the independence of America, with the freedom of its commerce. In answer, we received a positive refusal of the ships of the line (which we had been instructed to ask), on this principle, that if a war with England should take place, the whole fleet of France would be necessary at home for her defence; that if such a war did not take place, yet, while England apprehended a war, it was equally serviceable to our States, that the fleet of France should remain entire in her ports, since that must retain an equal force of English at home, who might otherwise go to America, and who certainly would follow thither any French squadron.

"During these conferences, every step was taken to gratify England publicly, by attending to the remonstrances of her ambassador, forbidding the departure of ships, which had military stores on board,—recalling officers, who had leave of absence and were going to join us, and giving strict orders that our prizes should not be sold in French ports; yet, that we might not be discouraged, it was intimated to us by persons about the Court, that those measures were necessary at present, France not being yet quite ready for a war, and that we might be assured of her good will to us and to our cause-means were proposed of our obtaining a large sum of money for present use by an advance from the Farmers General, to be repaid in tobacco, of which they wanted twenty thousand hogsheads. We entered accordingly into a treaty with that company, which meeting with difficulty in settling the terms, we were informed that a grant was made us of two millions of livres, from the Crown, of which five hundred thousand was ready to be paid us down, and an equal sum should be paid the beginnings of April, July and October, that, such was the King's generosity, he exacted no conditions or promise of repayment; he only required, we should not speak to any one of our having received this aid. We have accordingly observed strictly this injunction, deviating only in this information to you, which we think necessary for your satisfaction, but earnestly requesting that you would not suffer it to be made public. This is the money, which, in our former letter, we mentioned as raised for us by subscription."

In the middle of the summer of '77, affairs took a very unfavourable turn. News of the deplorable campaigns in the Jerseys had just then arrived in France ;-the business appeared to be at an end;-the British believed it themselves, and Franklin's friends wrote to him from England,

that neither France nor Spain would afford the Americans any more than a kind of "paralytic" aid :—just sufficient to prolong their existence a few months. The English were, all along, well satisfied that France assisted the Americans, nor were they ignorant of the manner in which privateers and their prizes were treated; acts that had been the subject of frequent remonstrances from Lord Stormont, the English Minister at Paris. Hitherto either evaded or neglected, they were renewed in a more decided and categorical manner, upon the present very discouraging appearance of American affairs. An immediate rupture was apprehended, for an order was secretly despatched to recall the French fishermen from the banks of Newfoundland. America appeared at this time but a feeble ally; it was even in some respects difficult in Europe to ascertain, whether the majo rity of the people were in favour of the Revolution; for it had always been said, and was for a long time believed, that its partizans were a bold, unprincipled faction, who could have no permanent support either from their numbers or respectability. The situation of the country in the winter of '76 and '77, certainly gave great countenance to this opinion; the authority of Congress seemed to be reduced to a shadow-troops deserted by states-officers were discontented, if not disaffected, and neither levies nor supplies could be obtained. Philadelphia was in possession of the English-Congress had been compelled to retire to Baltimore, and General Burgoyne's expedition from Canada had commenced with alarming success. The country was surrounded ;-Howe was at Philadelphia; Clinton at NewYork, and Burgoyne in the North.

Very extraordinary measures were immediately adopted to remove the suspicions of the British minister and to satisfy his complaints. Several American privateers were detained; and Mr. Hodge,* an American merchant, concerned

* Some account will be found of this person in a statement respecting the commercial proceedings of the American Commissioners in France, made to Congress by Arthur Lee. Philad. 1780. Printed by F. Bailey, &c.

in fitting out these vessels, and in sending military stores to America, with the captain of one of them (the Amphitrite) in which part of the stores had been sent, was thrown into the Bastille, from which, however, he was shortly released by the intercession of the American Commissioners. Caron Beaumarchais, since known in such a variety of ways to-the public, was alarmed for his own safety, and though avowedly employed by the Government, he believed he should be made a victim to pacify the English envoy. He said to Dr. Franklin, on this occasion, "My Government will cut my throat as if I were a sheep." M. de Vergennes, also, addressed a letter to Lord Stormont in July '77, from which the following extracts are made :

"His Christian Majesty, in the faithful observance of the treaties, that exist with his Britannic Majesty, will permit no act in his own dominions that can derogate from them. Properly affected by the complaints you have been instructed to make in relation to the three American privateers, the Reprisal, Lexington, and Dolphin, directed to leave our ports, and notwithstanding the orders of this government, already returned to them, his Majesty, so far from approving this conduct, has commanded that these privateers should be held in sequestration in the ports, where they may now happen to be, till they can furnish satisfactory security that they will return in a straight course to their own country, and will no longer infest the European seas. As to the prizes these privateers or others may have made, orders have been sent that they should not be sold in our ports, and they have been directed to depart as soon as the wind and other circumstances will permit. Care will ⚫ be taken that no other commerce is allowed to the Americans than the laws of nations and treaties authorize."

The French thus appeared determined to abandon the cause of the Americans; and the supplies and the countenance of the court were withdrawn. Dr. Franklin, dining about this time in a party of French gentlemen at Paris, one of them observed to him, that his country at that moment presented a sublime spectacle,-"Yes," said the doctor, "but the spectators do not pay."*

* The Commissioners appear to have had a person in London, who

The French court could never have submitted to this course with the least good will. They were disappointed in not securing the American trade in exchange for an acknowledgment of independence, and in not depriving England of one of the principal sources of her wealth and power; they appeared about to lose a most favourable opportunity of revenging on that country the disgraces and disasters, that preceded the peace of 1763;-of restoring the maritime equilibrium, and of enriching their own commerce by the losses of a great rival. France, without perhaps thinking very profoundly upon the independence of the colonies, or the effects which would result from that act, considered the occasion as one by which she might profit. She had assisted America actively and importantly for two years under the beard of the British Minister, and had given every intimation possible that she intended to arm in favour of the Revolution. On her side, England submitted patiently, and during the greater part of the time, silently, to this indignity, for she had then a heavy war upon her hands. It would be time enough to turn upon France when the colonies were subdued, an event every campaign was expected to bring about; and the results of the last, as they were then known in Europe, led the French minister to apprehend that period to be fast arriving. It is perfectly just to remark, that at the moment when aid and countenance were most important to the Americans, the French Government resorted to decisive means to prove the strict neutrality of its conduct.

This was a discouraging juncture for the American Commissioners, though Franklin retained full confidence in the resolution of his countrymen. He was, also, well acquainted with the real dispositions of the French court, and he saw, they had proceeded to such a length that it would be difficult to withdraw with safety. "This Court," write the Commissioners, September 8, 1777,"continues the same conduct it has held since our arrival. It professes to England

sent them information. Among other facts, disclosed in their correspondence, A. Lee sent notice to Congress of the British expedition up the Sound.

an intention to observe all treaties, and proves it by restoring prizes too openly brought into their ports, imprisoning such persons as are found concerned in fitting out privateers against England, warning repeatedly those from America to depart, and renewing its orders against the exportation of warlike stores. To us it privately professes a real friendship, wishes success to our cause, privately affords every essential aid and goes on preparing for war.”* The cause was still very popular with the French people, particularly in the maritime towns, at that time in a flourishing condition, principally on account of the West India trade. The little commerce they already were engaged in with the United States, encouraged them to a great degree, and the profit with which these operations had been attended, opened to them a most promising prospect. "When would the go

vernment arm in favour of the Americans? We heard but this cry in France. The nation deceived the ministry and itself, by exaggerating the commercial advantages that would result from the independence of the American colonies. The fashion of the day propagated the declaration of the Rights of Man. No title appeared more desirable than that of an inhabitant of Boston."+

In December '77, despatches arrived to the Commissioners, containing an account of the surrender of General Burgoyne, and his army. This news decided the French government. Caron Beaumarchais, in a state of extreme despair and agony, was at Passy, the country seat of Dr. Franklin, a few miles from Paris, when the intelligence was brought. He was so overcome by it that he immediately set off for the capital, and in his haste his carriage was overset and his arm dislocated. On the 6th of December 7, M. Gerard, on the part of the French government, gave formal notice to the American Commissioners, that, after a long and mature deliberation upon their propositions, his Christian Majesty had resolved to recognise the independence of, and

* Vergennes, before the treaty was signed, addressed his American letters to M. Grand, an individual engaged in a banking house in Paris. Lacretelle, vol. v.