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to request your assistance, and the benefit of your advice. You love what is good, and you have done good. An enterprise, which has this for its sole object, is therefore worthy of your protection. I am, with respect, Sir, &c.

BRISSOT DE WARVILLE.

P. S. Will you permit me to send you a short paper, on a very simple plan for advancing the reform of the laws throughout all Europe? I should be most happy to put it into your hands, if you can give a moment to it.

TO MISS MARTHA LAURENS.

Account of the Means used for the Release of
Mr. Laurens.

MADAM,

Passy, 29 December, 1781.

I received your very sensible letter of the 14th past. Your brother, Colonel Laurens, being here when I received the former, I informed him of the steps I had then taken respecting your good father, and requested him to answer your letter for me. I did suppose he had done it; but his great and constant occupation while here might occasion his omitting it. The purport was, that, on a report of your father's being harshly treated, I wrote in his behalf to an old friend, Sir Grey Cooper, secretary of the Treasury, complaining of it. His answer was, that he had inquired, and found the report groundless; and he sent me enclosed a letter he received from the Lieutenant of the Tower, assuring him, that Mr. Laurens was treated with great kindness, was very sensible of it, thankful for it, and

frequently expressed his satisfaction. On this, I became more easy on his account. But, a little before I received your letter, I had one from Mr. Benjamin Vaughan, who is connected with the family of Mr. Manning, which informed me, that Mr. Laurens was really in want of necessaries; and desired to know if any provision was made for his subsistence. I wrote immediately to Mr. Hodgson, in whose hands I had lodged some money, requesting him to hold one hundred pounds of it at the disposition of Mr. Laurens, and to acquaint Mr. Vaughan with it.

About this time I received two letters; one from Mr. Burke, member of Parliament, complaining that his friend, General Burgoyne, in England on his parole, was reclaimed and recalled by Congress, and requesting I would find some means of permitting him to remain. The other was from the Congress, enclosing a resolve that empowered me to offer General Burgoyne in exchange for Mr. Laurens. Perceiving by Mr. Burke's letter, that he was very desirous of obtaining his friend's liberty, and having no immediate intercourse with the British ministry, I thought I could not do better than to enclose the resolve in my answer to his letter, and request him to negotiate the exchange. When I received yours, I was in expectation of having soon an answer from Mr. Burke and Mr. Hodgson, which would enable me to give you more satisfactory information. I, therefore, delayed writing to you from post to post, till I should hear from them; and, fearing from the length of time that my letters had miscarried, I sent copies of them.

It is but yesterday that I received an answer from Mr. Hodgson, dated the 21st instant, in which he writes me, "I received your favor of the 19th ultimo, and immediately acquainted Mr. Vaughan with your direc

tions concerning the supplying Mr. Laurens. He has been acquainted therewith; but hitherto no application has been made to me for the money; whenever it is, you may be assured it shall be complied with." No answer has come to my hands from Mr. Burke; but I see, by the newspaper Mr. Hodgson sends me, that he has endeavoured to execute the commission. I enclose that paper for your satisfaction, together with a copy of your father's petition to Parliament, on which I do not find that they have yet come to any result; but, observing that he makes no complaint in that petition, of his being pinched in the article of subsistence, I hope that part of our intelligence from London may be a mistake. I shall, however, you may depend, leave nothing undone, that is in my power, to obtain his release; and I assure you, that the thought of the pleasure it must afford a child, whose mind is of so tender a sensibility, and filled with such true filial duty and affection, will be an additional spur to my endeavours. I suppose Mr. Adams has informed you, that he has ordered another hundred pounds sterling to be paid Mr. Laurens; and I hope you will soon have the happiness of hearing that he is at liberty. With very great regard, I have the honor to be, Madam, &c. B. FRANKLIN.

FROM COUNT DE VERGENNES TO B. FRANKLIN.

Translation.

SIR,

Versailles, 31 December, 1781.

I have received the letter you did me the honor to write me the 27th instant. I shall not enter into an examination of the successive variations and augmentations of your demands on me for funds to meet your

payments. I shall merely remark, that, whenever you shall consider yourself fully authorized to dispose of the proceeds of the Dutch loan, on behalf of Congress, I will propose to M. de Fleury to supply you with the million required, as soon as it shall have been paid into the royal treasury. But I think it my duty, Sir, to inform you, that, if Mr. Morris issues drafts on this same million, I shall not be able to provide for the payment of them, and shall leave them to be protested. I ought also to inform you, that there will be nothing more supplied than the million above mentioned; and, if the drafts, which you have already accepted, exceed that sum, it must be for you to contrive the means of meeting them. I shall make an exception only in favor of those of Mr. Morris, provided they shall not exceed the remainder of the Dutch loan, after deducting the million, which shall be placed at your disposal, and the expenses of the loan. I have the honor to be, &c. DE VERGENNES.

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I have received the favor of yours of the 15th of December, by Mr. Alexander. I most heartily join with you in the wish, that we could find some means to stop the spreading flames of this devilish war. I will not despair. The communications, which he has imparted to me from you, have revived my hopes of peace. I laid them before the minister immediately. We are at

a suspense for the present upon a very material preliminary. I did intend writing to you at the present pause, that we might make our ground good as we go on; but an accident which has happened obliges me to do it without delay. For, having had a most essential question transmitted to me from Lord North for explanation, when I would have applied to Mr. Alexander, I could not hear of him; and now I find, that he has left his hotel these four or five days, and, his return being uncertain, I must apply to you. I will state to you what has passed.

Upon my first interview with Mr. Alexander, he told me, that the late events would make no difference in the prospect of peace; that America had no other wish than to see a termination of this war; that no events would make them unreasonable on that subject, which sentiments likewise your letter expresses; and that no formal recognition of independence would be required. I thought this a very fair opening; but the next point which he explained to me, seemed to be still more material towards peace, viz. that America was disposed to enter into a separate treaty with Great Britain, and their allies were disposed to consent to it. I believe, that it has been the unfortunate union of common cause between America and France, which has for the last three years turned aside the wish of the people of England for peace. I verily believe (so deep is the jealousy between England and France), that this country would fight for a straw to the last man, and the last shilling, rather than be dictated to by France. I therefore consider this as the greatest rub out of the way. I have often argued this point with you upon former occasions, having at all times foreseen, that it would be the greatest rub in the road to peace, and I have often stated it to you as an act of justice due

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