1Editorial Note on Franklin’s Accounts, 1778 (Franklin Papers)
Of the accounts discussed throughout the French period, the following still apply: I, III, V–VII, XI–XIII, XVII. We offer here a summary of entries which have not found a place elsewhere in our annotation, but which provide insights into Franklin’s private and public life during the course of this volume. Account I ( XXIII , 19), Franklin’s Wastebook, gives some of his expenditures: the...
2From Benjamin Franklin to [“Charles de Weissenstein”], 1 July 1778 (Franklin Papers)
ALS : Archives du Ministère des affaires étrangères I received your Letter dated at Brussels the 16th past. My Vanity might possibly be flatter’d by your Expressions of Compliment to my Understanding, if your Proposals did not more clearly manifest a mean Opinion of it. You conjure me in the Name of the omniscient and just God, before whom I must appear, and by my Hopes of future Fame, to...
3To Benjamin Franklin from Michael Comyn, 1 July 1778 (Franklin Papers)
ALS : American Philosophical Society The Treaty of Friendship and Commerce happily concluded between the United States of America and France, rendering indispensable the Establishment of Consuls in the different Ports of this Kingdom for the Security and Advantage of the American Traders, I humbly take the liberty to offer my Services in this Capacity for the City of Marseille, and to request...
4To Benjamin Franklin from Samuel Cooper, 1 July 1778 (Franklin Papers)
ALS : American Philosophical Society I have wrote you four or five Times not long since, but from all our Arrivals from France of late have not the Pleasure of a single Line, but I know your Crowd of important Business. Accidentally hearing of a Vessel that sails for France this day, I enclose you a Philadelphia Paper bro’t by a swift Post last Evening, and containing the Proceedings of the...
5To Benjamin Franklin from Georges-Adam Junker and Other Applicants for Emigration, 1 July 1778 (Franklin Papers)
ALS : University of Pennsylvania Library In the course of the four months covered by this volume, a number of people turn to Franklin to secure his help in their plans to emigrate to America, to obtain the information necessary to make up their minds, or to recommend other would-be emigrants. Such requests come from France, Switzerland, Germany, even England. They reveal two widespread...
6From Benjamin Franklin to ———, 2 July 1778 (Franklin Papers)
ALS : American Philosophical Society I am exceedingly oblig’d by the exact Plan and Profile you have been so kind as to send me, of the hydraulic Machine at Chatou. Be pleased to accept my thankful Acknowledgments of the Favour, and be assured that I am, with great Esteem, Sir, Your most obedient humble Servant A virtually indecipherable notation on the verso, which may have no relation to the...
7The Eastern Navy Board to the American Commissioners, 2 July 1778 (Franklin Papers)
LS : American Philosophical Society; copy: Library of Congress We have the Honour to hand you by Capt. Ayres in the Arnold Packett, four Packetts Intrusted to our care for Conveyance by the Honble. Committee for Foreign Affairs. We also Inclose the Gazettes of this Town Since our last. We wish them Safe to your hands as we presume they will give you all the Important Intelligence of this...
AL : American Philosophical Society Mr. and Mrs. Lloyd present Compliments to Messrs. Franklin and Adams, and will do themselves the honour to dine with Them on Saturday next. Addressed: Messrs. Franklin & Adams For the two see XXVI , 343 n. In the husband’s hand. We assume that they were accepting for the celebration on Saturday, July 4, to which the commissioners invited all the American...
9Abraham Whipple to the American Commissioners, 2 July 1778: résumé (Franklin Papers)
ALS : American Philosophical Society; copy: Yale University Library <Nantes, July 2, 1778: I received your letter of June 23 on the 30th; my orders are all that I could have wished. Officers and men are working with a will to get the ship ready, which she should be by the end of this month. I have space for more than the fourteen bales of blankets that Mr. Schweighauser has for me, and should...
10To Benjamin Franklin from Charles Epp, 2 July 1778: résumé (Franklin Papers)
ALS : American Philosophical Society <Altorff, July 2, 1778: The English are making a huge mistake in trying to fight a war overseas, especially against people as civilized as they are. Your leaders show wisdom in waiting for the enemy to overextend their supply lines. The danger for your country will begin after victory, when national consensus breaks down. My advice is not to give too much...
11To Benjamin Franklin from Edme-Jacques Genet, 2 July 1778 (Franklin Papers)
ALS : American Philosophical Society J’apprens avec le plus grand plaisir par la lettre dont vous m’avés honoré, que vous approuvés l’usage que j’ai fait des lettres que vous aviés bien voulu me confier. J’ai actuellement deux no des affaires de l’angleterre prêts à paroitre: je n’attens que des nouvelles directes d’amerique, que j’espere recevoir par votre canal, suivant la promesse que vous...
12To Benjamin Franklin from Henricus Godet, 2 July 1778 (Franklin Papers)
ALS : American Philosophical Society Upon my arrival in town I was applyed to by one David Welch, Who Says he was Second Lieutenant on board the Lexington Capt. Henry Johnson, and which was taken by a Kings Cutter the Lurt [ Alert ] Capt. Bazely and Carryed to Plymouth and putt into Mill prison, and Fortunately made his Escape out of Goal; and is now as you may reasonably Suppose, be in Want...
13To Benjamin Franklin from Claude Mammès Pahin Champlain de La Blancherie, 2 July 1778 (Franklin Papers)
ALS : University of Pennsylvania Library Je me serois mal expliqué, si vous aviez compris que je vous eusse prié de me servir de caution pour une somme quelconque empruntée pour me procurer un logement. J’avois seulement imaginé que, par l’interêt qu’on doit prendre à votre recommandation, M. de Chaumont auroit pu donner les mains à aider un établissement qui a mérité votre approbation, en...
14To Benjamin Franklin from ——— Richard and Other Favor Seekers, 2 July 1778 (Franklin Papers)
ALS : University of Pennsylvania Library This note, like the one in the previous volume, summarizes letters from a diverse group of people asking for favors; as was the case previously, we do not know whether they produced any result. Three correspondents ask Franklin to forward letters. On July 24, M. Lutterloh, Court Councilor of the Duke of Brunswick and Luneburg, hopes the Doctor will send...
15To Benjamin Franklin from David Welsh, 2 July 1778 (Franklin Papers)
ALS : Historical Society of Pennsylvania I seppose you have recd. my Letter of the 18th of last Month which gives me A great deal of Un Easiness that I have not sence recd. aney Assistiance from You as I am Distitude of Cash or aney friends to furnish me with aney untill they hear from you as they are gubious who I be. Mr. Hancock Wants to know if You should think it Propper for him to gow...
16Charles-Guillaume-Frédéric Dumas to the American Commissioners, 3 July 1778: résumé (Franklin Papers)
ALS : American Philosophical Society; AL (draft): Algemeen Rijksarchief <The Hague, July 3, 1778, in French: What I said in my last about Amsterdam’s borrowing was much exaggerated; my informant was mistaken, and our friend van Berckel set me straight. Yesterday I communicated the treaty to him and to the Burgomaster of Amsterdam, and they were pleased with it; now we have only to let the peat...
17John Paul Jones: Memorandum for the American Commissioners, [3 July 1778]: résumé (Franklin Papers)
Copy: Harvard University Library <[July 3, 1778: ] I came to Paris when I learned on good authority that the minister wanted to speak with me on a matter of great utility to the United States. Permission to sell the prizes, or an exchange of prisoners, was not in immediate prospect; and something had to be done to assuage the Ranger’s crew. The minister pledged me to reveal his plan to no one,...
18James Moylan to the American Commissioners, 3 July 1778 (Franklin Papers)
ALS : American Philosophical Society The Frigate Boston Cap. S. Tucker is return’d to this port yesterday. On her Cruise she had taken four prizes, one of which loaded with Currants and Medecines the Cap. order’d to Boston, and the other three to this port, which are not yet arrived. Mr. Livingston who set out this afternoon for Paris, will inform you the disagreeable cause of this vessel’s...
19Thomas Simpson to the American Commissioners, 3 July 1778: résumé (Franklin Papers)
ALS : American Philosophical Society <Brest, July 3, 1778: Thank you for your interposition on my behalf. Captain Jones has released me from prison to sail for America, but holds me suspended until a court martial summons us to meet face to face. I enclose a copy of my parole. Immediately upon my release I inquired of Mr. Williams at Nantes about vessels bound to America; several are bound to...
20Samuel Tucker to the American Commissioners, 3 July 1778: résumé (Franklin Papers)
ALS : American Philosophical Society <The Boston , Lorient, July 3, 1778: I arrived here after a cruise of twenty-four days, during which I took four prizes; one I sent to Boston and the others here. I returned so soon because I encountered Capt. Alexander Murray in the brig Saratoga with dispatches for you and the court and other important letters, which my officers saw. I started to convoy...
21Jonathan Williams, Jr., to the American Commissioners, 3 July 1778: résumé (Franklin Papers)
ALS : American Philosophical Society <Passy, July 3, 1778: On your verbal instructions I have ordered the repair of arms at Nantes to be stopped and the workmen paid off according to the agreement. Please let me know whether this is satisfactory. > Published in Taylor, Adams Papers , VI , 258. With Mercier more than a year before: XXIV , 100–1. Only a fifth of the old fusils had been repaired:...
22To Benjamin Franklin from Fairholme & Luther, 3 July 1778 (Franklin Papers)
ALS : American Philosophical Society We took the liberty of writing you twice, the last dated the 5th. Ultimo advising the arrival here of an english prize and the necessity there is of having some person substituted here to act for the congress and at the same time making bold to offer our Services for that purpose and also to give a Security if necessary and that you thought proper to...
23To Benjamin Franklin from Harriott Heathcote, 3 July 1778 (Franklin Papers)
ALS : American Philosophical Society Amidst the multiplicty of bussines in which your Excellency is involv’d, many apoligies would be nessesary for troubleing you with this letter. But the man who could so nobely enter into the cause of Liberty and his Country must have a heart that will ever plead for involuntary errors. Upon that goodness alone it is that I must rely for takeing this...
24To Benjamin Franklin from ——— Perrot and ——— Boyer, 3 July 1778 (Franklin Papers)
ALS : American Philosophical Society On s’empressoit au Palais royal à vous voir et à vous témoigner la joie que Votre présence excitoit, vous vous êtes dérobé aux acclamations publiques et vous avez bien Voulu vous reposer un instant à la maison. Pouvons nous nous flatter que vous voudrez bien aussi accepter douze bouteilles de vins de Bourgogne: c’est une faible maniere de vous présenter son...
25To Benjamin Franklin from Claude-Carloman de Rulhiere, 3 July 1778 (Franklin Papers)
AL : University of Pennsylvania Library Rulhiere est venu pour avoir l’honneur de voir Monsieur franklin. D’après de nouveaux memoires très surs qu’il a recus de turquie, il est forcé de réformer en grande partie ce qu’il a dit de cet empire dans son histoire de l’anarchie de Pologne. Comme il part demain pour la campagne où il passera deux mois dans la solitude, il compte y travailler à...
26To Benjamin Franklin from [Benjamin Vaughan], 3 July 1778 (Franklin Papers)
AL : American Philosophical Society You will be a little out of humor with a set of your friends here, though secretly but little so, as you must understand the history of their pompous language. For my own part, I think it right to keep up the characters of the men into whose hands the country is likely to fall; for the sake of the people here and in America, and of our enemies; for their...
27Lewis (or Louis) Fevre (or Favre) to William Temple Franklin, 3 July 1778 (Franklin Papers)
ALS : American Philosophical Society The eagerness of gratitude to match at every means of shewing itself, will I hope plead my excuse for not missing so fair an opportunity of presenting to you this humble remembrance of my most attachful respects. My dutiful sense of Dr. Franklin’s beneficence to me has never been one moment out of my mind. How much and how impatiently do I long to hear of...
28John Bondfield to the American Commissioners, 4 July 1778: résumé (Franklin Papers)
ALS : American Philosophical Society <Bordeaux, July 4, 1778: The Union left Edenton on June 6 and arrived here on the 2nd but unfortunately, after so short a passage, brought no news. Accounts come in of losses on the Carolina coast caused by pilots’ misconduct; the inhabitants mislead our ships or refuse help, and the state government should take notice. Mr. Sartine has invited local...
29John Paul Jones to the American Commissioners, 4 July 1778 (Franklin Papers)
ALS : University of Virginia Library; AL (draft): National Archives; copy: United States Naval Academy Museum When Congress thought proper to order me to France it was proposed that the Ranger should remain under my direction and be Commanded by a Lieutenant, and as the French Ministry have now in contemplation Plans which promise Honor to the American Flag, the Ranger might be very Useful to...
30John Paul Jones: Memorandum, 5 June 1778 [i.e., 4–5 July 1778]: résumé (Franklin Papers)
Copy: Library of Congress <Passy, June 5 [ i.e. July 4–5], 1778: “Plan for expeditions submitted to the American Plenipotentiaries and to the french minister of Marine by Com. Jones.” Three fast frigates with tenders might burn Whitehaven and its fleet, rendering it nearly impossible to supply Ireland with coal next winter. The same force could take the bank of Ayr, in Scotland, destroy the...