Page:Life of William Shelburne (vol 2).djvu/211

Rh the other, whatever persons may say who imagine that they know him, but imagine wrongly."

Benjamin Vaughan had arrived, almost simultaneously with Rayneval. It became clear to the Cabinet that a profound feud had sprung up between the Americans and their European allies, and that all they had to do was to avail themselves of it. They at once decided to accept the American proposition as to the terms of the commission to Oswald. Lord Ashburton gave it as his opinion that the alteration came within the terms of the Enabling Act. The grant of a large body of seamen by the Irish Parliament came at this moment—if rather unexpectedly—to strengthen the British fleet, and the American Commissioners were on their part well able to realize that the destruction of De Grasse's fleet prevented France sending any further reinforcements across the Atlantic. The moment was favourable, they recognized, for shaking off dependence on France as well as on England. The new commission was at once made out and despatched to Paris by Vaughan. "Having said and done everything," Shelburne wrote to Oswald, "which has been desired, there is nothing for me to trouble you with, except to add that we have put the greatest confidence, I believe, ever placed in man, in the American Commissioners. It is now to be seen how far they or America are to be depended upon. I will not detain you with enumerating the difficulties which have occurred. There never was greater risk run. I hope the public will be the gainer, else our heads must answer for it, and deservedly."

It remained to be seen whether the separation thus successfully accomplished of the two negotiations could be maintained, and what effect it would have on the tone of France and Spain.