CARNEGIE INSTITUTION OF WASHINGTON

PUBLICATION No. 299, VOL. HI

PAPERS OF THE DEPARTMENT OF HISTORICAL RESEARCH

J. FRANKLIN JAMESON, EDITOR

345588

OBD, TIBKYBA

The Lord Baltimore (Press

BALTIMORE, MD., U. S. A.

PREFACE.

The beginning of the year 1778 found Congress struggling earnestly if not desperately with more than one problem of great importance. Certainly, in the estimation of that body, the item of unfinished business which pressed most hardly for immediate settlement was the question that had arisen over the convention of Saratoga. The question had been in almost constant agitation since the middle of November, and in so precarious a state was the business as December drew to a close that of two letters from President Laurens to General Heath written on the 27th the one, bearing that date, conveyed intimation of certain resolutions of Congress, not yet finally framed and adopted, intended not only for Heath's direction, but also " for public information on both sides the Atlantic "; the other, bearing, when it left the President's hands, the date " January 1778", peremptorily ordered General Heath to detain General Burgoyne, his officers, troops, and other persons and to suspend their embarkation until he should be further instructed. The first letter contained also instructions to Heath to attempt and if possible complete, without revealing to any person the contents of either letter, "certain essential Acts", therein set forth. If, when the necessary acts had been completed, Heath had not received the intended resolves, then he was to disclose the contents of the second letter to General Burgoyne. Touching the " essential acts", Laurens remarked, "These Acts which Congress judge indispensibly necessary to be performed before an embarkation can take place will employ some days and gain so much time without subjecting the Honour of the House or of its Constituents to any unfavourable imputation from the world." Concerning the postdated letter he explained, "You will understand the motive for dating that Letter January 1778, and leaving a Blank for the day to be properly and carefully filled by your self". That is, the date of the letter should accord with the date of the forthcoming resolves. It came about that Congress completed those resolves January 8, they were transmitted to General Heath January 14, and by him delivered to General Burgoyne February 4.

A fair indication of the state of mind which prevailed in Congress upon this question may be gained from an enigmatical passage in a letter from James Lovell to Samuel Adams, January 13. "Just cause, ground or reason to fear", he wrote, "that a contract made will be violated warrants a suspension of the agreement, till that fear is done away; but, that just cause must be something consequent to the Convention; and the degree of fear arising from the same word or deed will operate variously according [to] the characters of persons and circumstances of things."