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A Century of Lawmaking for a New Nation: U.S. Congressional Documents and Debates, 1774-1875
Monday March 31. [1783]
A letter was recd. from the Govr, of R. Island with resolutions of the Legislature of that State justifying the conduct of Mr. Howell.(1)
On the arrival of the French Cutter with the acct. of the signing of the general preliminaries, it was thought fit by Congress to hasten the effect of them by calling in the American Cruisers.(2) It was also thought by all not amiss to notify simply the Intelligence to the British Commanders at N.Y. In addition to this it was proposed by the Secy. of F. A. and urged by the Delegates of Pa., by Mr. Lee, Mr. Rutlidge & others, that Congress should signify their desire & expectation that hostilities sd. be suspended at sea on the part of the Enemy.(3) The arguments urged were that the effusion of blood might be immediately stopped & the trade of this Country rescued from depredation. It was observed on the other side that such a proposition derogated from the dignity of Congs.; shewed an undue precipitancy; that the intelli-
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MARCH 31, 1783
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gence was not authentic enough to justify the British commanders in complying with such an overture; and therefore that Congs. would be exposed to the mortification of a refusal. The former considerations prevailed & a verbal sanction was given to Mr. Livingston's expressing to the sd. Commanders the expectation of Congs. &c.(4) This day their answers were recd. addressed to Robt. R. Livingston Esqr. &c&c&c. declining to accede to the stopping of hostilities at sea, & urging the necessity of authentic orders from G.B. for that purpose.(5) With their letters Mr. Livingston communicated resolutions proposed from his office, "that in consequence of these letters the orders to the American Cruisers sd. be revoked; and that the Executives sd. be requested to embargo all vessels.["] Congs. were generally sensible after the rect. of these papers that they had committed themselves in proposing to the British Commanders at N.Y. a stop to naval hostilities; & were exceedingly at a loss to extricate themselves. On one side they were unwilling to publish to the world the affront they had recd. especially as no written order had been given for the correspondence and on the other it was necessary that the continuance of hostilities at sea should be made known to American Citizens. Some were in favor of the revocation of hostilities. Others proposed as Col. Bland & Genl. Mifflin, that the Secy. of F. A. should be directed verbally to publish the letters from Carlton & Digby. This was negatived. The superinscription was animadverted upon particularly by Mr. Mercer, who said that the letters ought to have been sent back unopened. Finally it was agreed that any member might take copies & send them to the press & that the subject should lie over for further consideration.(6)
MS (DLC: Madison Papers). Madison, Papers (Hutchinson), 6:420- 21.
1 For William Greene's March 18 letter, see Elias Boudinot to Greene, January 16, 1783, note 2.
2 In this paragraph, to the sentence ending "expressing to the sd. Commanders the expectations of Congs. &c.," Madison continued to summarize proceedings in Congress that occurred on March 24. See Madison's Notes, March 24, 1783.
3 For Congress' directive to the agent of marine, see Gunning Bedford to George Read, March 24, 1783, note.
4 Acting on "verbal" rather than written orders, Robert R. Livingston had suggested in letters of March 24 to Sir Guy Carleton and Admiral Robert Digby that they emulate Congress' order of that day by recalling all armed vessels thus preventing "the further effusion of blood at sea." PCC, item 79, 3:103-5; and Wharton, Diplomatic Correspondence, 6:336-37.
5 Carleton's and Digby's letters of March 26 and 27, respectively, refusing to withdraw British cruisers without express orders from London were addressed to Livingston who submitted them to Congress this day under a covering letter dated March 30. He further proposed that Congress revoke its March 24 resolution recalling American cruisers and recommend to state executives that they prevent, as far as possible, the sailing of any vessels pending receipt of official accounts of the cessation of hostilities. See PCC, item 79, 3:97-98, 101-2, 107-8, item 119, fols. 261-64, item 185, 3:59; and Wharton, Diplomatic Correspondence, 6:346.
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APRIL 1, 1783
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6 The letters from Carleton and Digby appeared in the Pennsylvania Gazette and Pennsylvania Packet on April 2 and 3, respectively. This issue was resolved without "further consideration" when additional dispatches from New York arrived April 9 announcing receipt of official notification of the cessation of arms, for which see Madison's Notes, April 10, 1783.
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