The Connecticut courant, and the weekly intelligencer — Hartford [Conn.], 1778-12-22 00:00:00, page 2

,1.1/" 7 thus ia'ro+ic'l ,"i b voaf ^atfc-
VIKS, I proceed to mike yjr atq.ua si With fame
'.-. ^, ;^!o r M ges, wbci it is of c mfequrice for ye 1
toknow. Jam lorry to fay, that the Honorable A th^r
Ace, Esq; was f.fpUUd, by fme oftfe bell friends:
you had abroad, and thofa in important characters
zudfErions. This arefe from his connection and ac
quaintance wi'h Ltd Shelburne, who had been his
patron in E : !md, and to whom it'was, from many
cir um+ioc% # f.i,,ofe+ he difekfed your secrets.
These faffcions Whether well or ill founded, were
frequently tehuted and urged to Differ Franklin and
myfelf, and joined to his undiffoifed ha red of, and
expressions of contempt for, the French nation in ge
neral, embarrafTed ns exceedingly, and was of no
small prejudice to your affairs.
Lithe summer of 1777, a correspondence took
place between a certain Do&or Berkenhout and the
Hou. Ardis Lie Esq ;on political fubjeds. The
Dj&orp;opofed in general terms an accommodation,
and after all Doilacles arising from our fcppofed want
of confidence in him, and the like, were removed,
the doaor went so fir as to propose a meeting with
Mr. Lee ; but these difpafi ions were deranged, by
the news of General Howe's arrival in this city.
Mr. Lee fhefved to Doctor F anklrn. and myfelf a part
of this correfoondence. and in order to give the great
er weight to Doctor Birkenhout's remarks, gave us
.tounderftand^ 'hat the Doffer was in the confidence
of the British Ministry.
Immediately on the arrival of the news of Gene
ral Burgoyne's furender, a treaty with France
formed to the fkitifh Ministry more near and more
probable : your Commiffiemers, therefore, were con
tinually fou:vd:l, indirectly, as to their dispositions
for rocunc hi ion. About this time M. Lee's Se
cretary went to and from London, charged with af
fairs which were secret to your other Commissioners.
Conie&ares were formed it is true, and with the
more reason as Mr. Lee was dragged into the treaty
with-the utmost teltiflaocc, It was agreed that this
important mat ei should be kept a profound secret,
yet a few days from the fignin^, it was pointedly
declared in the House of Commons by the Hon.
Charles Fox Esq; the friend of Lord Shelburne ;
this gave additional we'ght to the other circumflan
ces. Add to this, that the attention of Dr. Frank
lin and myfelf to your feiyice, ^ave rife to many
bickerings and deputes between Mr. Lee and as;
the confequen e was that insinuations and misrepre
sentations, to my disadvantage, weA transmitted
acrofi the Athntic, and stored up here for purposes
which will hmeafer appear. On the fourth day of
March I received in a cover, from one of the Com
mitiee of foreign correspondence, the following
Revolution :
In CONGRESS, December 5, 1777.
6 W HE REAS it is of the greater importance
' that Co.rgrefs should at this critical conjuncture
6 be well informed of she fate of affairs in Europe,
« and whereas Congress have refolded that the ho
-4 norable Silas Deane E'q; be recalled from the
* court ofFrance, and have appointed ano her Com
' miffioaer to fopply his place there. Ordered, that
" the Committee for foreign Correspondence, write
' to the honorable Silas Deane, and direct to em
-6 brace him the firfl opportunity of returning to A
' 'merica and upon his arrival to repair with all
^ palible dispatch so Congrefs.'
And having placed my papers and yours in fafe
ty, I left Paris the 30th, to embark for my native
country on board the fleet, which your great andL
generous ally sent out for your assistance, in full
confidence that I should not be detained for any
considerable time in America on the business I was
sent for; —just before my departure I was informed
of a matter, which as it may tend to throw light on
other circumflances, I fliall simply relate. A gentler
man of character told me, that his oorrefpondent in
Eigland, had seen a letter from the honorable Arthur
Lee Esq; dared the very day on which the treaty
was signed (though it was not finifhed until nine
o'clock at night,) in which were nearly these words.
" This day the new partnership was signed and seal
" ed and the new house will begin to do business
" immediately, if the old house means to have any
" thing to do further, and means honestly, they
" mud make their propofols immediately."
When I arrived at this place, I solicited an audi
ence of the Congress, which, after many delays
which some circurnftances rendered unavoidable I
obtained. I was twice heard before thit honorable
body, viz. on the 19th and on'the 21st cf August,
when I gave them as good a general account of the
matters entrusted to me as the time would permit.
It being my intent to deliver singly and by itfelf, a
hifiory cf those affairs, and then to mention from
time to time for their consideration such things as my
duty to you should require. But after these two au
diences, I have been unable to obtain a third, altho'
I have continually solicited it, and written fcvcral
l'e^G? t'i ,%»,??-: wfrebitO2^Fi'ii\ the am
fwe c , Ibave received, and 'be fveral interur/d ate
traufadt^as, as far as the public service requires it,
fhdl a due time, 11h d^ utmoll candor on my
part, be laid before you ; without deviating in the
I j% from that rej e&, which I have always picEff
e?, and which [ feel for that honorable body ; and
leid any thing Which I have said, or may fiy, fh^ld
toe miftuterpreted, I do hereby again repeat my ve
nerarion for your Representatives, excepting always
thef; (if any such there bej who with partial inter
ehed views and for finifler purposes, have endeavour
ed '0 Sacrifice your interest, as well as my reputati
on, I connnow to some things, without winch I
might perhaps have continued still longer Blent In
Sep.ember lad I was informed, that the DoAor Ber
kenhout, who I have mentioned above, was in goal
in this city. I confefs I was furprized,—^nfidering
What I have already related, that this n^n ffiould
have the audacity to appear in the capital of Ameri
ca. I immediately fit myfelf about the measures,
which I conceived necessary to investigate his plans
and designs ; concluding he was like to continue in
those quarters for some time. But what was my af
toniffiment, when in a few days after I was informed
that he. was gone back to New York Tacre was in
this femething which was alarming, that a person
who fr, m every appearance was sent out as a spy,
should be sent back with the knowledge he had been
able tocollca, was what I could not comprehend,
and therefore in order, to set on foot an enquiry, I
published the queries in Mr. Dunlap's paper of the
tenth of Oftober, which had lain by me some days,
in hopes that those in authority, would have taken
measures to prevent the necessity 01 it.
To these queries no fatisfa&ory answer ever was,
or probably ever wil hj given. At length that pro
vidence in whom w- have put our trust hath by a
concurrence of incidents, unfolded to me, the tranf
aaion, which was as follows. --Do&or Berkenhout
came from New-York, paff^d the lines and Came to
this place, under the pretence of important business
with Congress ; when he arrived in this place, he
made no appl cation to that body, bn to the honora
ble Richard Henry Lee, E'q; Doctor Berkenhout hath
finbe said, that he had letters to that honorable mem
ber of Cnrei, from the honorable A hur Lee,
Esq; joint Cemmiffianer of the United States, at the
court of Verfaillcs, and sole Commissioner of those
states at the court ofMidrid. Be this as it may, it
is certain that the D?&or had several meetings with
the honorable P'chard.H. Lee, Esq; it is also certain,
that when the Doffer returned to New-York, he
ventured to assure the British Commissioners, that by
the alliance with France, America was at liberty to
make peace, without consulting her ally, unless En
gland declared war, and it is equally certain, that
the honorable Richard Henry Lee, Esq; constantly
and pertinaciQufly maintained this doctrine.
Afer the Doctor had been fom? few days in this
town, he become fufpeßed by the honorable the Exe
cutive Council of this state, who determined to ap
prehend him. When this matter was mentioned to
the honorable Richard H. Lee, Esq ; he declared the
suspicions against him were base and groundless, and
that he was a good friend to America, he was never
theless put into goal, and there, notwbhftanding the
precautions which wer6 supposed to have been taken,
he did fee sundry persons He was permitted after
wards by the Executive Council to return to New-
York. I have been old that even when he was dis
missed, feme gentlemen of that beard was of opinion
that he was, (as in fact he was) en cm ffary from the
British ministry. When the Doctor returned, he
carried with him letters, amo mothers one for Go
vernor Johnstone. He declared he had got what
he wanted by Fs journey.---He advised the fending
other emissaries throughout these Rates, to difeover
the defUns and disposition of the people, and the
like. Governor Johnftone, on the Doctor's com
plaining that this measure had mot before been adopt
ed, promised that he would urge it to the British mi
nistry. --He advised also that Lt. Colonel Conolly
Should be by all means sent to the assistance of Colo
nel Butler, and that they should make a point of ob
taining his release, and for that purpose if it was re
futed,"that they Should call in all their prisoners,
who were out on parole, which they have a&ually
since done.
It may not be amiss here, to give you the follow
lowing short account. The Doctor on his return to
New-York, fell-into company with a person going
into the city on private business, he mistook this per
son for a friend of government (as certain persons
call themselves) and after landing at Staten Island,
spoke his mind freely on the above as well as the o
ther fubjefb. This person afterwards lodged in the
fame house with tl e Doctor, and heard his converfa
tion withC .zrnor Johnstone. Particular cir
cumflances forbid my mentioning the name of this
person at prefect, it is fufficient that the information
Was voluntarily , : ^n, r d before fevers t6if.%n!tcf
the firft rank and c,uc S.r in this city, N.w then,
ray countrymen, let me die in ihort my reasons. fcr
givhg you those fAL. J nave thought ever fi .re
the violences and dUpctifm of Great Britain fii ft
drove the drfpute to the issue ofa<nr, that an alliance
with France was 7c• your real mte.efl and harpnefs,
I was as fa 4 a in rreby;/a w Iling nrfhunent to
promote it; I new ^e, what I have for f^ne time
fufpeaed, a deft n to^ead you in 0 a breach of your
national faith and honor solemnly pledged, and
thereby most probably to the eventual lofi of that
liberty, which you have purch^fed at so great an cx=
pence of blood and treafae. -I fee ,11b a drfru td
lay waile you: trowiers, by amoft < reel and I#:ba
r< us war, and at th« fame trine to fix in tie different
capitals emriTtries to k etray your feerts, and by
every other means, which either a casual, or drfi fl
ed inattention to them, may puti tl nr power to
aid and bring about those defens. I think it there
fore my duty to put you on your gua'd,
When I mention, that the honorable A thur Lee,
Esq; your CommiHioner at the court off^adrid, and
one of y®ur Cemwfficners at Versailles, and the
honorable William Lee, Esq; your Commissioner at
the Court of Vienna, and your Comnuffoner at the
Court of Berlin, (which Courts are,now Anally at
war with each other) and also that he is your com
mercial .Agent in, Europe, and that they have two
brothers in Congirfs, I do not'fpeak fiem any pique
against them, for altho' they are my personal and late
ly my avowed.enemies, yet their condp& on many
occasions hath been such, that to honor them with
the emotions of anger, would be degrading to that
character which 1 hope always to maintain.- -My
object is t merely to refeue your reputation. Fo
reigners are net perhaps so clear lighted as they ought
to be, and therefore cannot difeern in those your
Commissioners that degree of merit, which hath led
your Representatives to confer on them such various
and incompatible offices. And being equally ig
norant of the wife and equitable manner in which
your business is condu&ed, they raffily conclude,
that appo n ments of which they cannot difeern the
propriety, are to be attributed to the iifleerce cf
intrigu# and cabal. I have also a farther view in
writing this letter, it is toputthofe gentlemen who
in some inftaner s have carried not only their fu sari. -
ons, but their aspersions against some of your firmeft
friends very far on their guard against those old ob
ligations and attachments which may ruin your af
fairs and to be particularly careful whom they re
commend, and how. And would warn them from
pail experience against future danger, and.intreat
them not too hazily arid too rashly to impart your
secrets to improper persons, particularly as G cat-
Britain has not as yet acknowledged your Indepen
dence, and offered a treaty, the cultivation ofan in
terest at that court, cannot compensate the facrifices
which must be made to acquire it.-- Lastly, my
countrymen, whilst I reverei ce yaur unfufneaing
confidence, I would inculcate on your minds the ar
tifices of your foes, and lead you to beware and on
your guard.
lam your friend and countryman, and I can fay
with truth and with pride your faithful servant,
S. DEAN.
Philadelphia, Nov. 1778.
PHI I,ADELPHI A, Dec. 5.
At a GENERAL COURT MARTIAL.
held for the Trial of Major General "Schuyler,
Major General Lincoln, President.
Brigadier Gen. Nixon, Colonel Putnam,
Brigadier Gen. Clinton; Colonel M. Gift,
Brigadier Gen. Wayne, Colonel Ruffcl,
Brigadier Gen. Munlenburg, Colonel Grayson;
Colonel Greaton, Colonel Stewart,
Colonel Johnson, Colonel Meggs.
OCTOBER 3, 1778.
The Court, having considered the charge against
Major General Schuyler, the evidence, and his de
fence, are unanimonfly cf opinion that he is not
GWILTV OF ANY NEGLECT OF DUTY IN NOT BEING
at Ticonderoga, as charged ; and the Court
thereupon do acquit him with the highest honor.
(Signed B. LINCOLN, Prefidtent.
In CONGRESS, December 3, 1778.
Congress took into consideration the proceedings
of the Court Martial on the trial of Major General
Schuyler; whereupon Resolved, That the sentence
of the General Court Martial, acquitting Major Ge
neral Schuyler with the highest honor cf the charges'
exhibited against him, be and is hereby confirmed.
Oidered, That the proceedings of the said Court
Martial be published.
Ordered That the above Resolution be transmit
ted to the Commander in Chief
Extract from the Minutes,
CHARLES THOMSON, Secretary.