id before Congress the letter, which I did myself the honor of
writing to your Excellency a few days since. I now return you my
thanks for the attention you have paid me, and again take the liberty
to ask of you to remind Congress, that the circumstances under which I
left France, and the situation of the affairs in Europe, which I had
been principally concerned in transacting, (as I had the honor of
mentioning to Congress) render it indispensably necessary on my part,
that I return as early as possible, and that if my further attendance
here is not necessary, I pray to be informed of it, that I may be at
liberty to visit my friends, and prepare for my voyage; or that if
further intelligence is expected from me, I may have an early
opportunity of giving it.

I flatter myself your Excellency and the Congress will not judge my
repeated applications improper, when the circumstances which attended
my leaving Europe, and the situation I have been in since my arrival
in America, are recollected and considered.

I have the honor to be, &c.

SILAS DEANE.

* * * * *

TO THE PRESIDENT OF CONGRESS.

Philadelphia, 22d September, 1778.

Sir,

In consequence of an order of Congress on the 8th of December, 1777,
for me to embrace the first opportunity of returning to America, and
"upon my arrival to repair with all possible despatch to Congress,
that they might be well informed of the state of affairs in Europe in
that critical juncture," I left Paris the 1st of April last, having
received the order on the 4th of March preceding, and arrived in
Philadelphia, the seat of Congress, on the 13th of July following,
ready at the pleasure of Congress to render such information as was in
my power to give. In this situation I continued until the 15th of
August, when I received the order of Congress to attend them on the
17th, on which day, and on the 21st, I had the honor personally to
inform Congress generally, of my public transactions under their
authority from the time of my departure from Philadelphia in March,
1776, until my return.

In these audiences, I particularly stated and explained the unsettled
state, in which the commercial transactions of the commissioners in
Europe were at my departure, and that as well from their nature and
extent, as that even at my departure from Paris