1. The committee on the French communications concerning the mediation of a peace (above, Notes from Secret Journal, 28 May, editorial note, and n. 1) reported to Congress on 5 June. Debate ensued on that day and the next. Apparently as a consequence of the discussion on 6 June, two motions were introduced in succession. The present one was the first. Following its adoption, John Witherspoon and William C. Houston introduced the second. For the second motion and the vote upon it, see below, Notes from Secret Journal, 6 June 1781, and n. 2.

2. Ibid., n. 2. The “&” is used as an equivalent of “etc.”

3. His Most Christian Majesty, King Louis XVI.

4. Catherine the Great.

5. The Holy Roman Emperor, Joseph II of Austria, whose government is often referred to in the documents as the “Court of Vienna.”

6. Samuel Huntington, president of Congress, changed the “and” to “But.”

7. Beginning with this word and continuing through “them,” the passage was amended by Congress to read: “no treaty of peace which Shall not be Such as may effectually Secure the Indepen[denc]e & Sovereignty of the 13 States.” Huntington added these words at the bottom of the manuscript and indicated where they were to be inserted in JM’s draft.

8. The Treaty of Alliance and the Treaty of Amity and Commerce of 6 February 1778 (JCC description begins Worthington Chauncey Ford et al., eds., Journals of the Continental Congress, 1774–1789 (34 vols.; Washington, 1904–37). description ends , XI, 419–55).

9. Probably by inadvertence, “not” appears in the printed journal after “shall” (JCC description begins Worthington Chauncey Ford et al., eds., Journals of the Continental Congress, 1774–1789 (34 vols.; Washington, 1904–37). description ends , XX, 606).

10. Either JM or Huntington crossed out this line, probably because the boundary issue was deferred until 8 June (q.v.).