to the consideration of Congress, whether from the 4th of
March to the 30th, the day I left Paris, I could possibly have been
better employed, and whether I could have justified myself, or been
even excused by others, had I neglected these objects, and delayed to
pay the most immediate attention to the order of Congress, for the
mere purpose of collecting in and adjusting accounts from the
different ports of France; accounts which could not be collected and
closed under several months, and in the settlement of which my
colleagues were equally interested with myself.

I say I submit this to the consideration of Congress, nor do I fear
publicly to submit it to the world, or even to those enemies whom I am
so unfortunate as to have in it. The voice of my friend and colleague,
Doctor Franklin, with that of my other noble friends and patrons in
France to me was,--"Lose not a moment on any object either public or
private; the fleet at Toulon will be ready by the time you arrive
there; by no means let it wait a moment for you; you may sail early in
April, and be in America in the course of the month of May; you may
finish the information you have to give Congress immediately, and
return to France by the time the accounts you have been concerned in
can be got ready for settlement." It cannot be supposed, that I wanted
to be urged to take the part I did; on the contrary, I exerted myself
to the utmost in my power to get away as early and as secretly as
possible, being convinced that the plan was well laid, happy to find
the ministry had come so readily into it, and sensible how much
depended on despatch. Never was there a more glorious prospect before
us than at that time, nor ever were my hopes and expectations raised
higher on any occasion.

Having been honored with the particular confidence, and I may say
friendship, of the minister, and knowing that the relief of my country
and the defeat of its enemies depended solely on our seasonable
arrival, I suffered no private considerations to detain me a single
moment. I was not insensible that I had enemies in America; I knew
well that I had them in France, in Mr Williams and Mr Arthur Lee, and I
was well acquainted with their connexions in America; but conscious of
the part I had acted, and of the services I had rendered, and was then
doing, for my country, which services were not in words, but in acts,
the most honorable testimonials of which, given by the highest and
first ch