ritish had
set on foot a direct negotiation, the Imperial Court renewed their
instances with that of London to engage them to accept their
mediation; that this gave birth to an answer, in which his Britannic
Majesty, without taking notice of the negotiation begun at Paris,
declared, that he was ready to receive through them, every pacific
overture, and even to admit the Dutch and the Americans to the
negotiation. This answer was dated on the 29th of April, when Mr
Oswald was already in Paris. That they continued their negotiations,
and sent Mr Grenville powers, which were dated on the 21st of May;
that they did not conceal this from the Imperial Court, but pretended
that it was at the instance of France.

That this false accusation, and above all the fear of seeing the
mediation vanish, had engaged the Imperial Court to communicate to the
Court of Versailles and Madrid, the last Memorial of the Court of
London, and to exhort them to establish a negotiation under their
auspices; that it was easy to refute the unskilful accusation of the
British, which he (the Count de Vergennes,) thinks they (the Court of
France,) have done with success; that the answer is transmitted; that
they had determined, without rejecting the mediation, to pursue the
direct negotiation as long as it might be convenient to the Court of
London; that he had not seen the answer of the British, which could
not, however, be very satisfactory, since they have expedited the
commission to Mr Fitzherbert and Mr Oswald; that he (the Count do
Vergennes,) was ignorant of the part, that the Imperial Courts would
take upon their declinatory answer.

But that they had always been candid, clear, and open, and would have
no objection to confide their interests with the mediators upon the
established basis, whenever the Court of London shall decline the
direct negotiation she had begun; that the King did not doubt but that
Congress would think with him on this subject, and that he would not
hesitate, if circumstances should require it, to give such assurances
to the two Imperial Courts. In a postscript he adds, that he had seen
Mr Jay and Mr Franklin, and that they had together discussed both the
substance and form of the commission to Mr Oswald, and that in spite
of his (Mr Oswald's) instances, they had agreed to decline entering
into the matter with him, until he shall have produced the original of
his commission.