America as she could consistently, the other was better skilld in the commercial Part of his Agency than the political. The one in London in the Months of March and April discoverd that he might successfully & actually did treat with a Merchant in France of no Capital but a favorite at Court for a Supply to the Value of L200,000 sterling--the other arrivd in the Month of June following, found him out & was somehow concernd in forwarding the Supplys thus contracted for. I dare say you are apt to draw this Conclusion that the one was the political Negotiator in this Instance & the other the Commercial Agent only--yet, will you believe it, it is positively affirmd that the one did every thing & the other Nothing. I will explain it to you in my next. 1 Cf. Vol. III., p. 269. TO SAMUEL COOPER. [MS., Samuel Adams Papers, Lenox Library.] Jany 19-79 MY DEAR SIR Inclosd is the Newspaper of this Day. Philalethes in attempting to show that the Supplys from France were not a Present from that Court, which nobody that I know of has asserted, has abundantly proved one thing which Common Sense has insisted on viz that A Lee had been negociating with Mr Beaumarchais for those Supplys, before Mr Dean arrivd there. No one I suppose would have thought of weighing Mr Deans Merit so critically, had he appeard content with his full Share of it. But when he takes so much Pains to represent his Colleagues as having done Nothing, it becomes a Piece of Justice to enquire whether they have in Reality been such unconcernd or impotent Spectators of their Countrys Misery and Want. Dr Franklin has the Honor of being Mr Deans venerable Friend; Mr Lee, an insignificant or troublesome Colleague. And yet Mary Johnsons assiduous Applications procurd the sending a Ship loaded with Merchandise & Stores to the Value of twenty five Thousand Pounds Sterling; and this Negociation was settled before Mr Deans Arrival in France. Mr Lee acted as the political Minister. He pressd on Mr Beaumarchais "the maintaining the War in America as the great Object." And indeed it was so. Mr Lee and every Man of Discernment knew, that it was the Policy of France to consider it in this View. On this Consideration he succeeded, and yet, says Mr Beaumarchais, "the Gratitude of Congress is due to the indefatigable Pains Mr Dean has taken thro' the whole of the Commercial Transaction." The Truth is, as I suppose, that Mr Dean did not care to return without some such Letter of Recommendation; and it was probably as easily obtaind as the other which I mentiond in my last. Mr Beaumarchais is a Man of Ingenuity & Wit. Horace was the Delight of the Court of Augustus. A Royal Letter & a Snuff Box, as I once told one of my Friends, are Things of Course, especially in the Honey Moon of National Matrimony. A Monarch politely compliments thro' the Minister the Ministers Sovereign. When the Merchant and the Courtier unite in one Man, the Courtier is safe in