Page:History of the United States of America, Spencer, v1.djvu/486

 the courts to which they were sent, that the Americans were determined to maintain their independence, notwithstanding the insidious suggestions of the British to the contrary. They were, also, directed to use every means in their power, to procure the assistance of the emperor of Germany, and the kings of France, Spain, and Prussia, to prevent German and other foreign troops being sent to America, for hostile purposes, and to obtain the recall of those already sent.

To induce France to embark in the war, the American envoys were authorized to stipulate, that all the trade between the United States and the West India islands, should be carried on, either in French or American vessels; and were specially instructed to assure the French king, that, if, by their joint efforts, the British should be excluded from any share in the cod-fishery of America, by the reduction of the islands of Newfoundland and Cape Breton, and ships of war should be furnished, at the expense of the United States, to reduce Nova Scotia, that the fishery should be enjoyed equally between them, to the exclusion of all other nations; and that one half of Newfoundland should belong to France, and the other half, with Cape Breton and Nova Scotia, to the United States. Should these proposals be insufficient to induce France to join in the war, and the commissioners were convinced that the open co-operation of France could not otherwise be obtained, they were directed to assure his most Christian majesty, that such of the West India Islands, as might, in the course of the war, be reduced, should be yielded to him in absolute property; and the United States were to engage to furnish efficient help in the way of armed vessels and supplies. Offers of a similar kind were directed to be made to the court of Spain. William Lee was appointed commissioner to the courts of Vienna and Berlin; Ralph Izard, to the Duke of Tuscany, and Dr. Franklin, to Spain. Arthur Lee was afterwards sent to Spain in place of Franklin.

The French court were not to be induced to depart from the line of policy which they had adopted. They were waiting for events evincing, beyond all doubt, the determination and ability of the Americans to maintain their independence; and were unwilling openly to afford assistance, until perfectly satisfied, that such assistance would render reconciliation impossible. The American commissioners, however, were secretly permitted to fit out a number of vessels from French ports, to cruise against the British; and prizes were brought in and sold in France. Lord Stormont, the British minister, made loud complaints of the course pursued by the French court; but his remonstrances produced only the usual diplomatic assurances, that nothing of the kind should happen again,—assurances which were received for what they were worth, which, as both sides well knew, was just nothing at all. Negotiations dragged on slowly, as might be expected, and the commissioners were occupied mainly in endeavoring to counteract the false statements, industriously circulated by English