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Mr. Deane had nothing to recommend him to fuch a diftinguifhed and important appointment, except a degree of mercantile experience, combined with a certain fecrecy or cunning, that wore the appearance of knowing things much beyond his ability, and the art of impofing a temporary belief of a penetration far beyond his capacity. His weakness and oftentation, his duplicity, extravagance, and total want of principle, were soon discovered by his conftituents but they placed the moft unlimited confidence in the great abilities, profound knowledge, and unfhaken patriotifm, of the venerable and philofophic Franklin. His warm attachment to his native country, had been evinced in numberlefs inftances, during his long refidence in England as agent to the Britifh court, both for the Maffachusetts and the Atate of Pennsylvania.

Before he left England in one thousand feven hundred and feventy-five, he had taken unwearied pains to reconcile, on the principles of equity and found policy, the breach between Great Britain and America. In the begin. ning of hoftilities he repaired to Philadelphia, was chofen a member of congrefs, and by his decided republican principles, foon became a favorite in the councils of America, a stable prop of her independence, and the most able and influential negociator they could fend abroad.

CHAP. XIV.

1778.

CHAP. XIV.

1778.

The character and principles of Mr. Arthur Lee, gave equal reason to expect his most energetic endeavours, to fupport the interest and weal of America. He had refided in England for several years, as agent for the state of Virginia. Invariably attached to his native country, and indefatigable in his efforts to ward off the impending evils that threatened it, he had communicated much useful intelligence and advantageous advice, to the patriotic leaders in various parts of America; and by his spirited writings and diligent exertions, he procured them many friends in England. He was a man of a clear understanding, great probity, plain manners, and strong paffions. Though he loved America fincerely, he had at this period great refpect and affection for the parent ftate; and his predilection in favor of Britain appeared strongly, when balanced with the idea of an American connexion with the houfe of Bourbon.

The celebrity of doctor Franklin has been fo just and fo extensive, that it is painful even for the impartial hiftorian, who contemplates the fuperiority of his genius, to record the foibles of the man; but intoxicated by the warm careffes and unbounded applauses of all ranks, among a people where the art of pleafing is fyftematized, he appeared, notwithstanding his sage and experience, in a fhort time after his refi

dence in France, little lefs a Gallican than an American. This might be from policy.

It

was faid however, that he attached himself to the intereft of the count de Vergennes, who, though he countenanced the American revolution, and co-operated in measures that completed it, yet it was afterwards discovered, that he fecretly wished to embarrass their councils, and dreaded the rifing glory of the United States. Whatever fuggeftions there might have been, it was never fuppofed that doctor Franklin was led off from his attachment to the intereft of America: yet this distinguished fage became fufceptible of a court influence, that startled his jealous and more frigid colleague, Mr. Lee,

Thus the trio of American agents at the court of France, were defignated by peculiar traits of character: yet the refpectability of Dr. Franklin and Mr. Lee was never leffened, either at home or abroad, notwithstanding fome variation of opinion. But Mr. Deane, immerfed in the pleasures of a voluptuous city, a dupe to the intrigues of deeper politicians, not awed by the aged philofopher the tool of the French minifter, and the fupple instrument of military characters, ambitious of rifing in the fair field of glory in America, he wafted the prop. erty, and bartered away the honors of his country, by promifing offices of rank to fifty gentlemen at a time. He fent many of these on to

CHAP. XIV.

1778.

CHAP. XIV.

1778.

America, with the most flattering expectations of promotion, and even with ideas of fuperfe ding the previous appointments of congrefs.

Many of the French officers who arrived on the American continent at this early period, with thefe fallacious hopes, were men of real merit, military experience, and distinguished rank; but it was impoffible for congrefs to provide for them all according to their views, without deranging the whole army, and difgufting many of their best officers. Thus difappointed, fome of them returned to France, under a cloud of chagrin that was not easily dissipated.

The indifcretion of Mr. Deane did not terminate with his engagements to individual ftrangers; for while he embarraffed congrefs and the army with his contracts, and his country by fquandering the public monies, he had the audacity to propofe in a letter to a perfon of influence, that a foreign prince fhould be invited to the command of the armies of the United States.*

From the outlines of thefe heterogeneous characters, it is not ftrange that the most incu

*Deane in this letter named prince Ferdinand of Brunswick, as a fuitable commander for the armies of the free Americans.

rable animofities took place among the commif- CHAP. XIV. fioners, and arofe to fuch a height as to endanger the interefts of an infant republic.

Indeed the fate of America in fome measure depended on the vigor, integrity, prudence, and unanimity of her minifters abroad; but diffenfion ran to fuch a pitch among them, that it expofed them not only to the cenfure of their country, but to the derifion of Britain. Confequently, an immediate recal of fome of the American commiffioners became neceffary, and an order paffed in congrefs, December, one thousand seven hundred and feventy-seven, that Silas Deane, efquire, fhould immediately return to America. No reafons were offered for his recal; and Mr. John Adams of the state of Massachusetts, was chofen to fucceed as commiffioner in behalf of the United States, at the court of France.

Mr. Deane arrived in America a fhort time after the treaty with France had been received, and ratified by congrefs. He affumed an air of importance and felf-confidence; and as guilt frequently fends a hue and cry after justice, in order to hoodwink the multitude, and calls loudly for vengeance on fuch as are about to detect its villany, he offered a moft inflammatory addrefs to the public, complaining of ill ufage, and vilifying Mr. Lee in the groffeft He criminated every part of his public

terms.

1778.

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