Monday 27th Sepr. 79.
Confidential
The Vote for appointing a minister plenipotentiary in lieu of a Commissioner to negotiate a Treaty of Amity & Commerce with Spain having passed as I have shewn, and A Lee being nominated with J Adams & J Jay, I produced the two Letters of which I send you Copies,
1 for the purpose of showing the Appeal of the Count de Vergennes to his own manner of Behavior towards the Commissioners jointly & seperately as the Test of his not having adopted the Prejudices which were apparently attempted to be inspired into America. This appeal on Feb 13 after such a Testimony as Mr Adams’s had been presented shows either that the Count had not really been afraid of Mr Lee and those about him or that he had become sensible his Fears were ill-grounded. I performed this last Act of Friendship or rather Justice to a cruelly injured man and then left the Body to proceed on Business with only entreating for due Weight, to be given to the abundant Proof which is on the Files of the execrable Falsehood of Viliany of the Assertions and Innuendoes which had been made & published for the Purpose of blasting the Character of the virtuous & faithful Commissioners now in nomination as a Minister plenipotentiary. The Baloting was called for first for a Minister for Spain, with Intent to put JA there; but it being found that the prudent Class were too prudent indeed for that, the Plan was changed to JJ for Spain and the crowning act of all Deanes base arts took place.
| N. Hamp. A. Lee | R. Is Pens Sth. Car No Vote | Mass Conn N Yk N Jer. Del. Dickinson Mary Virg N Car J Jay |
A Minister for Peace
JA only nomination all the votes except one for Doctr. Franklin
2
The Ballot of my 3 Colleagues stands as mine for, by the yeas & nays a little before I appear to be present in Congress.
3
This is but one of the many Stains which we are liable to in this Sort of Business.
And now, my dear Sir, I shall strive to lay aside all my Anxieties about your Brother. He ought instantly to come over and do himself all that Justice before the World which his Patriotism will permit. I cannot at present see how he will accomplish it without exposing to Censure more than Wretch who raised the Flame that has so long been burning here.
Yr. Brother will be able to tell that he sent his Resignation in Time; But, that his Friends, conceiving no capital Injustice would be done him after the full Vindication against all Deane’s Slanders had reached Congress, chose to Suppress that Resignation,
4
by which, otherwise, Congress would have been kept from adding Iniquity to Transgression.
Your Letters of the 12th & 18th as well as Col. Frank’s of the 10th reached me to day. I cannot particularly acknowledge the letter myself but beg you to give Love to him & communicate what you please of my Informations to him, only using the Precaution to seem both of you to be ignorant till you acquire the Knowledge from Emanations of the glutted malice of a Set who almost say they were sent from yr. Quarter for this sole Purpose. They certainly act zealously in their mission if such it was.
I have proceeded on the powers but nothing decisive will be concluded till Tomorrow Evening.
I wish Arthur may get some Item of these Things before Gérard carries the whole Budget
I have so much to write to Boston that I must now bid you adieu, with an Assurance of being very affectionately Yours.
JL
[P. S.] 3 Secretaries are wanted. Time must show whether the Choice of these will fall on Devotees or Watchmen.
Carmichael, Houston, and Brockholst Livingston are hinted. I believe Dana wd. go with Adams. B.L. is J Jays Brother in Law and now his Secretary.
I shall write only a short closing Speculation as Rowland.5 Many Vouchers may be used honorably in a Law Court which cannot be in a News Paper. The best Way is for all the Friends of the injured, at this Period, to be silent, unless the opposite Party shall give fresh occasion. I will speedily attend to what you want but I suggest to you the Propriety of my getting Fooke6 to translate all the french Vouchers which may be wanted so that he may swear to the Translation.
That we may have compleat Understanding of each other’s opinions let us observe great Silence as to the Lights we get, in this Channel of our Correspondence. We shall have Room enough to quote others, I dare say.
Let your honest, zealous past Endeavors be yr. Comfort tho Innocence & Worth have not been entirely defended by them. NOTES:
Receiver’s copy, Lee Family Papers, University of Virginia Library.
1 Undoubtedly John Adams’ February 11 letter to the comte de Vergennes and Vergennes’ February 13, 1779, reply, for which see Lovell to Samuel Adams, September 21, 1779.
2 For John Dickinson’s votes for Franklin, see Lovell to John Adams, September 28; and Elbridge Gerry to John Adams, September 29, 1779.
3 Although Lovell’s statement is somewhat ambiguous, he appears to mean simply that after he had "left the Body," i.e., withdrawn from Congress’ meeting room, his three Massachusetts colleagues had cast their state’s vote for John Jay as minister to Spain as part of the compromise that guaranteed John Adams’ selection as peace negotiator.
4 For the resignation of Arthur Lee, see William Whipple to Richard Henry Lee, August 23; and Lovell to Richard Henry Lee, October 13, 1779.
5 For Richard Henry’s use of the pseudonym "Rowland," see Lovell to Richard Henry Lee, August 17, 1779, note 3.
6 That is, Paul Fooks, who was employed by Congress as a translator. JCC, 14:801.