Your two favours of Decr 3 and that of December 14, are before me.2 Mr Barclay is arrived, to my great Relief: His office and Character as well as your Recommendations entitle him to every Respect and Civility from me.

You favour from L’orient I answered, and transmitted under Cover to Mr Cummings, Some Dispatches from Gover Read. I condole with you, under the Loss of Mrs Searle:3 But Such is the Constitution of the World, and Under the Loss of Friends Fortunes, &c all We have to do is to Submit. Your Resolution to Spend the Remainder of your Days in Europe, may not prove to be a Law of the Medes,4 whether, however in Europe or America, I wish you success and Prosperity.

Mr Bondfield has acted hitherto, for the Public at Bourdeaux, and has ever behaved well, as far as I have known. I Suppose that he will expect to be continued in the Service and to be Vice Consul or Consul, if Congress should appoint Such an officer for that Place. But perhaps Congress will, not appoint any but the Consul General and leave him to employ Such Persons as his Agents in other Cities as he pleases.

The Secretaryship for the Mission to Versailles, I am convinced will never be filled up, while the present Minister lives, unless it should be with the young Gentleman.5 The Commission for Peace is new modelled. The Ministers to Versailles and Madrid, Mr Laurens in the Tower and Mr Jefferson in America, are added in the new Commission: and there is no Secretary appointed. Mr Dana, is Still at Liberty to Act in it, in certain Circumstances, which however will not happen, because the Commission itself will not be called to Act a long time.

Portugal is but an English Colony, and never in my opinion will have any Thing to do with america while the War lasts. Thus you See, that I have no great Expectations, of your Succeeding in any Thing of a public Nature in Europe at present. Your Wish to be Vice Consul or Consul in Case another Should be appointed, is modest enough to be sure but you know that Congress have always many applications, and they weigh the Pretensions of all, very carefully. Your appointment would be very agreable to me, but all I can do in it, is to mention it to some of my friends. But you know that my particular Friends in Congress are influenced by nobody, and no Consideration but the public good.

As to your Sic Vos non Vobis Vellera fertis oves.6 It is true that I am a sheep and that I have been fleeced, but it gives me some Pleasure to reflect that my wool makes others warm. No I had rather Say I am a Bird, that my feathers have been plucked and worn as ornaments by others. Let them have the Plumage if they will it is but a Geugaw. However away with all this. It would be more just to say that We are all too much Addicted to disputing for the Feathers before We are quite in Possession of the Bird.

What do you mean by Ebenezer Kennersley?7 I dont Understand you. Your Sprightly Wit is a Proof to me that your Health is better, and it has a friendly effect upon mine.

It is very long since we have had the pleasure of hearing from you. Before this you will probably have received two Letters of mine and a duplicate of the last goes with this.1

Nothing material has happened since the date of that, except the Evacuation of Wilmington,2 which was, as you know, a very important port, as it checked the trade of North Carolina, and kept up a dangerous connection with almost the only Tories on the continent who have shewn spirit enough to support their principles openly. This new sacrifice by Britain, of their partizans conspiring with that made by the capitulation of York must open their eyes, and teach them what the experience of ages should have taught, that those friendships are weak which arise from a fellowship in guilt. Our army and the French troops are in quarters, the first in the Jersies, and upon Hudson’s river, the last in Virginia. General Greene will be reinforced by about eighteen hundred men under st. Clair.3 The Enemy are shut up in New York, savannah and Charlestown. Tho’ I believe they may yet have one or two posts near the latter, which they will keep ’till st Clair joins Greene. Count de Grasse is in the West Indies with so formidable an armament as promises the most important success, as during the winter when joined by the force 163that has sailed from Brest, and So many of the Spanish fleet as are prepared to co-operate with him, he will have about fifty Sail of the line under his command.

I enclose several resolutions of congress, which will convince you that their late successes have not rendered them supine or negligent—the spirit which animates them will pervade most of the States.4 I need not suggest to you the use that should be made of this information, You will see at once that it should not be buried or paraded, that it should be discovered, but not displayed. I am persuaded that your own knowledge of the World and the particular situation of the Government you are in, will direct you to the best means of rendering it useful to this Country. I also enclose an ordinance relative to captures and recaptures, lately passed by Congress,5 you will observe that it is formed upon the plan recommended by the armed neutrality, it does credit in that view to our moderation, perhaps the conduct of Britain, and the neglect of the neutral powers to enforce their own regulations, may render the policy of the measure doubtful, this however gives new force to the deductions drawn from it in favor of our moderation and justice. You will also observe that it uses means to put an entire stop to all kind of commerce with Britain or in British manufactures. In consequence of this, new habits and new fashions must be introduced, wise nations will not neglect this favorable moment to render them subservient to the interest of their own commerce and manufactures. This affords you a topic which you need not be urged to enlarge upon. I am very fearful that you will not fully understand the cyphers in which my last Letters are written. I had them from the late committee of foreign affairs, tho’ they say they never received any letters from you in them. Mr Lovell has enclosed what he thinks may serve as an explanation. I would recommend it to you to write to me in Mr Dumas his cypher, till I can send you, or you send me one by a safe hand.6 Should you be at Paris, Doctor Franklin has Dumas’s cyphers. And now, sir, for all this american intelligence, let me receive from you a full return in European commodities of the same kind; I do not hesitate to impose this task upon you, because I know it is one that you have never neglected, and that you fully impressed with the idea of its importance to us. Among other things, I am persuaded Congress would wish to know the success of your loan, and your prospects. The disposition of the government and the strength of the marine of the united Provinces, 164its objects and preparations for the ensuing campaign—the negociations which may be carrying on at present either for peace or War. The designs, finances and marine of Russia—I shall also apply to Mr Dana for information on this subject, but it will be much more practicable to correspond with him thro’ you, than to get Letters to him at this season of the Year from here. I shall however attempt both. I am too well acquainted with your industry and patriotism to think that you will repine at any trouble that this may give you. You know that Congress have a right to the fullest information from their ministers, and that their ministers have similar demands on them. I shall endeavour as far as lies in my power, to satisfy the last in future, since that charge has now devolved to me. I enclose a number of newspapers, they may afford you some information and amusement.