DOCUMENTS BEAEING ON TREATY OF 1783. 87 



June, and you are at liberty to communicate to Dr. Franklin such 

 parts of both as may be sufficient to satisfy his mind that there never 

 have been two opinions since you were sent to Paris, upon the most 

 unequivocal acknowledgment of American independency to the full 

 extent of the resolutions of the province of Maryland, inclosed to you 

 by Dr. Franklin. But, to put this matter out of all possibility of 

 doubt, a commission will be immediately forwarded to you contain- 

 ing full power to treat and to conclude, with instructions from the 

 Minister who has succeeded to the department which I lately held, to 

 make the independency of the colonies the basis and preliminary of 

 the treaty now depending and so far advanced that, hoping, as I do 

 with you, that the articles called advisable will be dropped, and those 

 called necessary alone retained as the ground of discussion, it may be 

 speedily concluded. 



I have only to add on this subject that these powers have been pre- 

 pared since the 21st June, were begun upon within twenty-four hours 

 of the passing of the Act, and completely finished in four days fol- 

 lowing, and have been since delayed owing to its being asserted that 

 your continuance at Paris prejudiced everything that was depending 

 which required that they should be entrusted exclusively to Mr. Gren- 

 ville. You know best the truth of this assertion. 



You very well know I have never made a secret of the deep con- 

 cern I feel in the separation of countries united by blood, by prin- 

 ciples, habits, and every tie short of territorial proximity. But you 

 very well know that I have long since given it up decidedly, though 

 reluctantly ; and the same motives which made me perhaps the last 

 to give up all hope of reunion, makes me most anxious, if it is given 

 up, that it shall be done decidedly, so as to avoid all future risk of 

 enmity, and lay the foundation of a new connection better adapted 

 to the present temper and interests of both countries. In this view, T 



fo further with Dr. Franklin perhaps than he is aware of, and 

 irther perhaps than the professed advocates of independence are pre- 

 pared to admit. . . . 



No. 54. 1782, July 31: Mr. Oswald's Instructions. 



(L. S.) George K. 



Orders and instructions to be observed by our trusty and well beloved 

 Richard Oswald, of the City of London Esquire, whom by virtue 

 of an Act passed in the present sessions of Parliament, entitled an 

 Act to enable His Majesty to conclude a peace or a truce with cer- 

 tain colonies in North America therein mentioned, we have ap- 

 pointed our commissioner for treating and concluding a peace with 

 any commissioner or commissioner named or to be named by the 

 said colonies or plantations, or any part or parts of them. 



Given at our Court at St. James's this 31st day of July 1782, and 

 in the twenty second year of our reign. 



Whereas report has been made to us by one of pur Principal Secre- 

 taries of State of information which he had received from B. Frank- 

 lin Esqr., of Philadelphia, now residing at or near to Paris to this 

 effect "that he, the said B. Franklin was commissioned with 



