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felf properly for the future; his rafhnefs was afterward 1779◄ atoned for in meafure, by his contributing much to the fuccefs of the enterprise against Stoney-point.

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Congrefs unanimously refolved upon thanks to gen. July Washington, for the vigilance, wifdom and magnanimity, with which he had conducted the military operations of the states, and manifested particularly in his orders for the above enterprife. They alfo thanked gen. Wayne for his brave, prudent and foldierly conduct, in his fpirited and well conducted attack. They highly commended the coolnefs, difcipline and firm intrepidity of the officers and foldiers. They took proper notice of lieut. col. Fleury and major Stewart; and warmly applauded lieut. Gibbons and lieut. Knox, who led on the forlorn hope, and preceded the vans of the two columns, and gave to each a brevet of captain. They further refolved, that a medal emblematical of the action be struck, and that one of gold be prefented to gen. Wayne, and a filver one to both Fleury and Stewart; and that the value of the military ftores taken be afcertained and divided among the troops, by whom Stoney-point was reduced.

Being brought to mention congrefs, let me detail fome of their further proceedings.

Mar.

The first commiffary general, col. Jofeph Trumbull, is no more; his decease has been thought to have been brought on by the proceedings of congrefs relative to him: they however refolved, that with great care, in- 30. dustry, labor and attention, he inftituted a plan by which the army, during his continuance in office, was amply fupplied with much economy, and to general fatisfaction; and that certain allowances fhould be made for

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June

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1779; the benefit of his legal representatives. They refolved, April "That fufpicions and animofities have arifen among the late and prefent commiffioners, namely, Doctor B. Franklin, Mr. Silas Deane, Mr. Arthur Lee, Mr. Ralph Izard, and Mr. William Lee, highly prejudicial to the honor and intereft of the United States. It was refolved, that the prefident inform the commander in chief, that if he wants fpecie for fecret fervices, he may draw to the amount of 2000 guineas upon the treasurer, who will pay the fame.-Bills prepared by the committee of the treafury on doctor Franklin, in favor of the committee of commerce; for the fum of 360,000 livres tournois, for the purpose of importing military stores, were ordered to be figned by the prefident; and it was refolved, "That the faith of the United States be pledged to make good any contract or engagement which fhall be entered into by their minifter plenipotentiary at the court of France, for procuring money or credit to enable him to honor the faid bills, and provide for their punctual difcharge." The next day it was agreed to borrow twenty millions of continental dollars, at an interest of fix per cent. per annum. Three days after, it was refolved upon the report of a committee, "That congrefs are fatisfied with the conduct of doctor John Morgan while acting as director general and physician in chief in the general hofpitals of the United States; and that this refolution be published." Congrefs in a letter of congratulation to his moft christian majesty on the birth of a princefs, fay among other things-" Permit us to requeft the favor of your majefty to oblige us with portraits of yourfelf and royal confort, that by being placed in our council chamber, the reprefentatives of

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these states may daily have before their eyes the first *779 royal friends and patrons of their caufe." They in another letter request his majefty to furnish them with the neceffary supplies of arms, ammunition and clothing, the estimate of which their minister was to lay before him, and they pledged the faith of the States for the repayment with intereft, of whatever fums may be advanced for the purpose, as foon as the restoration of peace fhall enable them.

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The minister of France had a conference with.con- July. grefs in a committee of the whole.. He introduced the conference by faying, that he had received fome dif patches from his court, which he was ordered to communicate to congrefs, but that he expected no answer : -that though it was not the ufual practice to offer communications of this nature in writing, yet as it had been intimated to him by the prefident, that this mode would be most agreeable to congrefs, he had committed the heads of them to paper, not as a memorial, but merely for the affiftance of the memory, in a form to which the term of ad statum legendi is appropriated by the ufage of the courts of Europe:-that in reading the faid paper, he would take the liberty of making fome explanations and reflections.

Ad ftatum legendi delivered by the minister plenipotentiary.

1. The king has approved all the overtures, which were made by his minifter plenipotentiary to the honorable congrefs, refpecting the affairs of Mr. de Beaumarchais; therefore a line ought to be drawn between the ftores which this gentleman has been permitted to take out of the royal magazines, for which he has confti

779-tuted himself debtor to the department of war, and between those articles which the fame gentleman has bought in the way of common trade for the ufe of the United States.

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2. A hint having been given to the minifter plenipotentiary, that congrefs defire to recruit their fhips in France from the English prisoners there, the court in confequence of his reprefentation is willing to facilitate this mode of recruiting feamen.

3. The king and miniftry were extremely pleased with the refolution congress has taken to maintain only one minister plenipotentiary at their court, as well as with the exclufive appointment of fo fteady and honest a.man, and fo firm and folid a patriot as Dr. Franklin.

4. The congrefs has given a very great fatisfaction to the court of France, by the convenient and fpirited step which was taken, to difavow a certain ill-grounded and pernicious doctrine, relating to the mutual obligation of the allies, to conclude no truce or peace without the knowledge and confent of each other. The court of France is of opinion, that this doctrine could only be maintained by those men, whofe aim would be to feek by any means to weaken the ties of the alliance, and to create difguft and diffidence between the allies.

5. This court has received with fome furprife, the intelligence, that congrefs has published the treaties concluded with her, without the previous knowledge and confent of the interefted party. It is not to be denied, that fuch proceeding is but little confiftent with reason, and with the general practice of courts and nations: nevertheless, this obfervation involves not any kind of reproach, but the king thinks that fo noble and fo ge

nerous a fyftem of politics could not but produce de- 1779• firable effects by its publication.

6. The intelligence that in the firft months of laft winter, there were no adequate preparations made in America toward a vigorous and fuccefsful campaign, was received at Versailles with all the concern, which the dangers of the United States, and the prolongation of the prefent conteft can create in the most friendly mind. The court of France is fully of opinion, that the exertions of the United States are neceffary to bring the common enemy to a proper fenfe of all the disappointments which he fhall meet with.

7. This court being very defirous to acquaint congrefs exactly with the state of affairs relating to the common caufe, would not delay to inform this honorable body, that the court of London fhowing on one fide difpofitions to a reconciliation with France, rejects on the other fide the very idea of a formal and explicit ac knowledgment of the independence of the United States, which his moft chriftian majefty perfeveres to hold up as a preliminary and effential condition. The behaviour of the common enemy in this refpect, rendered a great deal more probable the conjecture which was communicated to congrefs fome time ago, that the point of honor and pride of the king of England, will be the greatest obstacle to the conclufion of the peace upon thofe explicit terms; and perhaps the manner of overcoming this difficulty, will of courfe become the most decifive object of the deliberation of congrefs, when this honorable body fhall determine to make peace. It is prefuppofed whatever mezo termine may be hit upon, that England fhall treat with the United States as with a

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