To John Jay from Edward Bancroft, c. 12 August 1783
From Edward Bancroft
[London, c. 12 August 1783]
My Dear Friend
I have long delayed doing myself the honor of writing to you, partly, because, in truth, since my arrival here, very little has occurred worthy of Communication— I have however watched & taken some pains to discover the views of Ministers here respecting our Country, & I am sorry to have learned within these two or three days from an infallible Source, that this Government is now much more unfavourably disposed towards us than we imagined when I was with us ^you^—indeed I beleive that there has been ^since, & that very^ lately, a Considerable Change in the Sentiments of Ministers respecting what Concerns us and perhaps the Knowledge of the late riot at Philadelphia, and of disorder of our Finances may have very much Contributed to the Change & have seen them think us of little or no importance—1 Our navigation to the British Westindies is I beleive at an end; at least I am sure it is determined on here to adhere to the Terms & System of the late Proclamation so long as the Act under which it was issued remains in Force; & I am well assured that it is the disposition & intention of Ministers to endeavour to engage Parliament the next session to adopt & establish that System permanently.—2 I have suggested to one of them the danger of a Retaliation on our part & was answered “that this might happen, but that we could not retaliate in that way but from resentment, & to our own injury; that by such retaliation we should deprive ourselves of the best and indeed only way of disposing of a great part of our Produce, to the destruction of our Agriculture—that by injuring ourselves in this way we might indeed deprive the British Planters of the means of Supplying themselves so Cheaply as formerly & engage them to Clamour in ^our^ favor; that Govt. expect they will Clamour, but are determined
not ^to^ Sacrafice the Essential Intrests of the State to the partial Intrests of Westindia Planters—that allowing American Vessels ^admission to the British Islands^ would in reality be to allow the Vessels of all other nations to come there und[er] the Cover of American Names [’]& 13 Stripes[’]3 & that unless the Westindia Colonies can be made a means of increase to the British Navigation, Great Britain had better let them become independant like the United States & thus rid herself of the trouble & expence of defending them in War, and from the Disadvantage of Purchasing & using only their Sugar at a Price which no other Nation in Europe would pay for it. That the people of America ^being now an independant Nation^ are unreasonable in expecting Priviledges which Great Britain never granted to any independent Nation whatever, and at the same time offering Great Britain not the smallest indulgence in return— That the British Government is ready to favour the United States as far as may consist with the intrests of Great Britain, but cannot sacrafice those intrests without some equivalent advantages. &c &c”— If one could suppose that these are not yet the ^Prevailing^ Sentiments of ^this^ Ministry, I am persuaded (from the source from which they came) that they will soon become such; & that we are not likely soon to be very Closely connected here—4 Indeed I understand the expectation of any commercial Treaty whatever this year is now laid aside,5 and with regard to the definitive Treaty with us, it is to be only a Transcript of the Provisional Articles under a new name. You will be pleased to Communicate the foregoing to Dr. Franklin, & make what other use of it you may think prudent, but do not let any one but the Doctor know that any part of it comes from me—6 The Evacuation of New York will not take place until late in the fall, & then the Army will only remove to Halifax where Sir Guy Carlton will ^remain &^ Establish his Quarters this Winter.7 Govr. Wentworth formerly of New Hampshire is restored ^to^, and gone to Execute his office of Surveyor General of the Woods in Nova Scotia8 &c Ld. Stormont is gone to Scotland & has left Ld. North his substitute as President of Council. He, Ld. Stormont, is most likely to become a favourite & put himself at the Head of what are ^called^ the Kings Friends; who however can never long be a ruling Party here— Mr. Fox & Ld. North seem to know that their existence as Ministers depends on their supporting each other & therefore are not likely to quarrel. I am just setting out for the Downs where I expect to embark tomorrow—9 Make my respectful Compliments to Mrs. Jay Dr. Franklin ^Mr. Grand^ & other Friends & beleive me with the utmost Sincerity, & gratitude My Dear Sir your most affectionate & Devoted Huble. Servant
Edwd. Bancroft
P.S. What was insinuated to us about Mr. Oswalds intention of procuring payment of an old demand on Govt. as his Reward, was not true as I learn— He conducted himself with great delicacy on that Subject & never mentioned it whilst his friend was in Power least some improper imputation should be made.
ALS, PC, Philadelphia (EJ: 13146). Addressed: “To the Hon’ble John Jay Esqr. / Minister Plenipotentiary of the United / States &c &c / at Passy near / Paris.” Endorsed: “ . . . Without date / Recd. 22 Augt. 1783. by / Mr. Ths. Barclay Esqr”.
1. In his letter to Hartley of 29 July, Fox had asserted that both the king and his “Confidential Servants” had the “strongest Desire” for reaching a “cordial good Understanding with the United States.” See , 2: 207. Congress’s inability to pay the American army on disbandment precipitated the Philadelphia mutiny and other protests by soldiers discharged at the end of the war, on which see JJ to William Livingston, 19 July 1783, note 5, above.
2. On the Order in Council of 2 July 1783, see the editorial note “Negotiating a Trade Agreement” on pp. 381–82.
3. For clarity single quotes have been substituted for the double quotation marks written in manuscript.
4. For the American reaction to the Orders in Council, and for Bancroft’s assessment of America’s inability to mount a successful response, see , 8: 542–50.
5. On trade negotiations, see the editorial note “Negotiating a Trade Agreement” on pp. 273–86.
6. On negotiations for the definitive treaty, see the editorial note “Signing the Definitive Treaty” on pp. 462–67.
7. The British evacuated New York City on 25 Nov. 1783.
8. John Wentworth (1737–1820), the former governor of New Hampshire and surveyor general for North America, was reinstated as surveyor general in Nova Scotia in 1783 and served as royal governor of Nova Scotia, 1782–1808.
9. Bancroft was traveling to America on business affairs and as a representative of the prince of Luxembourg in an unsuccessful attempt to settle claims regarding the ship South Carolina commanded by Alexander Gillon, on which see , 230–39; James A. Lewis, Neptune’s Militia: The Frigate South Carolina during the American Revolution (Kent, Ohio: 1999); D. E. Huger Smith, “The Luxembourg Claims,” , 10 (1909): 92–115; and , 5: 105, 106n; 7: 786–87; 8: 21, 318. Bancroft sailed on the Commerce, Capt. Thomas Truxton, on 13 Aug., and returned to France in July 1784, later settling in England. See Joshua Johnson to JJ, 22 Aug. 1783, below.
In his effort to retain his pension as a British informant Bancroft sent reports on American affairs to British officials during his travels. He also wrote articles under the pseudonym “Cincinatus” that defended some aspects of British trade policy and contradicted Thomas Paine’s attacks in his widely reprinted “Supernumerary Crisis” of 9 Dec. 1783 on Lord Sheffield’s pamphlet opposing trade concessions to the United States. See , 1: 626–29; Bancroft to the marquis of Carmarthen, 17 Sept. 1784, printed in Samuel F. Bemis, “British Secret Service and the French-American Alliance,” 29 (April 1924): 491, 492–95; “Common Sense,” New York Packet, 15 Dec. 1783, 4 Mar., and 14 and 21 Apr. 1784; “Cincinatus,” Independent Journal (New York), 28 Jan., 4 Feb., 10 Apr., and 14 July 1784; “Independent,” Pennsylvania Packet, 9 Mar. 1784; and , 236–38, 297n24.