autobiography-第13部分

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tion　could　not　be　car…ried；　it　was　thought　better　to　make　no　entry　at　all。　　Massa…chusetts　alone　would　have　been　for　it；　Rhode　Island；　Pennsylvania　and　Virginia　against　it；　Delaware；　Maryland　&　N。　Carolina；　would　have　been　divided。

　　　　　　　　（*　3）　Vattel；　L。　2；　156。　L；　77。　I。　Mably　Droit　D'Europe；　86。

　　　　　　　　Our　body　was　little　numerous；　but　very　contentious。　　Day　after　day　was　wasted　on　the　most　unimportant　questions。　　My　colleague　Mercer　was　one　of　those　afflicted　with　the　morbid　rage　of　debate；　of　an　ardent　mind；　prompt　imagination；　and　copious　flow　of　words；　he　heard　with　impatience　any　logic　which　was　not　his　own。　　Sitting　near　me　on　some　occasion　of　a　trifling　but　wordy　debate；　he　asked　how　I　could　sit　in　silence　hearing　so　much　false　reasoning　which　a　word　should　refute？　　I　observed　to　him　that　to　refute　indeed　was　easy；　but　to　silence　impossible。　　That　in　measures　brought　forward　by　myself；　I　took　the　laboring　oar；　as　was　incumbent　on　me；　but　that　in　general　I　was　willing　to　listen。　　If　every　sound　argument　or　objection　was　used　by　some　one　or　other　of　the　numerous　debaters；　it　was　enough：　if　not；　I　thought　it　sufficient　to　suggest　the　omission；　without　going　into　a　repetition　of　what　had　been　already　said　by　others。　　That　this　was　a　waste　and　abuse　of　the　time　and　patience　of　the　house　which　could　not　be　justified。　　And　I　believe　that　if　the　members　of　deliberative　bodies　were　to　observe　this　course　generally；　they　would　do　in　a　day　what　takes　them　a　week；　and　it　is　really　more　questionable；　than　may　at　first　be　thought；　whether　Bonaparte's　dumb　legislature　which　said　nothing　and　did　much；　may　not　be　preferable　to　one　which　talks　much　and　does　nothing。　　I　served　with　General　Washington　in　the　legislature　of　Virginia　before　the　revolution；　and；　during　it；　with　Dr。　Franklin　in　Congress。　　I　never　heard　either　of　them　speak　ten　minutes　at　a　time；　nor　to　any　but　the　main　point　which　was　to　decide　the　question。　　They　laid　their　shoulders　to　the　great　points；　knowing　that　the　little　ones　would　follow　of　themselves。　　If　the　present　Congress　errs　in　too　much　talking；　how　can　it　be　otherwise　in　a　body　to　which　the　people　send　150。　lawyers；　whose　trade　it　is　to　question　everything；　yield　nothing；　&　talk　by　the　hour？　　That　150。　lawyers　should　do　business　together　ought　not　to　be　expected。　　But　to　return　again　to　our　subject。

　　　　　　　　Those　who　thought　7。　states　competent　to　the　ratification　being　very　restless　under　the　loss　of　their　motion；　I　proposed；　on　the　3d。　of　January　to　meet　them　on　middle　ground；　and　therefore　moved　a　resolution　which　premising　that　there　were　but　7。　states　present；　who　were　unanimous　for　the　ratification；　but；　that　they　differed　in　opinion　on　the　question　of　competency。　　That　those　however　in　the　negative　were　unwilling　that　any　powers　which　it　might　be　supposed　they　possessed　should　remain　unexercised　for　the　restoration　of　peace；　provided　it　could　be　done　saving　their　good　faith；　and　without　importing　any　opinion　of　Congress　that　7。　states　were　competent；　and　resolving　that　treaty　be　ratified　so　far　as　they　had　power；　that　it　should　be　transmitted　to　our　ministers　with　instructions　to　keep　it　uncommunicated；　to　endeavor　to　obtain　3。　months　longer　for　exchange　of　ratifications；　that　they　should　be　informed　that　so　soon　as　9。　states　shall　be　present　a　ratification　by　9。　shall　be　sent　them；　if　this　should　get　to　them　before　the　ultimate　point　of　time　for　exchange；　they　were　to　use　it；　and　not　the　other；　if　not；　they　were　to　offer　the　act　of　the　7。　states　in　exchange；　informing　them　the　treaty　had　come　to　hand　while　Congress　was　not　in　session；　that　but　7。　states　were　as　yet　assembled；　and　these　had　unanimously　concurred　in　the　ratification。　　This　was　debated　on　the　3d。　and　4th。　　and　on　the　5th。　a　vessel　being　to　sail　for　England　from　this　port　（Annapolis）　the　House　directed　the　President　to　write　to　our　ministers　accordingly。

　　　　　　　　Jan。　14。　　Delegates　from　Connecticut　having　attended　yesterday；　and　another　from　S。　Carolina　coming　in　this　day；　the　treaty　was　ratified　without　a　dissenting　voice；　and　three　instruments　of　ratification　were　ordered　to　be　made　out；　one　of　which　was　sent　by　Colo。　Harmer；　another　by　Colo。　Franks；　and　the　3d。　transmitted　to　the　agent　of　Marine　to　be　forwarded　by　any　good　opportunity。

　　　　　　　　Congress　soon　took　up　the　consideration　of　their　foreign　relations。　　They　deemed　it　necessary　to　get　their　commerce　placed　with　every　nation　on　a　footing　as　favorable　as　that　of　other　nations；　and　for　this　purpose　to　propose　to　each　a　distinct　treaty　of　commerce。　　This　act　too　would　amount　to　an　acknowledgment　by　each　of　our　independance　and　of　our　reception　into　the　fraternity　of　nations；　which　altho'；　as　possessing　our　station　of　right　and　in　fact；　we　would　not　condescend　to　ask；　we　were　not　unwilling　to　furnish　opportunities　for　receiving　their　friendly　salutations　&　welcome。　With　France　the　United　Netherlands　and　Sweden　we　had　already　treaties　of　commerce；　but　commissions　were　given　for　those　countries　also；　should　any　amendments　be　thought　necessary。　　The　other　states　to　which　treaties　were　to　be　proposed　were　England；　Hamburg；　Saxony；　Prussia；　Denmark；　Russia；　Austria；　Venice；　Rome；　Naples；　Tuscany；　Sardinia；　Genoa；　Spain；　Portugal；　the　Porte；　Algiers；　Tripoli；　Tunis　&　Morocco。

　　　　　　　　Mar。　16。　　On　the　7th。　of　May　Congress　resolved　that　a　Minister　Plenipotentiary　should　be　appointed　in　addition　to　Mr。　Adams　&　Dr。　Franklin　for　negotiating　treaties　of　commerce　with　foreign　nations；　and　I　was　elected　to　that　duty。　　I　accordingly　left　Annapolis　on　the　11th。　　Took　with　me　my　elder　daughter　then　at　Philadelphia　（the　two　others　being　too　young　for　the　voyage）　&　proceeded　to　Boston　in　quest　of　a　passage。　　While　passing　thro'　the　different　states；　I　made　a　point　of　informing　myself　of　the　state　of　the　commerce　of　each；　went　on　to　New　Hampshire　with　the　same　view　and　returned　to　Boston。　　From　thence　I　sailed　on　the　5th。　of　July　in　the　Ceres　a　merchant　ship　of　Mr。　Nathaniel　Tracey；　bound　to　Cowes。　　He　was　himself　a　passenger；　and；　after　a　pleasant　voyage　of　19。　days　from　land　to　land；　we　arrived　at　Cowes　on　the　26th。　　I　was　detained　there　a　few　days　by　the　indisposition　of　my　daughter。　　On　the　30th。　we　embarked　for　Havre；　arrived　there　on　the　31st。　left　it　on　the　3d。　of　August；　and　arrived　at　Paris　on　the　6th。　　I　called　immediately　on　Doctr。　Franklin　at　Passy；　communicated　to　him　our　charge；　and　we　wrote　to　Mr。　Adams；　then　at　the　Hague　to　join　us　at　Paris。

　　　　　　　　Before　I　had　left　America；　that　is　to　say　in　the　year　1781。　　I　had　received　a　letter　from　M。　de　Marbois；　of　the　French　legation　in　Philadelphia；　informing　me　he　had　been　instructed　by　his　government　to　obtain　such　statistical　accounts　of　the　different　states　of　our　Union；　as　might　be　useful　for　their　information；　and　addressing　to　me　a　number　of　queries　relative　to　the　state　of　Virginia。　　I　had　always　made　it　a　practice　whenever　an　opportunity　occurred　of　obtaining　any　information　of　our　country；　which　might　be　of　use　to　me　in　any　station　public　or　private；　to　commit　it　to　writing。　　These　memoranda　were　on　loose　papers；　bundled　up　without　order；　and　difficult　of　recurrence　when　I　had　occasion　for　a　particular　one。　　I　thought　this　a　good　occasion　to　embody　their　substance；　which　I　did　in　the　order　of　Mr。　Marbois'　queries；　so　as　to　answer　his　wish　and　to　arrange　them　for　my　own　use。　　Some　friends　to　whom　they　were　occasionally　communicated　wished　for　copies；　but　their　volume　rendering　this　too　laborious　by　hand；　I　proposed　to　get　a　few　printed　for　their　gratification。　　I　was　asked　such　a　price　however　as　exceeded　the　importance　of　the　object。　　On　my　arrival　at　Paris　I　found　it　could　be　done　for　a　fourth　of　what　I　had　been　asked　here。　　I　therefore　corrected　and　enlarged　them；　and　had　200。　copies　printed；　under　the　title　of　Notes　on　Virginia。　　I　gave　a　very　few　copies　to　some　particular　persons　in　Europe；　and　sent　the　rest　to　my　friends　in　America。　　An　European　copy；　by　the　death　of　the　owner；　got　into　the　hands　of　a　bookseller；　who　engaged　it's　translation；　&　when　ready　for　the　press；　communicated　his　intentions　&　manuscript　to　me；　without　any　other　permission　than　that　of　suggesting　corrections。　　I　never　had　seen　so　wretched　an　attempt　at　translation。　　Interverted；　abridged；　mutilated；　and　often　reversing　the　sense　of　the　original；　I　found　it　a　blotch　of　errors　from　beginning　to　end。　　I　corrected　some　of　the　most　material；　and　in　that　form　it　was　printed　in　French。　　A　London　bookseller；　on　seeing　the　translation；　requested　me　to　permit　him　to　print　the　English　original。　　I　thought　it　best　to　do　so　to　let　the　world　see　that　it　was　not　really　so　bad　as　the　French　translation　had　made　it　appear。　　And　this　is　the　true　history　of　that　publication。

　　　　　　　　Mr。　Adams　soon　joined　us　at　Paris；　&　our　first　employment　was　to　prepare　a　general　form　to　be　proposed　to　such　nations　as　were　disposed　to　treat　with　us。　　During　the　negotiations　for　peace　with　the　British　Commissioner　David　Hartley；　our　Commissioners　had　proposed；　on　the　suggestion　of　Doctr。　Franklin；　to　insert　an　article　exempting　from　capture　by　the　public　or　private　armed　ships　of　either　belligerent；　when　at　war；　all　merchant　vessels　and　their　cargoes；　employed　merely　in　carrying　on　the　commerce　between　nations。　　It　was　refused　by　England；　and　unwisely；　in　my　opinion。　　For　in　the　case　of　a　war　with　us；　their　superior　commerce　places　infinitely　more　at　hazard　on　the　ocean　than　ours；　and　as　hawks　abound　in　proportion　to　game；　so　our　privateers　would　swarm　in　proportion　to　the　wealth　exposed　to　their　prize；　while　theirs　would　be　few　for　want　of　subjects　of　capture。　　We　inserted　this　article　in　our　form；　with　a　provision　against　the　molestation　of　fishermen；　husbandmen；　citizens　unarmed　and　following　their　occupations　in　unfortified　places；　for　the　humane　treatment　of　prisoners　of　war；　the　abolition　of　contraband　of　war；　which　exposes　merchant　vessels　to　such　vexatious　&　ruinous　detentions　and　abuses；　and　for　the　principle　of　free　bottoms；　free　goods。

　　　　　　　　In　a　conference　with　the　Count　de　Vergennes；　it　was　thought　better　to　leave　to　legislative　regulation　on　both　sides　such　modifications　of　our　commercial　intercourse　as　would　voluntarily　flow　from　amicable　dispositions。　　Without