s.

I have the honor to be, &c.

DUMAS.

* * * * *

ROBERT R. LIVINGSTON TO C. W. F. DUMAS.

Philadelphia, November 28th, 1781.

Sir,

It is necessary to inform you, that the correspondence with you will
in future be through the office of Foreign Affairs, at the head of
which Congress have done me the honor to place me, as will appear by
the enclosed resolutions.

I have before me your interesting letters from December to July. The
minute detail into which you go, of the facts in which either your
government or ours is concerned, is highly acceptable to Congress. You
will not, therefore, fail to continue it; and from time to time
transmit, in addition thereto, such papers and pamphlets as serve to
throw light on the politics of the United Provinces, or of the
Northern Powers. Dr Franklin will defray the expense to which this may
put you. Be pleased to subscribe for the Leyden and Amsterdam
Gazettes, and transmit them to me as opportunity offers. We have as
yet received no account from Mr Adams of the presentation of his
Memorial, or the reception it met with, nor any other particulars on
this interesting subject, than what you have related. We consider this
as a proof of his reliance upon your exactness in the relation.

You have before this heard the variety of agreeable events, which have
with the divine blessing taken place in America. The particulars of
the capture of Cornwallis and General Green's victory are sent to Mr
Adams, though you will probably have them earlier by way of France.
Our affairs here are in such a situation, that even our enemies have
given up the idea of conquest, or the most distant expectation of our
re-union with Great Britain, whose unheard of cruelties have excited
the most inveterate hatred. This is perhaps the moment in which other
nations might, by a generous and decided conduct, take their place in
our affections; and before our tastes were so formed as to give the
preference to the fashions or manufactures of any one country, to
establish their commerce with us on the ruin of that of Britain. I
wish both for your sake and ours, that the United Provinces knew how
to avail themselves of this invaluable opportunity by entering boldly
into commercial connexions with us, and by ingratiating themselves
into our affections by some such