cess in the W. Indies this Winter may totally turn the Heads of that giddy Nation.

I pressed hard, therefore, for the whole Sum demanded; but was told it was impossible; the great Efforts to be made this Campaign in the East & West Indies, (the Armies for which are now afloat) and the enormous Expence engaged in, having much embarrass'd the Finances.

Our People certainly ought to do more for themselves. It is absurd the pretending to be Lovers of Liberty while they grudge paying for the Defence of it. It is said here, that an Impost of 5 per cent on all Goods imported, tho' a most reasonable Proposition had not been agreed to by all the States and was, therefore, frustrated; and that your News Papers acquaint the World with this, with the Non-payment of Taxes by the People, and with the Non-payment of Interest to the Creditors of the Public. The Knowledge of these things [has] have hurt our Credit and the Loan in Holland, and would prevent our getting anything here but from the Government. The foundation for [of] Credit abroad should be laid at home: and Certain Funds should be prepared and established before hand, for the Regular Payment at least of the Interest.

With sincere Esteem and Respect, I am, Sir, Your most Obedient and most Humble Servant

Honble Robt. Morris, Esqr.

(Signed)

B. Franklin

THE CHEVALIER DE LA LUZERNE, MINISTER PLENIPOTENTIARY OF FRANCE TO ROBERT MORRIS.

Philadelphia, the 15 March 1783.

Sir, I have the Satisfaction to inform you that his Majesty procures for the United States a Loan of six Millions to be

employed in the War Department during the Course of the current Year. While I announce to you this new mark of the King's Friendship for the United States I must go into some Details, which relate to your Operations and which will inform you of the Motives which have induced his Majesty to make a need Effort in Favor of his Allies.

During the last Year, (Sir), I rendered an Account to his Majesty's Ministers of the Order which appeard to me to be introduced into your Department, of the Pre Establishment of public Credit and of the Economy which accompanied your Operations. I added that I considered the Establishment of a general Revenue for paying the Interest and gradual Redemption of the principal of the public Debt as extremely probable. The Delays and Difficulties of Communication would not permit me to wait until that Operation was compleated by the different Legislatures before I declared the wants of the United States and, therefore, I undertook to write to the Count de Vergennes that the Disposition of the People to fulfill the Engagements taken and to be taken by Congress seemed to me sufficiently favorable to determine his Majesty to lend for this Year new Succor to the United States, if the Situation of his Finances would permit. These Assurances obtained the Loan of six Millions but the Event has proved that I was deceived in the Hopes which I thought myself enabled to give my Court and the Affairs of your Finances far from being bettered since the Month of September the Period at which my Letters on this subject were written, have on the contrary gone backward, so that I perceive no Certainty of the Reimbursment of the Funds formally lent or of those which now are so. Thus, Sir, my hasty Assurances have induced his Majesty to make that Advance and in the Moment when I am informed of it, I am under

the disagreeable Necessity of informing his Minister that the Hopes I had given are vanished and that my Assurances were without Foundation.

I will say nothing of the personal Embarrassment which I am reduced to by these Circumstances, but I will take the liberty to observe that the best Remedy in the present Conjuncture is to take as soon as Possible those Measures which were not taken when I announced them.

The Count de Vergennes informs me Sir that the Six Millions are lent to the United States in the Same Manner and under the same Conditions with the Sum which was sent last Year: that is to say, that it shall be paid Monthly at the Rate of five hundred thousand Livres per Month. But as it appears from what you did me the Honor to write on a former Occasion, that you had anticipated a Part of this Subsidy, I must pray you to consider that the first Months of this Year will have been employed in payment of those Anticipations, and that it will be proper so to combine your Drafts, as that they shall not be presented but at the Monthly Periods in which the Funds are to be provided.

I have had the Honor to inform you, Sir, that this Money is lent to the United States to enable them to carry on the War. The Wisdom of Congress will determine according to Circumstances on the Manner of effecting that important Object and of compelling the Enemy by joint Efforts to conclude a solid and permanent Peace.

It remains for me to inform you, Sir, that the King was unable to make this last Effort without extreme Difficulty. I have had the Honor to communicate those which oppose considerable Loans. They are so great that I am commanded to inform you in the most positive Terms that it will be impossible for the King in any Case

whatever to obtain new Advances for Congress for the next Year. As to the Resources which you may seek elsewhere than in France, the Details contained in those Letters which I had the Honor to read to you, will not permit a Hope of Success until the United States shall have established a permanent public Revenue, and the Delay and Repugnance with which they proceed in that Business being known in Europe, the Disposition to lend Money to Congress ceases. Lenders place their Funds elsewhere. Those Speculations which would have been directed towards the United States take a different Turn and it will be extremely difficult to bring them back.

I abstain from repeating here the other Parts of the Count de Vergennes Dispatches which I had the Honor to communicate, because the Truths they contain are well known to you, and because they may all be reduced to this single Position that without a speedy Establishment of solid general Revenues and an exact Performance of the Engagements which Congress have made, you must renounce the Expectation of Loans in Europe.

I am ordered also, (Sir), to inform Congress that my Court expect they will have taken final and satisfactory Measures to secure Payment of the Interest of the Debt contracted with his Majesty by the United States but I content myself with communicating this Circumstance to you and before Announcing it directly to Congress, I will wait till their present Embarrassments shall be diminished.

From these Details, Sir, you will be able to judge of the Impossi bility of Negotiating Bills upon your Plenipotentiaries beyond the Funds which remain free from the Six Millions lent this Year. It is very clear that such Bills will not be paid by us and it is from perfect Confidence in your Regularity upon that Subject that I

shall assure the Count de Vergennes, he may be certain, no Demand will be made on him beyond the Sums already granted.

I have the Honor to be &c

[No. 4989.]

New York Prepares for Home Defence when the British Evacuate the Frontier Posts.

Head Quarters Newburgh, 1st April, 1783

Gentlemen, I have the honor to enclose for your Information & Instruction Copies of concurrent Resolutions of the Senate and Assembly of the 27th Ulto. and am with the highest Respect and Esteem Gentlemen, Your most obedt. Servant

The Honorable:

G. Clinton

The Delegates of the State of New York in Congress,

Philadelphia.

Whereas upon the Conclusion of a general Peace, between the several belligerent Powers in Europe and these United States, the Posts at present occupied by the British Troops in the Northern and Western Parts of this State, will be evacuated by them, and may be seized by Savages inimical to these United States; whereby the inhabitants of the Frontiers may be exposed to great Danger and Distress;

AND WHEREAS by the sixth Article of the Confederation and Perpetual Union between the United States of America, it is declared, that no Body of Forces shall be kept up by any State in Time of Peace, except such Number only as in the Judgment of the United States in Congress assembled, shall be deemed requisite, to garrison the Forts necessary for the Defence of such State;

RESOLVED, THEREFORE, (If the Honorable the House of Assembly concur herein) That the Delegates of this State in Congress, be and they are hereby instructed to represent to the United States in Congress assembled, that this State deem it essentially necessary to make Provision to garrison the said Posts immediately, on the Evacuation thereof by the British Troops; that, therefore, the said Delegates request the United States in Congress assembled, to declare the number of Troops which they may deem necessary for such Garrisons; the said Delegates at the same Time, informing the said United States, that it is the Opinion of this Legislature, that a Body of Troops, not exceeding five Hundred Rank and File, properly officered, would be adequate for the Purpose aforesaid: That the said Delegates do further represent, that the Troops commonly called the State Troops, raised in this State by Virtue of an Act of the Legislature, passed the 20th March, 1781, and which the United States in Congress assembled, by their Act of the 2d Day of April, 1781, declared should be paid, substituted and clothed at the general Expence, being inlisted for three Years, might be beneficially employed for the Purpose aforesaid: That the said Delegates do, therefore, request, that the United States in Congress assembled will be pleased to declare, that the said