urg, October 15th, 1781.

Sir,

Since my letter to your Excellency of September 15th, enclosing a
duplicate of mine from Berlin, and copies of all the enclosed papers,
the French Minister has sent me a copy of all the propositions of the
mediators, and of the answer of the Court of Versailles. I have the
satisfaction to think the inferences I then drew from the first
propositions only, are well supported by the tenor of the second, in
which they expressly say, that our particular peace shall not be
signed, but conjointly, and at the same time with that of the powers,
whose interests shall have been treated of by the mediating powers;
that the pacifications, notwithstanding they may be treated
separately, shall not be concluded the one without the other; that
care shall be taken constantly to inform the mediators of the
progress, and of the state of our particular treaty, to the end the
mediation may be able to govern itself in the progress of that, which
is intrusted to them, according to the state of our particular
negotiation, and that both of the pacifications, although they shall
have been separately concluded, shall be solemnly guarantied by the
mediators, and all other neutral powers, whose guarantee the
belligerent powers shall judge proper to ask.

What force are we now to allow to the terms in the first proposition
"the American Colonies," and "without the intervention of any of the
other belligerent powers, or even that of the two Imperial Courts,
unless their mediation has been formally demanded, and granted upon
this object?" Is it clear from hence, that the design of the
mediators is to avoid exposing themselves by acknowledging the
independence of the United States before Great Britain has done this
herself? Do not the propositions speak this language to Britain? You
may make such a peace with America, not only as she chooses to make
with you, but as the other belligerent powers, and we shall choose you
should make with her; and remember you are to have no peace in Europe,
unless you give peace to America, and when this peace is once made, we
will take care you shall not break it. We shall soon see by the
replies, which the mediators will give to the belligerent powers,
particularly to the Court of Versailles, whether they will recede in
favor of Britain from their first plan of pacification, or go on in
their next a step further in the spirit of their former system. It
seems, that consistent with th