Weekly national intelligencer. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1841-1869, 1847-08-07

the Congress 1889 compelled sanction and pay he
Beaumachais claim, TO Sarc the honor ofe French Cowt
AT the epoch of the American Revolution the King Of
France the Hatethe nationthe sole representative and
agent for all the external world was therefore, natural
and regular accept and hail Louis XVI the supreme
Thetwo members of the Cabinet who favored
open corporation with the revoed colonies Vergenles
and Mauepas and the former continued the end The
negotiator and principal manager of the alliance, he
sociaed with the King in the public Acknowledgements and
common feelings Of the Americans But history and d-
pomatc revehions and authentic private memoirs, have
established the GLOWING facts which might well be inferred
Dri0r that b aid and alliance extremely repugna to
Louis that hf listened much complaceny the
sci of Turgot md Necker to limit all action supplies
that the condct of the French Court M de Vergennes Tim
self included was resoute and uctuatng for considerable
time; that Policy, against Great Britain and for the
venge and aegrandizement of France, the main mve
with the Government from the first movements Of Choeul
in 766 tie treaty of l77S with THE American colonies
What prevailed of refined and disinterese sentiment of sm
patty and zeal for the of freedom of readiness
and magnanmy for personal sacrifice, with the Frech
naOn not excepting the arsocratc cassesthe nation,
radstngusd in those respects from the Court, and thre-
fore entitled the higher and lasting gratitude OF he
Americans Frenchmaa may dwell these topics he
American in he Journal des Debats might have donend
this without meaning to dsparage undervalue the final
proceedings Of the Court, because should, above ALL do
justice the nation which survives kings courts dynases,
and ministers The force of public feeling and opinion in
France MANY decided absolutely impeed the hesitang
Government to espouee openly the Of liberty md
America
The paramount duty of all of US is to assert historical th
and disspa illusions about matters Of fact French books
of authority tell that Louis XVI could scarcely
his scrups when invited TO against England withou d.
provocaon, and the teeth of subsisng and recent
treaties and particularly the ally of revoted people and
republican c0monmeaHhs He had strong foebodings of
the reaction from America his people, which torbo-
dings fully realized welnfoned Fredch blogra-
pher of Louis makes this statement Les secgrs candes
tins accordes aux Americans avaen ndgne dams sa dou
eu quand Ia guerre quill croyait nuste etat decides ad
dresa M. de Castres ct NJ de Sartnes paroles memo
rabies Quele situation Faut que des raions eta ct une
grande operation guerrero commence, mogent de sgne
des ordres conrares mes opinions ct cGur Louis
cedait la atae des circumstances, Influence de SEES MN
lstres prena part guerre dor II await prouve lu
meme Injustice repondant par des notes ct DIES obseva
tons, au manifesto public par odes contre la Grand Bre
tagne." ......r
Lafayette and his companions in he chivarous expedition
to America obliged depart oandestney the Govern
dispatched vessels in pursuit The world has in
his precious memoirs his tesmny concerning the ndecon
and double dealing Of the Curt In private letter to
daughter of Baron de kab which lies before me- he says
lie depart du Baron ut encourage par lie Due dc Brogle
Cest dams temps qua rnsu du gouvememen ct bento
apres mGt h es congassance les envoyes du Con-
gres" These ENJOYS Congress- Deane and Franklin,
overwhelmed with applications from mutudes OF French
officers and other gallant Spirits fired by the general enthu
asm who eager join the and forces OF the
ones. Franklin nearly year Paris before the Gov
eminent received him in form, manifested to him any de-
sign disposition afford aid and protection openly to the
revolution which he represented Meanwhile, however,
he felt himself accredited rather to the public than the Co.
yernmen he employed himself with characteristic adrotnes
and signal in animatng and swelling that current Of
national feeling which the Court he oresaw must finally
YIELD Condorcet in his splendid eulogy of Franklin pro-
nounced before the Academy of Sciences exhibited the true
position OF affairs in the following paragraphs: y
Un cri general s'eleva benot favour lie la guerre
dimcrque les Amis de Ia paix n'oserent plain
Dire quele tut sacrcee la la lbee. La conde-
ton que la auteur epacee leurs agents agmena encore
dix apres larrivee de Franklin lie mnse Francas
entere obgee de METRE BIAS les deyan les mi
Ices Amercaines, inquet du depart des comnssares An
gas charges de porter Amerique des propositions sdu
stes, sigma enn trate daliance les Etats UnS
On ui peutetre trop reproche cee lente. La France
nayat pas aors constitution bre, mas les Francois
netaen pas esclayes 81 lie peuple gGmssat
ME arbtrare plus sous lie oug DIES mauses lois
les netaent point asseries les esprts ayent
Independence La France ressemblait pas pays
ii eNiste despote armee n'etat
pas indifferent que la guere t conforme conaire
national Ct les FRANCHISE etant da dgnes que leurs
la polque adopte chez les nations lbres eque
pour oronner la guerr lis attendssent quele t soee
par la yoly du peuple.'
Monsieur Joseph Droz of the Institute has, in his excel
lent narrative of the Reign of Louis XVI particularly ves-
gaed and developed the reluctance and hesitation the mo-
march and cabinet His pages o. 2d) fully sanction the ex
position Of Condorce He presents alike the and con-
sderaOns which altered and fixed the policy of the Govern
men, excluding all idea of any affection paraly for the
dence for tier sake On the intelligence Of the capture of
Bougoyne army by the Americans and the consequent adj
vances OF the British Government to liberal reconciliation
with the Colonies, became evident to the French ministry
that the Americans must be conened and bound by
an open and complete alliance with France But there is
unquesonabe and curious testimony these heads the
Historic de ID Diplomatic Francase by Fassan, auhen-
tic reeaeH, which abundanty merits the edition aey
issued The sixth volume (of the edition of 1907 contains
the official records relating the American Revolution and
war. 1t furnishes entire confirmation of what have asserted
and cited above
ala nouyelle de la dcfate de la prise de Bourgoge"
Fassan Na les PROSECUTIONS de la Cour de Versailles
Les ofres que Angleterre fit Colonies, dams proiet
de cOneiaon de reunr eurs efforts la France pota
Ia France prsyenir lie coup saant Americans DE
plus, Ia Cour de Versailles t entrance par opnon de
presque tout Europe appellant Intervention drecte
protection favour des Americans lequcls
par eurs Efforts heroques ct DIES magnanmes sent
acqu DIES parsans depus lie tdne usque dams les ders
rangs sote quls avaient pour auxiare la Motto
France que Louis WI leur ournt des seco ct
sc tut pronounce ouvertement pour eux."
The manesoes which published by France and Eng
land at the conclusion of the treaty of l77S, equally establish
the motives Of the French Government by their acknowedg
ments and accusations.
The Court of Versailles lost time in trying to draw that
Of Madrid into the alliance The first letter Of Louis TO
\ Charles III. has this passage: ...
England and nveterae enemy, has been en-
gagged for three with her American colonies
We had agreed ntermeddle with it. and viewing both
sides English made trade free The that found
advantage in commercial intercourse In this manner
she destitute. do speak the money and
kinds Which have who