forget me, nor my daughter, a good child of thirteen years old, who, from the beginning of this war, has been taught to pray fervently for the United States.

This State, by its constitution, can make no war nor any treaty with a sovereign Power without a unanimity of all its provinces and cities. And as there is a very strong party in favor of England, there is not the least probability that they will conclude a treaty with the United States before England permits them to do so by setting them the example. The only, but very necessary, thing, therefore, which remained to be done here was to hinder the English from drawing this Republic into their quarrel, which, by her immense wealth and public credit, would have had very bad consequences against America. And to this your humble servant has greatly and daily cooperated these three years past. We found a very weak opposition, which is now strong enough to resist the torrrent.

Besides the Commissioners at Paris, to whom I constantly communicate all that passes, Mr. William Lee, who, from September, 1776, to May, 1779, was my correspondent, knew my exertions. He wrote to me so early as December 26, 1777, in these terms: "Though I have not for some time past had the pleasure of your correspondence, yet I have not been a stranger to your continued exertions in the cause of humanity and liberty, for which thousands yet unborn will bless your memory." Even with respect to a treaty, I left the matter not untried. For immediately after the conclusion of the treaty between the United States and France, I concerted with the city of Amsterdam and the Commissioners at Paris to communicate the said treaty, by means of the Great Pensionary of Holland, to their High Mightinesses, together with a letter of Dr. Franklin to the Great Pensionary, inviting them to treat on the same footing, mutatis mutandis, whenever they should think fit; on which an answer was politely declined for the present. Of this curious transaction I sent at that time an account to Paris, as well as to the Committee of Foreign Affairs. One of the letters of the First Pensionary of Amsterdam, our great and worthy friend, dated July 31, 1778, has been translated, and printed in the Baltimore Journal, with these words at the head of it, "Letter of a steady friend of America at the Hague." I have, besides, in my power the proofs of all this in several letters of the honorable gentlemen at Paris and

at Amsterdam. Mr. William Lee knew this too, when he concerted with M. de Neufville, a merchant of Amsterdam, at Frankfort first, and then at Aix la Chapelle, unknown to me, to get a declaration from M. Van Berckel, the Pensionary, of the friendly dispositions of the city of Amsterdam, which this good gentleman delivered, thinking Mr. William Lee was one of the Commissioners at Paris. A like declaration M. Van Berckel delivered to me on the 23d of September, 1778,* with an explanatory letter of the expression, dès que l'indépendence des Etats-Unis en Amérique sera reconnue par les Anglais, because, I told him, such a condition would hurt the honorable Congress, and make them pay no attention at all to a declaration which would appear to them insignificant. Both the declaration and the lettert will be found in the records of the Committee aforesaid, to whom I sent copies of them towards the end of 1778. As to the sketching and proposing a treaty, his opinion and mine also were that it was premature at that time; and, therefore, we postponed it till the last summer, when he delivered me some papers, out of which, and of the French treaty I have made the sketch, reviewed afterwards and corrected by him and by Dr. Franklin, of which I have despatched, on the 19th of this month, three different copies to the Committee aforesaid, and which I expect back again, with the corrections of Congress, and with instructions and credentials for proposing it on the first opportunity, which, in the mean time, I am carefully watching.

It is with a very painful concern I mention to your Excellency this attempt of Mr. Lee to undermine me in this manner, when I thought he had enough ado to fulfil his commissions through Germany, and, therefore, was very open and unaware in my letters to him. It is with the same, concern, I learn just now by a letter of a very worthy servant of the United States, that his brother, Arthur Lee, has complained against me in a memorial to Congress, as if I had extolled Dr. Franklin at his expense in the Leyden Gazette. Whoever told him so has told him an absolute falsehood. This assertion may perhaps receive, even in his own mind, additional

* See this letter and the declaration in the Correspondence of the Commissioners in France. Vol. I., pp. 332, 333, 353.

The explanatory letter is missing, but a letter from the Commissioners in relation to the subject of it may be seen as above, p. 348.

strength, by my ingenuously telling him, however, that his being at enmity with Dr. Franklin will not hinder me to retain still in my bosom a most tender respect and love for the latter. I am sure he will do the same when dispassionate.

I recommend myself to the protection of Congress, and am, with the deepest respect, &c.,

DUMAS.

B. FRANKLIN TO C. W. F. DUMAS.

Dear Sir,

Passy, March 29th, 1780.

It is some time since I have written to you, having nothing material to communicate; but I received duly your letters of February 1st, 18th, 25th, March 2d, 11th, 13th, 17th, and 23d, and thank you for the intelligence they contain. The last this minute came to band, and I shall answer it separately.

I pray you to assure M.

of my respect, and that it was only on one packet for him that I put my name, when I thought to have sent it by a friend. The baseness of the post office opening it surprises me. No other letter for him has since passed through my hands. any others come to me for him, I shall send them under cover to you.

If

I

I forwarded your letter to Captain Jones. I do not know which of his English pilots it was mentioned in yours to know he has been generous to an excess with them. Explain to me, if you please, the fact that is the subject of that letter, and who Mr. Gordon is.

I am curious to know what the States will do about the confiscation of the goods taken in Bylank's convoy.

I received your large packets; that for Captain Jones shall be carefully sent to him. I thank you for the philosophical pieces, which I will read attentively as soon as I have time. The original acts of confederation are very curious, and will be acceptable to Congress.

I am ever, my dear sir, yours affectionately,

B. FRANKLIN.

TO THE PRESIDENT OF CONGRESS.

The Hague, April 13th, 1780

Sir, Since the memorial presented to their High Mightinesses by the Plenipotentiary of Russia, (of which as well as of the declaration* of his Court to those of Versailles, Madrid, and London, I join here copies in the Leyden Gazette,) the Provincial States of Holland are deliberating on the invitation of the Empress, and I am sure (knowing it from a very good hand) the resolution of this Province will be taken within the next week, agreeably to the views of the Empress, and to the general wishes of all good men. Now as the resolutions of this Province are commonly adopted by the others, there is very good hope that this Republic will take a step which must accelerate a general pacification.

This intelligence is thought, not only by myself, but by many others, very important to the United States. The most devoted partizans of the English Court here, seeing that they cannot, without rendering themselves too odious, prevent such a resolution from being taken, do what they can to enervate it by obscure and ambiguous expressions, which they propose to be inserted; but our good men take care to sweep the dust which the others throw in their

way.

As to the two other objects which at present take up this Republic, viz., the unlimited convoys, and the assistance which the English Court demands from this Republic, the Province of Holland has already, several weeks ago, unanimously resolved the former, and declined granting the succors, as being not within the casus fœderis by this war. To this resolution the Provinces of Friesland, Overyssel, and Groningen, have successively acceded; and it is expected the three others will do the same.

I advised the Committee of Foreign Affairs, by my letter of June 21st, 1779, to think of sending here, aliquem e medio vestrum pietate gravem ac meritis virum; it is now time for such a man to be here, at first incognito, till it should be proper to display the character of

See this declaration and the memorial in John Adams's Correspondence, Vol. II., pp. 716, 717.

Plenipotentiary. Some American friends here have told me that Mr. Laurens, formerly President of Congress was designed to come over for this purpose. I should be very glad to have him already arrived. Whenever he comes he may dispose of my faithful services.

I have the honor to be, &c.,

DUMAS.

B. FRANKLIN TO C. W. F. DUMAS.

Passy, April 23d, 1780.

Dear Sir,

I am much pleased with the account you give me of the disposi tion with which the proposals from the Empress of Russia have been received, and desire to be informed from time to time of the progress of that interesting business.

I shall be glad to hear of your reconciliation with

because a continuance of your difference will be extremely inconvenient. Permit me to tell you frankly, what I formerly hinted to you, that I apprehend you suffer yourself too easily to be led into personal prejudices by interested people, who would engross all our confidence to themselves. From this source have arisen, I imagine, the charges and suspicions you have insinuated to me against several who have always declared a friendship for us in Holland. It is right that you should have an opportunity of giving the carte du pays to Mr. Laurens, when he arrives in Holland. But if, in order to serve your particular friends, you fill his head with these prejudices, you will hurt him and them, and perhaps yourself. There does not appear to me the least probability in your supposition that the is an enemy to America.

Here has been with me a gentleman from Holland, who was charged, as he said, with a verbal commission from divers cities, to inquire whether it was true that Amsterdam had, as they heard, made a treaty of commerce with the United States, and to express, in that case, their willingness to enter into a similar treaty. Do you know anything of this? What is become, or likely to become of the plan of treaty formerly under consideration?

By a letter from Middlebourg, to which the enclosed is an answer,