ed an excellent
character in his country, and a warm friendship for the American
cause. He returns to share with his friends in their dangers and their
triumphs. I have done myself the honor to give him this letter, for
the sake of introducing him to your acquaintance, as he has frequently
expressed to me a desire to embrace the first opportunity of paying
his respects to a character so highly esteemed, and so justly admired
throughout all Europe, as well as America. Mr Dana will satisfy you,
that we have no reason to expect peace with Great Britain."

Mr Dana returned to Massachusetts and was chosen a delegate to
Congress in December of the same year, though he did not take his
seat in that body till the November following. This station he filled
till September, 1779, when he was appointed Secretary to Mr John
Adams, the Minister Plenipotentiary for negotiating a treaty of peace
and a treaty of commerce with Great Britain. He went to Europe with Mr
Adams, and resided with him in Paris, and a short time in Holland. On
the 20th of June, 1780, he was commissioned to negotiate a loan in
Holland, provided Mr Adams should be prevented by other business from
attending to it. As Mr Adams undertook the negotiation, Mr Dana did
not enter upon this commission.

On the 19th of December, he was elected by Congress to be Minister
resident in Russia, with authority to accede to the convention of the
neutral and belligerent powers for protecting the freedom of commerce
and rights of nations, and also to negotiate a treaty for this
purpose. He received his commission and instructions in Paris, and
after spending a short time in Amsterdam and Berlin, he arrived at St
Petersburg towards the end of August, 1781. Here he applied himself
with zeal and activity to the objects of his mission, but the policy
of the Russian Court was at that time such, as to prevent its
recognizing the independence of the United States, or receiving
publicly a Minister from that government. In his private capacity, Mr
Dana was treated with due consideration, and was promised that, after
the signature of the definitive treaty at Paris, he should be admitted
to an audience of the Empress, and received in his public character,
as Minister from the United States. Meantime his continued ill health
had induced him to solicit from Congress permission to return home,
which was granted. He sailed from St Petersburg in a ship bound for
Boston, where he arrived in Decem