Your letters, exclusive of their intrinsic merit, have been more peculiarly acceptable to Congress, from the circumstance of our having been deprived of the satisfaction of receiving intelligence from the hands of our Commissioners in Paris since May of last year. Besides those of their despatches, which have been lost at sea, we know one has been examined and culled by some perfidious villain, who substituted plain sheets of paper for the real letters of our friends. This was probably done in Europe, before the bearer of it, a Captain John Folger, embarked with it for America. Your ideas of the policy of the Court of Versailles appear quite just, from the corroborating testimony of whatever information we can collect in any way. The course of Gazettes, which accompany this, will so well communicate our home affairs, that I shall not enlarge upon them. I will only say, in brief, that you may rest assured, independence is so absolutely adopted by America, as to leave no hope for Britain that we shall ever relinquish our claim. It must, therefore, be only to delude her own islanders and neighbors, that she pretends to expect the contrary. In addition to the misfortune which you mention respecting the Lexington, we are told of a greater, and one which will more intimately affect you, respecting the Reprisal, which is said to have foundered on the 1st of October. Your acquaintance with Captain Wickes will lead you to lament greatly the loss of so valuable an officer and so worthy a man. I enclose you a list of your letters as they came to hand, both for your own satisfaction and to command your belief of my regard for you, as a faithful corresponding agent, and of my professions of being, Sir, &c. JAMES LOVELL, _For the Committee of Foreign Affairs_. * * * * * M. GERARD TO THE COMMISSIONERS. Translation. Versailles, March 17th, 1778. Gentlemen, I am charged to acquaint you, that you will be presented to the King next Friday, if you will have the goodness to render yourselves here at ten o'clock in the morning. Count de Vergennes hopes you will do him the honor to dine with him on the same day. I have the honor to be, with high consideration, &c. GERARD. * * * * * FROM THE COMMITTEE OF FOREIGN AFFAIRS TO THE COMMISSIONERS. York, 24th March, 1778. Gentlemen, I cannot consent to omit this opportunity of addressing a few lines to you, though the state of our military operations affords nothing material.