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thence to Montauban, and down the Garonne by Langon to Bor deaux. Thence to Rochefort, la Rochelle, Nantes, L Orient ; then back by Rennes to Nantes, and up the Loire by Angers, Tours, Amboise, Blois to Orleans, thence direct to Paris, where I arrived on the 10th of June. Soon after my return from this journey, to wit, about the latter part of July, I received my younger daughter Maria, from Virginia, by the way of London, the young est having died some time before.
The treasonable perfidy of the Prince of Orange, Stadtholder and Captain General of the United Netherlands, in the war which England waged against them, for entering into a treaty of com merce with the United States, is known to all. As their Execu tive officer, charged with the conduct of the war, he contrived to baffle all the measures of the States General, to dislocate all their military plans, and played false into the hands of England against his own country, on every possible occasion, confident in her pro tection, and in that of the King of Prussia, brother to his Princess. The States General, indignant at this patricidal conduct, applied to France for aid, according to the stipulations of the treaty, conclud ed with her in 85. It was assured to them readily, and in cordial terms, in a letter from the Count de Vergennes, to the Marquis de Verac, Ambassador of France at the Hague, of which the follow ing is an extract.
- Extrait de la depeche de Monsieur le Comte de Vergennes a
Monsieur le Marquis de Verac, Ambassadeur de France a la Haye, du ler Mars, 1786.
Le Roi concourrera, autant qu il sera en son pouvoir, au succes de la chose, et vous inviterez, de sa part, les patriotes de lui com- muniquer leurs vues, leurs plans, et leurs envieux. Vous les assurerez, que le roi prend un interet veritable a. leurs personnes comme a leur cause, et qu ils peuvent compter sur sa protection. Us doivent y compter d autant plus, Monsieur, que nous ne dissi- mulons pas, que si Monsieur le Stadhoulder reprend son ancienne influence, le systeme Anglois ne tardera pas de prevaloir, et que notre alliance deviendroit un etre de raison. Les Patriotes sen- tiront facilement, que cette position seroit incompatible avec la dignite, comme avec la consideration de sa majeste. Mais dans le cas, Monsieur, ou les chefs des Patriotes auroient a craindre une scission, ils auroient le temps suffisant pour ramener ceux de leurs amis, que les Anglomanes ont egares, et preparer les choses, de maniere que la question de nouveau mise en deliberation, soit decidee selon leurs desirs. Dans cette hypothese, le roi vous autorise a agir de concert avec eux, de suivre la direction qu ils jugeront devoir vous donner, et d employer tous les moyens
