by artful misrepresentations draw their masters in to take their parts, to the disturbance of necessary harmony, these are difficulties still greater, and almost insurmountable. And in consideration of the whole, I sincerely wish the Congress would separate us." In September '79, M. Gerard had a private audience of Congress in order to take leave. He was succeeded by the Chevalier de la Luzerne.* This gentleman, created a Marquis, obtained, in 1784, the permission of his court to return, and was succeeded by M. de Marbois as Chargé d'Affaires. After he had sailed for Europe, M. de la Luzerne received from Mr. Jefferson, Secretary of State under the new government, the following flattering letter.

"NEW-YORK, April 30, 1790. "Sir,-When in the course of your legation to the United States, your affairs rendered it necessary that you should absent yourself a while from that station, we flattered ourselves with the hope that that absence was not final. It turned out in event, that the interests of your sovereign called for your talents and the exercise of your functions in another quarter. You were pleased to announce this to the former Congress, through their Secretary for Foreign Affairs, at a time when that body was closing its administration, in order to hand it over to a government, then preparing on a different model. This government is now formed, organised, and in action, and it considers among its earliest duties, and assuredly among its most cordial, to testify to you the regret, which the people and government of the United States felt at your removal from among them-a very general and sincere regret, and tempered only by the consolation of your personal advancement, which accompanied it.

"You will receive, sir, by order of the President of the United States, as soon as it can be prepared, a Medal and Chain of gold, of which he desires your acceptance, in token of their esteem and of the sensibility, with which they will ever recall your legation to their memory.

* "M. de la Luzerne's family is among the best and most honourable of this country. He has been Minister to the court of Munich, and is a gentleman of honour and ability." Extract from a letter of A. Lee.

"But as this compliment may, hereafter, be rendered to other missions, from which your's was distinguished by eminent circumstances, the President of the United States wishes to pay you the distinguished tribute of an express acknowledgment of your services, and our sense of them. You came to us, sir, through all the perils, which encompassed us on all sides. You found us struggling and suffering under difficulties as singular and trying, as our situation was new and unprecedented. Your magnanimous nation had taken side with us in the conflict, and yourself became the centre of our common councils, the link which connected our common operations. In that position, you laboured without ceasing, till all our labours were crowned with glory to your nation, freedom to ours, and benefit to both. During the whole, we had constant evidence of your zeal, your abilities, and your good faith; and we desire to convey this testimony of it home to our own breast, and to that of your sovereign, our best and greatest friend : and this I do, sir, in the name and by the express instruction of the President of the United States."

An unfortunate and disagreeable misunderstanding took place, during Dr. Franklin's residence as Minister, between M. de Vergennes and Mr. Adams. The first commission of Mr. Adams had been annulled by Franklin's appointment to Versailles, but in 1779 he returned to France in the frigate La Sensible, having been elected by Congress sole Commissioner for a peace with England,—a measure adopted by the advice of Vergennes. Mr. Adams fixed his residence at Pa

and his letters to Congress are valuable for the reports of news, remarks on the political state of Europe, and for copies of the principal European state papers of the times. It is obvious, he was not an accredited Minister, but having been much in France, fully in the confidence of his own government, and probably on a friendly footing with the principal Minister at Versailles, it is not surprising, he should have felt himself entitled to offer his advice freely on public affairs. But some observations, concerning a resolution of Congress of March 18, '80, and a disposition of part of the French fleet, were not received in the spirit, by which they were doubtless dictated. The tone of M. de Vergennes'

reply was such as necessarily put an end to the correspondence, though no notice appears to have been taken of the business by Congress. "I have received," said the Minister, "the letter you did me the honour to write me on the 27th of this month. I did not expect the animadversions, you have thought it proper to make on a passage of my letter of the 20th current. To avoid any further discussions of that sort, I think it my duty to inform you, that Dr. Franklin, being the sole person that has letters of credence to the King from the United States, it is with him only, that I ought and can treat of matters, which concern them, and particularly of that, which is the subject of your observations." This letter was sent July 31, 1780, by Vergennes to Franklin, with the following remarks-"The character with which you are invested, your wisdom, and the confidence I have in your sentiments and fine principles, induce me to communicate to you a correspondence I have had with Mr. Adams. You will find, I think, in the letter of that plenipotentiary, opinions and a turn, which do not correspond, either with the manner in which I explained myself to him, or with the intimate connexion, subsisting between. the King and the United States. You will make the use of these papers your prudence shall suggest. As to myself, I desire you will transmit them to the Congress, that they may be informed of the line of conduct Mr. Adams pursues in regard to us, and that they may judge, whether he is endowed with that conciliatory disposition, which is necessary for the important and delicate business, with which he is intrusted."―These letters were transmitted to Congress, with some remarks by Dr. Franklin.

"PASSY, August 9, 1780. "To His Excellency Samuel Huntington, President of Congress. "Mr. Adams has given offence to the Court here by some sentiments and expressions, contained in several of his letters, written to the Count de Vergennes. I mention this with reluctance, though, perhaps, it would have been my duty to acquaint you with such a circumstance, even if it were not required of me by the Minister himself. He has sent me copies of the corres

pondence, desiring I would communicate them to Congress, and I send them herewith. Mr. Adams did not show me his letters before he sent them. I have, in a former letter to Mr. Lovell, men, tioned some of the inconveniences that attend the having more than one Minister at the same Court, one of which inconveniences is, that they do not always hold the same language, and that the impressions, made by one, and intended for the service of his constituents, may be effaced by the discourse of the other. It is true, that Mr. Adams's proper business is elsewhere, but the time not being come for that business, and having nothing else here where with to employ himself, he seems to have endeavoured supplying, what he may suppose my negotiations defective in. He thinks, as he tells me, himself, that America has been too free in expressions of gratitude to France, for that she is more obliged to us than we are to her, and that we should show spirit in our applications. I ap, prehend that he mistakes his ground, and that this Court is to be treated with decency and delicacy. The King, a young and virtųous prince, has, I am persuaded, a pleasure in reflecting on the ge nerous benevolence of the action in assisting an oppressed people, and proposes it as a part of the glory of his reign: I think it right to increase this pleasure by our thankful acknowledgments, and that such an expression of gratitude is not only our duty, but our interest. A different conduct seems to me what is not only improper and unbecoming, but what may be hurtful to us. Mr. Adams, on the other hand, who at the same time means our welfare and interest as much as I, or any man can do, seems to think a little apparent stoutness and greater air of independence and boldness in our demands, will procure us more ample assistance. It is for the Congress to judge and regulate their affairs accordingly. M. de Vergennes, who appears much offended, told me yesterday that he would enter into no further discussions with Mr. Adams, nor an swer any more of his letters. He is gone to Holland, to try, as he told me, whether something might not be done to render us a little less dependent on France. He says, the ideas of this Court, and those of the people in America, are so totally different, as that it is impossible for any Minister to please both. He ought to know America better than I do, having been there lately; and he may choose to do, what he thinks will best please the people of America but when I consider the expressions of Congress in many of

their public acts, and particularly in their letter to the Chevalier de la Luzerne, of the 24th of May last, I cannot but imagine that he mistakes the sentiments of a few for a general opinion."* "B. FRANKLIN."

Though not precisely connected with the subject of this chapter, yet as an incident in Dr. Franklin's embassy, and as belonging to the diplomacy of the period, we shall here insert two letters which passed, in 1784, between him and the Count de Mercy Argenteau, Minister Plenipotentiary of his Imperial Majesty.

"I have the honour (July 30, 1784) to communicate to your Excellency an extract from the instructions of Congress to the late Commissioners, expressing their desire to cultivate the friendship of his Imperial Majesty, and to enter into a treaty of commerce for the mutual benefit of the two nations, which I request you will be pleased to lay before his Imperial Majesty. The appointing and instructing Commissioners for treaties of commerce with the European powers have, by various circumstances, been long delayed, but is now done, and I have just received advice that Mr. Jefferson, Governor of Virginia, commissioned with Mr. Adams, our Minister in Holland, and myself, for that service, is now on his way hither, and may be expected by the end of August, when we shall all be ready to enter into a treaty with his Majesty for the above purpose, if such should be his pleasure."—"I have received," writes M. d'Argenteau in reply, "the letter you did me the honour to address to me this morning, and I shall lose no time in transmitting it to my Court. The sentiments of the Emperor towards the United States enable me to foresee the satisfaction his Imperial Majesty will experience in entering into satisfactory, reciprocal and advantageous connexions with them. I have not the least doubt but that measures will be instantly taken on that subject to concert with you and the other Commissioners. I shall immediately communicate the answer of my Court."

It has always been understood that, on the communication of these documents to Congress, a violent discussion arose, but the confidence of the government was not withdrawn from Mr. Adams. On the contrary, he was continued in the station he occupied at the time of this affair, and, subsequently, was the first Minister, appointed by the Confederation, to England.