138 APPENDIX TO BRITISH COUNTER CASE. 



the French insist upon a great many fish. I dined yesterday with M. 

 Berkenrode, the Dutch ambassador, and M. Brantzen, his colleague. 

 They were both very frank and familiar, and confessed to me that 

 nothing had been said to them, and that they could learn nothing as 

 yet of the progress of the negociation. Berkenrode told me as an 

 honest man that he had no faith in the sincerity of the English for 

 peace as yet ; on the contrary, he thought that a part of Lord Howe's 

 fleet had gone to America, and that there was something meditated 

 against the French West India Islands. I doubt this, however; but 

 we shall soon know where my Lord Howe is. That something is 

 meditating against the French or Spaniards, and that they think of 

 evacuating New York for that end, I believe. Berkenrode seemed 

 to fear the English, ard said like a good man that in case any severe 

 stroke should be struck against France it would be necessary for Hol- 

 land and America to discover a firmness. This observation had my 

 heart on its side; but without an evacuation of New York they can 

 strike no blow at all, nor any very great one with it. 



Mr. Oswald has made very striking overtures to us ; to agree to the 

 evacuation of New York; to write a letter to General Washington 

 and another to Congress advising them to permit this evacuation, to 

 agree that neither the people nor the army should oppose this evacu- 

 ation or melest the British army in attempting it ; nay, further, that 

 we should agree that the Americans should afford them all sorts of 

 aid, and even supplies of provisions. These propositions he made to 

 us in obedience to an instruction from the minister, and he told us 

 their army were going against West Florida to re-conquer that from 

 the Spaniards. Our answer was that we could agree to no such 

 things; that General Washington could enter into a convention with 

 them for the terms upon which they should surrender the city of New 

 York and all its dependencies, as Long Island, Staten Island, &c., to 

 the arms of the United States. All that we could agree to was that 



the effects and persons of those who should stay behind 

 84 should have six months to go off, nor could we agree to this 



unless as an article to be inserted in the general peace. 

 I have the honor to be, &c., 



JOHN ADAMS. * 



No. 95. 178%, November 8: Extract from letter, Mr. Adams to Mr. 



Dana. 



PARIS, November 8, 1782. 



DEAR SIR : The King of Great Britain, by patent, under the great 

 seal of his kingdom, has created Richard Oswald, esq., to be his 

 minister plenipotentiary to treat with the ministers of the United 

 States of America. Thus Great Britain is the third power in Europe 

 to acknowledge our independence. She can no longer, therefore, 

 contend that it is a breach of the armed neutrality, or an hostility 

 against her, to acknowledge American independence. This is so es- 

 sential a change in the state of things, that I think, and Mr. Jay 

 thinks, you will now have a reasonable ground to expect succoss. . . . 



