o us and our cause in this nation.

We took the opportunity of pressing the ministry, by a short memorial,
to the conclusion of our proposed treaty, which had so long been under
their consideration, and been from time to time postponed. A meeting
was had accordingly, on Friday the 12th instant, in which some
difficulties were mentioned and removed, some explications asked and
given, to satisfaction. As the concurrence of Spain is necessary, we
were told that a courier should be despatched the next day to obtain
it, which we are since assured was done, and in three weeks from the
time the answer was expected.

On signifying to the ministry the importance it might be of, at this
juncture, when probably Britain would be making some propositions of
accommodation, that the Congress should be informed explicitly what
might be expected from France and Spain, M. Gerard, one of the
secretaries, came yesterday to inform us, by order of the king, that
after long and full consideration of our affairs and propositions, in
council, it was decided, and his majesty was determined to acknowledge
our independence, and make a treaty with us of amity and commerce;
that in this treaty no advantage would be taken of our present
situation, to obtain terms from us, which otherwise would not be
convenient for us to agree to; his majesty desiring that the treaty,
once made, should be durable, and our amity subsist forever; which
could not be expected, if each nation did not find its interest in the
continuance, as well as in the commencement of it. It was therefore
his intention, that the terms of the treaty should be such as we might
be willing to agree to, if our State had been long since established,
and in the fulness of strength and power, and such as we shall approve
of when that time shall come. That his majesty was fixed in his
determination, not only to acknowledge, but to support, our
independence, by every means in his power. That in doing this, he
might, probably, soon be engaged in a war, with all the expenses,
risks, and damages, usually attending it, yet he should not expect any
compensation from us on that account, nor pretend that he acted wholly
for our sakes; since, besides his real good will to us and our cause,
it was manifestly the interest of France, that the power of England
should be diminished by our separation from it. He should, moreover,
not so much as insist, that if he engaged in a war with England on our
account