Volume II Part 19 (1/2)
”B FRANKLIN”
”_B Vaughan_
”October 24, 1788
”Having now finished e no more in public affairs, I hope to be a better correspondent for the little tiout, and a the History ofof which the persuasions contained in your letter of January 31, 1783, have not a little contributed I aland To shorten the work, as well as for other reasons, I omit all facts and transactions thatreader, by showing hi froree of wealth, power, and reputation, the advantages of certainthe errors which were prejudicial to e properly of his oork, I fancy, on reading over what is already done, that the bookand useful, an it If my present state of health continues, I hope to finish it this winter: when done, you shall have a ment and friendshi+p such remarks as may contribute to its improvement
”The violence of our party debates about the new constitution see fast into good order I kept out of those disputes pretty well, having wrote only one piece, which I send you enclosed
”I regret the iht uponof SwedenRussia When will princes learn arithh to calculate, if they want pieces of one another's territory, how much cheaper it would be to buy theive a hundred years' purchase; but if glory cannot be valued, and, therefore, the wars for it cannot be subject to arithes or disadvantages, at least wars for trade, which have gain for their object,nation, as well as a single trader, ought to calculate the probabilities of profit and loss before engaging in any considerable adventure This, however, nations seldobranches of commerce, than a hundred years' profit, or the full enjoyment of them can compensate
”B FRANKLIN”
”_To the President of Congress_
”Philadelphia, Nov 29, 1788
”SIR,
”When I had the honour of being the minister of the United States at the court of France, Mr Barclay arriving there, brought ress:
”'Resolved, That a coress with full power and authority to liquidate and _finally to settle_ the accounts of all the servants of the United States who have been intrusted with the expenditure of public money in Europe, and to commence and prosecute such suits, causes, and actions as may be necessary for that purpose, or for the recovery of any property of the said United States in the hands of any person or persons whatsoever
”'That the said commissioner be authorized to appoint one or more clerks, with such allowance as he may think reasonable
”'That the said commissioner and clerks respectively take an oath, before some person duly authorized to administer an oath, faithfully to execute the trust reposed in theress proceeded to the election of a co taken, Mr T Barclay was elected'
”In pursuance of this resolution, and as soon as Mr Barclay was at leisure fro business, I rendered to him all my accounts, which he examined and stated methodically By his statements he found a balance due to me on the 4th May, 1785, of 7533 livres, 19 sols, 3 deniers, which I accordingly received of the Congress Bank; the difference betweenonly seven sols, which by
”At my request, however, the accounts were left open for the consideration of Congress, and not finally settled, there being so soht them, for extra services, which he had not conceived himself empowered to allow, and therefore I did not put theress, and had advice of their being received On s I did was to despatch randson, W T Franklin, to New-York, to obtain a final settle acted aswell acquainted with the transactions, was able to give an explanation of the articles that , if any such there were He returned without effecting the settle told that it would not be made till the arrival of some documents expected from France What those documents were I have not been infor there had been exa been ied in public business of this state, I waited in expectation of hearing froress, in case any part of my accounts had been objected to
”It is now more than three years that those accounts have been before that honourable body, and to this day no notice of any such objection has been communicated to me But reports have for soated in newspapers, that I ae sums that had been put into ether with the little tie may expect to live, makes it necessary for ress would be pleased, without farther delay, to examine those accounts, and if they find therein any article or articles which they do not understand or approve, that they would cause me to be acquainted with the sa such explanations or reasons in support of them as may be in my power, and then that the account ress will soon be able to attend to this business for the satisfaction of the public, as well as in condescension to my request In the mean time, if there be no iether with another on the same subject, the copy of which is hereto annexed, be put upon their minutes
”B FRANKLIN”
”_Mrs Green_