on of ours. And certainly the whole edifice sinks to the
ground immediately if you refuse on that account to give us any further
assistance.... It is not possible for any one to be more sensible than I
am of what I and every American owe to the king for the many and great
benefits and favors he has bestowed upon us.... _The English, I just now
learn, flatter themselves they have already divided us._ I hope this
little misunderstanding will, therefore, be kept a secret, and that they
will find themselves totally mistaken."

This letter in a measure accomplished its soothing errand. Yet de
Vergennes did not refrain from writing to de la Luzerne that "the
reservation retained on our account does not save the infraction of the
promise, which we have mutually made, not to sign except conjointly;"
and he said that it would be "proper that the most influential members
of Congress should be informed of the very irregular conduct of their
commissioners in regard to us," though "not in the tone of complaint."
"I accuse no person," he added, "not even Dr. Franklin. He has yielded
too easily to the bias of his colleagues, who do not pretend to
recognize the rules of courtesy in regard to us. All their attentions
have been taken up by the English whom they have met in Paris."

So soon as the facts were known in the States expressions of
condemnation were lavished upon the commissioners by members of Congress
who thought that the secrecy as towards France was an inexcusable slight
to a generous and faithful ally. Livingston, as secretary for foreign
affairs, wrote to the envoys, commending the treaty, but finding fault
with the manner of attaining it. Jay, angered at the injustice of a
reproof which belonged more especially to him, drew up an exculpatory
statement. But Franklin, showing his usual good sense and moderation,
sought to mitigate Jay's indignation, drew all the sting out of the
document, and insisted upon leaving the vindication to time and second
thoughts. For his own part Franklin not only had to take his full share
of the reproaches heaped upon the commissioners for insulting France,
but upon the other hand he was violently assaulted on the quite opposite
ground, that he had desired to be too subservient to that power. Many
persons insisted that he "favored, or did not oppose," the designs of
France to rule out the States from the fisheries, and to curtail their
boundaries; and that it was only due to the "firmness, sa