gned the letter, which I sent the next
morning.[16]

A day or two after this, Mr A. Lee wrote a letter to Dr Franklin and
me, in which he expressed great uneasiness about the 11th and 12th
articles, and a desire to have them left out, on which we advised Mr
Lee to go himself to Versailles on the subject, which he accordingly
did, and we wrote to M. Gerard, by him, that we were content to have
the two articles left out, if agreeable to his Majesty.[17] As we had
just before unanimously agreed and written to have them retained, we
could not, with any consistency, make a point of their being expunged.
Mr Lee discoursed on the subject with M. Gerald, who satisfied him as
he thought at the time, and as we all then thought, of the impropriety
of making any alteration in the treaty, after it had been so maturely
considered; had been fully agreed upon by us all; had been approved
of in form by his Majesty, and ordered to be transcribed and signed.
Neither Mr William Lee nor Mr Izard ever spoke one word to me on the
subject, and I did not think myself authorised or at liberty to
consult them, or any other person on the subject, but my colleagues.

SILAS DEANE.

FOOTNOTES:

[15] "ARTICLE XIII. It is agreed by and between the said parties, that
no duties whatever shall ever hereafter be imposed on the exportation
of molasses from any of the islands and dominions of the Most
Christian King, in the West Indies, to any of these United States."

[16] The articles in question are as follows;

"ARTICLE XI. It is agreed and concluded, that there shall never be any
duty imposed on the exportation of molasses, that may be taken by the
subjects of any of the United States from the Islands of America,
which belong, or may hereafter appertain, to his Most Christian
Majesty.

"ARTICLE XII. In compensation of the exemption stipulated in the
preceding article, it is agreed and concluded, that there shall never
be any duties imposed on the exportation of any kind of merchandize,
which the subjects of his Most Christian Majesty may take from the
countries and possessions present or future of any of the thirteen
United States, for the use of the islands which shall furnish
molasses."

The treaty may be seen entire in the _Secret Journals of Congress_,
Vol. II. p. 59.

[17] See these letters in Arthur Lee's Correspondence, under the date
of January 30th, 1778.

*