Transcriber's Notes: Underscores "_" before and after a word or phrase indicate _italics_ in the original text. Equals signs "=" before and after a word or phrase indicate =bold= in the original text. A series of underscores (_____) is used to represent blank spaces in the original text. Small capitals have been converted to BLOCK capitals. Antiquated spellings have been preserved. Typographical errors have been silently corrected but other variations in spelling and punctuation remain unaltered. Where double quotes have been repeated at the beginnings of consecutive stanzas, they have been omitted for clarity. Footnotes have been moved to the bottom of the letter in which they occur. THE DIPLOMATIC CORRESPONDENCE OF THE AMERICAN REVOLUTION. VOL. II. THE DIPLOMATIC CORRESPONDENCE OF THE AMERICAN REVOLUTION. BEING THE LETTERS OF BENJAMIN FRANKLIN, SILAS DEANE, JOHN ADAMS, JOHN JAY, ARTHUR LEE, WILLIAM LEE, RALPH IZARD, FRANCIS DANA, WILLIAM CARMICHAEL, HENRY LAURENS, JOHN LAURENS, M. DE LAFAYETTE, M. DUMAS, AND OTHERS, CONCERNING THE FOREIGN RELATIONS OF THE UNITED STATES DURING THE WHOLE REVOLUTION; TOGETHER WITH THE LETTERS IN REPLY FROM THE SECRET COMMITTEE OF CONGRESS, AND THE SECRETARY OF FOREIGN AFFAIRS. ALSO, THE ENTIRE CORRESPONDENCE OF THE FRENCH MINISTERS, GERARD AND LUZERNE, WITH CONGRESS. Published under the Direction of the President of the United States, from the original Manuscripts in the Department of State, conformably to a Resolution of Congress, of March 27th, 1818. EDITED BY JARED SPARKS. VOL. II. BOSTON: NATHAN HALE AND GRAY & BOWEN. G. & C. & H. CARVILL, NEW YORK. 1829. HALE’S STEAM PRESS. No. 6 Suffolk Buildings, Congress Street, Boston. CONTENTS OF THE SECOND VOLUME. ARTHUR LEE’S CORRESPONDENCE. Page. From the Committee of Secret Correspondence to Arthur Lee. Philadelphia, December 12th, 1775, 5 Dumas.--Important to know the disposition of foreign powers.--Necessity of secrecy. To Benjamin Franklin. London, February 13th, 1776, 6