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CORRESPONDENCE,

PART THIRD;

COMPRISING

LETTERS PRIVATE AND OFFICIAL,

FROM

THE BEGINNING OF THE AMERICAN REVOLUTION

то

THE END OF THE AUTHOR'S MISSION TO FRANCE.

1775-1785.

(CONTINUED.)

CORRESPONDENCE.

TO THE PRESIDENT OF CONGRESS.

The King of France grants to the United States a further Sum of Six Millions of Livres. - Declines the Mediation of Russia and Austria. · Dr. Franklin requests Permission of Congress to return Home.

SIR,

Passy, 12 March, 1781.

I had the honor of receiving on the 13th of last month your Excellency's letter of the 1st of January, together with the instructions of November 28th and December 27th, a copy of those to Colonel Laurens, and the letter to the King. I immediately drew a memorial, enforcing as strongly as I could the requests that are contained in that letter, and directed by the instructions, and I delivered the same with the letter, which were both well received; but, the ministry being extremely occupied with other weighty affairs, and I obtaining for some time only general answers, that something would be done for us, &c., and Mr. Laurens not arriving, I wrote again, and pressed strongly for a decision on the subject; that I might be able to write explicitly by this opportunity, what aids the Congress were, or were not, to expect; the regulation of their operations for the campaign depending on the information I should be enabled to give. 1

VOL. IX.

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