An illustrated history of the New world : containing a general history of all the various nations, states, and republics of the western continent ..and a complete history of the United States to the present time .. . sand muskets and other supplies werein the beginning of 1777 received in Anjerica, and were of the ut-most use to Washington in the equipment of the new army which hewas then levying. In the end of that year, however, Congress weremuch surprised by the demand, from an agent of Beaumarchais, ofpayment for all the stores thus furnished. Several letters explainingthe transaction had
An illustrated history of the New world : containing a general history of all the various nations, states, and republics of the western continent ..and a complete history of the United States to the present time .. . sand muskets and other supplies werein the beginning of 1777 received in Anjerica, and were of the ut-most use to Washington in the equipment of the new army which hewas then levying. In the end of that year, however, Congress weremuch surprised by the demand, from an agent of Beaumarchais, ofpayment for all the stores thus furnished. Several letters explainingthe transaction had been intercepted ; and the mystery in which thewhole was involved rendered it impossible for them to give an abso-lute refusal. Their commissioners, however, were instructed to seekin the most delicate manner an explanation from the French mmis-ters, intimating their belief that they had been indebted to his majestyalone for these valuable supplies. That court, however, on beingrepeatedly pressed by the British ambassador upon this subject, hadnot scrupled to deny having afforded any aid whatever to the colo-nies ; so that a breach of its honour, that is, an exposure of its deceit, 47 2T 374 CAMPAIGN OF THOMAS PAINS was apprehended, in now making the statement. The ministertherefore replied, that Beaumarchais had merely received these storesfrom his majestys arsenals as a personal accommodation, and on con-dition of replacing them ; gravely adding, that he knew nothing ofsuch a house as Roderique, Hortales, and Company. Some timeafter, a controversy having arisen with Mr. Deane, Thomas Paine,then secretary of the committee for foreign affairs, published a pamph-let, broadly stating that the stores had been supplied by the Frenchgovernment as a gift, and with an express intimation that no pay-ment was expected. Hereupon Gerard, the French ambassador,presented two memorials to Congress, calling upon them for an ex-plicit disavowal of these assertions. That body, according
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Keywords: ., bookcentury1800, bookdecade1860, bookidillustratedh, bookyear1868
