of his Most Christian Majesty.
That the great or only difficulty concerns America. That France will
do all in her power to remove that obstacle, upon which depends the
activity of the mediation. That as soon as it shall be removed, or
proved to be insurmountable, proper instructions will be forwarded to
the Chevalier de la Luzerne, concerning the conduct, which the state
of affairs will require from Congress. That the Court of France had
received, with great satisfaction, information, that Congress were
disposed to trust their interest to the two mediating powers. The
Chevalier de la Luzerne is directed to inform Congress, that no use
shall be made of this disposition, in the present state of affairs;
and that it shall be communicated only when it can be done
consistently with the dignity of the United States.

_From a letter of the 19th of April._--That Mr Dana has communicated
to Count de Vergennes his appointment, and requested his advice
concerning the conduct, which circumstances demanded on his part. That
it gave the Count great pleasure to observe this proof of the
confidence, which Congress and their Ministers reposed in the
friendship and advice of his Court. That the Count informed Mr Dana,
that he would run the risk of exposing his person, and the dignity of
the United States, if he assumed any character whatsoever in Russia,
while the Empress had not acknowledged the independence of the United
States, and expected to act the part of a mediatrix, which demanded
the most perfect impartiality. That Mr Dana felt the propriety of the
observation; and proposed to the Count, that he should appear in
Russia in the character of a common traveller, keep his commission a
secret, and avoid with the greatest care to speak of business, unless
requested so to do by the Russian Ministry. That the Count fully
approved of this prudent scheme; and apprized Mr Dana of all the
difficulties he would meet with. He had him recommended to the Marquis
de Verac, Envoy Extraordinary at the Court of Petersburg; and the
Chevalier de la Luzerne is directed to assure Congress, that the
Marquis de Verac would do all in his power for Mr Dana's best
reception, and with pleasure assist him with his counsels, as often as
he should have recourse to them. That the Marquis de Verac had
communicated to the Russian Ministry the resolution of Congress,
concerning the principle of the declaration made by the Empress of
Russia to the belligerent powe