hereupon, early in 1777, Franklin employed a nephew
of his own from Boston, Jonathan Williams, not to supersede Morris in
the commercial department, but to take charge of the strictly naval
affairs, which were construed to include all matters pertaining to
warships, privateers, and prizes. This action became the source of much
trouble. It was a case of nepotism, of course, which was unfortunate;
yet there was an absolute necessity to engage some one for these duties,
and there was scant opportunity for choice. During the year that
Williams held the office there is no reason to believe that he did not
prove himself both efficient and honest. Robert Morris, however, whose
brother Thomas was, and who had obtained for him the commercial office,
was much offended, and it was not until in the course of time he
received masses of indisputable evidence of his brother's worthlessness,
that he was placated. Then at length he wrote a frank, pathetic letter,
in which he acknowledged that he had been misled by natural affection,
and that his resentment had been a mistake.

Arthur Lee also poured the destructive torrent of his malignant wrath
over the ill-starred Williams. For William Lee pretended to find his
province and his profits also trenched upon. The facts were that he was
appointed to the commercial agency jointly with Thomas Morris; but
shortly afterward he was promoted to the diplomatic service, and left
Nantes for a permanent stay in Paris. He did not formally vacate his
agency, but practically he abandoned it by rendering himself unable to
attend to its duties. So even if by any construction he could have
established a show of right to conduct the naval business, at least he
never was on hand to do so. These considerations, however, did not in
the least mitigate the rage of the Lee brethren, who now brought a great
variety of charges. Franklin, they said, had no authority to make the
appointment, and Williams was a knave engaged in a scandalous
partnership with Deane to make money dishonestly out of the public
business, especially the prizes. The quarrel continued unabated when
John Adams arrived, in 1778, as joint commissioner with Franklin and
Arthur Lee. At once the active Lee besieged the ear of the newcomer with
all his criminations; and he must have found a ready listener, for so
soon as the fourth day after his arrival Adams felt himself sufficiently
informed to take what was practically judicial action in the matt