Your favour of the 6 Ult.(1) came to hand the 5 Inst. I congratulate you on your safe return home -- to the enjoyment of the repose of domestic life endeared by so long an absence on public service. You wish for news I send you the paper of the day -- in it you will see Carleton & Digbys letter to Genera1 Washington and make your own comments.
Notwithstanding my endeavours to qualify myself with the notices requisite, both as to form & substance, to enable me to fill, with propriety, my present place, I find myself very deficient. It is not an easy thing for a new member to take up the business of Congress & proceed in it with consistency & propriety.
Genera1 Washingtons Letter enclosing the above sd. letter informs us that an embarkation is taking place at New York and that it is said to be for Charlestown. This does not look like its being evacuated soon as we have been led to expect.
I am informed that the Resolve concerning the German Prisoners is carrying into effect. The Ordinance for establishing a Supreme Court of Appeals in maritime causes has not had a 3d reading; nor is the vacant Seat in the Court filled as yet; my friendship to Mr Marchant will lead me to serve him with pleasure as far as it shall be in my power.
Not long since was read in Congress a Letter from Mr Jay dated at Madrid. It contained upwards of 100 pages in Folio; being a journal of his proceedings from October 1781 to April 28 1782, including his negotiations with the Ministers at that Court, His Letters to Dr. Franklin, answers, &c. &c. On the whole it might have been written in Capitals Procrastination. Nothing definitive is be expected soon in that Quarter. So entirely do they neglect us that Mr Jay has been under the necessity, notwithstanding encouragement from them at sundry times of pecuniary assistances of protesting bills for the pitiful Sum of £20,000 Sterlg. But Dr Franklin found means to satisfy the bills soon after through the bounty of our Great, good & generous Ally.
By another Letter of May last, which is short, we are informed that Mr Jay was going to Paris. What if Messieurs Adams & Laurens should join him & Dr Franklin at Paris & be, perhaps at this moment settling preliminaries for a genera1 pacification? The British have undoubtedly made some advances -- What is doing time will discover, "Timeo Danaos et dona ferentes."(2) The objects of negotiation are various -- To divide interests -- To procure Allies -- or for peace. The Britons wish
It gave me great pleasure to find that you breakfasted with our illustrious General the friday morning after you left Philadelphia not only on account of the mutual Satisfaction it must have afforded you both, but as it will tend to justify the attempts I made, on a late occasion, to remove an injurious aspersion thrown out against you in this regard. Your conduct, Sir, must silence your enemies & put them to confusion; I am sorry to hear that either Judge Mowry should assert or General Miller believe that you ever was concerned in such an infamous intrigue as you mention.(3)
As I have no evidence of its existance, but every reason to believe that had it existed, you would have detested entring into it, I cannot doubt but on a thorough investigation and detection of their affairs, in which I wish you good speed, your character instead of being injured will receive an additional lustre. It is indeed to be lamented but experience evinces the facility with which points are carried in such small Republics as ours by the vile arts of falsehood & detraction: and little do those who practice them regard their detection after their points are carried; while the injured party, not having the means of defence at hand is obliged tempori succumbere and with difficulty at last, if ever, totally eraseth the ill impressions from the minds of his Fellow-citizens.
No official accounts have been received from the Hague further than the News Papers must have informed you. The Completion of treaties & the arrival of a Dutch Minister may be momentarily expected.
On the request of Mr Joseph Brown of Providence I have lately transmitted him by a safe hand a very particular account of the construction, parts, dimensions, &c. with a deliniation of the Cylinder & flue of the wooden still about which you wish to be informed; as I kept no copy and doubt not of his having received my letter (4) I must refer you thereto for information.
I beg you to make acceptable my particular regards to your Brother Christopher Ellery, your Son in law Mr Channing, Mr Merchant & all Friends.
Believe me to be with much esteem & deference, Sir, your Friend & humble Servant, David Howell.
P.S. Should you attend the ensuing Session of Assembly have to request you would give me the earliest notice of their most material transactions. D.H.
RC (NN: Emmet Collection).
1 Not found.
2 "I fear the Greeks, even offering presents." Virgil Aeneid 2.49.
3 Ellery had been accused by fellow Rhode Island delegate Daniel Mowry of having supported the Conway Cabal's attempt to replace General Washington with Gen. Horatio Gates during the winter of 1777-78. He had apparently defended himself against these charges in the July 6 letter to Howell acknowledged above, and subsequently explained his position in the following terms in a September 21, 1782, letter to Gen. Nathan Miller of Warren, R.I. "Since my return from Philadelphia," Ellery wrote, "I have been informed that the Hon' ble David Mowrey had told you that I was an enemy to Genl. Washington, and in proof of his assertion said that, upon a question in Congress, whether Genl. Washington or Genl. Gates should be Commander in chief of the armies of the United States, I had voted for Genl. Gates, or words to that purpose, and that he had seen the vote in the journals of Congress, or had a copy of it at his house.
"As by a report of this sort my character hath been sensibly affected in this State, I am determined to call upon Mr. Mowrey for an explanation of his conduct in this instance; and in order to do it with propriety I wish to know from you the expressions he made use of as exactly as you can recollect them."
See Burnett, Letters, 6:488-89; and William Fowler, William Ellery: A Rhode Island Politico and Lord of Admiralty (Metuchen, N.J.: The Scarecrow Press, 1973), pp. 141-44. See also Charles Thomson to Ellery, June 8, 1782.
4 Not found.