DOCUMENTS BEARING ON TEEATY OF 1783. 163 



In a matter, however, of this extreme delicacy and importance, I 

 cannot omit recommending to you for the same reasons which I have 

 already stated to you, that you should have the precaution previous 

 to vonr signing to receive from Mr. Strachey and Mr. Fitzherbert 

 their opinions under their hands signifying their concurrence in the 

 measure. 



I am &c THOS. TOWNSHEND. 



No. 101. 1782 , November 19-20: Extracts from Mr. Adams' Diary. 



NOVEMBER 19. 1782. 



" .... if I were the King of Great Britain .... I would send 

 the Earl of Effingham ambassador to Congress, instructed to assure 

 them that I would do them my best offices to secure to them the 

 fisheries, their extent to the Mississippi, and the navigation of that 

 river : that I would favor all their negotiations in Europe, upon their 

 own plan of making commercial treaties with all nations, that I 

 would interpose my good offices with the Barbary States, to procure 

 them Mediterranean passes, etc." 



20. Wednesday, Dr. Franklin came in, and we fell into conversa- 

 tion ; from one thing to another we came to politics. I told him, that 

 it seemed uncertain, whether Shelbourne could hold his ground with- 

 out leaning upon Lord North, on one hand, or Fox, on the other; that 

 if he joined North, or North and company should come in, they 

 would go upon a contracted system, and would join people at this 

 Court to deprive us of the Mississippi and the fisheries, &c. ; if Fox 

 came in, or joined Shelbourne, they would go upon a liberal and 

 rnanly system ; and this was the only chance they had ; no nation had 

 ever brought itself into such a labyrinth ; perplexed with the demands 

 cf Holland, Spain, France, and America, their funds were failing, 

 and the money undertaken to be furnished was not found. Franklin 

 said, that the bank came in aid, and he learned that large sums of 

 scrip were lodged there. "In this situation," said I, "they have no 

 chance but to set up America very high ; and, if I were King of Great 

 Britain, I would take that tone; I would send the first duke of the 

 kingdom ambassador to Congress, and w T ould negotiate in their favor 

 at all the neutral courts, &c. ; I would give the strongest assurances 

 to Congress of support in the fisheries, the Mississippi, &c. and would 

 compensate the tories myself." 



I asked, what could be the policy of tlais Court in wishing to de- 

 prive us of the fisheries and Mississippi? I could see no possible 

 motive for it, but to plant seeds of contention for a future war; if they 

 pursued this policy, they would be as fatally blinded to their true 

 interests as ever the English were. Franklin said, they would be 

 every bit as blind; that the fisheries and Mississippi could not be 

 given up ; that nothing was clearer to him than that the fisheries were 

 essential to the Northern States, and the Mississippi to the Southern, 

 and, indeed, both to all. I told him that MF. Gerard had certainly 

 appeared to America, to negotiate to these ends, namely, to persuade 

 Congress to give up both; this was the reason of his being so un- 

 popular in America, and this was the cause of their dislike to Samuel 

 Adams, who had spoken very freely both to Gerard and his Congress 



