348 Life of Count Rumford. 



" Meanwhile the report was circulated in America 

 that he had finally left Bavaria, and the government 

 of the United States, through the American Envoy at 

 London, addressed to him a formal and official invita- 

 tion to return to his native country, where an honora- 

 ble establishment would be provided for him. The 

 offer was accompanied by the most flattering assurances 

 of consideration and confidence." 



It is only after considerable inquiry and search given 

 to the investigation of the facts connected with this 

 interesting subject that I have succeeded in reaching 

 an authentic and clear account of them from original, 

 unprinted documents. I had thought it quite unlikely 

 tha,t the initiative step was taken by the government 

 of the United States in inviting the return of Count 

 Rumford to America, and in connecting with the 

 invitation the proffer of a place in the public service. 

 True, the great and well-deserved fame which the 

 Count had attained in Europe, and which was not 

 diminished, however it may have been qualified, as it 

 reached America, might have seemed to justify the 

 general government in overriding State enactments by 

 inviting home a proscribed citizen. But it was none 

 the less a fact that Count Rumford was under a legal 

 disability. He had been proscribed as having been 

 hostile to the American cause when he left the country, 

 and he had added to his original offence the graver 

 one of having guided the counsels and commanded 

 the forces of the enemy. The treaty of peace between 

 Great Britain and America pledged the general gov- 

 ernment to appeal to the State governments for a 

 degree of leniency toward the outlawed Tories ; but 

 this condition fell short of restoring citizenship, or a 



