ndulgence for the balance due.

Is it impossible to persuade our countrymen to make peace with the Nova
Scotians? I am persuaded nothing is wanting but advances on our part;
and that it is in our power to draw off the greatest proportion of that
settlement, and thus to free ourselves from rivals who may become of
consequence. We are, at present, co-operating with Great Britain, whose
policy it is to give aliment to that bitter enmity between her States
and ours, which may secure her against their ever joining us. But would
not the existence of a cordial friendship between us and them, be the
best bridle we could possibly put into the mouth of England?

With respect to the Danish business, you will observe that the
instructions of Congress, article 3, of October the 29th, 1783, put it
entirely into the hands of the _Ministers Plenipotentiary of the United
States of America at the court of Versailles, empower to to negotiate
a peace, or to any one or more of them_. At that time, I did not come
under this description. I had received the permission of Congress to
decline coming, in the spring preceding that date. On the first day
of November, 1783, that is to say, two days after the date of the
instructions to the commissioners, Congress recommended John Paul Jones
to the Minister Plenipotentiary of the United States, at Versailles, as
agent, to solicit, under his direction, the payment of all prizes taken
in Europe under his command. But the object under their view, at that
time, was assuredly the money due from the court of Versailles, for the
prizes taken in the expedition by the Bon-homme Richard, the Alliance,
&c. In this business, I have aided him effectually, having obtained
a definitive order for paying the money to him, and a considerable
proportion being actually paid him. But they could not mean by their
resolution of November the 1st, to take from the commissioners, powers
which they had given them two days before. If there could remain a doubt
that this whole power has resulted to you, it would be cleared up by the
instructions of May the 7th, 1784, article 9, which declare, 'that these
instructions be considered as supplementary to those of October the
29th, 1783, and not as revoking, except where they contradict them;'
which shows that they considered the instructions of October the 29th,
1783, as still in full force. I do not give you the trouble of this
discussion, to save myself the trouble of the negotiat