Weekly national intelligencer. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1841-1869, 1847-10-30
NATIONAL INTELLIGENCER.
TO THE EDITORS
or the National mteiigencer.
Pans, SEPTEMBER 20, ls47.

II was scarcely to be expected mat controversy III
the United States would spring from the Reply to
Mr.. DE LAMARTINE which you had the goodness to
insert in your number of the Sd of last month.
The production was designed for this meridian
alone and for the end of correcting general, might
saw, taaiUerSai French notions of American INSULT
cheney in their War of Independence, and American
ngratitude TO France for her alldecisve aid. 1t is
not formal and elaborate disqnisition but series
of mere memoranda, prepared, in fact, for the use
of a French writer who found them too american,
and therefore recoiled from his first wish and pro-
iect. 1t would not have been published if he had
consented to issue the substance at least as his own
work Nor would it have been offered TO him, if
the performance of Mr.. Sumner had not seemed 10
both of us inadequate and unsuitable in some re-
,specs.. Whether the French Government did or
did not fulfil its beiligerent engagements with the
Colonies, or would in the end have subjected them
to disadvantages, was n6t question essential 10 my
main objects. At the same time, the position may
be taken with confidence that all my allegations
can be conclusively sustained. few days ago
ONLY your number Of tie 2Slh ultmo, containing
the first Of the papers on the Reply, of your home
correspondent s., came into my hands. Leisure
for the effective relolnder, feasible, has not been
enjoyed in the interval: and that may well be de-
layed until knowledge be had here of the indispu-
table evidence--so termed by your correspondent
victon. Probably many weeks will elapse before
his sequel after its publication, reaches this capital
We may hope that it will excite the representatives
of John Adams and John Jay 10 enter the lists In
defence of the statements and convictions OF those
illustrious and immediate agents. John Adams
discerned the real action and designs OF the French
Cabinet; he dsengaged the real from the protested
policy. His son-now, in his turn, the venerable,
and trust still the yIgorous-ls rich IN materials
potent, of old, in polemics; versed IN the genius,
cast, drifts, formula and artifce of the diplomacy OF
the eighteenth century.
On the whole, the first paper of S. strikes me as
a general concurrence in my principal views; much
OF his historical exposition is a repetition of my
statements, and version of some of my French
quotations The Reply to Lamartine, inserted by
you on the Sd, may have been forgotten, in great
part, by most of your readers the 2Sh, when the
paper came forth. Let them be collaed, and it will
be seen how they tally. Your correspondent, when
he referred to the alleged designs of the Duke de
Choiseul III the mission of Baron de kalb, should
have translated the Instructions, instead of con-
filming himself 10 an extract from of the Barons
reports. The reader might have better Judged of
the soldity of his doubts. You have, enclosed
herein, what supplies the deficiency and version
of some letters 10 De hab which, think, s. could
not have seen and which sufficiently elucidate the
nature and prosecution of the designs'of the Duke
and his successors. You will find, in addition, an
abstract Of several official notes to De kab, which
have made from the originals, indicating how the
French Ministry operated and were disposed in
1867, 1868, I77l, 1873, 1916. 1t may be ques-
toned, likewise that your correspondent pro-
cured to these, and TO certain of the Barons
reports from the Colonies and from London which
not in the body of his printed correspondence.
By what undivulged, nedited, occult documents,
he invaHdae the unequivocal, undenable, Off !
cia texts cited in the Reply, is not easily compre- I
hended this distance and beget curiosity in
all explorers. Touching the conduct of the French
Government in the first years Of our strife and re-
volution towards that of Great Britain upon which
he dwes apologetcay, there is something of a
contrast in record which Legi,imst journal,
LLnioa Honarchiqae, brought up the day before
yesterday-the Instructions of Mr.. de Villele, Pre-
siden OF the Council of Louis 18th and Charles
10Th, to the French Envoy in London m 1925
The Minister commences thus In the present pos
ture OF affairs cannot wish to initiate the con-
duct Of England in regard to the American colo
MES Of Spain: the same conduct and policy sue
ceeded i'll enough with us in the case Of North
America even in politics, punishment always be-
tides those who act Wih bad fdith.' Here is an
admission by the lineage royal and ministerial, Of
Louis 9th. When my memoranda were written,
an official despatch, which must have fallen under
may be apuy recommended to your attention now,
had wholly escaped my recollection. You can
lurn to II IN the first volume of your American
State PaPers-Mr. L. Pckering's vouminous and
able examination addressed by him. as Secretary Of
State, to Mr.. Plnckney at Paris January / g. 1897.
of all the topics OF complaint urged by the French
Envoy Adet against the Congress and Executive of
the Union. You will, IN all likelihood I've temD,ed
TO copy into the lnteligencer the portion f-herin
ming, +" WIN the Ministers Of France never cease.to
reproach US with ingratitude," &c. The reproach
is repealed with facts and considerations Of rresisri.
BILE authority. But the public writers, and espc-
cally the journals, of Paris, have never ceased to
repeat il, and will never consent to be undeceved
Among the enclosed extracts are several prcgnan,
specmeas-one from the History Of the French
Revolution by Theirs, of which hundred thousand
copies at least are said TO have been sold another
from a new work. Of which the third volume is just
issued, History Of the Cabinets Of Europe during
the Consulate and the Empire, from documents
collected in the archives Of Foreign Affairs, by
Armand Lclchre, formerly functionary in the De
parlmenL" The remaining quotations are from the
Biography of NEcKER, BY his grandson De Saei
HoisieiH, and the Public and Private Life Of
CHARLES GEivrER, Count de TergGnes--a dis
course crowned by the Academy l77s--an octave
Of 226 pages. You will understand tile application
to the topics Of the reply. w.