Affairs, the multitude waited for him in the passage, and hailed him with their acclamations."*

M. Gerard was appointed by his Christian Majesty Minister Plenipotentiary to the United States in the beginning of the year '78. He sailed in April, on board the Languedoc, Count d'Estaing's flag-ship, together with Mr. Silas Deane, who had received letters of recall. M. Gerard embarked secretly. He arrived safely in America, and on the 14th of July, a committee of Congress was appointed to arrange the time and manner of receiving the Minister. The very uncommon circumstance of the occasion must be our apology for extracting at length an account of the ceremonial of reception, and of the address made by the President.

"In pursuance of the ceremonial established by Congress, the Hon. Richard Henry Lee, Esq. one of the delegates from Virginia, and the Hon. Samuel Adams, Esq., one of the delegates from Massachusetts Bay, in a coach and six provided by Congress, waited upon the Minister at his house. In a few minutes, the Minister and the two delegates entered the coach, Mr. Lee placing himself at the Minister's left hand on the back seat, Mr. Adams occupying the front seat, the Minister's chariot, being behind, received his secretary. The carriages being arrived at the state-house in this city, the two members of Congress, placing themselves at the Minister's left hand, a little before one o'clock, introduced him to his chair in the Congress chamber, the President and Congress sitting.-The

*We have, perhaps, already too much multiplied extracts in the text, but we beg to introduce one more from a very entertaining writer on the French court. "Franklin appeared at court in the dress of an American cultivator. His straight, unpowdered hair, his round bat, his brown cloth coat, formed a contrast with the laced and embroidered coats, and the powdered and perfumed heads of the courtiers of Versailles. This novelty turned the enthusiastic heads of the French women. Elegant entertainments were given to Dr. Franklin, who to the reputation of a Philosopher, added the patriotic virtues which had invested him with the noble character of an Apostle of Liberty. I was present at one of these entertainments, when the most beautiful woman out of three hundred, was selected to place a crown of laurels upon the white head of the American philosopher, and two kisses upon his cheeks."

Minister being seated, he gave his credentials into the hands of his secretary, who advanced and delivered them to the President. The secretary of Congress then read and translated them; which being done, Mr. Lee announced the Minister to the President and Congress ;--at this time the President, the Congress, and the Minister rose together; he bowed to the President and the Congress,— they bowed to him; whereupon, the whole seated themselves. In a moment the Minister rose and made a speech to Congress, they sitting. The speech being finished, the Minister sat down, and giving a copy of his speech to his secretary, he presented it to the President. The President and the Congress then rose, and the President pronounced their answer to the speech, the Minister standing. The answer being ended, the whole were again seated, and the President, giving a copy of the answer to the secretary of Congress, he presented it to the Minister. The President, the Congress, and the Minister then again rose together: the Minister bowed to the President, who returned the salute, and then to the Congress, who also bowed in return; and the Minister having bowed to the President, and received his bow, he withdrew, and was attended home in the same manner in which he had been conducted to the audience. Within the bar of the house the Congress formed a semicircle on each side of the President and the Minister: The President sitting at one extremity of the circle at a table upon a platform elevated two steps-the Minister sitting at the opposite extremity of the circle in an arm-chair upon the same level with the Congress. The door of the Congress chamber being thrown open below the bar, about two hundred gentlemen were admitted to the audience, among whom were the Vice President of the Supreme Executive Council of Pennsylvania, the Supreme Executive Council, the Speaker and Members of the House of Assembly, several foreigners of distinction, and officers of the army. The audience being over, the Congress and the Minister at a proper hour repaired to an entertainment given by the Congress to the Minister, at which were present by invitation several foreigners of distinction and gentlemen of public character. The entertainment was conducted with a decorum suited to the occasion, and gave perfect satisfaction to the whole company.

"IN CONGRESS, Aug. 6, 1778. "According to order, the honourable the Sieur Gerard being

introduced to an audience by the two members for that purpose appointed, and being seated in his chair, his secretary delivered to the President a letter from his most Christian Majesty, which was read in the words following:

"Very dear, great friends and allies

"The treaties, which we have signed with you in consequence of the proposals your Commissioners made to us in your behalf are a certain assurance of our affection for the United States in general and for each of them in particular, as well as of the interest we take and constantly shall take in their happiness and prosperity. It is to convince you more particularly of this, that we have nominated the Sieur Gerard, Secretary of our Council of State, to reside among you in the quality of our Minister Plenipotentiary. He is better acquainted with our sentiments towards you and the more capable of testifying the same to you, as he was intrusted on our part to negotiate with your Commissioners, and signed with them the treaties, which cement our union. We pray you to give full credit to all he shall communicate to you from us, more especially when he shall assure you of our affection and constant friendship for you. We pray God, very dear, great friends and allies, to have you in his holy keeping. Your good friend and ally.

"LOUIS.

(Signed)

"Versailles, March 18, 1778.

(Undersigned)

"GRAVIER DE VERGENNES.

(Directed)" To our very dear, great friends, the President and Members of the General Congress of North America."

Omitting the speech of M. Gerard, the following was the answer of the President on the occasion.

"Sir,-The treaties between his most Christian Majesty and the United States of America, so fully demonstrate his wisdom and magnanimity as to command the reverence of all nations. The virtuous citizens of America, in particular, can never forget his beneficent attention to their violated rights, nor cease to acknowledge the hand of a gracious Providence in raising them up so powerful and illustrious a friend. It is the hope and opinion of Congress, that the confidence his Majesty reposes in the firmness of these States will receive additional strength from every day's experience. This assembly are convinced, sir, that if it had rest

ed solely with the most Christian King, not only the independence of these States would have been universally acknowledged, but their tranquillity fully established. We lament that lust of domination which gave birth to the present war, and hath prolonged and extended the miseries of mankind. We ardently wish to sheathe the sword and spare the further effusion of blood; but we are determined by every means in our power to fulfil those eventual engagements, which have acquired positive and permanent force from the hostile designs and measures of the common enemy. Congress have reason to believe that the assistance so wisely and generously sent, will bring Great Britain to a sense of justice and moderation, promote the common interests of France and America, and secure peace and tranquillity on the most firm and honourable foundation. Neither can it be doubted that those, who administer the powers of government within the several states of this Union, will cement that connexion with the subjects of France, the beneficial effects of which have already been so sensibly felt. Sir, from the experience we have had of your exertions to promote the true interests of our country, as well as your own, it is with the highest satisfaction Congress receives, as the first Minister from his most Christian Majesty, a gentleman whose past conduct affords a happy presage, that he will merit the confidence of this body, the friendship of its members, and the esteem of the citizens of America."

Dr. Franklin, having been elected Minister to the Court of France, his letter of credence was agreed to by Congress on the 21st October 1778;-the first Minister Plenipotentiary to a foreign court, appointed by this country. We believe no one will have doubts of the propriety of appointing a single envoy to Versailles, after reading Dr. Franklin's own remarks on the subject.

"Speaking of Commissioners in the plural, puts me in mind of enquiring, if it can be the intention of Congress to keep three ambassadors at this Court. We have, indeed, four with the gentleman intended for Tuscany, who continues here, and is very angry, that he was not consulted in making the treaty, which he could have mended in several particulars, and, perhaps, he is angry with some reason, if the instructions to him do, as he says they do, require us to consult him. We shall soon have a fifth, for the envoy

to Vienna, not being received there, is, I hear, returning hither.The necessary expense of maintaining us all is, I assure you, enormously great. I wish the utility may equal it. I imagine every one of us spends nearly as much as Lord Stormont* did. It is true, he left behind him the character of a niggard, and when the advertisement appeared for the sale of his household goods, all Paris laughed at an article of it, perhaps, very innocently expressed, "a great quantity of table linen, that has never been used." "That is very likely," say the French," for he never invited any one to dine." But as to our number, whatever advantage there might be in the joint counsels for framing and adjusting the articles of the treaty, there can be none in having so many for managing the common business of a president here. On the contrary, all the advantages in negotiation that result from secrecy of sentiment and uniformity in expressing it, and in common business for despatch, are lost. In a Court too, where every word is watched and weighed, if a number of Commissioners do not every one hold the same language in giving their opinion on any public transaction, this lessens their weight; and where it may be prudent to put on or avoid certain appearances of concern, for example, or indifference, satisfaction or dislike, where the utmost sincerity and candour should be used, and would gain credit, if no semblance of art showed itself in the inadvertent discourse, perhaps, of only one of them, the hazard is in proportion to the number. And where every one must be consulted on every particular of common business, in answering every letter, and one of them is offended, if the smallest thing is done without his consent, &c. The difficulty of being often and long enough together, the different opinions and the time consumed in debating them, the interruption by new applicants in the time of meeting, &c.—occasions so much postponing and delay, that correspondence languishes and occasions are lost, and the business is always behind hand. I have mentioned the difficulty of being often and long enough together: this is considerable, where they cannot be all accommodated in the same house : But to find three people, whose tempers are so good and who like one another's company and manner of living and conversing as to agree with themselves, though living in one house, and whose servants will not, by their indiscretion, quarrel with one another, and

* English Minister.