I am extremely sorry to find in your letter some sentences which reflect upon the character of his most Christian Majesty.  It certainly is not kind, or consistent with the principles of philanthropy you profess, to traduce a gentleman’s character, without affording him an opportunity of defending himself; and that, too, a near neighbor, and not long since an intimate brother, who besides hath lately given you the most solid additional proofs of his pacific disposition, and with an unparalleled sincerity which would do honor to other princes, declared to your Court, unasked, the nature and effect of a treaty he had just entered into with these States.  Neither is it quite according to the rules of politeness to use such terms in addressing yourselves to Congress, when you well knew that he was their good and faithful ally.  It is indeed true, as you justly observe, that he hath at times been at enmity with his Britannic Majesty, by which we suffered some inconveniences; but these flowed rather from our connection with you than any ill-will towards us; at the same time it is a solemn truth, worthy of your serious attention, that you did not commence the present war,—­a war in which we have suffered infinitely more than by any former contest, a fierce, a bloody, I am sorry to add, an unprovoked and cruel war,—­that you did not commence this, I say, because of any connection between us and our present ally; but, on the contrary, as soon as you perceived that the treaty was in agitation, proposed terms of peace to us in consequence of what you have been pleased to denominate an insidious interposition.  How, then, does the account stand between us?  America, being at peace with the world, was formerly drawn into a war with France in consequence of her union with Great Britain.  At present, America being engaged in a war with Great Britain, will probably obtain the most honorable terms of peace in consequence of her friendly connection with France.  For the truth of these positions, I appeal, gentlemen, to your own knowledge.  I know it is very hard for you to part with what you have accustomed yourselves from your earliest infancy to call your Colonies.  I pity your situation, and therefore I excuse the little aberrations from truth which your letter contains.  At the same time it is possible that you may have been misinformed.  For I will not suppose that your letter was intended to delude the people of these States.  Such unmanly, disingenuous artifices have of late been exerted with so little effect, that prudence, if not probity, would prevent a repetition.  To undeceive you, therefore, I take the liberty of assuring your Excellencies, from the very best intelligence, that what you call “the present form of the French offers to America,” in other words, the treaties of alliance and commerce between his most Christian Majesty and these States, were not made in consequence of any plans of accommodation concerted in Great Britain, nor with a view to prolong this