11From Benjamin Franklin to Vergennes, 5 May 1783 (Franklin Papers)
LS : Archives du Ministère des affaires étrangères I have the honour to communicate to your Excellency herewith three Articles proposed between Mr. Hartley and the American Commissioners, respecting Commerce. He has sent them to his Court for their Approbation. I doubt their Obtaining it; But we shall see. I am with Respect, Sir, Your Excellency’s Most obedient & most humble Servant In the...
12From Benjamin Franklin to Vergennes, 5 May 1783 (Franklin Papers)
ALS : Archives du Ministère des affaires étrangères; copies: Library of Congress, Massachusetts Historical Society It was my Intention to pay my Devoirs at Versailles to-morrow. I thank your Excellency nevertheless for your kind Admonition. I omitted two of the last three Days from a mistaken Apprehension that being Holidays there would be no Court. Mr Laurens & Mr Jay are both Invalids; and...
13From Benjamin Franklin to Vergennes, 4 May 1783 (Franklin Papers)
LS : Archives du Ministère des affaires étrangères I have considered the Proposal of M. le Mis. de Segur, to cede to the Congress the military Stores left by M. de Rochambeau at Baltimore; and I am of Opinion that it is probable a Part of them may be acceptable, if not the whole; and that possibly some of the different States may be enclined to purchase what the Congress should not want. But...
14From Benjamin Franklin to Vergennes, 24 March 1783 (Franklin Papers)
LS : Archives du Ministère des affaires étrangères; draft: American Philosophical Society Je desirerois, Monsieur le Comte, faire imprimer la Traduction du Livre des Constitutions des Etats-Unis de l’Amerique publié en 1781 à Philadephie par Ordre du Congrès Général; plusieurs de ces Constitutions ont dèja paru dans le Journal des Affaires de l’Angleterre et de l’Amerique, d’autres ont déja...
15From Benjamin Franklin to Vergennes, 16 March 1783 (Franklin Papers)
LS : Archives du Ministère des affaires étrangères I received the Letter your Excellency did me the honour of writing to me respecting the Means of promoting the Commerce between France and America. Not being myself well acquainted with the State of that Commerce, I have endeavoured by Conversation with some of our Merchants to obtain Information. They complain in general of the Embarrassments...
16From Benjamin Franklin to Vergennes, 9 March 1783 (Franklin Papers)
LS : Archives du Ministère des affaires étrangères; AL (draft): American Philosophical Society Mr. Barclay, our Consul general, waits upon your Excellency with a Complaint of a gross affront and Injury offered to the Congress of the United States at L’Orient, by some English Merchants residing at Bourdeaux, to which I beg your Excellency’s Attention, and that you would order such Measures to...
17From Benjamin Franklin to the Comte de Vergennes, 25 January 1783 (Franklin Papers)
AL (draft) and copy: Library of Congress I received the Letter your Excellency did me the honour of writing to me the 31st. of the last Month, relative to the fresh pecuniary Aid which the King was dispos’d to grant to the Congress.— I received also a second Letter on the same Subject, dated the 16th Instant. I am extremely sensible of his Majesty’s Goodness in according a new Loan to the...
18From Benjamin Franklin to Vergennes, 18 January 1783 (Franklin Papers)
ALS : Archives du Ministère des affaires étrangères; copies: Library of Congress (two), Massachusetts Historical Society Agreable to the Notice just receiv’d from your Excellency, I shall acquaint Mr Adams with your Desire to see us on Monday before 10 aClock, at Versailles; and we shall endeavour to be punctual. My other Colleagues are absent: Mr Laurens being gone to Bath in England to...
19From Benjamin Franklin to Vergennes, 30 December 1782 (Franklin Papers)
AL (draft): Library of Congress Mr Franklin will have the Honour of Waiting upon M. le Comte de Vergennes, tomorrow Morning at 9 oClock, agreable to the Notice just received. He begs leave to assure M. le Comte of his most sincere Respect Written on the bottom of Vergennes’ letter, the preceding document.
20From Benjamin Franklin to Vergennes, 17 December 1782 (Franklin Papers)
ALS : Archives du Ministère des affaires étrangères I received the Letter your Excellency did me the Honour of writing to me the 15th. Instant. The Proposal of having a Passport from England was agreed to by me the more willingly, as I at that time had Hopes of obtaining some Money to send in the Washington, and the Passport would have made its Transportation safer, with that of our...
21From Benjamin Franklin to Vergennes, 15 December 1782 (Franklin Papers)
ALS : Archives du Ministère des affaires étrangères I have the honour to acquaint your Excellency, that our Courier is to set out to-morrow at Ten aClock, with the Dispatches we send to Congress by the Washington, Capt. Barney, for which Ship we have got a Passport from the King of England. If you would make any Use of this Conveyance, the Courier shall wait upon you to-morrow at Versailles,...
22From Benjamin Franklin to Vergennes, 6 December 1782 (Franklin Papers)
LS : Archives du Ministère des affaires étrangères I have the honour of returning herewith the Map your Excellency sent me Yesterday. I have marked with a strong Red Line, according to your desire, the Limits of the thirteen United States, as settled in the Preliminaries between the British & American Plenipotentiarys. With great Respect, I am Sir, Your Excellency’s most obedt & most humble...
23From Benjamin Franklin to Vergennes, 29 November 1782 (Franklin Papers)
ALS : Archives du Ministère des affaires étrangères I have the honour to acquaint your Excellency, that the Commissioners of the United States, have agreed with Mr Oswald on the Preliminary Articles of the Peace between those States & Great Britain. To-morrow I hope we shall be able to communicate to your Excellency a Copy of them. With great Respect I have the honour to be, Sir, Your...
24From Benjamin Franklin to Vergennes, 15 November 1782 (Franklin Papers)
LS : Archives du Ministère des affaires étrangères I received the Letter you did me the honour of writing to me the 13th. Inst, and I loose no time in forwarding to your Excellency the Orders you desire for the 4 English Vessels destined to pass between Dover and Calais; tho’ I am persuaded the Passports they are furnished with from his most Christian majesty; would have been sufficient...
25From Benjamin Franklin to Vergennes, 10 November 1782 (Franklin Papers)
ALS : Archives du Ministère des affaires étrangères I have examined the Captain if it might not be possible that he had left your Excellys. Letters in his Ship. He says that he certainly had no others for you than the Pacquets he delivered: But that there came with him as a Passenger, a Mr Forest, who was a Commis he thinks in the Office of the Secretary of the French Minister, and who left...
26From Benjamin Franklin to Vergennes, 8 November 1782 (Franklin Papers)
LS : Archives du Ministère des affaires étrangères; copy: Library of Congress The Congress disregarding the Proposals made by Sir Guy Carleton, and determined to continue the War with Vigour, ‘till a Peace can be obtained, satisfactory as well to the King as to themselves; (as will appear by their Resolves hereto annex’d) but being disabled by the great Deficiency in their Taxes arising from...
27From Benjamin Franklin to Vergennes, 6 November 1782 (Franklin Papers)
LS : Archives du Ministère des affaires étrangères; AL (draft): Library of Congress I wonder much that your Excellency has received no Letters by our Packet Boat. There were some for M. De Castries & M. de Segur. I enclose what News I have which is not in the News papers. Those will have informed you of the Unhappy Loss of the Eagle, and saving of the Money &ca. I am with great Respect Sir,...
28From Benjamin Franklin to Vergennes, 8 September 1782 (Franklin Papers)
LS : Archives du Ministère des affaires étrangères Mr Barclay who will have the honour of delivering you this, will have that of laying before your Excellency his Commission from the Congress of the United States of America, appointing him their Consul General in France. Mr. Barclay being about to enter on his Consular Functions, I request your Excellency would in the usual manner,...
29From Benjamin Franklin to Vergennes, 24 August 1782 (Franklin Papers)
L : Archives du Ministère des affaires étrangères Mr Franklin presents his respectful Compliments to Monsieur le Comte de Vergennes. He has search’d for the Boston Paper, in which mention is made of 4000 Troops being embarked at New-York, but cannot now find it. Thinks it may be in the Hands of M. le Marquis de la Fayette, and that it was dated about the Beginning of July. He sends inclosed a...
30From Benjamin Franklin to Vergennes, 9 August 1782 (Franklin Papers)
LS : Archives du Ministère des affaires étrangeres The American Commerce in general, and that between France and America in particular having suffered greatly of late, from the Number of Frigates employed by the Enemy to cruise on our Coasts, I am directed to communicate to your Excellency the Paper on that Subject which I have the honour now to enclose, wherein the Means of protecting that...
31From Benjamin Franklin to Vergennes, 8 August 1782 (Franklin Papers)
LS : Archives du Ministère des affaires étrangères Yesterday Mr Oswald communicated to Mr. Jay and me a Paper he had just received from his Court being a Copy of the King’s Order to the Attorney or Sollicitor General to prepare a Commission to pass the great Seal, appointing him to treat with us &ca. and he shew’d me a Letter from Mr Secretary Townshend, which expresses his Concern that the...
32From Benjamin Franklin to Vergennes, 24 July 1782 (Franklin Papers)
ALS : Archives du Ministère des affaires étrangères The two extracts inclosed in this letter were brought to Passy as part of a conciliatory mission that backfired. On July 11, Franklin wrote Benjamin Vaughan to express doubts about Shelburne’s intentions. Vaughan immediately showed that letter to Shelburne, who denied any grounds for suspicion. Vaughan volunteered to visit Franklin and...
33From Benjamin Franklin to Vergennes, 6 July 1782 (Franklin Papers)
ALS : Archives du Ministère des affaires étrangères The State of Maryland being the last that acceded to the Confederation, & therefore esteemed by some the least hearty in the Cause, your Excellency may judge, by the Sentiments of the General Assembly of that State, as express’d in their Resolutions which I have the honour to send you enclos’d, what Reception any Propositions made by General...
34From Benjamin Franklin to Vergennes, 8 May 1782 (Franklin Papers)
L : Archives du Ministère des affaires étrangères Mr Franklin presents his respectful Compliments to Count De Vergennes & has the honour of acquainting him with the Arrival of Mr Grenville; who is desirous of knowing when his Excellency will be pleased to admit him to the honour of a Conference. Endorsed: Rec. le meme jour In WTF ’s hand.
35From Benjamin Franklin to Vergennes, 4 May 1782 (Franklin Papers)
ALS : Archives du Ministère des affaires étrangères; copy: Library of Congress; transcripts: Massachusetts Historical Society, National Archives I have the honour to acquaint your Excellency, that Mr Oswald is just returned from London and now with me. He has deliver’d me a Letter from Lord Shelburne, which I enclose for your Perusal, together with a Copy of my Letter to which it is an Answer....
36From Benjamin Franklin to the Comte de Vergennes, 15 April 1782 (Franklin Papers)
ALS : Archives du Ministère des affaires étrangères; press copy of ALS , and copy: Library of Congress; transcripts: Massachusetts Historical Society, National Archives On Sunday, April 14, Shelburne’s representative Richard Oswald, accompanied by Franklin’s old friend Caleb Whitefoord, arrived in Paris bearing Shelburne’s April 6 letter. That evening Whitefoord traveled to Passy on his own...
37From Benjamin Franklin to Vergennes, 3 March 1782 (Franklin Papers)
LS : Archives du Ministère des affaires étrangères; press copy of LS : National Archives; copies: Library of Congress; transcript: National Archives I received the Letter your Excellency did me the honour of writing to me the 26th. past, enclosing an Official Paper on the Part of the Danish Court, relating to the Burning of some English Vessels on the Coast of Norway, by three American Ships....
38From Benjamin Franklin to Vergennes: Letter and Memoir, 15[–16] February 1782 (Franklin Papers)
LS : Archives du Ministère des affaires étrangères; Copy: Library of Congress I received the Letter your Excellency did me the Honour of writing to me the 6th. Instant, enclosing an Aperçu of the Situation of the Congress Account for the Year 1781. On considering that Account this Day, there seems to me an Error in stating one of the Sums, viz. that of 2,216,000. l.t. I have therefore drawn a...
39From Benjamin Franklin to Vergennes, 2 February 1782 (Franklin Papers)
LS : Archives du Ministère des affaires étrangères; copy: Library of Congress Major General du Portail, & Colonel du Gouvion, Engineers, lately returned to France, have been for five Years past employed in the Armies of the United States, and have, by their military Skill, Bravery & good Conduct done honour to their own Country and great Service to ours. Mr. Livingston, Secretary for Foreign...
40From Benjamin Franklin to Vergennes, 1 February 1782 (Franklin Papers)
LS : Archives du Ministère des affaires étrangères; copy: Library of Congress By certain Resolutions of Congress, dated Nov. 27. & Dec. 3. 1781, Mr. Morris, Superintendant of Finances, is authorised and directed to take under his Care, apply and dispose of all Monies which have been or may be obtained in Europe by Subsidy, Loan or otherwise. And by his Letters to me of the same Dates supposing...