over a person to demand a large fum of money of you on account of arms, ammunition, &c. We think it will be best for you to leave that matter to be settled here (in France) as there is a mixture of public and private which you cannot fo well develop." [Though Mr, Deane was privy to Mr. Francey's coming, and had even by letter recommended the business he came upon, yet in this joint letter he appears to know no more of the matter than the other two.]-In the fpring of 1776, a fubscription was raised, in France to fend a present to America of two hundred thoufand pounds fterling, in money, arms and ammunition. All that the suppliers wanted to know was, through what channel it should be remitted, and Mr. Beaumarchais was fixed upon as their agent. [If this fubfcription had not the pecuniary support, it undoubtedly had the countenance, of the crown, for the defpotic police of France would otherwise have immediately crushed it.] Mr. Beaumarchais appears to have been employed by the fubfcribers, to offer the fupplies purchased by their money as a present to America, and a contract was made for the freightage of them : they were fent in the Amphitrite, Seine and Mercury, two years ago. The duplicates of the dispatches of October 6 and 7, 1777, which should have arrived by capt. Folger, but who had received blank papers in their stead, were brought over with the treaty of alliance by Mr. Simeon Deane. These show, that had the dispatches arrived fafely, congrefs would have had a clew to guide them, in fettling with Mr. Francey as Mr. Beaumarchais' agent, and have efcaped paying for the present.

1778. Befide the general information communicated by the three commiffioners in their joint letter of October the 7th, Mr. Arthur Lee in his fingle one of the preceding day, gave a circumftantial account in what manner the prefent was firft offered, and declared-" That for the money and military ftores already given, no remittance will ever be required." The duplicates arrived a month too late, congrefs having on the 8th of April fettled the business on which Mr. Francey was fent.While the packets for congrefs and col. R. H. Lee containing the before-mentioned two letters were filled up with blank white paper, a large handsome packet directed to Mr. Hancock, president when the dispatches were written, beside one to Mr. Robert Morris, and another to Mr. Silas Deane's brother Barnaby, came in perfect fafety by capt. Folger.

Many are now very fufpicious, that the parties who poffeffed themselves of the miffing dispatches, had a knowledge of their contents; and that Mr. Deane is capable of informing the public who they were, and what advantages they were to enjoy from Mr. Francey's fuccefs through the lofs of the difpatches and the non-arrival of the duplicates in season. The public at large, and their reprefentatives in congrefs, were much divided by the publications relating to Mr. Deane. The army in general sided with him. Their attachment was increased by his declaring" I am fully confident, that every intrigue and cabal formed against our illustrious commander in chief, will prove as ineffectual as thofe against Dr. Franklin." This declaration brought forward to public view, part of Mr. Deane's letter to the foreign committee, dated Paris, December 6, 1776—

" I submit the thought to you, whether if you could 1778. engage a great general of the highest character in Europe, fuch for instance as prince Ferdinand, or M (arshal) B (roglio), or others of equal rank to take the lead of your armies, fuch a ftep would not be politic, as it would give a character and credit to your military, and ftrike perhaps a greater terror into our enemies. I only fuggeft the thoughts, and leave you to confer with baron (Kalbe) on the fubject at large."

5.

12.

Mr. Gerard was fo alarmed at the publications of Mr. 1779. Jan. Payne, that he prefented a memorial to congrefs upon the occafion, by which they were led into the confideration of them. Various motions were made respecting the secretary; among the rest one for hearing him the next day, which being negatived, and the negative communicated to him, he wrote on the 8th a letter to congrefs, by which he refigned his office of fecretary to the committee of foreign affairs. Two days after, the French minifter fent a fecond memorial; and on the 12th congrefs" refolved unanimously, that the prefident be directed to affure the faid minifter, that the congress do fully, in the clearest and most explicit manner, difavow the publications referred to in the faid memorials; and as they are convinced by indifputable evidence, that the fupplies shipped in the Amphitrite, Seine and Mercury, were not a prefent, and that his moft Chriftian majefty, the great and generous ally of thefe United States, did not preface his alliance with any fupplies whatever fent to America, fo they have not authorized the writer of the faid publications to make any fuch af fertions as are contained therein, but on the contrary do highly disapprove of the fame." They were indeed

$779. convinced, by the indisputable evidence of having been charged with, and drawn in to make themselves debtors for the fupplies, that they were not a present: but had the dispatches been received, or the duplicates in time, fo that they could have known that they were originally intended for a prefent, and that no remittance for them would ever be required, that invincible evidence would have been wanting. Had their generous ally really prefaced his alliance with any fupplies, it would have been undoubtedly in fuch a guarded way, as to have admitted of a negative, whenever the fame became politically neceffary. For the further fatisfaction of Mr. Gerard, the congress" refolved unanimously, That as neither France or thefe United States may of right, so these United States will not conclude either truce or peace with the common enemy, without the formal confent of their ally first obtained, and that any matters or things which may be infinuated or afferted to the contrary thereof, tend to the injury and difhonor of the faid ftates."

Jan.

14.

Instead of proceeding further in the account of congreffional acts and refolves, let me here relate certain articles of intelligence that have been neceffarily omitted.

The confederation has been ratified by all the ftates excepting Maryland. On the 5th of December congrefs refolved, "That the fentence of the general court martial upon general Lee be carried into execution." All but New York and the Delaware counties were reprefented. Four voted in the affirmative, two in the negative; the other five were not fufficiently united to vote either way. It is probable, that a regard to gen. Wafhington, and an apprehenfion that if the fentence was

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