Brigantine Cabot, and carried into St. Chriftopher's.

Amfterdam, Dec. 15, 1780. DEAR CUSHING,

I writ to you on the 2d inftant by way of France, under cover, to Congrefs; but our friend Heartwell, who delivered me your difpatches, going out by way of St. Euftatia, may get this letter to you fooner than the other. You will have heard of the unfortunate capture of poor Laurens, with his papers, and the British ambaflador's memorial to the States Gene

ral in confequence thereof. What it may produce is yet doubtful, though the general opinion here is, that it will be nothing alarming. Sir Jofeph Yorke has prefented a second memorial, but you may depend upon it the ftates will not be bullied into any thing. It is thought that England will not at this conjuncture widen the breach with the Republic; but, even if they should, it will do us no harm for them to have more enemies to contend with. A rafh step taken by them at this time, when all the powers of Europe are jealous of them, and favourably inclined to American independence, may prove their entire ruin. Our independence is confidered here as established. The Emprefs of Ruffia has already, in effect, taken a decided part in our favour, and other European nations are well inclined to support our caufe.

In this city we have many powerful friends, who, as well as all Europe, difdain the pride of the British miniftry, which is not lefs confpicuous in the memorials prefented to their High Mightineffes,

than it was in the answer returned to the petition of Congrefs. Pride, indeed, feems to be endemial to that nation; but I think it won't be long before we fee its downfall.

I proteft I fee no ground for your gloomy apprehenfions. You talk of the difficulty of recruiting the army, the depreciation of Congress notes, the complaints of public creditors, and the flood of counterfeit money among you, &c. Thefe doubts and fears are really provoking, and the source of them only in your own irrefolute breast. Can you expect to gain your point, or accomplish any thing great, without the common incidents of war? Compare yourselves with other countries, and fee their exertions for things of much lefs moment. England, for example, at the beginning of this war, was a hundred and thirty millions in debt, and yet the British miniftry, merely to gratify their pride, involved their country in an expence of twenty millions per ann.

more.

This caufes a depreciation of their money, and complaints among their creditors, who have. quite as much reafon as yours, mott of them having already funk forty per cent. of their capital. Shall we then, who have our all at flake, talk of burthens, and the perplexities of a paper medium?

Different nations have different modes of raifing money for the public expenditure, which is usually done according to the genius of the people, and the form of their government. Moft of those in Europe have occafionally been driven to the use of paper-money,

[R] 2

or

or making public fecurities ferve the purposes of a medium in trade; and the English have gone more extenfively into this expedient than other nations: but I believe none have ever made use of it with lefs inconvenience, or given their creditors lefs caufe of complaint, than the ftates of America have done heretofore. But when almoft every public department among you is filled, as I am informed, with men of rapacious principles, who facrifice the common weal to their private emolument, whe encourage gambling, voluptuoufnefs, and every vice, what good can be expected from the wifeft inftitutions? I wish thefe good gentlemen, whom you mention, would exert themselves in their feveral profeffions to ftop thofe growing enormities which are the fource of all the calamities of the country, and which fooner or later, if not ftopt, muft end in its deftruction.

Our money matters are in a good way, which I writ to you fully upon in my laft. You must have patience till they can be accomplished, and in the mean time do the best you can. Many here who know the country laugh at your complaints, and fay that a few duties and excifes, judicioufly laid throughout the continent,would pay the whole army expences without being felt. I advife to reftraining the confumption of foreign fuperfluities, and introducing fumptuary laws; though it may be policy, for the encouragement of foldiers, to indulge them in a livery as fplendid as may be con

venient.

I am forry to fee you fo anxious for an accommodation, and wifh

you had fhewn how it could be done. Are you aware of the revolutions that will unavoidably take place? New arrangements made, and the ftates new modelled, the better to ferve the purpofes of defpotifm; the captors of British property obliged to difgorge; a debt of four millions fterling to be paid to the British merchants to fettle old fcores; your fishery reftrained and put under new regulations; forfeited eftates returned to their former owners; a door opened for innumerable law fuits for illegal payments; the property of the whole continent fet afloat; and, after all, are you fure our great ally would confent to it? In truth, I can see nothing fhort of independence that can fettle it, without the remedy being more fatal than the disease.

It is true, I believe, what you fuggeft, that Lord North fhewed a difpofition to give up the conteft, but was diverted from it, not unlikely, by the reprefentation of the Americans in London, who, in conjunction with their coadjutors in America, have been thorns to us indeed on both fides the water; but I think their career might have been ftopt on your fide, if the executive officers had not been too timid in a point which I fo ftrenuously recommended at first, namely, to fine, imprifon, and hang all inimical to the caufe, without favour or affection. I forefaw the evil that would arife from that quarter, and wished to have timely ftopt it. I would have hanged my own brother if he had took a part with our enemy in this contest.

I believe there never was an inftance of fuch delufion as those people are under to facrifice their

country,

or

country, their intereft, and their best connections, to fide with a people who neither reward thank them; and I have good authority to fay, that a great proportion of them have nothing to live upon but their loyalty. One would think that this alone, if it was known and believed, would be enough to prevent others from falling into the fame fnare. Heartwell, who has been fome time incognito in London, will give you much useful information; he will tell you the talk we have had about a ftipend for, which