[Footnote 27: Bancroft's History of the United States, Vol. X., Chap.
xiii., pp. 297, 298.]

[Footnote 28: "In the latter part of this year (1779), Spain decided on
joining France in the war, anxious as she was to take the chance of
recovering Gibraltar, Jamaica, and the Floridas." (Tucker's History of
the United States, Vol. I., Chap. iii., p. 251.)

Thus England had arrayed against her two of the most powerful
Governments, with the two most powerful fleets in Europe, besides the
war in America.]

[Footnote 29: Dr. Ramsay's History of the United States, Vol. II., Chap.
xvii., pp. 305, 306.]

[Footnote 30: Tucker's History of the United States, Vol. I., Chap.
iii., p. 282.]

[Footnote 31: "There were never more than forty members present--often
no more than twenty. These small numbers, however, by no means insured
harmony, nor precluded violent and unseemly quarrels, rumours of which
were not slow in passing the Atlantic. 'For God's sake,' thus writes La
Fayette from France, 'For God's sake prevent the Congress from disputing
loudly together. Nothing so much hurts the interest and reputation of
America.' (Letter of La Fayette to Washington, June 12th, 1779.) Thus
the object of concealment, unless, perhaps, for private purposes, was
most imperfectly attained, although, in name at least, the deliberations
of Congress at this time were secret. Historically, even the Journal
which they kept gives little light as to their true proceedings. An
American gentleman, who has studied that document with care, laments
that it is painfully meagre, the object being apparently to record as
little as possible." (Life of President Reed, by Mr. William Reed, Vol.
II., p. 18.)

Lord Mahon's History of England, etc., Vol. VI., Chap. lviii., pp. 420,
421.]

[Footnote 32: Letter to Benjamin Harrison, December 30th, 1778.
Washington's Writings, Vol. VI., p. 151, quoted in Lord Mahon's History,
Vol. VI., Chap. lviii., pp. 419, 420.]

[Footnote 33: Dr. Ramsay, referring to this depreciation of the
currency, says: "The confiscation and sale of the property of Tories,
for the most part, brought but very little into the public treasury. The
sales were generally made on credit, and by the progressive
depreciation, what was dear at the time of the purchase, was very cheap
at the time of payment. When this measure was first adopted, little or
no injustice resulted from it, for at that time the paper bills were
equal, or nearly equal, to