130771From Benjamin Franklin to Vergennes, 24 November 1780 (Franklin Papers)
LS : Archives du Ministère des affaires étrangères; copy: Library of Congress I received the Letter your Excelly. did me the honour of writing to me the 22d. Instant, concerning the Complaint of the Sieur Rasquin against Mr. Williams, together with the Exposition des Faits as stated by the said Rasquin, which I return inclosed. In September last I received a Letter from the same Person with...
130772From John Adams to the Comte de Vergennes, 12 February 1780 (Adams Papers)
Paris, 12 February 1780. printed : JA, Diary and Autobiography Diary and Autobiography of John Adams, ed. L. H. Butterfield and others, Cambridge, 1961; 4 vols. , 4:243–245 With this letter John Adams formally notified Vergennes of his mission. Stating that he had been appointed to negotiate treaties of peace and commerce with Great Britain, he explained, so far as he knew it, the origins of...
130773From Benjamin Franklin to Vergennes, 26 September 1779 (Franklin Papers)
LS : American Philosophical Society; copy: Library of Congress I received Yesterday Evening the Letter your Excellency did me the honour of writing to me, together with the Pacquet for M. De la Luzerne, which I shall take Care to forward with my Dispatches. I could have wished it had been possible to have written something positive to the Congress by this Opportunity on the Subject of the...
130774From John Adams to the Comte de Vergennes, 18 July 1781 (Adams Papers)
I have received the Letter, Sir, which you did me the honour to write me of this Days Date: and I assure your Excellency I never had a Thought of appearing upon the Scaene, or of taking ministerially or otherwise any Step towards the two mediators. I must confess to your Excellency, that I have too many Jealousies of the motives, and too many Apprehensions of the Consequences of this...
130775From John Adams to the Comte de Vergennes, 21 July 1781 (Adams Papers)
Since my Letter of the nineteenth, Sir, another Point has occurred to me, upon which it seems necessary, that I Should Say Something to your Excellency, before my Departure for Holland, which will be on Monday Morning. An Idea has, I perceive been suggested, of the several States of America, choosing Agents seperately, to attend the Congress, at Vienna, in order to make Peace, with Great...
130776From Benjamin Franklin to Vergennes, 5 March 1784 (Franklin Papers)
LS : Archives du Ministère des affaires étrangères; AL (draft): American Philosophical Society I received the Letter which your Excellency did me the honor of writing to me, respecting the Necessity of producing legal Proof of the Arrangements made with the Creditors mention’d in Mr. Williams’s State of his Affairs. I am much obliged by the Attention you are so good as to afford this Business...
130777The American Commissioners to Vergennes, 19 May 1778: résumé (Franklin Papers)
LS : Archives du Ministère des affaires étrangères; AL (draft): Massachusetts Historical Society; three copies and transcript: National Archives <Passy, May 19, 1778: We have received your letter of May 15 with its enclosure, and have forwarded copies of both to Congress. Justice, we have no doubt, will be promptly done.> Published in Butterfield, John Adams Diary , IV , 103 and discussed...
130778From John Adams to the Comte de Vergennes, 13 July 1780 (Adams Papers)
By the Treaty of Alliance of the sixth of February 1778, his Majesty and the United States agreed, in Case of War, to join their Councils and Efforts against the Enterprises of the common Enemy: to make it a common Cause, and aid each other mutually with their good Offices, their Councils and their Forces, according to the Exigences of Conjunctures, and each of the contracting Parties, in the...
130779The American Commissioners to Vergennes, 5 January 1777 (Franklin Papers)
AL : Archives du Ministère des affaires étrangères Dr. Franklin, Mr. Dean, and Mr. Lee, present their most respectful Complimts. to the Count de Vergennes; and request an audience of his Excellency, to-morrow morning, at such hour as he shall be pleas’d to appoint. Notation: 1777. Janvier 5. In BF ’s hand according to Stevens ( Facsimiles , VI , no. 613), but actually in Arthur Lee’s. We have...
130780From Benjamin Franklin to Vergennes, 18 September 1779 (Franklin Papers)
LS : Archives du Ministère des affaires étrangères; copy: Library of Congress I send herewith to your Excellency a Translation of the Invoices of the Goods desired, with the Original. The Packet Boat which brought our Dispatches will be ready to depart for America next Week, but shall wait your Orders. She is a fast Sailer being built expressly for the Business; and the Captain is a trusty...
130781The American Commissioners to Vergennes, 3 February 1778 (Franklin Papers)
ALS : Archives du Ministère des affaires étrangères; copy: National Archives We have just receivd information that Mr. Thomas Morris, at Nantes, one of the commercial Agents of Congress, is at the point of death; and that his Papers, on that event, will be taken possession of by the Officers of the Crown. As some of these Papers may very materially concern the public business, we beg an Order...
130782From 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...
130783From 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,...
130784From John Adams to the Comte de Vergennes, 21 March 1780 (Adams Papers)
In the letter which you did me the honour to write me the 24th. of February your Excellency proposed that the principal object of my Mission shou’d be inserted in the Gazette of France, when it shou’d make mention of my presentation to the King and Royal Family. In the answer to this letter which I had the honour write on the 25th. of February, I informed your Excellency that I shou’d not...
130785From Benjamin Franklin to Vergennes, 6 December 1783 (Franklin Papers)
LS : Archives du Ministère des affaires étrangères Being now disabled by the Stone, which in the easiest Carriage gives me Pain, wounds my Bladder & occasions me to make bloody Urine, I find I can no longer pay my Devoirs personally at Versailles, which I hope will be excused. I have yet received from Congress no Answer to my Request of being recalled. In the mean time I must beg your...
130786From Benjamin Franklin to Vergennes, 6 March 1781 (Franklin Papers)
LS : Archives du Ministère des affaires étrangères; AL (draft): Library of Congress; copies: National Archives (two), Library of Congress, Columbia University Library; press copy: National Archives; transcript: National Archives By perusing the enclosed Instructions to Col. Lawrence & myself, your Excellency will see the Necessity I am under of being importunate for an Answer to the...
130787American Commissioners to Vergennes, 11 October 1785 (Jefferson Papers)
The friendly dispositions which his Majesty has been pleased to shew to the United States of America on every occasion, as well as the assurances given them in the 8th. Article of the treaty of Amity and Commerce that he would employ his good offices and interposition with the powers on the coast of Barbary to provide for the safety of the Citizens of the United States, their vessels and...
130788From Benjamin Franklin to Vergennes: Two Letters, 25 February 1779 (Franklin Papers)
(I) LS : Archives du Ministère des affaires étrangères; AL (incomplete draft) and copy: Library of Congress; (II) ALS : Archives du Ministère des affaires étrangères; copy: Library of Congress The first of these letters represents one of Franklin’s few imprudent acts as a diplomat. His congressional instructions had ordered him to seek French help in attacking Quebec and Halifax, but here he...
130789The American Commissioners to the Comte de Vergennes, 7 May 1777 (Franklin Papers)
LS : Archives du Ministère des affaires étrangères; AL (draft) and copy: Harvard University Library The Commissioners from the United States of America desire to represent to his Excellency the Count de Vergennes, that they have received Intelligence of a Vessel belonging to the States having been taken by the Culloden, an English Ship of War, close on the Coast of France; and that the same...
130790From 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...
130791The American Commissioners to Vergennes, 4 June 1778: résumé (Franklin Papers)
ALS : Archives du Ministère des affaires étrangères; AL (draft): Massachusetts Historical Society; copy: National Archives <Passy, June 4, 1778: We enclose the copy of a letter from Capt. Whipple, which contains all the intelligence he brought.> Published in Butterfield, John Adams Diary , IV , 127. In Arthur Lee’s hand, signed by him and Adams. To BF above, May 31.
130792From Benjamin Franklin to the Comte de Vergennes, 4 June 1781 (Franklin Papers)
LS : Archives du Ministère des affaires étrangères; AL (draft) and copy. Library of Congress I beg leave to acquaint your Ecellency that the Purchases of Clothing &ca for the Troops made by Mr. Lawrens, or by his Orders in Holland, will, as I understand, amount to near a Million, which he has left for me to pay. And that in consequence of his Majesty’s late liberal Grants in Aid of the United...
130793I. John Adams’ Draft of the Commissioners to the Comte de Vergennes, 20 December 1778 (Adams Papers)
Certain The Some late Proceedings of the common Ennemy, are of a Nature so extraordinary, and may if not in some Way or other controuled, produce Consequences so disagreable injurious not only to all the belligerent Powers France and the United States , but by their Example to other Nations, that We have thought it our Duty, to Submit a few observations upon them, to the your Excellency’s...
130794From Benjamin Franklin to Vergennes, 15 October 1781 (Franklin Papers)
LS : Archives du Ministère des affaires étrangères I have just received a Letter from Corunna of which I take the Liberty of enclosing a Translation. Your Excellency will see by it, that you formed a right Judgment of Gillon’s Intention in leaving behind him the Vessels that he had agreed to take under his Convoy, viz. That instead of going directly to America, he would Cruise for his own...
130795From John Jay to Vergennes, 6 September 1785 (Jay Papers)
I have received the Letter which your Excellency did me the Honor to write on the 20 th . June last. His Majesty having appointed the S r . De Marbois to an Intendancy in his Colonies, it gives me Pleasure to be informed that a Chargé des Affaires has been named to supply his Place, during the Absence of Chev r . de la Luzerne. My Confidence in your Excellency’s Attachment to the United...
130796From Benjamin Franklin to Vergennes, 31 August 1779 (Franklin Papers)
LS : Archives du Ministère des affaires étrangères; copy: Library of Congress I have just received from M. De la Fayette a Letter, containing the Paragraph, a Copy of which I enclose praying your Excellency to cast an Eye on it. If you should not disapprove the Proposition it contains in favour of my Grandson, I am willing he should embrace this Opportunity of improving himself, in seeing the...
130797From Benjamin Franklin to Vergennes, 24 June 1780 (Franklin Papers)
LS : Archives du Ministère des affaires étrangères; copy: Library of Congress In consequence of the enclosed Letter which I have received from M. Adams, I beg leave to request of your Excellency, that the Orders therein mentioned if not already sent, may be delayed, ’till he has prepared the Representations he proposes to lay before you on that Subject, by which it will appear that those...
130798From Benjamin Franklin to Vergennes, 18 June 1780 (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 17th. of this Month, together with the Letters inclosed of M. De Sartine and of the Ambassador of Holland, concerning the Ship Flora, which had been brought into Cherbourg by the Black Prince Privateer: Your Excellency will see by the...
130799From Benjamin Franklin to Vergennes, 23 May 1783 (Franklin Papers)
ALS : Archives du ministère des affaires étrangères I beg leave to recommend earnestly to your Excellency’s Attention the enclos’d Petition and Papers from Mr. Price, an honest worthy American, who was to my Knowledge very serviceable to our Army in Canada, and much esteemed by the Congress. I shall be very thankful if you can procure for him the Order he desires. With great Respect, I am,...
130800From John Jay to Vergennes, 22 September 1780 (Jay Papers)
I have never taken up my pen with so much reluctance as I now do, altho my Design is to write a letter to your Excellency But Sir! there are few sensations more painful than those which They Experience; who already covered with Benefits, are impelled by cruel necessity to ask for more— Such is my present situation—and hence proceeds my regret. My uniform and unreserved communications to Count...