96 APPENDIX TO BRITISH COUNTER CASE. 



And the doctor said it was a good plan, and the only one that could 

 make the peace lasting. And which also put him in mind of a story in 

 the Roman history, in the early time of the Republic. When, being 

 at war with the State of Tarentum, and the Tarentines having the 

 worst of it, they sent to the Senate to ask for peace ; the Ambassador 

 being called in, the Senate told him they agreed to give them peace, 

 and then asked him how long he thought it would last. To which he 

 answered, That would be according to the conditions. If they were 

 reasonable the peace would be lasting. If not it would be short. 

 The Senate seemed to resent this freedom of expression. But a 

 member got up and applauded it, as fair and manly, and as justly 

 challenging a due regard to moderation on their part. 



It is not easy for me to say how happy I felt myself at the conclu- 

 sion of this quotation. The terms and conditions, it is true, remained 

 undecided, and comprehend, no doubt, a very serious question, al- 

 though not material to what I aimed at. Nor did I conceive them to 

 lie so much in my way as in that of another department, by the con- 

 cern which the French Minister took in settling the principle. Nor 

 did I trouble myself about the possible inefficacy of it, as still depend- 

 ing in some degree on the obligations of treaty, however cautiously 

 adjusted, and therefore I did not think it proper to touch upon that 

 point, nor to say anything on the subject of terms or conditions. 



I thought myself sufficiently satisfied in getting clear of my appre- 

 hensions of those ill-founded suspicions of a supposed American 

 guarantee being intended, as mentioned in the papers of the 9th 

 instant, and at the same time asking pardon of those to whom that 

 design was unjustly imputed, and which upon my return from this 

 visit, I should have certainly struck out of those papers, if I did not, 

 with all submission, incline to think that, by remaining under the eye 

 of Government, they may help to show that the question of the possi- 

 bility of such guarantee taking place on some future occasion, may 

 still not be undeserving of attention. As to the consequences of such 

 measure, whenever it happens (as pointed out in the said paper of 

 the 9th), there can be no doubt. Nor do I think it requires much 

 ingenuity in the Americans quickly to discover the expediency and 

 benefit of resorting to it on a variety of occasions, particularly in 

 case of our insisting on terms in the present treaty, or acting a part 

 in our future correspondence with them, which we cannot support in 

 such manner as to make it appear to them to be their interest, (and 

 consistent with their engagements and the character they have 

 adopted) quietly and contentedly to submit to. 



I am the more ready to hazard the freedom of these observations, 

 and the danger of exciting into action, the least experiment of this 

 kind of combined interposition of the American provinces, upon 

 reflecting on Dr. Franklin's hint or caution, as reported in one of 

 my letters of last month, " not to force them into the hands of other 

 people." 



Which I hope will never happen ; but, on the contrary, after laying 

 the foundation of peace in the best manner that can be done, on the 

 bottom of which the Congress wish it to stand, by an amicable and 

 final agreement with their commissioners here, every possible meas- 

 ure may thereafter be taken, to promote a temper of reconciliation 

 and amity over the whole of that country. As yet there has been 

 nothing done in a separate way, however unjustly suspected, to 



