in his industry and sobriety; and General Washington mentioned a further difficulty which would attend identifying the slave, supposing him to have changed his own name, or to have given in a wrong name to his master. In answer to which Sir Guy Carleton said, that as the negro was free and secured against his master, he could have no inducement to conceal either his own true name or that of his master. Sir Guy Carleton then observed that, by the treaty, he was not held to deliver up any property, but was only restricted from carrying it away; and therefore, admitting the interpretation of the treaty as given by General Washington to be just, he was, notwithstanding, pursuing a measure which would operate most for the security of the proprietors. For if the negroes were left to themselves, without care or control from him, numbers of them would very probably go off, and not return to the parts of the country from whence they came, or clandestinely get on board the transports in such manner as would not be in his power to prevent; in either of which cases an inevitable loss would ensue to the proprietors; but, as the business was now conducted, they had at least a chance for compensation. Sir Guy concluded the conversation on this subject by saying that he imagined that the mode of compensating, as well as the accounts and other points, with respect to which there was no provision made in the treaty, must be adjusted by commissioners to be hereafter appointed by the two nations. We, having been present at the conference, do certify the above to be true. GEORGE CLINTON, EGBERT BENSON, JONA. TRUMBULL. Copy of the Appointment and Instructions to the Commissioners to inspect and superintend Embarkations in New York. By his Excellency George Washington, Esquire, General and Commander-in-Chief of the Forces of the United States, &c.: To Egbert Benson, Esquire, Attorney General of the State of New York; William S. Smith, Esquire, Lieutenant Colonel in the service of the United States; and Daniel Parker, Esquire. Whereas, his Excellency Sir Guy Carleton, Commander-in-Chief of the British troops in the posts now occupied by his Britannic Majesty contiguous to the Atlantic, did, on the 14th of April last, write to the honorable Robert R. Livingston, one of the American Ministers, in the words following, viz: Whereas, Congress did, on the 24th of April, 1783, refer the said letter to me, with directions to take such measures for carrying into effect the several matters therein mentioned as to me should seem expedient; and whereas, I have thought it expedient and necessary that commissioners should be appointed for the purposes aforesaid, and to carry fully into execution the instructions of Congress "for obtaining the delivery of all negroes and other property 'of the inhabitants of the United States in the possession of the 'British forces, or any subjects of or adherents to his Britannic 'Majesty :" I do, therefore, in virtue of the powers vested in me as aforesaid, hereby nominate, constitute, and appoint you, the said Egbert Benson, William S. Smith, and Daniel Parker, commissioners on behalf of the United States, for the purposes before mentioned, and you are to attend particularly to the due execution of that part of the seventh article of the provisional treaty where it is agreed that his Britannic Majesty shall withdraw his armies, &c., from the United States, "without causing any destruction, or carrying away any negroes or other property of the American inhabitants;" and you, the aforesaid Egbert Benson, William S. Smith, and Daniel Parker, or any two of you, are hereby fully authorized and empowered to be present at New York, and to assist such persons as shall be appointed by the Commander-in-Chief of the British forces in New York, to inspect and superintend all embarkations which the evacuation of that place may require, and you are to represent to the said Commander-inChief every infraction of the letter or spirit of the aforesaid treaty, to the end that redress may be obtained, furnishing me, at the same time, with duplicates of all such representations or communications as may be made by you on the subject, with the result thereof; and making a general report of your proceedings at the termination of this commission. Relying on your patriotism, fidelity, and abilities, I do hereby further authorize and empower you, in transacting the aforesaid business, to act in conformity to your own judgment and discretion, in all such matters and things relative thereto as are not particularly specified herein. This commission to continue in force until the evacuation of New York shall be completely effected, unless sooner revoked. Given under my hand and seal, at Orange-Town, this 8th day of May, 1783. FROM JOHN ADAMS TO JOHN JAY. London, May 30, 1785. Dear Sir, I have redeemed a moment from a multitude of avocations, at this critical time, to acknowledge the receipt, by Colonel Smith, of your letters of the 31st of March, with the resolution of Congress enclosed of the 21st of March. As M. de St. Saphorin is many months ago recalled from the Hague, I shall make inquiry after him, and if I cannot find where he is, I shall communicate a copy of the resolution to the Danish Minister here, by whom it will be transmitted to his Court, which I suppose will be an execution of my instructions as near the spirit of them as is now practicable. The liberal decision of his Danish Majesty, respecting the ordination of American candidates for holy orders in the Episcopal Church, called the Church of England, as soon as it was known in England, produced a more liberal spirit and decision here than had prevailed before, so that I hope that respectable body of our fellow-citizens who are interested in it, have derived a benefit from it. I am much obliged to Congress for this instance of their approbation, and for the honor they have done me in transmitting an account of it to the Executives of the States. I have received, too, your letter of 13th of April, 1785, with the resolve of Congress of 14th February, 1785, empowering your Ministers to apply a sum not exceeding eighty thousand dollars to the use of treating with Morocco, &c. But I have heard nothing of Captain Lamb, or the papers by him. What my colleagues will judge proper to do, I cannot say, but the advice of the French Court was conformable to the opinion of us all, that it will be indispensable for Congress to send a Consul with full powers. I received, at Auteuil, my commission, instructions, and letter of credence to the Court of Great Britain, and have now received, by Colonel Smith, the papers sent by him. I received, at Auteuil, the ratification of the last loan in Holland, which I transmitted immediately to Amsterdam, where it has been received, registered, and communicated to the lenders of money, and has given them satisfaction, since which I have received from you, sir, duplicate and triplicate of the same ratification. The cypher is received, and shall be attended to. Your Ministers have written, monthly, an account of their proceedings. Not one packet has been missed; but when I left Auteuil, we had no certain evidence that any one of our letters had been received. We supposed that this was because Congress had not completed their instructions upon any of them; but I must beg the favor of you, sir, barely to mention the receipts of my letters and their dates, although you may not be prepared to answer them; without this one loses the chain of correspondence. I have been visited by some gentlemen, who, I suppose, had seen the Ministers, and learned from them what to say to me. They said that the Ministry and the King considered the appointment of a Minister as a proof of a conciliating disposition; that it was a relief to them from an anxiety, &c.; and that they were fully determined to receive me, in all respects, like all the other foreign Ministers. This, I believe, is true; but we must be cautious what consequences we draw from it. It by no means follows that they are determined to do what their honor and their public faith obliges them to do, according to our ideas of their obligations. It by no means follows that they will surrender the posts, restore the negroes, relieve the debtors, or make an equitable treaty of commerce. I hope they will do all these things; but I can ascertain nothing until my character is acknowledged by a public reception and audience of his Majesty, made my visits to his Ministers, and had time to enter into a candid discussion of these questions. You shall be punctually informed from step to step. With great esteem, &c., JOHN ADAMS. P. S. This morning Sir Clement Cottrell Dormer, master of the ceremonies, called upon me, to inform me that he was ordered to attend me to Court on Wednesday, as he did on all foreign Ministers at their first presentation, to shew them the way through the apartments, &c. Dear Sir, FROM JOHN ADAMS TO JOHN JAY. Bath Hotel, Westminster, June 1, 1785. In my letter of the 28th ultimo I enclosed copies of the letters which have passed between the Secretary of State and myself, wherein this day was fixed upon for my introduction to his Majesty. Agreeably to that arrangement, the master of ceremonies waited on me alone, and accompanied me to the Secretary's office, from whence Lord Caermarthen accompanied me to the palace. I was, in a very short time, introduced to the King's closet, where, with the usual ceremony, I presented my letter of credence to his Majesty, and after a few minutes' conversation retired. I have only time to observe, sir, that I was introduced with every necessary formality, and received with some marks of attention. The door being now opened, I may, perhaps, soon have it in my power to form some opinion respecting the general disposition of the King and his Ministers, relative to the objects of my mission, of which you may expect the earliest communication. I am, &c., JOHN ADAMS. Dear Sir, FROM JOHN ADAMS TO JOHN JAY. Bath Hotel, Westminster, June 2, 1785. During my interview with the Marquis of Caermarthen, he told me that it was customary for every foreign Minister, at his first presentation to the King, to make his Majesty some compliments conformable to the spirit of his credentials, and when Sir Clement Cottrel Dormer, the master of the ceremonies, came to inform me that he should accompany me to the Secretary of State, and to Court, he said that every foreign Minister whom he had attended to the Queen had always made an harangue to her Majesty, and he understood, though he had not been present, that they always harangued the King. On Tuesday evening the Baron de Lynden called upon me, and said he came from the Baron de Nolken, and had been conversing upon the singular situation I was sent in, and agreed in opinion that it was indispensable that I should make a speech, and that it should be as complimentary as possible; all this was parallel to the advice |