[34] The insinuation here, that Dr Franklin was disposed to favor Mr Williams, because he was his nephew, seems to have been made without just grounds. The contrary indeed would appear from the following extract of a letter, written by Dr Franklin to Mr William Lee, March 6th, 1778, when Mr Lee proposed to him that the Commissioners should appoint Mr Williams as a commercial agent at Nantes. “Your proposition,” says Dr Franklin, “about appointing agents in the ports, shall be laid before the Commissioners when they meet. In the mean time, I can only say, that as to my nephew, Mr Williams, though I have from long knowledge and experience of him a high opinion of his abilities, activity, and integrity, will have no hand in his appointment, or in approving it, not being desirous of his being in any way concerned in that business. “I am obliged to you for your good opinion of my nephew, manifested in your intention of nominating him as above, and I beg you to accept my thanks, though for particular reasons, which you know, I do not wish him to accept the employment.” [35] For a full explanation of all the charges contained in this letter, see Silas Deane’s Correspondence in the present work, Vol. I, p. 139, under the date of October 12th, 1778,--also, p. 148 of the same volume. And for a further notice of Mr Williams’s accounts, see p. 172. TO M. DUMAS. Chaillot, June 4th, 1778. Dear Sir, It gave me great pleasure to receive the key to the treasure you sent us before in Dutch, my unacquaintance with which having prevented me from knowing how much I was obliged to you, for the improvement made in the little essay I had the honor of sending to you. _Felix faustumque sit._ May it open the eyes of your people to their own interests, before a universal bankruptcy in England, and a compelled frugality in America, have deprived them of the golden opportunity of extricating themselves from bad debtors, and connecting themselves with good ones. So fair an opportunity of sharing in the most valuable commerce on the globe, will never again present itself; and, indeed, they are greatly obliged to the noble and disinterested principles of the Court of France, which prevented this country from attempting to possess itself of the monopoly, which Great Britain had forfeited. In truth, they were great and wise principles, and the connexion formed upon them will be durable. France, and the rest of Europe, can never pay too large a tribute of praise to the wisdom of The Most Christian King, and his Ministers, in this transaction. You are happy in having the esteem and counsel of the Grand Facteur, who seems to have equal good sense and good intentions. Our enemies seem embarrassed in their operations. As far as we can learn, their fleet has not yet sailed for America to save the Howes from the fate that hangs over them. We have no intelligence on which we can rely. I have the honor to be, &c.