I take the Liberty of writing to you though I have not the honor of your personal acquaintance, and I hope that when you shall have68 read my Letter, and find that I am the Daughter of the worthy but unfortunate H Laurens Esqr. sentiments of sympathy for his unhappy situation, and of pity for a Child in the deepest affliction on account of that Situation, will be more than sufficient to induce your humane heart, to pardon a step which on a less occasion might have worne the appearance of Boldness in a young Person.1 You know Sir that my dear Papa’s attachment to his Country, and zeal in her Service, had after his serving with Integrity in other important Posts, procured him the honor of being named to that, which your Excellency now fills up. You know also Sir, that on his Way to Holland he had the misfortune to fall into the hands of the Enemy, and that in Consequence of this Event, he has been Prisoner during 13 Mos. in the Tower of London. Till now I had been taught to beleive, that though strictly confined he was at least treated in other respects, as all Prisoners of any Credit are while in the Power of civilised Enemies. This hope was an alleviation to the first strong Emotions wch it was natural I should feel on account of my dr Papa’s Captivity, and I wrote to my dr Brother, Mr John Laurens, when he was last in France in a public Capacity, every favorable account which I had received from Engd, with regard to our dear Parent, through the tender motive of making his mind as easy as possible. In a Letter to me from Paris, he says, that he will make use of his utmost Interest to serve our dr Father, and to procure his release, but I find however good his heart and his will may have been, his Efforts have been without success, as my dr Papa not only remains a prisoner but is treated with the greatest Cruelty. To convince your Excellency of this, I will give you an extract of a Letter, which I have just received from a near friend in London, and which by his desire I communicate to you, in hopes that you will interest yourself, in procuring my dr Father a more honorable treatment.2 Let me entreat you Sir to exert yourself to render his Situation less painful. The anguish of my mind on his account is too great to be described, but this is natural. A Daughter would feel for her Father, were he the basest of Mortals, but may I may not plead with you Sir, that a Person of my Fathers unspotted and upright Character, is an Object of Sympathy for every honest Man and merits their utmost Endeavors for his Service.

You see Sir how much reason I have to be affected, and how painful a situation my dr Papa’s must be, and I make no doubt you will do all you can to make it less so. May a kind Providence bless the endeavors you may make use of and hear my Prayers for my dr Papa’s happiness, and for a Peace to America, as firm and stable as her cause is good, and as her Sufferings have been great. May I flatter myself Sir that you will condescend to favor me with a speedy answer to this Letter, that I may know whether there are any hopes of his Exchange, or at least any attempts to make his Situation easier. Is it not a reflection on America that one of her Ambassadors a Man of Worth and Credit, should in his Prison be so miserable as to want the common necessaries of Life, and no notice taken of it.

Be pleased to direct for Mlle Laurens—au Vigan en Cevenes.

In this retired place, living in the oeconomical manner wch becomes our Situation, I have past the greatest of 4 years which I have spent in France.

I am, as well as a Sister of eleven year old6 under the Protection of an only Brother of my dr and unfortunate Father. This dear Friend, who for many years past has had bad health, received a shock to his Constitution soon after my Father’s imprisonment wch it is probable will greatly contribute to shorten his Days.7He would no doubt present his most respectful Compliments to your Excellency, but his declining health, and great Sensibility for my dear Papa have induced me to hide from him the Contents of a Letter melancholy enough to produce on him some fatal Effect, and consequently the Liberty wch I have taken to write to you.

Accept Sir, my sincerest Wishes that Heaven may long preserve a Life so useful to our Country as yours is, and crown with success your Labors for her welfare.

Your obliging Letter of the 7th instant I had the honor to recieve on Saturday night by Mr Fox, to whom I shall be happy to shew every Civility in my Power, according to the Recommendation of your Excellency and Mr. Franklin.1

I have recieved a Letter from Captain Jackson, and another from my Boy at Bilbao,2 which inform me of their Intention to embark for Salem in a Privateer which was to sail the 16th so that I suppose they are now at Sea bound home. I thank your Excellency however for your kind offer concerning my Son.

As to the Goods, the question still is, what is to be done with them? There is here a Capt. Grinnel,3 a sober prudent Man, who has long used this Trade, to whom I read your Excellencys Observations concerning the sending the Goods off at this season of the year. He is of your Excellency’s Opinion, concerning their going through the English Channel, but is confident that from this time till Christmas, or a little later, it is the safest time of the whole Year to go North about. He says there is no danger from Privateers or Cruisers, and that a good Vessel, taking Advantage of the first Winter East Winds, may go with the utmost safety to the Ship and Cargo, although the Master and Crew may expect a little hardship from the Cold and the Wind. He insists upon it if he had the Care of any Interest, public or private, he should chuse this season for safety in preference to any other. He knows the Vessels, and says they are very good, and that they are fast Sailors. If the Goods are to go, I should advise to give him the Command of one of the Vessels.

But the question is how We shall get the Goods into our Possession? They are now in possession of one of the Owners of the Ships, who I expect will detain them until his demands are satisfied. There is no Law that I know of which authorises him to detain the Goods, but le droit du plus fort, ou du plus subtil. But what avails a Claim 72of Law in favor of the United States, in a Country where such a State is not acknowledged? It is certain no Action could be maintained in favor of the United States in any Court of Law in this Country: so that We lye at Mercy. Mr. De Neufville owns half of one of the Vessels and a Quarter of the other: but it is another of the Owners I am told, who has possession of the Goods. I am promised Information some time to day of the Terms that will be insisted on.4 Come. Gillon, I am told, engaged these Ships, and the Goods were put on board before the Charter Parties were signed. He went out of the Texel without signing them, and one of the Owners sent Orders to the Captains not to sail until they were signed, which was the Reason of their being left behind. Our Hands are in the Lion’s mouth. If the Terms shall not appear reasonable, what shall We do? To sell the Goods here at Vendue I fear would sink half their Value, but We had better lose half than the whole: and if this Measure should become necessary, I should think it most adviseable for your Excellency to desire Messrs Fizeaux and Grand to appoint some body to sell them, and recieve the Money, pay out what is necessary to be paid, and keep the rest subject to your Excellency’s Orders. Come. Gillon has not complied with his Engagements to the Owners; but this is a breech of a mere personal Obligation on his part, for which the Continental Goods are not responsible in Law or Equity: but the Owners have possession of them, and We can have no Advantage of Law to get them out of their hands: so that I suppose a Composition must be made with them.

I think it manifest that my Letters to your Excellency have been opened, which I wonder at the more as I have delivered them all to the House of Fizeaux and Grand for greater safety of Conveyance. I believe none of your Excellency’s Letters to me have been opened. The Impressions of the Seals have been all bright, smooth and fair.