Commissioners on any
other footing than that of absolute independence, and also intimated,
that I thought it would be best to give him our final and decided
determination not to treat otherwise in writing, in the form of a
letter. He preferred this to a verbal answer, and the next day I
prepared the following draft of such a letter.

"Sir,

"It is with regret, that we find ourselves obliged by our duty to our
country, to object to entering with you into negotiations for peace on
the plan proposed. One nation can treat with another nation only on
terms of equality; and it cannot be expected, that we should be the
first and only servants of Congress, who would admit doubts of their
independence.

"The tenor of your commission affords matter for a variety of
objections, which your good sense will save us the pain of
enumerating. The journals of Congress present to you unequivocal and
uniform evidence of the sentiments and resolutions of Congress on the
subject, and their positive instructions to us to speak the same
language.

"The manner of removing these obstacles is obvious, and in our opinion
no less consistent with the dignity than the interest of Great
Britain. If the Parliament meant to enable the King to conclude a
peace with us on terms of independence, they necessarily meant to
enable him to do it in a manner compatible with his dignity; and
consequently that he should previously regard us in a point of view,
that would render it proper for him to negotiate with us. What this
point of view is you need not be informed.

"We also take the liberty of submitting to your consideration, how far
his Majesty's now declining to take this step would comport with the
assurances lately given on that subject, and whether hesitation and
delay would not tend to lessen the confidence, which those assurances
were calculated to inspire.

"As to referring an acknowledgment of our independence to the first
article of a treaty, permit us to remark, that this implies, that we
are not to be considered in that light until after the conclusion of
the treaty, and our acquiescing would be to admit the propriety of our
being considered in another light during that interval. Had this
circumstance been attended to, we presume that the Court of Great
Britain would not have pressed a measure, which certainly is not
delicate, and which cannot be reconciled with the received ideas of
national honor.

"You may rest assured, Sir, of