and additions as will best serve their purposes, and, by
producing this secret article, gain credit for all they advance. This
line they certainly pursued with respect to France, revealing all that
they learnt from the Count de Vergennes, relative to his opinion of
the first commission; nor is there room to doubt, that Marbois' letter
was received through the same channel. And there is no reason to
believe, if (as our Ministers suppose) the Court of France had put
themselves more in their power, that they would neglect such promising
means of increasing the suspicions our Plenipotentiaries already
entertained.

Add to this, that this article may be used in Parliament, and with the
British nation at large, as a most powerful argument for continuing
the war, adducing, from the resentment it discovers to Spain, and the
distrusts it manifests of France, that the quadruple knot is untied.

But suppose, what may possibly be the case, that the British
administration are sincere, how is the honor and good faith of the
United States to be justified to their allies, and to the world, if by
any of those causes which daily operate, this secret, which is now
known to sixty or seventy people, should be discovered? To tell the
world that we suspected France, will not suffice, unless we can show
probable grounds for such suspicion. Our Ministers inform us, that
when they communicated the articles of the treaty to Count de
Vergennes, "he appeared _surprised_, but not _displeased_ at their
being so favorable to us." Mr Laurens declares expressly, "That he
sees no cause for entertaining more particular jealousy, than ought to
be kept up against every negotiating Court in the world, and not half
so much as should at this moment be upon the watch against every
motion arising from our new half friends."

I confess, Sir, though my sentiments are of little moment that I am
fully of this opinion, and that I tremble lest we should at this hour
be on the edge of a precipice, the more dangerous, as we have fixed
our eyes on the flattering prospect which lies beyond it. I am
persuaded that, the old maxim, "Honesty is the best policy," applies
with as much force to States as to individuals. In that persuasion, I
venture humbly to recommend, that such measures be adopted as to
manifest, that repeated professions of fidelity to their engagements,
and confidence in their ally, may not appear to have been made by
Congress to mask deceit. The caution