242 THE PORTRAIT GALLERY 
him of disloyalty, his success with the British Parliament in nulli- 
fying it in 1766, restored him to popularity. He became repre- 
sentative in London of practically all the colonies and remained 
fighting obnoxious legislation and taxes until 1775, when a signi- 
ficant closing sentence in a letter from his friend THomas Wat- 
POLE, “I hereby wish you a prosperous voyage and long health,” 
sent him hurrying home before British bailiffs could incarcerate 
him. In 1776 he was deputed by Congress head of the committee 
that talked peace terms with ApmiraL Howe, at the Britisher’s 
request. About the close of 1776 he arrived in Paris, at seventy 
years of age, and was acclaimed a popular hero. He secured a 
loan and military assistance from the French government, estab- 
lished a system of commissioned privateers, adjucated prize 
money disputes, quieted mutineers, secured the recognition of the 
United States as an independent nationality, secured the first 
accredited French Minister to America in 1778, and became the 
first American minister plenipotentiary the following year. His 
most delicate bit of work following this was the securing of $6,- 
000,000 loan to finance four more years of war. He repeatedly 
tried to return to America after 1781 but congress refused his 
resignation. With Joun Apams and Joun Jay he drew up the pro- 
visional treaty of peace with Great Britain that established Amer- 
ican independence, and then arranged commercial treaties with 
Denmark, Portugal and Morocco. Just before leaving Europe 
he secured the signature of Prussia to a treaty that abolished pri- 
vateering and secured private property from destruction by land 
or sea in time of war. GENERAL WASHINGTON declared this to 
“mark a new era in international morality.” His last efforts in 
diplomacy were directed toward the abolition of the slave trade. 
