DOCUMENTS REARING ON TREATY OF 1783. 73 



treating with America, though it might be good as to Spain and 

 Holland. He replied that he himself had no doubt of the sufficienc} r 

 of his power and was willing to act upon it. I then desired to have 

 a copy of the power, which he accordingly promised me. 



He would have entered into conversation on the topic of reconcil- 

 iation, but I chose still to waive it till I should find the negociation 

 more certainly commenced. . . . 



No. 39. 1782, June 16-21 : Extract from letter, Mr. GrenvUle to Mr. 



Fox. 

 [Private.] PARIS, June 16th, 1782. 



DEAR CHARLES : I received your letter of the 10th, by Ogg, on the 

 nio'ht of the 14th, and would have sent him back as immediately as 

 you seemed to wish, but having no other messenger to carry back 

 Mons. de Vergennes' answer, I was obliged to keep him till he could 

 be the bearer of that likewise. I can easily conceive the embarrass- 

 ment occasioned to you by my letter, and have so much confidence in 

 the honour of the persons to whom you communicated it, that I am 

 not under the smallest uneasiness on that account. The explanation, 

 however, that you wish to come to. certainly has its difficulties, and 

 amongst them some so sacred that unless they can be kept altogether 

 clear, you cannot but agree with me in thinking that they must be 

 buried at least in silence, though not in oblivion. In order, there- 

 fore, that you may see into every part of this business, I will, as you 

 desire, state in the most explicit manner the circumstances of it, as 

 far as I think they affect any confidence reposed in me. In the first 

 place, then, you will have observed that although Franklin has 

 actually made me no confidence (owing as I believe without doubt 

 to the reasons I stated,) yet as the communication he had said he 

 would make to me, was of the most confidential nature, and in full 

 trust that the subjects which he should mention should not be given 

 as propositions coming from him, I think it would be a breach of 

 that confidence to make it known even that he had promised to hold 

 such a conversation with me; and therefore to charge Lord Shelburne 

 with having diverted from me that expected communication, would 

 be to proclaim Franklin's promise to me, which promise, though it 

 has not been followed up, I cannot think myself at liberty to quote. 

 The delicacy of Franklin's situation with respect to the French court, 

 was, as he said, the ground of the caution which he observed; and 

 which nevertheless he was inclined to risque in my trust; he would 

 certainly have both to repent and to complain, if anything on my 

 part should lead to betray even the confidential disposition he had 

 entertained. These reasons you will I am sure agree with me in 

 considering as decisive against any mention being to be made of the 

 expectations I had formed from the conversations I Was to have had 

 with Franklin. The Canada paper is not perhaps quite under the 

 same circumstances: the only knowledge I have of it is from Oswald, 

 and as I before told you, I had it from him at a moment when I 

 fancy he apprehended that I had heard or should hear of it from 

 Franklin, no other reason can account for his not mentioning it from 

 the end of April till the 31st of May; he told it me under no express 

 limitation of confidence: the words in which he introduced it were 



