to his
advice.

However, I could not think of resting totally inactive in this state
of things; though I thought it not prudent to make any official
communications, yet it could not be amiss to endeavor at this time to
turn, if possible, the thoughts of those in government upon our
affairs, and to refute certain assertions of our enemies, which had
remained without contradiction here, and by this means to prepare the
way for the former. It might at least serve to sound the sentiments of
the Ministers. With these views I have thrown the few following
reflections upon paper, three translations of which into French, have,
I am assured, been placed in the very hands I wished to place them,
and that they have not been unacceptable.

_Reflections._

"When Great Britain engaged in a war with her late Colonies, either to
obtain allies, or to prevent new enemies rising up against her, she
was desirous to have it believed that she was contending in the common
cause of all the maritime powers of Europe. Spain she endeavored to
alarm by suggesting, that the revolt in America would be a fatal
example to all her Colonies in the new world, and if it had not such
an effect upon them, they would at least be liable to be conquered one
after another, by their new neighboring empire, so that in one way or
the other Spain would lose her American Colonies, if the independence
of the United States should be established. To Holland she held up the
danger her peculiar commerce, and her navigation would be exposed to,
from the enterprising spirit of the Americans, who would not fail to
become soon her rivals throughout all Europe. To the nations about the
Baltic she alleged, that the free commerce of America would be highly
prejudicial to their commerce, _because many of the commodities of
America, being of the same nature with theirs, they would everywhere
in the markets of Europe come into concurrence with them_. She has
been more particular with regard to Russia, and asserted, that this
empire can derive no possible benefit from a free and direct commerce
with America, and that with or without this commerce, Russia will be
in the same circumstances, _because Great Britain who now takes off,
will continue to take off, all the superfluous productions, and
manufactures of Russia_.

"The conduct of Spain, and of Holland, is the best comment upon the
declarations of the British, which respect those nations. I sha