To Benjamin Franklin from Samuel Andrews, [4 February 1782]
From Samuel Andrews6
ALS: American Philosophical Society
Monday 4 oClocke P.M.
[February 4, 1782]
May pleas your Exellency
I have the Honour to write upon you this afternoon respecting the Letter I spoke to you of in Company with my Lawyer the last time I was hear— The projet of which he has sent prayer your Exellency to write one similir to the same.7 I hope your Exellency will see cause to grant this request will send for the same this Evening as we would wish to deliver by nine oClocke, to morrow morning, His Exellency the Dutch Ambassador8 has sent this day upon this business to the Count de Vergennes. The cause is to be Judged after to morrow. I have the Honour to be your Exellency most Obedent Humbl Sert
Sam Andrews
I also leave my Bourgois Brief which was given at the Hague9
Addressed: His Exellency / Benj Franklin
Notation: Andrews Saml. Feby. 4 1782.
6. We print this letter out of our customary order because it elicited the one that immediately follows. BF had written to Tolozan on Andrews’ behalf on Nov. 19, above.
7. Among BF’s papers at the APS are drafts of two undated letters in support of Andrews’ claims which were to have been sent under BF’s signature. They are in French and in an unknown hand, perhaps that of Andrews’ lawyer. The first is headed, “Projet de lettre à écrire à M. Chardon par M. Franklin.” For Chardon, procureur général of the conseil des finances pour Les prises en mer, see XXIX, 164. The second letter, with the salutation “Monsieur le Marquis,” was probably intended for Castries. The recommendations of the conseil des Prises were considered in conjunction with the opinion of the naval minister, who was supposed to receive the prize ship’s documents in such cases: François-André Isambert et al., Recueil général des anciennes lois françaises (29 vols., Paris, 1821–33), XXVI, 357–8, 390–1.
8. Mattheus Lestevenon van Berkenrode, Dutch ambassador to the French Court: XXVIII, 324n.
9. This may have been the eight-page handwritten “Memoire Pour Sr. andrews Bourgeois et habitant de Demerary” that is among BF’s papers at the APS. It reviews Andrews’ Career (pointing out that he was a naturalized Dutch citizen) and outlines his case. On the other hand, Andrews’ next letter of Feb. 21 mentions two “résumé memoirs” that he was sending (or had sent) to BF. And in an undated note to WTF, Andrews asks to borrow back the memoir he had recently left with BF, addressed to the duc de Penthièvre; he wanted to make a copy of it, and would return it by Sunday. BF endorsed that note, “I will look for it in the Morning & send it to Mr Andrews” (APS). None of these would appear to be the printed Memoir that BF forwarded to Tolozan on Feb. 4; see the following document.