Philadelphia October 23d 1776
Sir
By this conveyance we transmit to Silas Deane Esq. a Resolve of the Honble the Continental Congress of Delegates from the Thirteen United States of America, whereby you are appointed one of their
Commissioners for negotiating a treaty of alliance, Amity and Commerce with the Court of France, and also for negotiating Treaties with other Nations agreable to certain plans and instructions of Congress, which we have transmitted by various conveyances to Mr Deane another of the Commissioners.1 We have requested him to give you immediate notice to join him, and on your meeting to deliver this letter and lay before you all the Papers and instructions, also to deliver you the Resolve whereby you are appointed. We flatter ourselves from the assurances of your Friends here, that you will chearfully undertake this important business & that our Country will greatly benefit of those abilities and that attachment you have already manifested in Sundry important Services, which at a proper period, shall be made known to those you woud wish.
This Committee will think it proper to address all their despatches unto Mr. Deane untill they have certain advice that his Colleagues have joined him, but the communication of them will be the Same as if addressed to the whole.
We remain with much Esteem and regard, Sir, Your most obedt hble Servts.Rob Morris
B Franklin
Receiver's copy, Yale University Library. In a clerical hand, and signed by Franklin and Morris.
1 See JCC, 6:897. Lee, who had been acting as an overseas agent for Congress since early 1776, had been collaborating with France's agent Beaumarchais in laying the groundwork for shipping French military supplies to America. See Committee of Secret Correspondence to Arthur Lee, December 12, 1775; and to Silas Deane, October 1, 1776, note 3. Lee accepted his appointment as commissioner to the French court on December 31, 1776, referring to a now missing letter of October 31 from the Committee of Secret Correspondence. Lee's letter reflects the tension between Deane and himself that became increasingly important in future years. "The politics of Europe are in a state of trembling hestitation. It is in consequence of this that I find the promises that were made me by the French agent in London, and which I stated to you by Mr. Storey and others, have not been entirely fulfilled. The changing of the mode of conveying what was promised was settled with Mr. Deane, whom Mr. Hortalez found here on his return, and with whom all the arrangements were afterwards made. I hope you will have received some of the supplies long before this reaches you. Infinitely short as they are of what was promised in quantity, quality, and time, I trust they will be of very material service in the operation of the next campaign." Wharton, Diplomatic Correspondence, 2:242.