Lee never had a
commission to the commercial agency, though he is now executing it by
his agents. Mr Lee's caution was such, that he never even answered my
letters to him in February or March, informing him that Mr Robert
Morris had written to me, that he was appointed; nor did I learn
anything from him of his intentions, until he arrived at Paris the
summer following, where also he acted with the greatest caution, while
he waited the return of his brother from Berlin. Before and after his
being at Nantes, he went so far as even to desire Mr Williams and
others at Paris and at Nantes not to let it be known, that he had
anything to do in American affairs, as he said it would greatly
prejudice his interest in London; and so far was he from ever
executing, or publicly attempting to execute, that agency, until after
the news of General Burgoyne's defeat had arrived in France, that he
did nothing that ever I heard of, which could have prevented his
returning to the exercise of his Aldermanship in London.

Mr Izard is pleased to say, that "to let Mons. Gerard go away without
giving him the least intimation of it, was a very high insult to
Congress." It was not in our power to permit or prevent Mons. Gerard's
going away, and if we did not, circumstanced as we then were, think
ourselves authorised to communicate it to Mr Izard, I cannot conceive
this to be a high insult to Congress; certain it is, we meant no such
thing; we meant to serve, not insult that honorable body. "The
object," he says, "of these gentlemen is to have Mr Deane come back in
a public character, if not to France, perhaps to Holland, or some
other part of Europe, and therefore they are afraid of having reasons
given why this should not be the case." And he adds, "I am of opinion
that he is upon every account an improper person to be employed by
Congress." I have already appealed from this gentleman's opinions, so
I shall say nothing further about them; his reasons, if he offers any,
are to be judged of by Congress. I find, however, he had more
apprehensions than reasons in this part of his letter; his
apprehensions as well as opinions were in part at least groundless; he
was apprehensive lest my venerable colleague would solicit some
appointment for me; I do not learn that he has done it, I never
desired or expected that he would. Mr Izard, I presume, knew that I
had a very extensive correspondence with gentlemen of the mercantile
and monied interest and cha