fible, and to hold all their militia in readiness to act as 1778. occafion may require. The congress at this period had no knowledge of a treaty's having been entered into by France with their commissioners; but they conjectured that there would be a rupture in Europe between the French and British nations; and to avail themselves of the occafion, and detach the tories from the enemy, they the next day recommended to the states the offering of pardon, under the restrictions that might be thought expedient, to fuch of their inhabitants or fubjects who had levied war against them, or had adhered to the enemy, as should furrender themselves to any civil or military officer of any of the states, or return to the state they belonged to before the 10th of next June. The arrival of the conciliatory bills at New York and Philadelphia, excited equal aftonishment and indigna+ tion in the royal forces. These thought their personal honor wounded in the recantation now made of all that high language and treatment, which they had been accustomed to hold or to offer to the Americans. The disappointment was the greater, as the bills were the substitute to a reinforcement of twenty thousand men, which they had expected. But the feelings of the numerous body of American refugees is not to be defcribed. I. A committee of congress was appointed on the ist of May May, "to inquire into the laws and customs of nations respecting neutrality, and to report whether the conduct of the king of Portugal, in forbidding the vessels of the United States to enter his ports, and ordering those already there to depart at a short day, is not a breach of the laws of neutrality, and will not justify acts of hoftility 1778. against the fubjects of the said kingdom." On the third, May 3. 1 : during the Sunday's adjournment, Mr. Simeon Deane, brother to Silas Deane esq; arrived express from France, with fundry important dispatches, whereupon congrefs : was convened, and the dispatches opened and read, among which, to their inconceivable joy, were a treaty of commerce, and a treaty of alliance, concluded between his most Christian majesty the king of France, and the United States of America. The treaties were duly weighed and confidered separately the next day, and upon each it was unanimously refolved, "That the same be and is hereby ratified." There was an act feparate and fecret in the following terms-" The most Chriftian king declares, in consequence of the intimate union which fubfifts between him and the king of Spain, that in concluding with the United States of America this treaty of amity and commerce, and that of eventual and defenfive alliance, his majesty hath intended and intends to referve expressly, and he referves by this present separate and fecret act to his faid Catholic majesty, the power of acceding to the faid treaties, and to participate in their ftipulations at fuch time as he shall judge proper. It being well understood nevertheless, that if any of the ftipulations of the faid treaties are not agreeable to the king of Spain, his Catholic majesty may propose other conditions analagous to the principal aim of the alliance, and conformable to the rules of equality, reciprocity and friendship." This act being duly weighed, it was resolved unanimously, "That the same be and is hereby ratified." The next resolution was, "That this congress entertain the highest sense of the magnanimity and wisdom of his moft Christian majesty, fo strongly exemplified in the treaty of amity and com- 1778. merce, and the treaty of alliance; and the commiffioners representing these states, at the court of France, are directed to present the grateful acknowledgments of this congress to his most Christian majesty, for his truly magnanimous conduct respecting these states, in the faid generous and disinterested treaties, and to affure his majefty, on the part of this congress, it is fincerely wished that the friendship so happily commenced between France and these United States may be perpetual." On the 5th they refolved, "That the commissioners be instructed to inform the court of France, that although congress have readily ratified the treaties and the act feparate and fecret; yet from a fincere defire of rendering the friendship and alliance so happily begun, permanent and perpetual, and being apprehenfive that differences may arife from the 11th and 12th articles in the treaty of amity and commerce, congrefs are defirous that the faid articles may be utterly expunged." Mr. Lee was againft admitting these articles, and affigned his reasons to Meffrs. Franklin and Deane on the 30th of January; who on the ist of February wrote to Mr. Gerard, that they concurred in defiring that the same might be omitted, notwithstanding which they were retained. You will not expect me to delineate the inexpressible fatisfaction that the report of these treaties spread through the United States. The people were in raptures. The fe veral brigades of the army, by gen. Washington's orders, affembled in the morning of the 6th, when their chaplains communicated the intelligence, offered up a thankfgiving, and delivered a discourse suitable to the occafion. They were then formed into two lines, when thir 3. 1778. against the subjects of the faid kingdom." On the third, May during the Sunday's adjournment, Mr. Simeon Deane, brother to Silas Deane esq; arrived express from France, with fundry important dispatches, whereupon congress was convened, and the dispatches opened and read, among which, to their inconceivable joy, were a treaty of commerce, and a treaty of alliance, concluded between his most Christian majesty the king of France, and the United States of America. The treaties were duly weighed and confidered separately the next day, and upon each it was unanimously refolved, "That the same be and is hereby ratified." There was an act feparate and secret in the following terms-" The most Chriftian king declares, in consequence of the intimate union which fubfifts between him and the king of Spain, that in concluding with the United States of America this treaty of amity and commerce, and that of eventual and defenfive alliance, his majesty hath intended and intends to referve expressly, and he referves by this present separate and fecret act to his faid Catholic majesty, the power of acceding to the faid treaties, and to participate in their ftipulations at fuch time as he shall judge proper. It being well understood nevertheless, that if any of the stipulations of the said treaties are not agreeable to the king of Spain, his Catholic majesty may propose other conditions analagous to the principal aim of the alliance, and conformable to the rules of equality, reciprocity and friendship." This act being duly weighed, it was resolved unanimously, "That the same be and is hereby ratified." The next resolution was, " That this congress entertain the highest sense of the magnanimity and wisdom of his most Christian majesty, fo پر strongly exemplified in the treaty of amity and com- 1778. merce, and the treaty of alliance; and the commiffioners representing these states, at the court of France, are directed to present the grateful acknowledgments of this congrefs to his most Christian majesty, for his truly magnanimous conduct respecting these states, in the faid generous and disinterested treaties, and to assure his majefty, on the part of this congress, it is sincerely wished that the friendship so happily commenced between France and these United States may be perpetual." On the 5th they refolved, "That the commissioners be instructed to inform the court of France, that although congrefs have readily ratified the treaties and the act feparate and fecret; yet from a fincere defire of rendering the friendship and alliance so happily begun, permanent and perpetual, and being apprehenfive that differences may arife from the 11th and 12th articles in the treaty of amity and commerce, congrefs are defirous that the faid articles may be utterly expunged." Mr. Lee was againft admitting these articles, and assigned his reasons to Meffrs. Franklin and Deane on the 30th of January; who on the ist of February wrote to Mr. Gerard, that they concurred in defiring that the fame might be omitted, notwithstanding which they were retained. You will not expect me to delineate the inexpressible fatisfaction that the report of these treaties spread through the United States. The people were in raptures. The feveral brigades of the army, by gen. Washington's orders, affembled in the morning of the 6th, when their chaplains communicated the intelligence, offered up a thankfgiving, and delivered a discourse suitable to the occafion. They were then formed into two lines, when thir |