Imágenes de páginas
PDF
EPUB

under the direction of the Board of War? The latter I can not think to have been intended by the Assembly, and therefore I have ventured to advise its being sent at the risque of the Continent in the usual way. In this Mr. Penn concurs with me. The former question I can not decide upon, but until it is more clearly expressed must suppose it is intended as part of the 500,000 dollars.3. . .

Nothing material has happened since I wrote you last, except the celebration of the fourth of July (the anniversary of the declaration of Independence). You will see it at large in the enclosed paper; but the one thing is remarkable; this day, and the 28th of June, memorable for the defence of Sullivan's Island, were both celebrated here, and at both a Hessian band of music which were taken at Princeton performed very delightfully, the pleasure being not a little heightened by the reflection that they were hired by the British Court for purposes very different from those to which they were applied.* July 7th. This moment I received yours of 17th ulto. by post inclosing the Resolution of Assembly, and a letter to Captain Caswell. . . . . The Resolution of the Assembly shall be laid before Congress, and you shall know the result. I thank you, Sir, for yr attention to my private inconveniences manifested in the permission you give me to return to my family. I shall avail myself thereof as soon as I can assure myself that it can be done without injury to the public business. I shall write you again by the next post, or opportunity. . . .

5

537. WILLIAM WILLIAMS TO THE GOVERNOR OF CONNECTICUT (JONATHAN TRUMBULL).1

1

PHILADELPHIA July 5, 1777

Hond Sir I find Congress much as I left it, in every respect, some new Members; their Time mostly taken up by Daily Incidents and occurrences. very little progress made in the Confederation. it had pasd the Comte of the whole House before I left, has been a good while before Congress and few important questions yet determined, the capital ones of the weight of each Colony in deciding Questions, and Taxation and many others undetermined. the first respecting the Vote of Each has been entered on, and it is most strenuously contended in behalf of the larger [ones that] their

3 The order to the treasurer to despatch the 300,000 dollars is in the Journals, July 8. See sundry letters of the delegates (Penn, Burke, and Harnett), July 6, 8, 12, Aug. 5, 11, in N. C. State Recs., XI. 514, 516, 558, 569, 736; also letters of Caswell, June 17, July 15, Aug. 6, 7, ibid., XI. 500, 564, 565, 737. A copy (from the original) of the instructions from Burke and Penn to Lieut. John Allen (see ibid., pp. 558, 736) is in the possession of the Carnegie Institution of Washington.

4 The Journals make no record of the celebration of July 4, merely showing that Congress adjourned over that day. Cf. no. 537, post.

5 Caswell's letter of June 17 is in N. C. State Recs., XI. 500. The resolution of the assembly related to making the state's artillery company continental. See the Journals, July 10, 19.

[537]1 N. Y. Pub. Lib., Myers Coll., Declaration of Independence, p. 83; Hist. Mag., XIV. 223.

2 Williams left Congress Nov. 12, 1776, or thereabouts (see no. 193, note 2, ante). He took his seat again June 25, 1777.

vote shall be proportionate to their [population which is] forcably opposed. I trust and hope it will be [carried in favor of] the equal Footing it has been, and without it [the smaller Co]lonies will be in effect swallowed up and annihilated."

Your Letter to the Presidt. and its inclosures are recd. the papers not read in the House, but committed. I cant say what will be done; nothing but what is originated in this Batch of - Politicians seems to make any great impression. Mr. Erkelins seems to be vanished. we can find He has been here but no Body knows who or where he is, tho I believe by enquiry he is in Town, but have not been able yet to find him. I suspect he is chagrined at the cool reception he has met with, and keeps retired.*

We have applied for the arms you wrote by us for, but find exceeding Difficulty in obtaining Them. I believe not a man southward or in the middle Department is supplied with an arm but by the Continent. We have done it thro zeal and strong attachment to the Cause, and yet They will not seem to know, believe or care anything about it, there is indeed such a thing as being righteous overmuch, and yet I can hardly repent that we have in such Influences fallen into this Error, but shod N. E. be attacked and unarmed we shod have reason. the matter is however referd to Genl. Washington, and Mr Sherman is to negotiate the Affair with him on his return (he set out the 2d Inst) more than all the arms we have are wanted, which must be allowed as some excuse for their lothness to comply."

We have a very extra". Contract now lying before Congress entered into in Septr. last by Mr. D—— with Monsr. DuCoudray (after a long list of pre nomens) who is present, making him Genal and Commandr. in Chief of the whole Choir of Artillery, with power to fill every vacant office now and in future, and to be subject to no Controul but by the Congress and the Commander in Chief of the whole Army, and with the rank of Majr. General, and his pay as in a Separate Department, to be on pay from the 1st of Augt. last, and a large Train of under Officers of various ranks who are with him, for whom also he has made appointments, and to Monsr. and all he had has advanced a half years pay for expences of preparation and Passage, not to be accounted for, and with Pensions for Life equal to half their Pay annually etc. The Contract has had several assignments but is not yet taken up. I do not expect it will be ratified in full. I forbear to say many things. the City swarms with French Men.* I dont know but I transgress the Rules We all sign in divulging any ma[tters] sub Judice and unfinished in Congress, but I cant [refrain from mentioning important matters to one who has so good a right to know;

3 Cf. no. 528, ante. The remarks of Williams suggest that the mode of voting was under discussion at the time he was writing.

4 Gosuinus Erkelens. See the Journals, Apr. 18; see also Brieven van en aan

Joan Derck van der Capellen van de Poll, p. 5.

5 See the Journals, June 25, July 1 (relative to Trumbull's letter of June 12);

also Washington to Trumbull, July 2, 7, Writings (ed. Ford), V. 456, 469.

6 See nos. 501, 514, 521, 525, 530, 531, 535, ante, nos. 539, 541, 542, 559, post.

and to whom I, and even the Contin [ent are subject] to great obligations. but Sr. you will not make them to be publick nor known, as from me especially.

The Prices of every thing here are most alarmingly extravagant, much owing to the malicious Cunning of our worst Enemys, the Torys, and coinciding with the boundless avarice of the Merchants, whose Gain is the Summum Bonum, and all the God they seem to know, in these parts. nothing to be done by Congress, because, forsooth, it will be interfering with the internal Police of this grand State, in this respect the mother of Harlots etc. the principle properly applied is however very important. Congress seems to be chaind to this place, and the longer they stay, the stronger a multitude of offices and officers are established and employed in this City, and some of the worst men in some of them.

Yesterday was in my opinion poorly spent in celebrating the anniversary of the Declaration of Independance, but to avoid singularity and Reflection upon my dear Colony, I thot it my Duty to attend the public Entertainment; a great Expenditure of Liquor, Powder etc. took up the Day, and of Candles thro the City good part of the night. I suppose and I conclude much Tory unilluminated Glass will want replacing etc..

538. HENRY MARCHANT TO THE GOVERNOR AND COMPANY OF RHODE ISLAND.1

Gentlemen

[ocr errors]

PHILADELPHIA July 5th. 1777.

I recd. a Letter from the Honorable William Greene Esqr. Speaker of the lower House signed at the Request, and in Behalf of, the General Assembly (the Govr. being absent) of the 22d. and 24th. of June last, directed to Mr. Ellery and myself." Mr. Ellery having some Time before sat out on his Return Home,-I instantly, on the same Day I received Your Letter, being the third of this Instant July, moved Congress for the Sum requested, being sixty Thousand Pounds (meaning I presumed lawful Money) or two hundred Thousand Dollars. Congress were much surprised that so large a Sum should be requested so soon after the large Sum granted the State of Rhode-Island etc. The Gentlemen of the Treasury Board would hardly allow it possible you should have expended such very considerable Sums on Continental Account, and moved that the Sum of sixty Thousand Dollars only should be now granted,-especially as it was very probable the Continent would soon have Occasion for large Drafts upon the Eastern Loan Offices, if the Enemy's Movements should be into New-England, or up the North River, the latter of which from

ser., V. 411.

7 Cf. no. 536, ante. With regard to "unilluminated glass" see Pa. Arch., first [538] R. I. Arch., Letters to the Governors, 1777, p. 120; Staples, R. I. in Cont. Cong., p. 143.

2 Letters of June 22 and 24 to Ellery and Marchant are printed in Staples, R. I. in Cont. Cong., pp. 141, 142, with the signature of the governor, Nicholas Cooke.

Genl. Washington's Letters that Day received, seemed, and still appears most probable. I did not fail to state and urge, in the strongest Manner I was capable of, the Necessity and Expediency of this Supply,-The absolute Necessity you would otherwise be under of emitting a large Sum, the destructive Consequences of which we are all awakened to. I further suggested, what I fully imagine to be the Case, that a very great Part of this Sum would go into the Loan Office by Way of Discount with the State, that it could not be expected so large a Sum would in Fact be thrown into that Office. After a considerable Debate, the Consideration thereof was submitted to the Treasury Board. I applied there this Morning and inforced my Application with every additional Argument in my Power, and was very happy in obtaining a Report agreeable to my wishes, and upon which the inclosed Resolves passed Congress.3.

Dear Sir,

539. JAMES LOVELL TO WILLIAM WHIPPLE.1

7th. July 1777.

As you seemed particularly to wish when you left Philadelphia to be made acquainted with the proceedings in the Commercial and Foreign Committes, I would inform you that last Saturday Mr Geary Mr. W. Smith and Mr Heywood were joined to Messrs. Morris and Livingston, to the no small mortification of H-n.2 Geary pleaded hard to be excused but we would not allow of it till a proper opportunity. This day we have the pleasure of knowing we shall soon have that opportunity to the double mortification of said H-; for we this day find that Col R H Lee has not only rec'd the most honorable testimonies of approbation for his past conduct but was elected anew on the 24th. ulto. Old H- has whispered it all along on the road that Col Lee has ordered his overseer to demand produce or bullion for rent, but this was proved to be false by the fullest declaration of the overseer and other evidence. I feel exceedingly glad on this event, and should be completely secure against the prevalence of a certain set, if a certain late resolute member of the Marine Committee was about to return speedily from Portsmouth, one, who though quite as honest as his neighbors, yet did not confess ten times a day "I dont know

3 See the Journals, July 3, 5. The separate item of 10,000 dollars advanced to the delegates was to meet a bill of Samuel Purviance and Company. See the letter of June 24, mentioned above, and a passage in Marchant's letter omitted here. The previous grant of money to Rhode Island referred to in the letter was Mar. 12. See nos. 394, 405, 420, ante.

[539]1 Library of Congress, Force Trans., Whipple, p. 361; N. Y. Pub. Lib., Bancroft Coll., Langdon-Elwyn Papers (copy).

2 Benjamin Harrison.

66

3 July 5 the secret committee was reconstituted and called the committee of commerce. Geary " and "Heywood" are of course Elbridge Gerry and Thomas Heyward. See no. 624, post.

[blocks in formation]

what the question is Mr President " like good honest I, for be sure I mean myself.

6

We of the other Committee have sent an armed Sloop to France. The commissions of Wm. Lee and Izzard do not promise ratification of whatever they may transact, but their proceedings on commercial treaties at Vienna Berlin and Tuscany are to receive our approbation and only to continue 12 years, though a treaty of friendship may be made outright for a longer period."

I will aim to send you the issue of a plaguy altercation upon bringing on afresh the affair of the New Hampshire Grants. I was unfortunately confined to my bed and G divided against S. A. on the two last resolves as did Elmore against Serjeant, the others of the two States being absent. You must know that Jemmy D. has got E-re fast. I do not however think that New York has much to boast of; it is still a moot-point whether the people of the Grants belong to Massachusetts, New Hampshire or New York.8.

Du Coudray's treaty is not yet determined upon; but I think there will be few advocates for confirming it. The 4 Engineers who were the only persons absolutely sent for, are arrived; and though modest men, upon a very modest treaty, yet possitively refuse to be under the command of Du C-y who has duped Deane to make him Commander in Chief of all the artillery and engineering through the States." But this is only a part of our present distraction. For 1st. Sulivan sends to know whether the report is true that Congress has ratified De C―y's claim, because if it is, he desires leave to resign. Two days after Green and Knox proceed in the same style. This is judged to be a military attempt to influence our free deliberations. For it is certain, they knew we had not settled the matter or General Washington would have rec'd the Resolves. If they chose to take it for a thing done why did they not ask leave to retire without any ifs. There is as much pulling and hauling, about rank and pay, as if we had been accustomed to a military establishment here 150 years.'

10

• That is, the committee of foreign affairs (prior to Apr. 17 the committee of secret correspondence), to which Lovell and Heyward had been added May 26. The armed sloop was the Independence. See the letter of the committee of foreign affairs to Arthur Lee, Aug. 8, in Wharton, Rev. Dipl. Corr., II. 384.

In the transcript this sentence begins: "The Commissioners Wm. Lee and Izzard"; evidently it should be "the commissions of ". Ralph Izard was elected commissioner to the court of Tuscany May 7, and William Lee to the courts of Vienna and Berlin May 9. Their commissions and instructions are in the Journals, under July 1. See also ibid., June 27. The instructions are also in Wharton, Rev. Dipl. Corr., II. 359, 360. 8 See nos. 524-526, 532, 533, ante; also nos. 546, 547, post. "G" is Elbridge Gerry, "S. A." is Samuel Adams, "Elmore (also "E----re") is Jonathan Elmer, "Serjeant is Jonathan D. Sergeant, and "Jemmy D." is James Duane. Cf. nos. 556, 585, post. In regard to Sergeant, see no. 511, ante.

[ocr errors]

* See no. 525, note 5, ante, and nos. 541, 542, 559, post.

10 See the Journals, July 3, 5 (pp. 531, 535), 7, 12 (p. 548 n.), 21 (p. 569); also no. 514, ante, nos. 541-543, post.

« AnteriorContinuar »