me more attentive to what was passing, and my observations
served to confirm them.

The many fruitless applications I made for near five months to obtain
an audience of Congress, and to have the business I came out upon
closed, are well known to Congress, and the inferences I drew from the
silent neglects, which my requests met with, may be easily conceived.
In this situation I determined to lay my case before my countrymen and
fellow citizens, to whom I considered myself ultimately accountable,
though immediately so to their representatives in Congress. In
consequence of this determination, I published my address in the
beginning of December. On the 5th, Congress resolved to hear me; on
the 7th I attended, and was ordered to _report in writing my agency of
their affairs in Europe, as soon as may be, &c._ In obedience to their
commands, I delivered them a brief and faithful narrative of my
transactions, from the time of my leaving America, and flattered
myself, that, from the time which had elapsed from my recall, which
was more than twelve months, and more than five from the time of my
return and attendance, the fullest examination must have been made
into every part of my conduct, and that I could not fail of obtaining
an early decision. Confident in the justice of Congress, I forbore to
address the public further, whilst my cause was before Congress, and
whilst I daily expected their determination. From these
considerations, I silently submitted to the torrent of abuse,
misrepresentation, and calumny, which almost daily poured forth
against me in the public papers.

I considered myself as the servant of Congress, and entitled to their
protection; to them I constantly appealed, not for favors, I asked
none, but for justice. It is now five months since I laid my narrative
before Congress, and on my being informed that a committee was
appointed to examine and report on Foreign Affairs, and that my
narrative was referred to them, I applied repeatedly to several of the
honorable members, and requested that, if in the course of their
examination they met with anything, in the letters and documents
before them, respecting my conduct, which required explanation, they
would call upon me and acquaint me therewith. I was not notified to
attend them on the subject, and though I am informed their report has
been for several weeks before Congress, I am unacquainted with its
contents, as well as with the letters and documents on