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A Century of Lawmaking for a New Nation: U.S. Congressional Documents and Debates, 1774-1875
Journals of the Continental Congress --WEDNESDAY, JANUARY 10, 1781
A letter, of 7th, and one, of 8th, from the committee appointed to confer with the supreme executive of Pensylvania;
And a letter, of 8th, from Brigadier General Wayne and Colonels Butler and Stewart, were read, with sundry papers enclosed.2
[Note 2: 2 The committee letter of the 8th is in thePapers of the Continental Congress, No. 152, IX, folio 455; one of the 9th was also read; it is on folio 461. Wayne, Butler, and Stewart's letter is in No. 152, IX, folio 473.]
A letter, of this day, from Baron d'Arendt, was read.3
[Note 3: 3 A translation of this letter, in the writing of Charles Thomson, is in thePapers of the Continental Congress, No. 43, folio 9. The letter is in No. 78, VII, folio 331.]
The committee to whom was referred the correspondence between his excellency, Count de Vergennes, and the honble J. Adams, delivered in a report; Whereupon,
Congress agreed to the draught of a letter to Mr. Adams.
The committee, to whom was referred the correspondence between his Excellency the Count de Vergennes and the honble John Adams, relative to the communication of the plenipotentiary powers of the
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latter, reported the draught of a letter, which was agreed to in the words following:
Sir,
Congress consider your correspondence with the Count de Vergennes on the subject of communicating your plenipotentiary powers to the ministry of Great Britain, as flowing from your zeal and assiduity in the service of your country; but I am directed to inform you, that the opinion given to you by that minister relative to the time and circumstances proper for communicating your powers, and entering upon the execution of them, is well founded. Congress have no expectations from the influence which the people of England may have on the British councils, whatever may be the dispositions of that nation or their magistrates towards these United States; nor are they of opinion that a change of ministers would produce a change of measures: they therefore hope that you will be very cautious of admitting your measures to be influenced by presumptions of such events, or their probable consequences.
I am, Sir,
Your humble Servt.
S. Huntington,President.1
[Note 1: 1 This letter was entered only in the manuscript Secret Journal, Foreign Affairs. It is in thePapers of the Continental Congress, No. 25, I, folio 409, in the writing of Charles Thomson.
From this point to the end of the day the proceedings were entered also in the Secret Journal, Foreign Affairs.]
HonbleJ. Adams.
Congress took into consideration the report of the committee appointed to consider and report a plan for the Department of Foreign Affairs, wherein they state,
"That the extent and the rising power of these United States entitle them to a place among the great potentates of Europe, while our political and commercial interests point
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out the propriety of cultivating with them a friendly correspondence and connection:
That to render such an intercourse advantageous, the necessity of a competent knowledge of the interests, views, relations, and systems of those potentates, is obvious:
That a knowledge, in its nature so comprehensive, is only to be acquired by a constant attention to the state of Europe, and an unremitted application to the means of acquiring well grounded information:
That Congress are moreover called upon to maintain with our ministers at foreign courts a regular correspondence, and to keep them fully informed of every circumstance and event which regards the public honor, interest, and safety:
That to answer those essential purposes, the committee are of opinion, that a fixed and permanent office for the Department of Foreign Affairs ought forthwith to be established, as a remedy against the fluctuation, the delay and indecision to which the present mode of managing our foreign affairs must be exposed"; Whereupon,
That your Committee are further of Opinion that the most efectual mode of conducting the Business of the Department for foreign affairs woud be thro' a Minister vested with Confidential powers after the Example of other nations, responsible for his Trust and under the immediate Direction of Congress.
That there are however obstacles to be apprehended which may retard the Introduction of such a plan; and as a provision which can be carried into immediate practice is indispensably necessary, your Committee therefore submit the following Resolution:
Resolved, That an office be forthwith established for the Department of Foreign Affairs, to be kept always in the place where Congress shall reside:
That there shall be a secretary for the despatch of the business of the said office, to be stiled "Secretary for foreign affairs:"
That it shall be the duty of the said secretary to keep and preserve all the books and papers belonging to the Department
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of Foreign Affairs; to receive and report the applications of all foreigners; [to correspond with the ministers of the United States at foreign courts, and with the ministers of foreign powers and other persons, for the purpose of obtaining the most extensive and useful information relative to foreign affairs, to be laid before Congress when required; also to transmit such communications as Congress shall direct, to the ministers of these United States and others at foreign courts, and in foreign countries;] the saidminister secretary shall have liberty to attend Congress, that he may be better informed of the affairs of the United States, and have an opportunity of explaining his reports respecting his department; [he shall also be authorized to employ one or, if necessary, more clerks to assist him in the business of his office; and the secretary, as well as such clerks, shall, before the president of Congress, take an oath of fidelity to the United States, and an oath for the faithful execution of their respective trusts.]
NegativdThat a Committee of Congress consisting of three members of whom the president shall always be one shall have the superintendance and direction of the Department of foreign affairs and that the Secretary for foreign affairs shall be subject to their Instructions and Submit all his correspondence and proceedings to their Inspection.1
[Note 1: 1 This report, in the writing of James Duane, is in thePapers of the Continental Congress, No. 25, I, folio 311, and was delivered June 12, 1780. The portions in brackets were not in the report, but were added during the debate.]
Adjourned to 10 o'Clock to Morrow.
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