THE NORTHEAST COAST FISHERIES 483 



Eastern States are not thereby admitted to the fisheries, and in 

 particular to that of Newfoundland . . . and if the States should 

 agree relative to the fisheries, and be certain of partaking of them, 

 all his measures and intrigues would be directed toward the con- 

 quest of Canada and Nova Scotia ; but he could not have used a 

 fitter engine than the fisheries for stirring up the passions of the 

 eastern people, by renewing the question which has lain dormant 

 during his two years absence from Boston. He has raised the 

 expectations of the people to an extravagant pitch. The public 

 prints hold forth the importance of the fisheries. The reigning 

 toast in the East is " May the United States ever maintain their 

 rights to the fisheries." It has often been repeated in the delib- 

 erations of the General Courts, " no peace without the fisheries." 

 However clear the principle may be in this matter, it would be 

 useless, and even dangerous, to attempt informing the people 

 through the public papers. But it appears to me possible to 

 use all means for preventing the consequences of success to 

 Mr. Samuel Adams and his party ; and I take the liberty of sub- 

 mitting them to your discernment and indulgence. 



Jefferson did not act upon the peace commission, and 

 Laurens did so only at its close. Jay, who was then Minis- 

 ter at Madrid, had resided long enough abroad to become 

 thoroughly imbued with a distrust in the genuineness of 

 French and Spanish friendship toward his country, and 

 he deprecated his instructions to abide by the wishes of 

 any European sovereign. John Adams fairly blazed with 

 indignation at the humiliating conditions placed by Con- 

 gress upon himself and his associate commissioners, and he 

 determined to rebel against the meddling interference of the 

 French court, whose treachery to the United States touch- 

 Ing the fisheries he thoroughly understood. Franklin, then 

 United States Minister at Paris, had grown more com- 

 plaisant to French intrigues, or possibly he feared them less 

 than did his colleagues, but he nevertheless yielded to the 

 proposals of Adams and Jay, and the negotiations were con- 

 sequently carried on by the three American peace commis- 

 sioners entirely upon their own responsibility, and without 

 the aid or advice of De Vergennes or of the French court. 



The firmness of these men in adhering to their ultimatum 

 that a fishery clause granting ample rights to Americans 



