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fible, and to hold all their militia in readiness to act as 1778. occafion may require. The congress at this period had no knowledge of a treaty's having been entered into by France with their commiffioners; but they conjectured that there would be a rupture in Europe between the French and British nations; and to avail themselves of the occafion, and detach the tories from the enemy, they the next day recommended to the states the offering of pardon, under the restrictions that might be thought expedient, to fuch of their inhabitants or fubjects who had levied war against them, or had adhered to the enemy, as fhould furrender themselves to any civil or military officer of any of the states, or return to the state they belonged to before the 10th of next June. The arrival of the conciliatory bills at New York and Philadelphia, excited equal aftonishment and indignation in the royal forces. Thefe thought their perfonal honor wounded in the recantation now made of all that high language and treatment, which they had been accustomed to hold or to offer to the Americans. The disappointment was the greater, as the bills were the fubstitute to a reinforcement of twenty thousand men, which they had expected. But the feelings of the numerous body of American refugees is not to be described.

I.

A committee of congrefs was appointed on the 1st of May May, "to inquire into the laws and customs of nations refpecting neutrality, and to report whether the condu& of the king of Portugal, in forbidding the veffels of the United States to enter his ports, and ordering thofe already there to depart at a fhort day, is not a breach of the laws of neutrality, and will not justify acts of hoftility

#778, and fecret manner, ordered that they fhould be forthwith printed for the public information: but at the fame time took care to counteract their influence by the remarks they published respecting them. They declared their belief, that the parliament would confer on them the ufual folemnities of their laws; and then obferved, that upon a fuppofition the matters contained in them fhould really go into the British ftatute book, they would ferve to fhow, in a clear point of view, the weakness and wickedness of the enemy: on these they expatiated. This done they faid-" It appears evident that the said bills are intended to operate upon the hopes and fears of the good people of these states, so as to create divifions among them, and a defection from the common caufe: and that they are the fequel of that infidious plan, which from the days of the ftamp-act down to the present time, hath involved this country in contention and bloodfhed." Congress went on to pronounce, that if any men or body of men prefume to make any feparate or partial convention or agreement with the British commiffioners, they ought to be confidered and treated as open and avowed enemies of the United States. They declared, "That these United States cannot with propriety hold any conference or treaty with any commiffioners on the part of Great Britain, unless they shall as a preliminary thereto, either withdraw their fleets and armies, or else in positive and express terms acknowledge the independence of the said states." They then, from an apprehenfion that it is the defign of the enemy. to lull them into a fatal fecurity, call upon the states to use the most strenuous exertions to have their respective quotas of continental troops in the field as foon as pof

fible, and to hold all their militia in readiness to act as 1778. occafion may require. The congrefs at this period had no knowledge of a treaty's having been entered into by France with their commiffioners; but they conjectured that there would be a rupture in Europe between the French and British nations; and to avail themselves of the occafion, and detach the tories from the enemy, they the next day recommended to the ftates the offering of pardon, under the restrictions that might be thought expedient, to fuch of their inhabitants or fubjects who had levied war against them, or had adhered to the enemy, as should furrender themselves to any civil or military officer of any of the states, or return to the state they belonged to before the 10th of next June. The arrival of the conciliatory bills at New York and Philadelphia, excited equal astonishment and indignation in the royal forces. Thefe thought their personal honor wounded in the recantation now made of all that high language and treatment, which they had been accuftomed to hold or to offer to the Americans. The disappointment was the greater, as the bills were the fubstitute to a reinforcement of twenty thousand men, which they had expected. But the feelings of the numerous body of American refugees is not to be described.

I.

A committee of congrefs was appointed on the 1st of May May, "to inquire into the laws and cuftoms of nations refpecting neutrality, and to report whether the condu& of the king of Portugal, in forbidding the veffels of the United States to enter his ports, and ordering thofe already there to depart at a short day, is not a breach of the laws of neutrality, and will not justify acts of hoftility

3.

1778. against the fubjects of the faid kingdom." On the third, May during the Sunday's adjournment, Mr. Simeon Deane, brother to Silas Deane efq; arrived express from France, with fundry important dispatches, whereupon congress was convened, and the dispatches opened and read, among which, to their inconceivable joy, were a treaty of commerce, and a treaty of alliance, concluded between his most Christian majesty the king of France, and the United States of America. The treaties were duly weighed and confidered feparately the next day, and upon each it was unanimously refolved, "That the fame be and is hereby ratified." There was an act feparate and fecret in the following terms-" The moft Chriftian king declares, in confequence of the intimate union which fubfifts between him and the king of Spain, that in concluding with the United States of America this treaty of amity and commerce, and that of eventual and defensive alliance, his majesty hath intended and intends to reserve expressly, and he referves by this prefent feparate and fecret act to his faid Catholic majesty, the power of acceding to the faid treaties, and to participate in their ftipulations at fuch time as he fhall judge proper. It being well understood nevertheless, that if of the ftipulations of the faid treaties are not agreeable to the king of Spain, his Catholic majesty may propose other conditions analagous to the principal aim of the alliance, and conformable to the rules of equality, reciprocity and friendship." This act being duly weighed, it was refolved unanimously, "That the fame be and is hereby ratified." The next refolution was, "That this congress entertain the higheft fenfe of the magnanimity and wisdom of his moft Chriftian majefty, so

any

ftrongly exemplified in the treaty of amity and com- 1778. merce, and the treaty of alliance; and the commiffioners representing these states, at the court of France, are di rected to present the grateful acknowledgments of this congrefs to his moft Chriftian majefty, for his truly magnanimous conduct refpecting these states, in the faid generous and difinterested treaties, and to affure his majefty, on the part of this congrefs, it is fincerely wished that the friendship fo happily commenced between France. and thefe United States may be perpetual." On the 5th they refolved, "That the commiffioners be inftructed to inform the court of France, that although congress have readily ratified the treaties and the act feparate and fecret; yet from a fincere defire of rendering the friendship and alliance fo happily begun, permanent and perpetual, and being apprehensive that differences may arife from the 11th and 12th articles in the treaty of amity and commerce, congrefs are defirous that the faid articles may be utterly expunged." Mr. Lee was against admitting these articles, and affigned his reafons to Meffrs. Franklin and Deane on the 30th of January; who on the rft of February wrote to Mr. Gerard, that they concurred in defiring that the fame might be omitted, notwithstanding which they were retained. You will not expect me to delineate the inexpreffible fatisfaction that the report of these treaties spread through the United States. The people were in raptures. The feveral brigades of the army, by gen. Washington's orders, affembled in the morning of the 6th, when their chaplains communicated the intelligence, offered up a thankfgiving, and delivered a difcourfe fuitable to the occafion. They were then formed into two lines, when thir

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