The Diplomatic Correspondence of the American Revolution, Vol. 09

United States -- Foreign relations -- 1775-1783; United States -- History -- Revolution, 1775-1783 -- Sources

For a long time, Gentlemen, we have heard nothing here of American
affairs, but through the wicked channel of your enemies, who do not
cease to paint the Americans as a people disunited and discordant.
These eternal repetitions, and their pretended success in Georgia, do
not fail to disquiet your friends and to embarrass all my endeavors.

I have the honor to be, &c.

                                                                DUMAS.

       *       *       *       *       *

                 TO THE COMMITTEE OF FOREIGN AFFAIRS.

                                            The Hague, May 15th, 1779.

  Gentlemen,

I have already had the honor of informing you many times, that some of
my frequent letters to Passy are of a nature not to be communicated to
you, even in abridgement, through the risk that my packets run of
being intercepted; such are, particularly, divers letters written to
Dr Franklin, from the 25th of January to the 29th of April. There is a
cabal of Genevan and Swiss bankers, as well in France as at Amsterdam,
friendly to your enemies, which does as much injury as it can under
the mask of friendship. It was my duty to unmask some of them to Dr
Franklin, and to make known to him a safe Anti-English patriotic
House, having the confidence of the magistracy of Amsterdam. The
Ministry in France know it.

Upon the last petitions of the merchants of Dort, Amsterdam,
Rotterdam, and Friesland, the States-General, after having previously
deliberated and advised, and then reconsidered the affair, adopted on
Monday, the 26th of April, the resolution to equip for the service of
the current year, 1779, thirtytwo vessels of war, as follows;

     4 vessels of 60 guns, 350 men =  240 guns, 1400 men.
     1   "        60  "    340  "  =   60  "     340  "
     1   "        60  "    290  "  =   60  "     290  "
     8   "        50  "    300  "  =  400  "    2400  "
     2 frigates   40  "    250  "  =   80  "     500  "
     8   "        36  "    230  "  =  288  "    1840  "
     7   "        20  "    150  "  =  140  "    1050  "
     1 snow       12  "    100  "  =   12  "     100  "
    --                               ----       ----
    32 vessels and frigates,         1280 guns, 7920 men.

Of these thirtytwo vessels and frigates, the College of Admiralty of
Meuse will furnish

     1 vessel of  60 guns  350 men =   60 guns   350 men.
     1    "       50  "    300  "  =   50  "     300  "
     3 frigates   36  "    230  "  =  108  "     690  "
     1    "       20  "    150  "  =   20  "     150  "
     1  snow      12  "    100  "  =   12  "     100  "
    --                               ----       ----
    7 vessels and frigates,           250 guns  1590 men.

The College of Amsterdam,

Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.

Opening the text

History

The Diplomatic Correspondence of the American Revolution, Vol. 09

United States -- Foreign relations -- 1775-1783; United States -- History -- Revolution, 1775-1783 -- Sources

For a long time, Gentlemen, we have heard nothing here of American
affairs, but through the wicked channel of your enemies, who do not
cease to paint the Americans as a people disunited and discordant.
These eternal repetitions, and their pretended success in Georgia, do
not fail to disquiet your friends and to embarrass all my endeavors.

I have the honor to be, &c.

                                                                DUMAS.

       *       *       *       *       *

                 TO THE COMMITTEE OF FOREIGN AFFAIRS.

                                            The Hague, May 15th, 1779.

  Gentlemen,

I have already had the honor of informing you many times, that some of
my frequent letters to Passy are of a nature not to be communicated to
you, even in abridgement, through the risk that my packets run of
being intercepted; such are, particularly, divers letters written to
Dr Franklin, from the 25th of January to the 29th of April. There is a
cabal of Genevan and Swiss bankers, as well in France as at Amsterdam,
friendly to your enemies, which does as much injury as it can under
the mask of friendship. It was my duty to unmask some of them to Dr
Franklin, and to make known to him a safe Anti-English patriotic
House, having the confidence of the magistracy of Amsterdam. The
Ministry in France know it.

Upon the last petitions of the merchants of Dort, Amsterdam,
Rotterdam, and Friesland, the States-General, after having previously
deliberated and advised, and then reconsidered the affair, adopted on
Monday, the 26th of April, the resolution to equip for the service of
the current year, 1779, thirtytwo vessels of war, as follows;

     4 vessels of 60 guns, 350 men =  240 guns, 1400 men.
     1   "        60  "    340  "  =   60  "     340  "
     1   "        60  "    290  "  =   60  "     290  "
     8   "        50  "    300  "  =  400  "    2400  "
     2 frigates   40  "    250  "  =   80  "     500  "
     8   "        36  "    230  "  =  288  "    1840  "
     7   "        20  "    150  "  =  140  "    1050  "
     1 snow       12  "    100  "  =   12  "     100  "
    --                               ----       ----
    32 vessels and frigates,         1280 guns, 7920 men.

Of these thirtytwo vessels and frigates, the College of Admiralty of
Meuse will furnish

     1 vessel of  60 guns  350 men =   60 guns   350 men.
     1    "       50  "    300  "  =   50  "     300  "
     3 frigates   36  "    230  "  =  108  "     690  "
     1    "       20  "    150  "  =   20  "     150  "
     1  snow      12  "    100  "  =   12  "     100  "
    --                               ----       ----
    7 vessels and frigates,           250 guns  1590 men.

The College of Amsterdam,

Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.

The Diplomatic Correspondence of the American Revolution, Vol. 09

The Diplomatic Correspondence of the American Revolution, Vol. 09

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