wn upon by Congress, he says, for much more than the interest,
which only he had agreed to furnish, and he has answered every demand,
and supported their credit in Europe. "But if every agent of Congress in
different parts of the world is permitted to run in debt, and draw upon
me at pleasure to support his credit, under the idea of its being
necessary to do so for the honor of Congress, the difficulty upon me
will be too great, and I may in fine be obliged to protest the interest
bills. I therefore beg that a stop may be put to such irregular
proceedings." It was a reasonable prayer, but had no effect. Franklin
continued to be regarded as paymaster-general for the States in Europe.

We next hear of his troubles in paying the bills which Congress,
according to its usual custom, was drawing upon Jay. They sent Jay to
Spain, and told him to borrow money there; and as soon as they had got
him fairly at sea, they began drawing drafts upon him. He soon found
himself, as he said, in a "cruel situation," and the torture of mind
which he endured and the responsibility which he assumed are well known.
He courageously accepted the bills, trusting to Providence and to
Franklin, who seemed the agent of Providence, to arrange for their
payment. Franklin did not fail him. One of Jay's earliest letters to
Franklin said: "I have no reason as yet to think a loan here will be
practicable. Bills on me arrive daily. Be pleased to send me a credit
for the residue of our salaries." Five days later: "Bills to the amount
of $100,000 have arrived. A loan cannot be effected here." And so on. In
April, 1781, his appeal became pathetic: "Our situation here is daily
becoming more disagreeable from the want of our salaries; to be obliged
to contract debts and live on credit is terrible. I have not to this day
received a shilling from America, and we should indeed have been greatly
distressed, had it not been for your good offices." An American minister
without resources to pay his butcher and his grocer, his servant and his
tailor, presented a spectacle which moved Franklin to great efforts! In
plain truth, Jay and his secretary, Carmichael, were dependent upon
Franklin for everything; they not only drew on him for their salaries to
pay daily household expenses, but they sent him lists of the bills
accepted by them for the "honor of Congress," and which they had no
means of paying. It was fortunate that these two men were willing to
incur such peril