eral assured congress that all his faculties should be employed, to direct properly the powers they had been pleased to vest him with, to advance those objects and those only, which had given rise to so honorable a mark of distinction.

"If my exertions," he said, "should not be attended with the desired success, I trust the failure will be imputed to the true cause,―the peculiarly distressed situation of our affairs, and the difficulties I have to combat,—rather than to a want of zeal for my country, and the closest attention to her interests, to promote which has ever been my study."*

General Washington was sensible of the necessity of some immediate favorable turn in his military operations, not only to save the city of Philadelphia, but to rouse the spirit of the nation, and to secure an army for the succeeding campaign. He, therefore, boldly resolved, even with his small force, to attempt a surprise on a body of Hessians, encamped at Trenton. This he carried into complete effect, on the morning of the 26th of December, after suffering great hardships in his march, and in crossing the Delaware, in a cold stormy winter night. Many of the Hessians, under the command of Col. Rahl, were killed, and more than nine hundred taken prisoners. With these, in the evening of the same day, he recrossed the Delaware in safety. This bold and successful enterprise elevated the hopes of the Americans, and excited no little astonishment in the British, who considered the American army annihilated. Being soon after joined by a number of militia, the American commander again crossed the Delaware, at Trenton, where he was met by a superior force, under lord Cornwallis; and the fate of the country seemed suspended on the issue of a battle, which appeared unavoidable. In this situation of the American army, it was equally hazardous to fight or retreat. From this dilemma, general Washington extricated himself, by one of those bold measures, which none but great minds, conceive and execute. He came to the resolution of leaving the enemy, in their encampment, marching to Princeton, by a circuitous route, and surprising the British troops, at that place.

Washington's Official Letters, vol. 2, p. 1.

This he effected in the night, and in so secret a manner, that the noise of the cannon at Princeton, early the next morning, gave lord Cornwallis the first notice of his movement.

The battle at Princeton was decidedly in favor of the Americans. The British troops, after suffering no inconsiderable loss, were compelled to retreat to Brunswick. The British general immediately returned from Trenton, but not in time to aid in the engagement, or to molest the American army. He immediately retired to Brunswick, his head quarters; and general Washington, with his army, took a position at Morristown; where, with an inferior force, during the rest of the winter, he kept the enemy in check.

By these bold and successful enterprises, with the smiles of heaven, a great part of New Jersey was recovered from the enemy, public confidence restored, and a new impulse given to the recruiting service.

In February, congress returned and resumed their deliberations in Philadelphia.

CHAPTER X.

Committee of Secret correspondence appointed by Congress-Direct a Letter to be sent to a gentleman in Holland-Send Silas Deane to France, in March 1776, as a Commercial and Political Agent-His instructions-Arrives in Paris in July 1776-Has an interview with the French Minister, Count de Vergennes-Is well received and promised protection in his commercial arrangements-French ports open to the Americans-Mr. Deane was to appear in the character of a merchant only-Congress prepare a commercial treaty to be proposed to France-Dr. Franklin, Mr. Deane, and Arthur Lee, appointed commissioners to the French Court-Their instructions-Meet at Paris in Dec. 1776-France not prepared openly to join the Americans-A paper signed by the King himself, is read to the Commissioners in January 1777—He declines entering into a treaty, but promises them protection, and gives two millions of livres-This to be kept a secret-Congress offer to France and Spain more favorable terms-These terms insufficient-Capture of Burgoyne creates consternation in England-Lord North declares his intention to offer the Americans terms of reconciliation-France accepts the offers of the American Commissioners, and enters into treaties-Reasons for this given by the French Monarch in a letter to the King of Spain-Policy of France in relation to America explained— She affords secret aid to the Americans-For this purpose, secretly puts money and arms into the hands of an Agent, by the name of Beaumarchais-The Agent sends arms to America, under the name of Horttales & Co.-American Commissioners send despatches by Capt. Folger-They are secretly taken out by some one, and blank papers substituted-Folger suspected and is imprisoned, but afterwards released-Beaumarchais sends an Agent to America, to demand payment for the articles furnished by him-Divisions in Congress on the subject-Congress agree to pay Beaumarchais-Deane recalled-Thomas Paine publishes some of the secret despatches Displeases the French Minister-He applies to Congress to disavow the publication-Arthur Lee's letters relating to the claim of Beaumarchais-The officers of the Treasury charge him with one million of livres paid to him by France, for the use of the Americans-He disputes this, and applies to Congress for relief.

Ar an early stage of the contest with Great Britain, the attention of congress had been drawn, to the subject of securing foreign aid, in case of necessity. This interesting portion of American history, now claims our notice. On the 29th of November 1775, a committee, consisting of Mr. Harrison, Dr. Franklin, Mr. Johnson, Mr. Dickinson, and Mr. Jay, was appointed for the sole purpose of holding a secret correspondence, with the friends of

America, in Great Britain, Ireland, and other parts of the world.* The principal object of this committee, was, to sound indirectly some of the principal powers of Europe, and particularly France and Spain, on American affairs. With this view, Dr. Franklin soon after the appointment of the committee, wrote to a gentleman in Holland, by the name of Dumas, who was friendly to the American cause.

"We are threatened from England," says Dr. Franklin to this gentleman, "with a very powerful force, to come next year against us. We are making all the provision in our power here to oppose that force, and we hope we shall be able to defend ourselves. But as the events of war are always uncertain, possibly, after another campaign, we may find it necessary to ask aid of some foreign power. It gives us pleasure to learn from you that toute l'Europe nous souhaite le plus heureux succés pour le maintien de nos libertés. But we wish to know, whether any one of them, from principles of humanity, is disposed magnanimously to step in for the relief of an oppressed people, or whether, if, as it seems likely to happen, we should be obliged to break off all connection with Britain, and declare ourselves an independent people, there is any state or power in Europe, who would be willing to enter into an alliance with us for the benefit of our commerce, which amounted before the war, to near seven millions sterling per annum, and must ultimately increase, as our people increase most rapidly. Confiding, my dear friend, in your good will to us and in your sagacity and abilities for business, the committee of congress, appointed for the purpose of establishing and conducting a correspondence with our friends in Europe, of which committee I have the honor to be a member, have directed me to request of you, that, as you are situated at the Hague, where ambassadors from all the courts reside, you would make use of the opportunity that situation affords you, of discovering the disposition of the several courts with respect to such assistance or alliance, if we should apply for the one or the other. As it may possibly be necessary, in particular instances, that you should, for

* Secret Journals of Congress, vol. 2, p. 1.

this purpose, confer directly with some great ministers, and show them this letter as your credential, we only recommend it to your discretion, that you proceed therein with such caution, as to keep the same from the knowledge of the English ambassador, and prevent any public appearance, at present, of your being employed in any such business, as thereby, we imagine, many inconveniences may be avoided, and your means of rendering us service, increased."

"That you may be better enabled to answer some questions, which will probably be put to you, concerning our present situation, we inform you, that the whole continent is very firmly united -the party for the measures of the British ministry being very small, and much dispersed—that we had on foot the last campaign, an army of near twenty thousand men, wherewith we have been able, not only to block up the king's army in Boston, but to spare considerable detachments for the invasion of Canada, where we have met with great success, as the printed papers. sent herewith will inform you, and have now reason to expect the whole province may be soon in our possession-that we purpose greatly to increase our force for the ensuing year; and thereby we hope, with the assistance of a well-disciplined militia, to be able to defend our coast, notwithstanding its great extent that we already have a small squadron of armed vessels, to protect our coasting trade, who have had some success in taking several of the enemy's cruizers, and some of their transport vessels and stores."

After the passage of the prohibitory act, which took place soon after the date of this letter, the committee, seeing little prospect of an accommodation, and well aware that France would be disposed to make great sacrifices, to reduce the power of Great Britain, by the severance of her North American colonies, sent Silas Deane, one of the delegates in congress, from Connecticut, as a commercial and political agent, to the French court. The instructions to Mr. Deane bear date the 2d of March 1776, and were signed by Dr. Franklin, Robert Morris, Mr. Jay, Mr. Harrison and Mr. Dickinson. He was to appear in the character of a merchant, and was directed, among other things, immediately