Mr. McKean Carried in the Afirmitave, my Vote no. then whether the Generals deffence should be allow'd as a full justification, carried in the afirmitive so ended an unhappy dispute that has given Congress a great deal of trouble between Genl. Thompson and the Hon'ble Member for the State of Delaware. to morrow being Christmas Day adjournd to Saturday.

696. SAMUEL HOLTEN, DIARY.1

[December 23-25, 1778.]

23. Congress sit from 9 till 3 and from 6 till 9. G. W. arrived here last evening.

24. Genl. Washington was admitted into Congress and informed that Congress sent for him to consult with him about the affairs and operations of the army the coming year.

3

25. Christmas day. I dined at the Presidents of this State.* Genl. Washington and his lady and suit, the president of Congress, Colo. Lawrence, my colleagues, General Whipple and Don Juane dined with us.

6

697. FRANCIS LIGHTFOOT LEE TO RICHARD HEnry Lee.1 PHILA. Decr. 25th 1778.

My dear Bro'r

The day on which my last Letter 2 was wrote, Mr. Deane produced to Congress his written narrative of his transactions and accusations. The first [was] the most pompous bloated thing that ever was on paper. the only charges against Doct'r Lee are that he is suspicious, jealous, affrontive to every body he has any business with, and very disgusting to the whole french Nation, by his hatred for them which he discovers by all his words and actions. Mr. W. Lee is mean, and goes shares with the Agents he appointed. The whole is most grossly abusive of both of them. The Party sucked it in, as Nectar and Ambrosia, and say he has acquited himself most honorably. They whisper about, that as they are very moderate, and wou'd not injure anybody unheard, they think the best way is to recall them, that they may justify themselves. This in fact, under the appearance of moderation, is the thing they are working for. They have [some] of their Party ready immediately to fill all the places; and then every thing being in their own hands; we shall have fine work, with the trade which

[696] Essex Inst. Hist. Colls., LV. 249.

2 General Washington. The abbreviation "G" was often used for General, and it is not probable that it here stands for George. Cf. no. 695, ante.

8" 25th. Fryday. This day is excessive Cold with Snow and Ice in the River.

has been sevearly Cold for some days past" (John Fell, Diary).

4 The president of Pennsylvania was Joseph Reed.

5 Presumably Col. John Laurens, aide to Washington.

6 Don Juan de Miralles. See nos. 475, 587, ante.

[697]1 Univ. Va. Lib., Lee Papers.

2 No. 691, ante. See the Journals, Dec. 22, 23, 26, 31, and no. 704, post. Deane's narrative is in Seventy-Six Society, Papers in Relation to the Case of Silas Deane, pp. 17-75, and N. Y. Hist. Soc., Collections: Deane Papers, III. 144-205 (with a small addition).

the Continent must carry on for our large advances in Europe. Altho Deane had two Colleages; the word, we, is never used in his Narrative, I did everything, I, procured all the supplies, bro't about the Alliance, procured D'Estaings fleet conducted them to America. discovered the designs of the Enemy and baffled them. in short, I have establish'd the Liberty and independance of America; whose safety and happiness now depend upon my vigilance. You are sufficiently acquainted with human nature, to know that such magnificent Ideas, inculcated in the most positive style; repeated a thousand times by many Trumpeters; and supported by a Courtly Letter from Count Vergennes; and the great Dr. Franklin, will have great weight with many. the old Whigs are something benumbed, at the apparent greatness of the Party. I shall not be surprised at their success, for meaness and wickedness increase daily. If our brothers are not disgraced now, I am sure they will be e'er long; for they will always stand in the way of bad men; and no villainy will be left unpracticed to ruin them. I believe they mean to push for a speedy decision in favor of Deane. Finance has not been mentioned since my last. no News. Yrs. Aff❜tly

3

F. L. LEE.

P. S. I forgot to mention, That I am informed Deane has sent a great many of the Papers containing his Address to Virginia to be circulated there by you can guess whome.*

My dear Sir

698. SAMUEL ADAMS TO SAMUEL COOPER.1

PHILADELPHIA Decr 25 1778

I have receivd your Favors of the 7th and 20th of November, the former of which was deliverd to me by the Honble Mr Temple. That Gentleman is intitled to my Esteem from the opinion I entertain of his personal Merit, and from your Recommendations and those of some others of my virtuous Fellow Citizens. I have done him every Act of Friendship in my Power; but Circumstances, of which he is not unapprized, have prevented my having so much Conversation with him as I could have wished for. The Time and Manner of his leaving England, the Company he came with, the favor granted him at New York of writing a Letter to Mr President Laurens requesting Permission to pay his Respects to Congress, and another to myself, neither of which, it was presumd, could have passd without the Inspection of General Clinton, nor sufferd by him to pass unless they had been adapted to his Views. These were made the Grounds of Suspicion of him then; and they were afterwards judgd sufficient to overbalance the Letters he brought from his Friends and

3 See the Journals, Dec. 22, 23; also Francis Lightfoot Lee to Richard Henry Lee, Jan. 5, 1779, in vol. IV.

Benjamin Harrison?

[698]1 Writings (ed. Cushing), IV. 104; N. Y. Pub. Lib., Samuel Adams Papers.

Countrymen, respectable as they were acknowledgd to be by all, who might be supposd possibly to have judgd partially in his Favor."

699. SAMUEL ADAMS TO CHARLES CHAUNCY.1
PHILAD. Decr 25 1778

Reverend and much esteemed Sir

I am greatly indebted to you for your very acceptable Letter of the 7th of Novr by Mr Temple. That Gentleman, in my Opinion took an unguarded Step on his late Arrival in New York. I mean his writing a Letter to the late President Mr Laurens requesting Permission to pay his Respects to Congress, and another Letter to myself. This excited a Suspicion in the Minds of the true Friends of our Cause, that what they had before seen in the English News papers, viz that he and Dr Berkenhout were sent to America by the British Ministry might not be without Grounds. This Desire of paying a respectful Visit to Congress was judgd to be a Reason merely ostensible; and the Time and Manner of his leaving England, the Company he came with and the Readiness with which the British General granted him the Liberty of sending his Letters, the Contents of which must most undoubtedly have been under his Inspection, it was said, afforded Reason to believe his real Design was to gain an honorable Admission into this City, and the Confidence of Members of Congress and others thereby the more easily to cooperate with the British Commissioners, and carry their Designs into Effect. . . . .

You have my hearty Thanks for your Sermon lately publishd which I have read with pleasure. The Evil you therein mention is indeed alarming. Amidst the great Variety of pressing Affairs, Congress is devoting certain Hours of every Day to investigate a radical Cure; and I am in strong Hopes that an effectual Plan will shortly be laid before the General Assemblies of the several States.

When General Gates was orderd to Boston a considerable Embarkation of the Enemies Troops had been made at N York and it was apprehended they would attempt a Landing somewhere near that Place. His military Abilities and Experience, his political Principles and Attachments and the Confidence which the Troops and People of the Eastern States had in him, were the Considerations which inducd his being sent thither. Had the Enemy turnd their whole Force that way of Course the Commander in Chief would have followd. General Heath has given entire Satisfaction to Congress during his Command there. The Change took Place on the Spur of the Occasion, and probably in the Spring a different Arrangemt may be made.

2 See nos. 671, 685, ante. Cf. the Journals, Jan. 2, Feb. 27, 1782; also Samuel Osgood to James Lovell, Mar. 2, 1782, and Thomson's Notes of Debates, Aug. 1, 1782, in a succeeding volume of these Letters. The remainder of the letter relates principally to the Deane affair, and the subject is continued in letters of Jan. 3, 6, 19, and Feb. 21, 1779 (Writings, IV. 111, 115, 118, 126).

[699]1 Writings (ed. Cushing), IV. 108; N. Y. Pub. Lib., Samuel Adams Papers.

2 In this letter, and that to Samuel Cooper Dec. 25, Adams repeats substantially much of what he had previously written others on the same subject. See nos. 671, 685, 689, 698, ante.

3 See the Journals, Oct. 22; cf. nos. 603, 624, ante.

700. JOHN FELL, DIARY.1

2

[December 26-28, 1778.] 26th. Saturday Excesive cold morning. Commercial Committee, Present Mr. Lawrence agreed to meet Mr. Mumford to morrow morning II A M Congress. A Letter from Abm. Clark was Read, with a complaint agst. Genl. Maxwell for refusing to deliver some Prisoners detaind by him and demanded by a Habeus Corpus reffer'd to a Committee of 3. vizt. Mr. Duane, Mr. Burk and Mr Fell. A Memorial was Read Complaining of sundry abuses of Capt. Cunningham of the Revenge, Refer'd to the Marine Committee Motion for the Emitions of May 1777 and April 1778 to be brought in by the first June and not afterwards redeemable

27. Sunday. Commercial Committee 9 oClock A M

28. Monday. Commercial Committee do. 11 A M. Went to Congress, but not being Members sufficient no Congress.

701. SAMUEL HOLTEN, DIARY.1

[December 28, 29, 1778.]

28. Great free mason day. Congress adjourned in the morning. I dined with M'r de France and my colleagues.

2

3

29. Genl. Washington, The Prest. of Congress, The minister of France, the prest. of this state, The Revd. Mr. White and several other Gentlemen dined with us.

702. JOHN FELL, DIARY.1

[December 29, 1778.]

29. Tuesday. Commercial Committee 9 oClock. II A M. Congress. This morning waited on General Washington, about the Exchange of Lashier and Brower his answer that he had allready demanded them of Sir Henry Clinton.2

[700]1 Library of Congress, Journals and Diaries.

2 The Journals merely record that a memorial from Mumford was read Dec. 22.

3 See Charles Thomson to Joseph Reed, Feb. 19, 1779, in vol. IV.

4 Capt. Gustavus Conyngham. See the Journals, Dec. 26, 1778, Jan. 4, 1779.

[701] Essex Inst. Hist. Colls., LV. 249.

66

2 Presumably Monsieur de Francy, agent of Beaumarchais. Once (Oct. 26) Holten uses the designation Monsr France"; in other entries (Dec. 30, 1778, June 3, 1779) "M'r de France ", as here.

3" Rev. William White (1748-1836), one of the few clergy of the Church of England who supported the colonists, and the first Bishop of Pennsylvania. His sister was the wife of the merchant, Robert Morris." (Note in Essex. Inst. Hist. Colls.) He was one of the chaplains to Congress, the other being Rev. George Duffield. [702] Library of Congress, Journals and Diaries.

2 The following correspondence concerning Brower and Loziers is found in the Washington Papers: Washington to Sir Henry Clinton, Dec. 26; Clinton to Washington, Jan. 23, 1779 (enclosing letter of Daniel Jones, Jan. 1); Washington to Clinton Feb. 5.

A Request from the French Minister to Prevent the Carrying Masts from New Hampshire and the Masachusets Bay to St. Domingo for fear of falling in to the hands of the Enemy

Motion for 2 Brigr. Generals for North Carolina I for Philadelphia and I for So. Carolina. Finance

703. SAMUEL HOLTEN, DIARY.1

[December 30, 31, 1778.]

30. Thanksgiving day. I attended public worship and dined at the city tavern. The Pres. of Congress, The minister of France, Genl. Washington and about 60 other Gentlemen dined with us. M'r de France 2 invited the Com. to dine.

31. I dined with M'r de Miralles, a Spanish Gentleman. Mrs. Washington and 7 other ladies dined there. G. W. and about 40 other Gentlemen of the first character dined with us. The entertainment was grand and elegant and at M'r Gerard's house.

704. JOHN FELL, DIARY.1

1778, Decr. 30th. Wednesday, Thanksgiving day, No Congress. 31st. Thursday, did not go to the Commercial Committee Congress. Mr. S Deane attended with his Narative Sundry Letters read from Gen Gates, Genl. Phillips etc. finance etc.

2

705. FRANCIS LEWIS TO THE GOVERNOR OF NEW YORK

Dear Sir,

(GEORGE CLINTON).1

PHIL. 31st Decemr. 1778.

The state of our Finances and the rapid depreciation of our paper currency is truly alarming. Congress had several weeks past allotted two hours each day for the purpose of Financing; and have at length passed the following Resolves; 2 these resolves will be published in the newspapers in a few days. The next thing under the consideration of Congress is, the establishing a permanent sinking fund, for which purpose a special Committee have a plan ready to report this day, and I hope by these modes we shall be able to give our money an appreciation.3

[703]1 Essex Inst. Hist. Colls., LV. 249.

2 De Francy. See no. 701, note 2, ante.

[704]1 Library of Congress, Journals and Diaries.

2 See Deane's letter of Dec. 30, read in Congress prior to his personal attendance (N. Y. Hist. Soc., Collections: Deane Papers, III. 137). In this letter, and again in a letter of Jan. 4 (ibid., p. 244), he refers to Paine's attacks upon him. See Fell's Diary, Jan. 4, 1779, in vol. IV.

[705] Harvard Univ. Lib., Sparks MSS., XII. 56.

2 See the Journals, Dec. 16, 18, 19, 21, 26.

3 See the Journals, Dec. 31, 1778, and Jan. 1, 2, 1779.