DAVID HARTLEY, ESQ. TO THE AMERICAN MINIS GENTLEMEN, TERS. Paris, August 12, 1783. I have the honor of transmitting to you a copy of a letter which I have received from Mr. Fox, containing an account of the queen having been happily delivered of a princess, and that her majesty and the young princess are as well as can be expected. Since the reconciliation which has happily taken place between our two countries, I am happy in the opportunity of communicating to you such an occasion of our joint congratulations, as to the first token of that satisfaction which your country (and you, as the ministers of it in the present case) will receive from this, and from every event which may contribute to the happiness and honor of the king, the queen, and all the royal family of Great Britain. I am, gentlemen, with the greatest respect and consideration, your most obedient servant, D. HARTLEY. TO D. HARTLEY, ESQ. SIR, We have received the letter which you did us the honor to write on the 12th instant, and shall take the first opportunity of conveying to congress the agreeable information contained in it. The sentiments and sensations which the re-establishment of peace between our two countries ought to diffuse through both, lead us to participate in the pleasure which the birth of a princess must naturally give to the royal family and people of Great Britain; and we sincerely congratulate their majesties on that addition to their domestic happiness. We have the honor to be, with great regard and esteem, sir, your most obedient and very humble servants, J. ADAMS. B. FRANKLIN. TO HIS EXCELLENCY M. LE COMTE DE VERGENNES. SIR, Passy, Aug. 16, 1783. I have the honor to inform your excellency, that the English ministry do not agree to any of the propositions that have been made either by us, or by their minister here; and they have sent over a plan for the definitive treaty, which consists merely of the preliminaries formerly signed, with a short introductory paragraph, and another at the conclusion, confirming and establishing the said preliminary articles. My colleagues seem inclined to sign this with Mr. Hartley, and so to finish the affair. I am, with respect, sir, your excellency's, &c. B. FRANKLIN. MONS. DE RAYNEVAL, (UNDER SECRETARY OF STATE FOR FOREIGN AFFAIRS,) A MONS. FRANKLin. A Versailles, le 29 Août, 1783. J'ai rendu compte à M. le Comte de Vergennes, Monsieur, de la difficulté que fait M. Hartley de signer à Versailles, et ce ministre m'a chargé de vous mander que rien ne devoit vous empêcher de signer à Paris Mercredi prochain, jour désigné pour la signature des autres traités: mais il vous prie d'indiquer à M. Hartley 9 heures du matin, et d'envoyer ici un exprès, immédiatement après votre signature faite. M. de Vergennes veut être assuré que votre besogne est consommée en même tems que la sienne. Vous recevez pour Mercredi un billet d'invitation, ainsi que Messieurs vos collègues et Mons. Hartley; je présume que celui-ci n'y trouvera aucune difficulté. J'ai l'honneur d'être avec un parfait attachement, Monsieur, votre très-humble et très-obéissant serviDE RAYNEVAL.` teur, TO. DAVID HARTLEY, MY DEAR FRIEND, ESQ. Passy, Sept. 7, 1783. The enclosed letters, to you and to Mr. Fox, were written before I saw you yesterday. On my return home last night I found dispatches from congress, which may remove the difficulties we were entangled with. Mr. Adams will be here this morning, when you will hear from us. I am ever yours sincerely, B. FRANKLIN. TO DAVID HARTLEY, ESQ. MY DEAR FRIEND, Passy, Sept. 6, 1783. Enclosed is my letter to Mr. Fox. I beg you would assure him, that my expressions of esteem for him are not mere professions. I really think him a · great man; and I would not think so, if I did not believe he was at bottom, and would prove himself, a good one. Guard him against mistaken notions of the American people. You have deceived yourselves too long with vain expectations of reaping advantage from our little discontents. We are more thoroughly an enlightened people, with respect to our political interests, than perhaps any other under the heaven. Every man among us reads, and is so easy in his circumstances as to have leisure for conversations of improvement, and for acquiring information. Our domestic misunderstandings, when we have them, are of small extent, though monstrously magnified by your microscopic newspapers. He who judges from them, that we are on the point of falling into anarchy, or returning to the obedience of Britain, is like one who, being shown some spots in the sun, should fancy that the whole disk would soon be overspread with them, and that there would be an end of day-light. The great body of intelligence among our people, surrounds and overpowers our petty dissensions, as the sun's great mass of fire diminishes and destroys his spots. Do not therefore any longer delay the evacuation of New York, in the vain hope of a new revolution in your favor, if such a hope has indeed had any effect in occasioning that delay. It is now nine months since the evacuations were promised. You expect with reason that the people of New York should do your merchants justice in the payment of their old debts; consider the injustice you do them in keeping them so long out of their habitations and out of their business, by which they might have been enabled to make pay ment. There is no truth more clear to me than this, that the great interest of our two countries is, a thorough reconciliation. Restraints on the freedom of commerce and intercourse between us, can afford no advantage equivalent to the mischief they will do by keeping up ill humor and promoting a total alienation. Let you and I, my dear friend, do our best towards advancing and securing that reconciliation. We can do nothing that will in a dying hour afford more solid satisfaction. I wish you a prosperous journey, and a happy sight of your friends. Present my best respects to your good brother and sister, and believe me ever, with sincere and great esteem, yours most affectionately, B. FRANKLIN. SIR, (Enclosed in the foregoing.) TO THE RIGHT HON. C. J. FOX, ESQ. Passy, Sept. 5, 1783. I received in its time the letter you did me the honor of writing to me by Mr. Hartley; and I cannot let him depart without expressing my satisfaction in his conduct towards us, and applauding the prudence of that choice which sent us a man possessed of such a spirit of conciliation, and of all that frankness, sincerity, and candor, which naturally produce confidence, and thereby facilitate the most difficult negociations. Our countries are now happily at peace, on which I congratulate you most cordially; and I beg you to be assured, that as long as I have any concern in public affairs, I shall readily and heartily concur with you, in promoting every measure that may tend to promote the common felicity. With great and sincere esteem and respect, I have the honor to be, sir, your most obedient and most humble servant, B. FRANKLIN. TO D. HARTLEY, ESQ. MY DEAR FRIEND, Passy, Sept. 7, 1783. Enclosed I send you an extract of a letter to me from the president of congress, in which you will observe the moderate disposition of that body towards the loyalists, with the causes of aggravation in the people's resentments against them. I am always, invariably, yours most sincerely, B. FRANKLIN. |