difficulty by offering such inducements, as
will infallibly lead both officers and men to prefer the public to any
private service whatever. The United States have not in view private
or partial, but public and extensive objects, the humbling our
enemies, the defence of our coasts, and the laying the foundation of a
great and flourishing marine. If the whole of the prize money be
divided among the seamen and officers, or suppose threefourths
actually shared, and the remainder appropriated for the building and
support of a hospital for sick, wounded, and disabled seamen, such a
resolution will be a generous one, and cannot fail of answering the
end. His Most Christian Majesty has generously done this for his
officers and seamen serving in his marine, by his ordinance of April
last.

Philadelphia, 13th November, 1778.

_P. S._ Apprehensive of being tedious when I wrote the above, I said
nothing on the methods for paying the interest for the first two or
three years, until a certain revenue can be established, for
considering the present depreciated state of our currency, and the
scarcity of specie, it cannot be instantly expected. I take therefore
the liberty of suggesting two methods, one of which will most
certainly answer the purpose. The first is to borrow of France or
Spain, the interest money for the first three years, by which, the
interest punctually paid, a credit will become established, and future
loans may be made if wanted, and our commerce will be so far restored,
that it will not be difficult to raise specie equal to the payment.
But should this method fail, there still remains a certain resource,
for even if the plan for equipping a navy be adopted, yet there will
still remain in bank, as will be seen by the calculation and estimate,
a sum sufficient for more than three years interest.

SILAS DEANE.

FOOTNOTES:

[18] There seems to be a mistake here, if the author's mode of
reckoning five livres to the dollar be adopted. The sum would then be
one million four hundred and seventy three thousand dollars.

* * * * *

TO THE PRESIDENT OF CONGRESS.

Philadelphia, 19th November, 1778.

Sir,

I did myself the honor of writing to you on the 7th of October last,
and having since received a letter from Mr Williams, I send