Benjamin Vaughan to Benjamin Franklin, January 18, 1783
Paris, Jan. 18, 1783.
My dearest sir,
I cannot but in the most earnest manner and from recent circumstances, press your going early to Versailles to-morrow; and I have considerable reason to think, that your appearance there will not displease the person whom you address. I am of opinion that it is very likely that you will have the glory of having concluded the peace, by this visit; at least I am sure if the deliberations of to-morrow evening end unfavourably, that there is the strongest appearance of war; and if they end favourably, perhaps little difficulty may attend the rest. 2
After all, the peace will have as much that is conceded in it, as England can in any shape be made just now to relish; owing to the stubborn demands principally of Spain, who would not I believe upon any motive recede from her conquests. What I wrote about Gibraltar, arrived after the subject as I understand was canvassed, and when it of course must have appeared impolitic eagerly and immediately to revive it. 3
You reproved me, or rather reproved a political scheme yesterday, of which I have heard more said favourably by your friends at Paris , than by any persons whatever in London. But do you, my dear sir, make this peace, and trust our common sense respecting another war. England, said a man of sense to me the other day, will come out of the war like a convalescent out of a disease, and must be re-established by some physic and much regimen. I cannot easily tell in what shape a bankruptcy would come upon England, and still less easily in what mode and degree it would affect us; but if your confederacy mean to bankrupt us now, I am sure we shall lose the great fear that would deter us from another war. Your allies therefore for policy, and for humanity’s sake, will I hope stop short of this extremity; especially as we should do some mischief first to others, as well as to ourselves. I am, my dearest Sir, your ever devoted, ever affectionate, and ever obliged,
B. Vaughan.
(Private)