Passy Septr. 7th. 1783
The enclosed Letters to you and to Mr. Fox were written before I
saw you yesterday. On my return home last night I found despatches
from Congress which may remove the Difficulties we were entangled
with. Mr. Adams will be here this Morning, when you will hear from
us. I am ever Yours sincerely
To David Hartley Esqr.
Passy Septr. 6. 1783
Inclosed is my Letter to Mr. Fox. I beg you would assure him
that my Expressions of Esteem for him are not mere Professions. I
really think him a great Man, and I could not think so, if I did
not think he was at bottom and would prove himself a good one.
Guard him against mistaken notions of the American People. You
have deceived yourselves too long with vain Expectations of
reaping Advantage from our little Discontents. We are more
thoroughly an enlightened People with respect to our Political
Interests than perhaps any other under Heaven. Every man among us
reads, and is so easy in his Circumstances as to have leisure for
Conversation of Improvement, and for acquiring Information. Our
domestic Misunderstandings, when we have them are of small Extent,
tho’ monstrously magnified by your microscopic Newspapers. He who
judges from them that we are on the point of falling into Anarchy,
or returning to the obedience of Britain, is like one who being
shewn some spots in the Sun, should fancy that the whole Disk
would soon be overspread with them and that there would be an end
of Daylight. The great Body of Intelligence among our People,
surrounds and overpowers our petty Dissensions, as the Sun’s great
Mass of fire diminishes and destroys his Spots. Do not therefore
any longer delay the Evacuation of New York in the vain hope of a
New Revolution in your favour, if such a Hope has indeed had any
part in occasioning that Delay. It is now nine Months since the
Evacuations were promised. You expect with Reason that the People
of New York should do your Merchants Justice in the Payment of
their old Debts; consider the Injustice you do them in keeping
them so long out of their habitation, and out of their Business by
which they might have been enabled to make Payment.
There is no Truth more clear to me than this that the great
Interest of our two Countries is a thorough Reconciliation.
Restraints on the Freedom of Commerce and Intercourse between us
can afford no Advantage equivalent to the Mischief they will do by
keeping up ill humour and promoting a total Alienation. Let you
and I, my dear Friend, do our best towards advancing and securing
that Reconciliation. We can do nothing that will in a dying hour
afford us more solid satisfaction.
I wish you a prosperous Journey and a happy sight of your
Friends. Present my best Respects to your good Brother and Sister
and believe me ever with sincere and great Esteem Yours most
affectionately
Passy Septr. 5. 1783
I received in its time the Letter you did me the honour of
writing to me by Mr. Hartley. And I cannot let him depart without
expressing my Satisfaction in his Conduct towards us and
applauding the Prudence of that choice which sent us a Man
possess’d of such a spirit of Conciliation, and of all that
Frankness sincerity and Candour which naturally produce
Confidence, and thereby facilitate the most difficult
Negociations. Our Countries are now happily at Peace, on which I
congratulate with you most cordially; and I beg you to be assured
that as long as I have any concern in Publick Affairs, I shall
readily and heartily concur with you, in promoting every Measure
that may tend to promote the common Felicity. With great and
sincere Esteem and Respect I have the honour to be Sir, Your most
obedient and most humble Servant
Passy Septr. 7. 83.
Inclosed I send you an Extract of a Letter to me from the
President of Congress in which you will observe the moderate
disposition of that Body towards the Loyalists with the Causes of
Aggravation in the People’s Resentments against them: I am, always
invariably Yours most sincerely
David Hartley Esqr.
Extract of a Letter from E. Boudinot Esqr. President of
Congress, to B. Franklin dated June [18] 1783.
You will receive herewith a Number of our Newspapers in which
are inserted many resolves Associations &ca. from all Parts of
the Country which I earnestly wish had not been made; but the
truth is, that the Cruelties, Ravages and Barbarities of the
Refugees and Loyalists have left the People so sore that it is not
yet time for them to exercise the good Sense and cooler Judgment,
and this cannot take Place while the Citizens of New York are kept
out of their City and despoiled daily of their Property, by the
sending off their Negroes by Hundreds in the Face of the Treaty.
It has been exceedingly ill-judged in the British to retain New
York so long and to persist in sending away the Negroes, as it has
irritated the Citizens of America to an alarming degree. I am
&ca.