PEKTAINING TO NEGOTIATION OF TREATY OF 1783. 229 



I said moreover, That if they persisted in this Demand, there 

 could be nothing done until the Meeting of Parliament, and perhaps 

 for some considerable time thereafter. That certain Articles had 

 been already agreed upon, and if "We went on and settled the Treaty 

 on that footing, with Independence standing as the first Article of it, 

 we might give opportunity to the Foreign Treaties to be going on 

 at the same time; so as, for a conclusion of a general Peace, there 

 might be nothing wanting, at the meeting of Parliament, but a con- 

 firmation of the first Article, in case it should be then thought neces- 

 sary ; which I imagined would not be the case. 



In answer to this M r . Jay said, there could be no judgment formed 

 as to when the Foreign Treaties would end, and that until that with 

 France was concluded, they of the Colonies could not give us either 

 Peace or Truce. Nor could they presume so much as to give an 

 opinion of the Demands of France, whatever they might be; since 

 until their Independence was acknowledged, absolute and uncon- 

 nected with Treaty they were as nobody; and as no People. And 

 France could tell them so if they were to pretend to interfere; having 

 failed to acquire that character, for which they had jointly contended. 

 And therefore they must go on with France until England gave 

 them satisfaction on the point in question. That to this they were 

 bound by Treaty; which their constituents were determined honcstyly 

 and faithfully to fullfil. That being the case it could not be expected 

 that they as Servants, could take it upon them to dispense with the 

 said acknowledgment. 



That by looking over the Sundry Eesolves of their Congress I 

 might sec that that a- enibly did not mean to seek for their character 

 in any Article of any Treaty: and for that purpose M r . day recom- 

 mended to me the perusal of sundry parts of their proceedings as 

 they stood in the Journals of the Congress which he would mark out 

 for me; and if I would extract and send tliem to England, they 

 would serve at Least as an excuse for them as Commissioners, in 

 thinking themselves bound to abide by their demand. M r . Jay accord- 

 ingly gave me four volumes of their Journals, with sundry passages 

 markt out a above. >M r . Whiteford has been so good to copy them 

 out; and they are enclosed. 



M r . day was kind enough also to read to me an Article of their 

 Instructions to the same purpose, and likewise containing para- 

 graphs of two late Letters from his Colleague, M'. John Adams in 

 Holland, expressly declaring that they ought not to proceed in a 



ln;itv with England, Until! their Independence is acknowledged. 



In the cour e of the e conver ations it may be supposed this (ien- 

 tleman tool< frequent opportunities t<> refer to the oner by M r . Gren- 



ville, to acknowledge their Independence in the first Instance, which 



they always con idered to be ab olute, and unconnected in every shape' 

 with a Treaty; and could not conceive the reason why that which 



we were willing to give them in May should be refused III August. 



If it proceeded from there being less confidence on our side, on this 

 occasion, the change ought to make them -till more cautious than 

 usual on their part. M . day also insisted on thai offer of M . '■ rren- 

 ville. as a proof, thai the 3ame thing being denied now. could nol pro- 

 ceed from any supposition of re trainl in the enabling Act. 



To avoid being tedious I forbear repeating a great inan\ mure 

 things to the same purpose which pac ed in those conversations with 



