of those who undoubtedly profited by its provisions.

Those who had stood loyally by the Crown must in turn be looked out for
by the British Government, especially when the claims of justice were
reinforced by the important consideration that many of those with
property and financial interests in America were relatives of
influential persons in England. The immediate necessity during the war
had been partially met by assisting thousands to go to Canada--where
their descendants today form an important element in the population and
are proud of being United Empire Loyalists--while pensions and gifts
were supplied to others. Now that the war was over the British were
determined that Americans should make good to the Loyalists for all that
they had suffered, and His Majesty's Commissioners were hopeful at least
of obtaining a proviso similar to the one relating to the collection of
debts. John Adams, however, expressed the prevailing American idea
when he said that "paying debts and compensating Tories" were two very
different things, and Jay asserted that there were certain of these
refugees whom Americans never would forgive.

But this was the one thing needed to complete the negotiations for
peace, and the British arguments on the injustice and irregularity of
the treatment accorded to the Loyalists were so strong that the American
Commissioners were finally driven to the excuse that the Government of
the Confederation had no power over the individual States by whom
the necessary action must be taken. Finally, in a spirit of mutual
concession at the end of the negotiations, the Americans agreed that
Congress should "recommend to the legislatures of the respective states
to provide for the restitution" of properties which had been confiscated
"belonging to real British subjects," and "that persons of any other
description" might return to the United States for a period of
twelve months and be "unmolested in their endeavours to obtain the
restitution."

With this show of yielding on the part of the American Commissioners it
was possible to conclude the terms of peace, and the preliminary treaty
was drawn accordingly and agreed to on November 30, 1782. Franklin had
been of such great service during all the negotiations, smoothing
down ruffed feelings by his suavity and tact and presenting difficult
subjects in a way that made action possible, that to him was accorded
the unpleasant task of communicating what had been acco