Philada. Aug. 6th 1779
Dear Sir,
The Originals, duplicates or triplicates of all you wish to have reached us, I believe, have safely arrived, and you may depend on a diligent use of them.1 It was unfortunate that we were not favored with many of them before Henry, Francis2 & S Adams left this Stage of their Exertions for their Country & for Virtue in general. However, I shall think this Circumstance a fresh Call upon My Industry, a Quality wch. is an Object of the hatred of your Foes who have found themselves long ago mine in consequence. I own no first in that Quality except Mr. Laurens who wants no Spur but the simple Knowledge of Injuries done to the worthy to make him enter directly upon their Defence.
I have urged an hundred Times what you have at length quoted to me from Whitlock.3 But there is really no such thing as a Com’tee. Of foreign Affairs existing - no Secretary or Clerk - further than that I persevere to be one & the other. The Books & Papers of that extinguished Body lay yet on the Table of Congress, or rather are locked up in the Secretary’s private Box. There was a Motion as I have before told you to chuse a new Comtee. The House would not so insult me. An Indifference then took place as to filling it up upon presumption I suppose that a little Leaven leaveneth the whole Lump. It would be impossible that you could have Enemies in a Comtee. where was one so to arrange Vouchers of yr. Industry, Capacity & Honor as it is thought I am able to do.
The State of Mr. D - - 4 is exactly the Reverse of what Letters have announced in France. But I will give you one or two Copies of the Scraps which have been made use of here to prove the only point on which yr. Enemies finally rested, and which is now the only possible ground of hope to them of overcoming yr. Views for the public Good.
Nothing has appear’d here that will prove a direct Patronage and Assistance of yr. inveterate foe, from that Quarter which you name in one of yr. Letters to Frank or Richd.; but every thing short of that has taken place; you will not think I am a meer "Innuendo Man," as R Hy5 calls D - - , after you get the Copies above mentioned.
How do you reconcile the Conduct of Congress on June 5th respecting De Francy’s Business6 with the Ideas of the total Extinction of joint Powers in the Commissioners for special Purposes after the appointment of the Minister Plenipotentiary for general Concerns?
The List you give of Letters written on & before the 5th of Decr. last, differing from one now before me, of Receipts, I give it that you may see you have not sent a list of all we have recd. nor have we recd. all you have registered.
1778
Jany. 5, 6, 15, 31
Feb. 10, 15, 28
Apr. 1, 2, 4, 8.
June 1, 5, 15/17
July 16.
Aug. 7, 11, 21, 27, 31.
Sepr. 9, 30
Octr. 5, 19/Nov 29
Nov. 4, 15/18, 20
Dec 5.
1779
Jan 5/28, 15, 20
Mar 7
Apr. 6
Izard
Jan 18
Mar. 4.
Adieu & prosper,
JL
Receiver’s copy, Lee Family Papers, Houghton Library, Harvard University.
1 Lovell’s role in defending Lee, and his activities on related questions of foreign affairs, are discussed at length in Helen F. Jones, "James Lovell in the Continental Congress, 1777 - 1782" (Ph.D. diss., Columbia University, 1968), chaps. 4 - 5.
2 That is, Richard Henry Lee and Francis Lightfoot Lee.
3 See Lovell to Arthur Lee, July 17, 1779, note 3.
4 Silas Deane.
5 Richard Henry Lee.
6 For these measures adopted by Congress on June 5 to ensure payment of Caron de Beaumarchais’ account, See JCC, 14:690 - 93; and John Jay to Benjamin Franklin, June 18, 1779, note.