consumed 'it. And on the whole I conceive it would be

. better for the nations now possessing sugar colonies to give up

their claim to them, let them govern themselves, and put them under the protection of all the powers of Europe as neutral countries, open to the commerce of all, the profits of the present monopolies being by no means equivalent to the expense of maintaining them.

If war should hereafter arise between Great Britain and the United States, which God forbid, the merchants of either country then residing in the other shall be allowed to remain nine months to collect their debts, and settle their affairs, and may depart freely, carrying off all their effects without molestation or hindrance. And all fishermen, all cultivators of the earth, and all artisans or manufacturers unarmed, and inhabiting unfortified towns, villages or places, who labor for the common subsistence and benefit of mankind, and peaceably follow their respective employments, shall be allowed to continue the same, and shall not be molested by the armed force of the enemy, into whose power by the events of the war they may happen to fall; but if any thing is necessary to be taken from them, for the use of such armed force, the same shall be paid for at a reasonable price. And all "merchants or traders with their unarmed vessels, employed in commerce, exchanging the products of different places, and thereby rendering the necessaries, conveniences, and comforts of human life more easy to obtain, and more general, shall be allowed to pass freely unmolested. And neither of the powers parties to this treaty, shall grant or issue any commission to any private armed vessels empowering them to take or destroy such trading ships, or interrupt such commerce.

M. LE COMTE DE VERGENNES à M. FRANKLIN.

Il est essentiel, Monsieur, que je puisse avoir l'honneur de conférer avec vous, avec M. Adams, et avec ceux de Messieurs vos collègues, qui peuvent se trouver à Paris. Je vous prie, en conséquence, Monsieur, de vouloir bien inviter ces Messieurs de se rendre à Versailles avec vous Lundi avant dix heures du matin. Il seroit bon que vous amenassiez Monsieur votre petit-fils avec vous ; il pourra nous être nécessaire pour rendre plusieurs choses d'Auglois en François, et même pour écrire. L'objet dont j'ai à vous entretenir est très-intéressant pour les Etats Unis, vos maîtres.

J'ai l'honneur d'être avec une parfaite considération, Monsieur, votre très-humble et très-obéissant serviteur,

DE VERGENNES. Versailles, le Samedi soir, 18 Janvier, 1783.

7

A M. LE COMTE DE VERGENNES.

SIR,

Passy, Jan. 18, 1783, at ten P. M.

Agreeable to the notice just received from your excellency, I shall acquaint Mr. Adams with your desire to see us on Monday before ten o'clock at Versailles, and we shall endeavor to be punctual. My other colleagues are absent, Mr. Laurens being gone to Bath in England to recover his health, and Mr. Jay into Normandy. With great respect I have the honor to be, sir, your excellency's, &c.

B. FRANKLIN. I shall bring my grandson, as you desire.

B. VAUGHAN, Esq. to DR. FRANKLIN.

MY DEAREST SIR, (Private) Paris, Jan. 18, 1783.

I cannot but in the most earnest manner, and from recent circumstances, press your going early to Versailles to-morrow; and I have considerable reason to think, that your appearance there will not displease the person whom you address. I am of opinion that it is very likely that

you will have the glory of having concluded the peace, by this visit; at least I am sure, if the deliberations of tomorrow evening end unfavorably, that there is the strongest appearance of war; and if they end favorably, perhaps little difficulty may attend the rest.

After all, the peace will have as much that is conceded in it, as England can in any shape be made just now to relish; owing to the stubborn demands principally of Spain, who would not I believe upon any motive recede from her conquests. What I wrote about Gibraltar, arrived after the subject as I understand was canvassed, and when it of course must have appeared impolitic eagerly and immediately to revive it.

You reproved' me, or rather reproved a political scheme yesterday, of which I have heard more said favorably by your friends at Paris than by any persons whatever in London. But do you, my dear sir, make this peace, and trust our common sense respecting another war. England, said a man of sense to me the other day, will come out of the war like a convalescent out of a disease, and must be re-established by some physic and much regimen. I cannot easily tell in what shape a bankruptcy would come upon England, • and still less easily in what mode and degree it would affect us; but if your confederacy mean to bankrupt us now, I am

sure we shall lose the great fear that would deter us from another war. Your allies, therefore, for policy, and for humanity's sake, will I hope stop short of this extremity; especially as we should do some mischief first to others, as well as to ourselves. I am, my dearest sir, your ever devoted, ever affectionate, and ever obliged, B. VAUGHAN.

SIR,

TO HIS EXCELLENCY J, ADAMS, ESQ.

Passy, Jan. 19, 1783.

Late last night I received a note from M. De Vergennes, acquainting me that it is very essential he should have a conference with us, and requesting I would inform my colleagues. He desires that we may be with him before ten on Monday morning. If it will suit you to call here, we may go together in my carriage. With great regard, I have the honor to be, sir, your most obedient and most humble servant, B. FRANKLIN.

Copy of MR. FITZHERBERT'S Commission to treat with

France.

Georgius Tertius, Dei Gratiâ, Magnæ Bri tanniæ Franciæ et Hiberniæ Rex, Fidei Defensor, Dux Brunsvicensis et Lunebergensis, Sacri Romani Imperii Archithesaurius et Princeps Elector, &c. omnibus et singulis ad quos præsentes hæ litteræ pervenerint, salutem. Cum belli incendio jam nimis diu diversis orbis terrarum partibus flagrante, in id quam maxime incumbamus, ut tranquillitas publica, tot litibus controversiisque rite compositis, reduci et stabiliri possit; Cumque eâ de causâ virum quemdam tanto negotio parem, ad bonum fratrem nostrum Regem Christianissimum mittere decrevimus; sciatis igitur, quod nos, fide, industria, ingenio, perspicaciâ, et rerum usu fidelis et dilecti

nobis Alleini Fitz Herbert, armigeri, plurimum confisi, eupdem nominavimus, fecimus et constituimus, sicut per præsentes nominamus, facimus et constituimus, nostrum verum, certum et indubitatum commissarium, procuratorem, et plenipotentiarium, dantes et concedentes eidem omnem et omnimodam potestatem, facultatem authoritatemque, necnon mandatum, generale pariter ac speciale ita tamen ut generale speciali non deroget nec è contra), pro nobis et nostro nomine, unà cum ministro ministrisve prædicti boni fratris nostri Regis Christianissimi, sufficienti authoritate instructo 'vel instructis, cumque legatis, commissariis, deputatis, et plenipotentiariis aliorum principum et statuum quorum interesse poterit, sufficienti itidem authoritate instructis, tam singulatim ac diversim, quam aggregatim ac conjunctim, congres diendi et colloquendi, atque cum ipsis de pace firmâ et stabili, sincerâque amicitiâ et concordia quantotius restituendis, conveniendi, tractandi, consulendi et concludendi, eaque omnia

quæ ita conventa et conclusa fuerint pro nobis et nostro nomine, subsignandi, superque conclusis tractatum tractatusve, vel alia instrumenta quotquot et qualia necessaria fuerint, conficiendi mutuoque tradendi, recipiendique, omniaque alia quæ ad opus supra dictum feliciter exequendum pertinent transigendi, tam amplis modo et forma, ac vi effectuque pari, ac nos, si interessemus, facere et præstare possemus; spondentes et in verbo regio promittentes, nos omnia quæcumque à dicto postro plenipotentiario transigi et concludi contigerint, grata, rata et accepta omni meliori modo habituros, neque passuros unquam ut in toto vel in parte à quopiam violentur, aut ut iis in contrarium eatur. rum omnium majorem fidem et robur, præsentibus manu nostrâ regiâ signatis, magnum nostrum Magnæ Britanniæ sigillum appendi fecimus. Quæ dabantur in palatio nostro Divi Jacobi, die vicesimo quarto mensis Julii, anno Domini

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