Gentlemenー

I confirm what I did myself the pleasure of writing you by Mr Van Horne, who I hope will long ere this, be arrived, & the Cargo under his direction safely Landed with you; he will him self have related to you the many obstacles we had to surmount in procuring it here, as such a Cargo had never before been shipped from any port of France; and the publick Orders relative to the Articles it was composed of expressly & rigourously prohibited their Exportation. In order then to obtain a Secret permission, it was absolutely necessary to go to Paris, as such would never have been granted to any one in writing; every thing I could desire was granted me there, but on my return I found I had still many other difficulties to encounter here, & at Toulon, which I at last got over with much trouble & perseverance: and I rest upon the whole so much the more satisfied that in having succeeded for Mr Van Horne, I open'd the way to others in this Kingdom, who have supplied both our Islands & your Continent with these Commodities.

Our worthy friend Mr Thomas Morris arrived here about 12 days ago, I have since had the pleasure of Several Conferences with him on the present state of affairs, and as he possesses a very great share as well of political as Commercial Knowledge, the Informations he has been pleased to give me, have affor[d]ed me the most perfect Satisfaction

Your firm resolutions to maintain your priviledges are certainly very just & commendable, & it was very pleasing to me to learn that you were in a state to enable you to render unfruitfull the Efforts of Great Britain, & frustrate her designs to deprive you of your Liberty. may the God of Justice protect you, & secure to you the Conservation of your Rights, these are my Sincere prayers; but I cannot look upon all the present Horrors of this Cruel warr; & it's consequences perhaps still more fatal, without being deeply affected, and would be exceedingly happy if I or my friends could be in any way instrumental, in stopping those Rivers of such noble Blood, in these Circumstances so much profused. I highly disapprove of the injustice of the British Government, in not listening to your Complaints, as I do of their Obstination to Submit you to Laws contrary to your priviledges. all the Neural Nations in general, & France in particular, warmly blame Such a Conduct, the English them Selves are Sensible of the Impropriety of their proceedings, which they have carried too far to retract, it would be manifesting their real weakness if they now consented to grant what they have So constantly refused; But there is an Expedient which would be equally creditable for you and decent for great Britain. I mean that the Continental Congress should demand the mediation of some respectable power in Europe, who might terminate in n amicable way all your troubles and preserve your Rights. I think there is the greatest reason to believe, that the English Government would readily & willingly grant in favor of such a mediating power, what they have so constantly & obstinatly denied you. If you inclined to make choice of our Court, I would act with equal Zeal & Satisfaction for your Just cause; the Equity, Justice, & powerfullness of our Sovereign are I believe too well known in England to refuse his mediation, which I have some ground to presume you might obtain.

Having thus given you my Sentiments in favour of a happy reconciliation, which I hope you will approve of, I shall proceed to inform you that Mr Ts Ms has communicated to me the Contents of a Letter he has received from your Committee of Correspondence, and in the Several Conferences we have had together expressed great desire to be informed the dispositions of this Court towards America (as he appears to join in oppinion with me that nothing can be done in her favour in Spain) & whether in case of not being able to continue the Warr against England, alone, the Colonies might in such case place a dependance, on being heartily join'd by the French, on their become thenceforeward Subjects under the protection of France, as have here to fore been under that of Great Britain. I am of opinion they very readily might assist them as the advantages which would accrue to this Kingdom from such a Junction would certainly be very great yet any thing I could now Say upon this Subject would be mere conjecture, & consequently not worthy of your attention. But I have written in strong terms thereon to a friend of mine whose employ at Court gives him free access & great Credit with the Minister, and on his answer if there is the least glimpse of being favorably received, Mr T. M. will sett out for Paris, & if necessary, I shall accompany him thither; and how soon we can learn anything certain & a sure conveyance offers you may depend on its being immediately communicated to you either by Mr. T. M. or me. but in the mean time I must observe to you that I much doubt if the above mentioned Letter from the Committee, which Simply request him to get information without empowering him to treat or conclude any thing, will be thought Sufficient to obtain audience at Paris.

As to assistance by furnishing you with ammunition & stores, you may rest fully assured that any of your Vessels which may come hither in search of them will not here after meet with the Least difficulty in obtaining their Cargoes. I could now ship any Articles you might have occasion for without any further permissions being necessary than the one I have already obtained, if you thought proper to send back Capn Van Horne's Vessel or any others, by making them a french Bottoms & dispatching them for one of our Island, Called St Pierre Miquelon, to the South west of New found Ld, every possible risk would be avoided.

all Kind of woolen Cloaths may be had here. I intended sending you Samples of the different qualities of them which I have wrote for, into the Country, by this opportunity, but they are not yet Come to hand; and all the Medecinal Drugs of the Levant may be purchased here considerably cheaper than any where elseー

I shall conclude this Letter, with assuring you that [it] is my hearty desire to be of any service in my power to America; & that there is nothing I would not undertake for her interests, or to evince the Sincere regard & Esteem with which I very respectfully remain Gentlemen [&c.]

[P.S.] I have omitted to mention that I am bound to our Aldmiralty office, under a penalty of £10,000, for the safe return to this Port of Capn Troud, & his Crew, in the Vessel he carried from hence (the danger of the Seas & restraint of Princes only excepted) wherefore Should he appears with you, please by no means fail to Send him & his Vessel back, & in case of reloading her at your place, the Cargo must be declared in the Bills of Lading as for my accountー

E. C.