s to deliberate on their business, it
never will be done as it ought, and this has been urged many and many
a time, by myself and others, but some of them do not like to part
with power, or to pay others for doing what they cannot do themselves.

I have Mr Deane's favor of the 30th of September,[27] to myself, now
before me; the letter by the same conveyance from Martinico, under
cover of Mr Bingham's, I sent down to the committee at Baltimore, and
wrote them my mind on the justice of your complaints, for want of
intelligence. I had often told it to them before; you know well I was
not put in that committee to carry on the correspondence, but to find
out the conveyances; however, I have been obliged to write all the
letters, that have been written for some time past; but as Colonel
Lee, Mr Hooper, and the Rev. Dr Witherspoon are now added to the
committee, I shall excuse myself from that task, although I have
thought it proper to give you a just state of our affairs at this
time, because I do not suppose the committee will be got fairly
together in Baltimore yet, and when they do, it is probable they may
not be fond of laying things before you so fully as I have done. Some
of us are of very sanguine complexions, and are too apt to flatter
ourselves, that things are not so bad as they appear to be, or that
they will soon mend, &c. Now my notion is, that you, gentlemen
commissioners, should be fairly and fully informed of the true state
of affairs, that you may make a proper use of that knowledge, keeping
secret what ought to be so, and promulgating what should be known.

Doctor Franklin will see this letter, for whose safe arrival my best
wishes have often gone forth, and I embrace this opportunity of
assuring him of the high respect and esteem I entertain for him. I
also beg my compliments to Mr Lee, if he is with you; tell him I have
the commission, in which he is nominated, ready to send, but it is
gone into the country with my papers, or I would send it by this
conveyance. My own affairs necessarily detained me here after the
departure of Congress, and it is well I staid, as I am obliged to set
many things right, that would otherwise be in the greatest confusion.
Indeed, I find my presence so very necessary, that I shall remain here
until the enemy drive me away.

I have the honor to be, &c.

ROBERT MORRIS.

FOOTNOTES:

[27] See page 41, of this volume.