The Diplomatic Correspondence of the American Revolution, Vol. 12
History
The Diplomatic Correspondence of the American Revolution, Vol. 12
United States -- Foreign relations -- 1775-1783; United States -- History -- Revolution, 1775-1783 -- Sources
You have in the enclosed paper an account of receipts and expenditures
from the commencement of the year to the end of the last month; by
which it appears, that there is an advance on credit to the amount of
near six hundred thousand dollars, exclusive of what may appear in Mr
Swanwick's accounts for the month of April. A large sum is also due on
General Greene's drafts, and the contractors are to be paid in this
month for the supplies of January last. At the end of this month,
therefore, that anticipation must necessarily be much increased, as
will appear from the slightest reflection after what is to be said of
our resources.
These are either foreign or domestic. As to the first, I enclose the
copy of the last letter I have received from Mr Grand, and I have to
add to what is contained in that letter, that the day it was received,
my drafts on him, over and above those mentioned in it, amounted to
three millions forty thousand two hundred and seventyeight livres. I
have directed, therefore, Mr Barclay to pay over to Mr Grand any
moneys, which may be in his possession, and I have directed Messrs
Willink & Co. of Amsterdam to do the same, after deducting what may be
necessary to pay the interest of their loan falling due the 1st of
June next. But as I have no accounts of how much has been borrowed
since the end of January, and as all which had been borrowed before
was disposed of, I cannot determine how far they can come in aid of Mr
Grand. Neither can I tell until the receipt of his accounts what aid
he may stand in need of. In these circumstances I am obliged to leave
about eighteen hundred thousand livres (which remain of a sum placed
in the hands of Messrs Le Couteulx for answering drafts intended
through Havana,) to answer any deficiency of other funds to pay my
drafts on Mr Grand. These then, Gentlemen, are all the foreign
resources, except what the French Court may advance on the late
resolutions of Congress, and you will see by the enclosed translation
of a letter from the Minister of France, what little hope is to be
entertained from that quarter.
Our domestic resources are twofold. First, certain goods and other
property, such as horses, wagons, &c. These latter will produce very
little, and the former are, by the peace, very much reduced in value,
and from the nature of the goods themselves they are chiefly
unsaleable. Very little reliance, therefore, can be placed on this
first dependence. The amount I cannot possibly ascertain, for I do not
yet know, and cannot until the opening of them now in hand shall be
completed, the kinds, quality and situation. Some are damaged, those
which were deemed most saleable have been tried at vendue, and went
under the first cost, and much the greater part will certainly not
sell at a fourth of their value.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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