The Diplomatic Correspondence of the American Revolution
Chapter 459 : I have the honor to be, &c.GEORGE WAs.h.i.+NGTON.TO THE PRESIDENT OF CONGRESS.Translat

I have the honor to be, &c.

GEORGE WAs.h.i.+NGTON.

TO THE PRESIDENT OF CONGRESS.

Translation.

Philadelphia, August 15th, 1780.

Sir,

I have received the letter, with which you honored me on the 12th instant, with the resolutions of the 5th and 12th instants, which accompany it. Be pleased to a.s.sure Congress, that I will neglect no means in my power for securing the success of the prudent and patriotic measures, which are about to be taken, and I can a.s.sure you of the eagerness, with which the King will second those measures and of his resolution to a.s.sist the Thirteen States, to the utmost of his power. I shall transmit to his Majesty the resolution, which you have been pleased to communicate to me, and I have reason to believe, that he will entirely approve of everything, that may contribute to the immediate deliverance of the States invaded by the enemy.

With regard to the concurrence of the forces of his Catholic Majesty, I am entirely uninformed, and although the good dispositions of the Court of Madrid towards the Thirteen States are undoubted, I do not know in what points the Spanish troops can a.s.sist the American armies.

I have the honor to be, &c.

LUZERNE.

TO THE PRESIDENT OF CONGRESS.

Translation.

Philadelphia, August 15th, 1780.

Sir,

I have received the letter, which you did me the honor of writing to me on the 12th instant, with an act of Congress relative to the pet.i.tion of George Basden. I shall transmit the whole to the Governors of St Domingo, in order to know their opinion on a subject of this nature, but I can inform you beforehand, that it seems to me doubtful, whether their opinion will be favorable to the pet.i.tioner, as the Bermudians, living under the English government, are not excepted from the number of our enemies, by any public act, which has come to my knowledge.

Allow me, Sir, to have the honor to remind you on this occasion, that several notes, which I had the honor of sending to the Committee of Commerce, in relation to merchandise deposited in the hands of the Sieur Caraburse, at St Domingo, have remained unanswered.

I have the honor to be, &c.

LUZERNE.

TO THE PRESIDENT OF CONGRESS.

Translation.

Philadelphia, September 1st, 1780.

Sir,

I have received the letter, with which you yesterday honored me, and the account of the bills of exchange drawn on Dr Franklin. I deeply feel the confidence, which Congress repose in me, in confiding to me the details of this affair, and I have no doubt, that Congress are persuaded of the zeal and interest with which I shall lay before his Majesty's Minister, the actual state of the finances of the Thirteen United States. Their representatives are not ignorant how desirous the King is to render them effectual a.s.sistance, and the measures lately taken are new proofs of his friends.h.i.+p and kindness for them.

As to the bills of exchange in question, I have said with freedom to the committee, with which I had the honor of conferring, that I was in no way authorised to give any hopes, that they would be accepted. I confided to that committee, with equal sincerity, my reasons for fearing, that great difficulties would be experienced in the payment of them, unless Congress themselves succeed in placing funds in the hands of their Plenipotentiary. I am persuaded, Sir, that the explanations, which I have had the honor of transmitting to Congress, by the committee appointed to confer with me, are conformable to the system of sincerity and frankness, which ought to exist between allies whose interests are so closely connected.[40]

I have the honor to be, &c.

LUZERNE.

FOOTNOTE:

[40] See the resolutions of Congress, respecting the bills of exchange here mentioned, in the _Public Journal of Congress_, for August 9th and 15th, 1780.

GEORGE WAs.h.i.+NGTON TO M. DE LA LUZERNE.

Head Quarters, Bergen County, } September 12th, 1780. }

Sir,

I have the honor to enclose you a letter, which upon the whole I have thought it advisable to write to the Count de Guichen. As its contents are of a nature to make its falling into the enemy's hands in its present form dangerous, and as I have no cypher of communication with the Count, I take the liberty to request your Excellency's a.s.sistance, in making use of yours, and forwarding it by triplicates with your despatches by the first opportunities.

I make no mention of a land force, because though it would be useful, it may be dispensed with. But if a body of troops could conveniently accompany the fleets, it would give greater energy and certainty of success to our operations. I am the more induced to desire it, as the composition of a considerable part of our army is temporary, and I am not informed what measures may be taken to replace the men whose times of service will expire.

I need use no arguments to convince your Excellency of the extremity, to which our affairs are tending, and the necessity of support. You are an eye witness to all our perplexities and all our wants. You know the dangerous consequences of leaving the enemy in quiet possession of their southern conquests; either for negotiation this winter, or a continuance of the war. You know our inability alone to expel them, or perhaps even to stop their career.

I have the honor to be, with the sincerest sentiments of respect and attachment,

GEORGE WAs.h.i.+NGTON.

TO THE PRESIDENT OF CONGRESS.

Translation.

Philadelphia, September 15th, 1780.

Sir,

I have received the annexed Declaration,[41] with orders to communicate it to Congress. Some American merchants, not knowing that Articles 11th and 12th, therein mentioned, had been annulled, have made use of them in the French Islands, to demand an exemption from the duties paid on the exportation of mola.s.ses.

An authentic publication of the treaty will remove all remaining doubts as to the payment of this duty, to which the subjects of his Majesty are themselves subjected.

I have the honor to be, &c.

LUZERNE.

FOOTNOTE: