The Diplomatic Correspondence of the American Revolution
Chapter 433 : GEORGE R.THE CORRESPONDENCE OF CONRAD ALEXANDER GERARD; MINISTER PLENIPOTENTIARY FROM

GEORGE R.

THE

CORRESPONDENCE

OF

CONRAD ALEXANDER GERARD;

MINISTER PLENIPOTENTIARY FROM THE COURT OF FRANCE TO THE UNITED STATES.

Conrad Alexander Gerard was the first Minister from any foreign Court to the United States. When the American Commissioners went to Paris, in the year 1776, he was princ.i.p.al Secretary to the Council of State, and on terms of the strictest intimacy and confidence with Count de Vergennes, the Minister of Foreign Affairs. Under the auspices of that Minister, and in concert with him, M. Gerard early took a strong interest in the concerns of the United States, and abetted the cause of their independence. He negotiated, on the part of the French government, the first treaties of alliance and commerce with the United States, signed on the 6th of February, 1778, by him for one of the contracting parties, and by Franklin, Deane, and Lee for the other.

His knowledge of American affairs, and his general ability, pointed him out as the most suitable person to represent the French Court as Minister to Congress. He came over to this country in the fleet with Count d'Estaing and arrived in Philadelphia about the middle of July, 1778. After discharging the duties of a Minister Plenipotentiary for more than a year, in a manner highly acceptable to Congress and the whole country, as well as to his own government, he asked his recall, and took his final leave of Congress on the 17th of September, 1779.

He returned to Europe in the same vessel, which took out Mr Jay as Minister Plenipotentiary to the Court of Spain.

THE

CORRESPONDENCE

OF

CONRAD ALEXANDER GERARD;

MINISTER FROM FRANCE.

LETTER FROM THE KING OF FRANCE TO CONGRESS.

Very dear and great Friends and Allies,

The treaties which we have signed with you in consequence of the propositions made to us on your part, by your deputies, are a certain guarantee to you of our affection for the United States in general, and for each one of them individually, as well as of the interest which we take, and shall always continue to take, in their happiness and prosperity. In order to convince you of this in a more particular manner, we have appointed M. Gerard, Secretary of our Council of State, to reside near you in quality of our Minister Plenipotentiary.

He is the better acquainted with the sentiments which we entertain towards you, and is the more able to answer for them to you, as he has been intrusted on our part with negotiating with your deputies, and as he has signed with them the treaties which cement our union, we request you to give full credit to all that he shall say to you on our part, particularly when he shall a.s.sure you of our affection and of our constant friends.h.i.+p for you. Moreover, we pray G.o.d, that he will have you, very dear and great Friends and Allies, under his holy and worthy protection.

Written at Versailles, the 28th of March, 1778.

Your good Friend and Ally,

LOUIS.

APPOINTMENT OF CONSUL-GENERAL OF FRANCE IN THE UNITED STATES.

Louis, by the Grace of G.o.d, King of France and Navarre, to all those to whom these presents shall come, Greeting.

Thinking it necessary to create the office of our Consul-General at Boston, and other ports belonging to the United States of North America, and being desirous to confer a favor on M. Gerard, we have thought that we could not make choice of a better person than he, to fulfil the duties of this office, by our knowledge of his zeal and affection for our service and for the interests of our subjects, and of his judgment and ability in naval affairs; for these reasons, and others moving us thereto, we have nominated and appointed the said M.

Gerard, and by these presents signed with our hand, do nominate and appoint him our Consul-General at Boston, and other ports belonging to the United States of North America, with power to appoint consuls and vice-consuls in the places where he shall judge them necessary; to have and to hold the said office, to exercise, enjoy, and use it, so long as it shall please us, with the honors, authorities, advantages, prerogatives, privileges, exemptions, rights, benefits, profits, revenues, and emoluments which belong to it, such, and the same as those which our other Consuls-General enjoy. We prohibit all French merchants, and all persons sailing under the French flag, from disturbing him in the possession, duties and exercise of this consulate. We enjoin on all captains, masters and commanders of s.h.i.+ps, barks and other vessels, armed and sailing under the said flag, as well as on all our other subjects, to acknowledge the said M. Gerard, and to obey him in this capacity. We pray and request our very dear and great Friends and Allies, the Congress of the United States of North America, their governors and other officers whom it shall concern, to allow the said M. Gerard, and the consuls and vice-consuls whom he shall appoint to the said office, to possess it fully and peaceably, without causing, or allowing to be caused to them, any disturbance or hinderance; but on the contrary to give them all favor and a.s.sistance; offering to do the same for all those who shall be thus recommended to us on their part. In witness whereof we have caused our privy seal to be affixed to these presents.

Given at Versailles, the twentyeighth day of March, in the year of our Lord one thousand seven hundred and seventyeight, and of our reign the fifth.

LOUIS.

THE KING OF FRANCE TO CONGRESS.

Very dear and great Friends and Allies,

You will learn, undoubtedly, with grat.i.tude, the measure, which the conduct of the King of Great Britain has induced us to take, of sending a fleet to endeavor to destroy the English forces upon the sh.o.r.es of North America. This expedition will convince you of the eagerness and the vigor, which we are resolved to bring to the execution of the engagements, which we have contracted with you. We are firmly persuaded, that your fidelity to the obligations, which your Plenipotentiaries have contracted in your name, will animate more and more the efforts, which you are making with so much courage and perseverance.

The Count d'Estaing, Vice-Admiral of France, is charged to concert with you the operations, the conduct of which we have intrusted to him, in order that the combination of measures on each side may render them as advantageous to the common cause as circ.u.mstances will permit.

We entreat you to give full credit to everything, which he shall communicate to you on our part, and to place confidence in his zeal and in his talents.

Moreover, we pray G.o.d, that he will have you, very dear and great Friends and Allies, under his holy protection.

Written at Versailles, the twentyeighth day of March, in the year of our Lord, one thousand seven hundred and seventyeight.

LOUIS.

COUNT D'ESTAING TO THE PRESIDENT OF CONGRESS.

At Sea, July 8th, 1778.

Sir,

I have the honor of informing your Excellency, and by you of giving notice to Congress, of the arrival of the squadron of the King upon the sh.o.r.es of the United States of America.

Honored with full powers from the King to treat with Congress, I have the honor, Sir, of sending to your Excellency the copy of my credentials relating to this subject, the honor of presenting them myself; my desire to wait upon the respectable representatives of a free nation, my eagerness to reverence in them the n.o.ble qualities of wisdom and firmness, which distinguish them, virtues which all Europe admires and which France loves, are a happiness, which can be delayed only by my desire to render myself worthy of the favors of the United States, while I begin by performing the duties, which circ.u.mstances and my military functions impose upon me; I hope that they will serve as my excuse, and that your Excellency will have the kindness to offer them as such to Congress.

I have the honor of writing to his Excellency, General Was.h.i.+ngton, and shall have that of sending to his head quarters two officers in succession, in order to offer to him to combine my movements with his own. The merited reputation, which so great a soldier has so justly acquired, does not allow me to doubt that he is convinced better than any one else of the value of the first movements. I hope that the authority vested in him by Congress, has allowed him the liberty of taking advantage of them, and that we shall be able immediately, and without any delay, to act in concert for the benefit of the common cause; which seemed to me to require, that the orders of Congress should remove as speedily as possible, the legal difficulties, of which, perhaps, there are none.

Monsieur de Chouin, Major of infantry, and relation of M. de Sartine, is charged with delivering this letter to your Excellency; he is one of the officers whom I send to General Was.h.i.+ngton.

The readiness with which his Excellency, M. Gerard, Minister Plenipotentiary of the King, is hastening to take up his residence near Congress, and there to display the character with which his Majesty has invested him, will prevent all the delays, which my distance might occasion with regard to the military agreements. I have the honor of a.s.suring your Excellency, that I shall make it my duty and pleasure to execute everything that M. Gerard shall promise. The promises, which he will make to you, will need no other ratifications on my part than those, which my physical force demands, and which the nature of the profession makes necessarily to depend upon the military or naval force, which is in operation.

A Minister so happy as to have had the glory of signing the treaty, which unites two powers whose interests are so intimately connected, will preserve the most important influence upon my further designs.

The escort, which conducts him, that by which the King sends back to the United States his Excellency, Silas Deane, is, undoubtedly, the most brilliant which has ever accompanied Amba.s.sadors. I dare hope that it will prove useful to the mutual interest of the two nations.