152 



the people of Massacliusetts to consent to no treaty of peace which did 

 not guaranty to them the right of ree fishing upon their ancient fishing 

 grounds; that the reigning toast among these people was, "May ihe 

 United States (^cr maintam their rights to the Jisherics f that the pubhc 

 prints in Massachusetts discussed the importance of adhering to the 

 sentiment; and that the general court of that State, in the course of 

 their deliberations, gave frequent utterance to the popular voice. These 

 representations were substantially true, and Marbois committed no wrong 

 in communicating them to his court. But he did not stop here, for he 

 suggested means to defeat the expectations of the eastern States; to dis- 

 appoint "Samuel Adams and his party," and to secure the fisheries to his 

 own country. This communication was dated at Philadelphia in March, 

 and in September following was in the hands of the American commis- 

 sioners at Paris. 



Mr. Jay expressed the opinion that M. de Marbois disclosed the real 

 wishes of his government upon the subject of the fisheries ; and Mr. Madi- 

 son remarks, that upon receipt of letters fi'om Franklin and others, there 

 was "much indignation against tlie author of the intercepted" despatch, 

 "and visible emotions in some against France." ]Mr. Adams wrote to 

 Robert R. Livingston, from Paris, November S, 1782, that, "If Congress 

 or their ministers abroad suffer themselves to be intimidated by threats, 

 slanders, or insinuations, we shall be duped out of the fishery, the Mis- 

 sissippi, much of the western lands, compensation to the tories, and 

 Penobscot at least, if not Kennebec. This," he adds, "is my solemn 

 opinion, and I will not be answerable to my country, posterity, or my 

 own mind, for the consequences that might happen from concealing it." 



The suspicion that France was secretly promoting the views of Eng- 

 land increased as the negotiation progressed. "We knew," said Mr. 

 Adams, that the French ministry "were often insinuating to the British 

 ministers things against us, respecting the fisheries, tories, &c., during 

 the negotiation, and Mr. Filzherbert* told me that the Count de Ver- 

 gennes had 'fifty times reproached him for ceding the fisheries, and 

 said it was ruining the English and French commerce both.' " Again, 

 he records in his journal that Mr. Jay had informed him "that our allies 

 did not play fair. They were endeavoring to deprive us of the fishery, 

 the western lands, and the navigation of the Mississippi. They would 

 even bargain with the English to deprive 2is of the^yiy 



Mr. Jay himself relates that he "dined with Dr. Franklin, and found 

 Mr. Rayneval there." * * * Raj'neval "asked what we expected as 

 to the fisheries ? We said, the same right we had formerly enjoyed. 

 He contested the propriety of tne demand, adding some striciuns on the 

 ambition and restlessness of Mr. Adams, and intimated that we might be 

 contented with the coast fishery. This coincidence between the lan- 

 guage of the confidential secretar}'^ of Count Vergennes," continues Mr. 

 Jay, "and that of the French charge d'affaires at Philadelphia, (M. de 

 Marbois,) in relation to the fisheries and the conduct of Samuel Adams, 

 is of itself a strong evidence of the real views of the French cabinet." 



The American commissioners were probably mistaken. Whatever 

 their impressions relative to the course of the French court, evidence in 



*Oae of the British commissiouers. 



