the ocean, should be for ever free and
open to both parties." (Lord Mahon's History, etc., Vol. VII., Chap.
lxvi., pp. 297, 298.)

"It is not to be supposed that the French Government could view with
unconcern the studied secrecy of this negotiation. The appearances of
amity were, indeed, for the sake of mutual interest, kept up on either
side. But thus did the Comte de Vergennes (the French Minister of
Foreign Affairs) unbosom himself in writing to the French Minister at
Philadelphia: 'You will surely be gratified, as well as myself, with the
very extensive advantages which our allies, the Americans, are to
receive from the peace; but you certainly will not be less surprised
than I have been with the conduct of the commissioners. * * They have
cautiously kept themselves at a distance from me. Whenever I have had
occasion to see any one of them, and enquire of them briefly respecting
the progress of the negotiation, they have constantly clothed their
speech in generalities, giving me to understand that it did not go
forward, and that they had no confidence in the sincerity of the British
Ministry. Judge of my surprise when, on the 30th of November, Dr.
Franklin informed me that Articles were signed. The reservation retained
on our account does not save the infraction of the promise which we have
made to each other, not to sign except conjointly. * * This negotiation
has not yet so far advanced in regard to ourselves as that of the United
States; not but what the King, if he had shown as little delicacy in his
proceedings as the American Commissioners, might have signed articles
with England long before them.'"--_Ib._, pp. 298, 299.]

[Footnote 61: It was self-contradictory to say that Congress had power
to confiscate property, and yet had no power to restore it when
confiscated.]

[Footnote 62: Lord Mahon's History of England, etc., Vol. VII., Chap.
lxvi., pp 295, 296.]

[Footnote 63: History of the United States, Vol. X., Chap, xxix., pp.
555, 583, 589, 590, 591.]

[Footnote 64: Dr. Ramsay's History of the United States, Vol. II., Chap,
xxvii., pp. 489, 490, 491.]

[Footnote 65: Hildreth's History of the United States, Vol. III., Chap,
xlv., p. 439.]

[Footnote 66: The royal historian, Dr. Andrews, remarks strongly on this
subject as follows:

"The demands of restitution to the Loyalists of their property
confiscated during the war, for their attachment to our cause, had been
refused by the American Commiss