The Pennsylvania packet, or, The general advertiser — Lancaster, Pa.;Philadelphia, Pa., 1780-03-07 00:00:00, page 1

JANUARY 3, 1778.
"YT7E wrote several letters addressed to your di
region to which we received answers only from
YY Mess. Franklin and Deane, which gave us
room to imagine you were absent, in eonfequence of which
we replied only to them Gentlemen." Neither these let
ters nor answers in general were communicated to me. Pos
sibly Mr. Deane may have poetically put his friend Mr.
Beaumarchais for the French nation, as I have certain
ly given him disgust by opposing a demand for 200,000!.
flerling against my country, the justice of which I have
very good reason to doubt.
There could not be a thing more notorious than that I
associated with, and cultivated the French people ten times
more than Mr. Deane. It is true I did not attempt to
have my name celebrated, as all powerful and all-boun
teous, in every coffee house in Paris, by arrogating So
vereign power, giving commissions and recommendatory
letters to all perlons who would attend at my levee, and
flatter my greatness. I considered such condud as crimi
nal and never concurred in it. In my judgment it was an
usurpation of the sovereign power, which sent us, and ex
ercised without thefraft diftindion or discernment. It is
in vain to fay, the court was deirous those officers might
be feat, and that recommendatory letters were not con
clusive upon Congress. I have had it from the Minister
himfelf, that he disapproved of it. Those who gave the
recommendatory letters, knew that the perlons receiving
them, considered them as commiffioua; and when they
were disappointed, they deemed and complained of it as
an ad ot the hfgheft injustice.
Congress know how much money and difqtiiet these ill
judged and presumptuous proceedings have cost them and
the public. As soon as Mr. Deaneinformed me of his ar
rivaland business, I came to Paris at the hazard of my
life tocohfult with him, and communicate to him whate
ver was in my power for his information. Without derogat
ing from the tranfeendent abilities of which this Gentle
men thinks himfelf possessed, it might have been supposed
that one who had been so long in Europe, engaged and
active from the beginning in this question, repeatedly em
ployed and actually in equal trust with himfelf, might
have given some ufeful advice. But Mr. Deane neither
ever communicated or consulted with me ; and when I of
fered my opinion, he received it with such captious rude
ness and indecency, as soon fatisned me of the inutility of
again repeating it. I hope I ihall be pardoned for beg
ging the attention of Congress, while I also answer the
accusation of Mr. Deane against my brother, who, being
absent in Germany, cannot defend himfelfby this oppor
tunity. I have in my possession, proofs of the untruth
of every charge which he has made. Mr. Deane fays,
that after informing Mr. William Lee of his appointment
as commercial agent, " he heard nothing from him till
the month of June, when he arrived in Paris." My bro
ther wrote to me immediately that he would come over as
soon as he could fettle his affairs; of which I informed
both ray colleagues. He came when I was in Germany,
and remained here by the exprofs advice of Dr. Franklin
and Mr. Deane, he having no commission to ad, and
they refufing to give him any countenance, till Mr. Ross
wrote in the following words, from Nantz, to teftify
that he was authorized, and to press his coming
down.
Nantz, July 22, 1777.
" Permit me new to inform you, that Mr. Morris is
possessed of the inftruaions to Mr. Lee from Committee
of Congress, on his being appointed commercial agent
here; since your last letter came to my hand I fufpeded
tbu, to be the case, from some circumflances and by acci
dent last evening learned it to be so. These inflru&ions
are contained in a letter addressed to Mr. Lee aad Mr.
Morris, as joint agents, which is similar and of equal
force, with the separate powers on which Mr. Morris has
acted hitherto. I take therefore the liberty to recom
mend Mr. Lee's repairing hither immediately to aflame
the management."
(Signed) JOHN ROSS.
This letter was addressed to Mr. Deane. Their con
sent could nolonger with any decency be withheld, and
my brother set out for Nantz, with a letter from us re.
commending harmony between the commercial Agents in
conducting the public business. Unfortunately for my bro
ther's peace, that harmony appeared to have taken place
as we soon received a joint letter from them, Rating
that the powers given to Mr. Williams by Mr. Deane, for
hit name only appeared to them, though it appeared after
wards that Dr. Franklin had confirmed them, were incom
patible with their agency, and therefore they requested
those powers might be recalled. An answer was prepa
red to this letter, and shewn to me. It expressed a wil
liegnefs to recall those powers and to vest them in Mr Lee
alene, with very strong expressions against Mr. Morris, 1
EXTRACTS from a LETTER written to the
President of Congress, by the Hon.
ARTHUR LEE, Esquire, in answer to an
ADDRESS, published in the Pennsylvania
packet, of the Fifth of DECEMBER,
3778. By SILAS DEANE, Esquire.
(Continued from our last)
jllj^^^^
GENERAL
TUESDAY,
O R
[ Published every Tuesday, Thursday and Saturday. ]
objected what was obvious, that this would deßroy the har
mony recommended, and without which the public busi
ness could not go on. That the right answer seemed to
me plain and simple, which was to recall the powers com
plained of, without faying any thing for or against either
of the gentlemen, which it was manifeft would be produc
tive of bad consequences. My opinion was not approved.
Neither that nor any other answer was ever sent to this
or to any of the letters written to us by the agents jointly
or separately. My brother returned to Parisin October,
and then received his commifflon. On the 13th the Com
miffionert met by his desire (and Mr. Izard attended)
when he gave them an account of the fifuation of the com
mercial affairs at Nantz, and stated that, in consequence
of the powers given to Mr. Williams a quarrel had been
produced, which made it impossible to conduct the pub
lic business with effeß, till those were recalled ; and the
Commiffione/s gave their fuppert openly to the agents ap
pointed by the committee. He said people in general
could net determine who was commercial agent, and o
thers took advantage of their mutual ptetenfions, and en
deavoured to play one against the other. There was a prize
or prizes laying stripped, plundered, and rotting; no one
choosing to become purchaser, under an uncertainty of who
had the true authority to fell. He therefore begged to
know whether they would recall theirorder to Mr. Willi
liams and support him in the execution of his office. The
two eldest Commissioners profeffed a willingness to recall
the order, * but positively refused to give him any support.
Thus the meeting ended inefteaually, the order being not
only not recalled, but soon after confirmed and extended.
Congress will therefore judge with what propriety and
truth Mr. Lee was accused of having inclined to regulate
these affairs when loudly called upon. The addition that
he declined it, left his property in England Should be ef
feded, is a surmise and a calumny entirely worthy of Mr.
Deane. A letter had long before that been written from
Paris to London, and published in the news papers, giving
Mr. Lee's name at large, with information of his being in
Paris, and having accepted of the commercialagency. Hi#
wife, children, and fortune were in the power of the ene
my, to whom this information was given. lam not the
only person who had it from a gentleman much in their
secrets, that this letter was written by persons under Mr.
Deane's roof, and known to be under his direction.
Mr. Deane proceeds. "He returned to Faris, and
there received his appointments of Commissioner to the
Courts of Vienna and Berlin. He continued nevertheless
inactive at Paris, untill the month of December; care
fully concealing bis anointment, which indeed might have
militated against his office of Alderman of London, which
hedid then, apd probably does still retain. When the
ne<ws of General Burgoyne's defeat and surrender arrived
it produced a revolution in the minds of many, and a
mong others inspired your commercial agent and political
commissioner, the Hon. William Lee, Efa; with some
degree of activity in your favour." This infamous asper
sion comes from the man who knew that my brother had
come from London, had openly taken upon him the agen
cy, went down to Nantz where every one saw him a& as
agent, had written a number of letters as such to the com
missioners, and of whose acceptance of the place, public
notice had long been given in the English papers ! His
appointments as commissioner were received by us, and
given to him by us, asappears by our common letter to
the committee. From whom then did be carefull, conceal
them^ Does this man mean that he did not proclaim
then to the world ? He charges me with not concealing
mine, and my brother with conceal tig his. Charges equally
falfe and equally foolifh. On the 4th of December, Mr.
Austin arrived with the news of Burgoyne's defeat and
surrender, and the battle of Germantown. The French
Court, upon this, approaching us to treat; if was thought
proper for him to wait the cfffft of the conclusion of the
treaty, and the recognition of our independence which we
fappofed would follow it. When these took place he de
parted for Frankfort, having firft confuted both the com
missioners here and the Minifter,on which court he mould
apply too firft. But Hanover and its connexions having
t^ken part against the Empress, Vienna seemed to promise
the faireft opening. The rest he will explain himfelf.
It fuffices that I have opened enough to Ihew the malice
and untruth of Mr. Deane's charges and insinuations ; or
as he terms them his '< stubborn and undeniable faas."
As to the Aldermaulhip, my brother wrote soon after his
firft arrival here to his Most Patriotick Common Conn
cilmen, that he would fend them his resignation whenever
they found it convenient to make a new election as they
liked. It appears by the English papers that it was not
till last St. Thomas's day, that they requested his resigna
tion, and this in confluence of a fecood offer from him
at Frankfort.
* The sincerity of this profeffion will appear from the
following passage in Mr. Williams's letter addressed to the
Hon. Silas Deane. Nantz, O&. 21, 1777. " I have
received your favour of the 18th inflant, and observe that
matters relative to the ships of war and prizes are to re
main as they were, &c." This letter also thews the pri
vate traffick they were carrying on refpeftiHg the prize
brig.
^CTw^
The
BB^oWI
^^MB:^^
ADVER^TISER
" He appointed, fays Mr. Deane, fandry commercial
agents, dismissed one who did the business for two per
cent, and shares five * per cent, with the others fur fuper
foteedi^ at Vienna, the business done on your account a
thousand miles off from his place of residence." This ac
cuser is one who applied te t'\ccb-t here, to give Mr.
William Lee, as surviving chmif:'. GWit, an order to
receive the papers of the deceased M^Thorn is Morris.
Of this our joint letter of January iofo:n.ed Congress. In
Mr, Deane's eflimation therefore he coatinud compe
tent to, and bound to aft in that offi e; notwkhftanding
his new appointment. To dtfefearge that trust till a new
agent ihould be nominated, m„roter appointed three
of the molt unexceptionable men in France, Messieurs
Scheveighaufer, Bonfield, and Lknofin. All this he wrote
to the committee, defining a new appointment (in piece
of Mr. Lee) and we both prefled the fame to our private
friends, as essentially nectffary for the public good. It is
now a year since Congress resolved, that the commiffioO
ers here should appoint an agent or two to supply his
place. We answered Congress that as they would
probably appoint Consuls agreeably to the treaty, we
should inform Congress if we found it ueceffary, to make
any change in the agents Mr. William Lee had appointed.
That he diftniffed Mr. Williams is direftly contrary to
truth. He neither appointed nor dismissed him. Dr.
Franklin and Mr. Deane appointed him. Dr. Franklin,
Mr. Adams, and myfelf dismissed him, as will appear by
the following letter signed by the three commissioners B.
Franklin, A. Lee, and J. Adams, addressed to Mr. Jona
than Williams, dated Faffy, May 26, 1775. " We
think it prudent and nectffary for the public service to re
voke, and we do hereby revoke all the powers and autho
rities heretofore granted by the Commissioners Plenipo
tentiary, or any ofthem. We have further to repeat our
earoeft request, that you would lay your accounts before us
as soon as possible." When the balance demanded on
these accounts was directed to be paid, the order on the
banker contained the following censure on their author.
" We agree that the bills drawn on you by Mr. Williams
(hall be charged to the public ac^unt of the United States.
This consent however is not to be considered as any appro
bation of his accounts, nor to have any influence at all in
the final settlement of them.
Pally, July io, 1778. B. Franklin.
(Signed) J. Adams.
Doctor Franklin add Mr. Dearie by their sole authori
ty took the iale of prizes from the commercial agent and
gave it to Mr. Williams. It has been drfcoveted by a
letter from him to Mr. Deane, which the latter forgot
to place in fafety among his other papers f that the com
missioner and agent were trafficking in these prizes for
their private trade, the letter contains the following words :
" I have been on board the prize brig. Mr. Ross tills
me he has written to you on the fubje&, and the matter
refls, whether according to his letter you will undertake
or not, if we take her on private account file must be pas
sed out 13,000 livres." The public were sure to receive
justice when the agent wasat once the feller and the pur
chaser, and the commissioner, who should controul him,
was a partner in the purchase. It was this kind of attention
to the public service, that gave rife as Mr. Dt<ne Lys,
to “ frequent bickerings and difpdtes between Mr. Lee and
his colleagues."! Authenticated copies of all the papers
referred to in these answers have been sent to Congress.
The public may therefore rely upon their authenticity.
They are fufficient to shew the true character of Mr.
Deane ; and with what truth he affercs that his couduft is
not founded on enmity to individuals, whom he has falfe
ly accused, not out of an, desire of profiting brafel, and bit
friends by removing dimgreeable checks to his avarice and
ambition, but purely out of love and affedhoo for his coun
trymen ; disturbing them with falfe alarms, inspiring them
with pernicious jealoufe; planting difeord and division,
where confidence and unanimity are so necessary, were
solely to serve the public, not to make them the influ
ments of Lis envy, hatred and malice. Jago profeffed as
much, when he ptadifed the fame, artd with equal purity
of heart—" I hope you will consider what is fpeke comes
from my love." (lago to Othello) I fend proofs from
Mr. Williams'sown letter and accounts, that he has done
the very thing with regard to fhiring the five per cent,
with which M.. Deane charges my brother. §
_____ (Continued in the Fourth Page)
* Mr. William Lee has transmitted an affidavit in due
form that this is falfe, and also certificates to Congress of
its utter falfehood.
f Having placed my papers and yours in fafety, I left
Paris.—Deane's address, Dec. 5.
X Deane's address, December 5, 1773.
§ Extras of a letter from Mr. Williams to the Com
missioners, dated February 28, 1778. I muff beg leave to
remind you of the agreement I made with the late Mr.
Morris, by which " I was to account with him for all sales
and purchases that I fhculd make in consequence of his
authority, charging the comrniffion of five per cent allow
ed by the Committee of Congress between him and iryfelf."
From Jonathan Williams's account of diiburfements—ln
dependence, Captain Young, commission five per cent.
£. 238. 9. 11. Ranger, Captain Jones, coirmiffion five
per cent. £. 3738, ' See appendix No, 4 and 5.
MARCH 7, 1780.
THE