Beschreibung:

WASHINGTON, GEORGE, President . Autograph letter signed ("G: Washington") TO [BENJAMIN FRANKLIN], New York, JULY 1776. One page, folio, neatly inlaid. JULY 1776: WASHINGTON TO BENJAMIN FRANKLIN ON THE BELATED PEACE INITIATIVES OF THE HOWE BROTHERS A cryptic but significant letter written in the same month as the adoption of the Declaration of Independence. The letter, in which the day of the month is left blank in the dateline, was written not later than 30 July, on which date Franklin's reply to Howe, mentioned herein, was delivered to Admiral Richard Howe on board his flagship, Eagle , anchored off Staten Island with his squadron. The present letter is in reply to two which Washington had received from Franklin. In one, dated 22 July, Franklin commended to the General a proposal by the inventor Joseph Belton to construct a submarine for use against Howe's warships The second, now lost, transmitted and explained to Washington his reply to Howe on behalf of Congress, rebutting the terms proposed by Howe for a reconciliation between Great Britain and the newly independent former colonies (see Franklin, Papers , ed. Willcox, 22:518-521). "Within these few days I have been favour'd with two Letters from you - the first covered one to Lord Howe which with equal confidence I should have sent locked under a Seal - the only difference is, that I have had an opportunity of perusing Sentiments which cannot but be admired - the Second, recommending the scheme of [the name left blank here] to whom I have given every aid in my power to bring his project to maturity. "Your Letter to Lord Howe is gone to him...." As early as 1774 the British government had conceived the idea of sending peace commissioners to the colonies to attempt to settle their differences with the King, and in March 1776, Richard Howe had insisted that he and his brother, in accepting their commissions, not be limited to military initiatives. The brothers' final instructions appointed them "special commissioners," but gave them little actual power other than the granting of pardons and the lifting of embargo restrictions. When he arrived off Boston on 7 June 1776, Richard Howe issued a proclamation which announced his role as commissioner. It was, though, late in the game for such moves. On July 4 Congress voted for independence. In mid-July, Richard Howe's fleet anchored off Staten Island with reinforcements for his brother's command; the two formulated a joint declaration again promising pardons and seeking to negotiate with any who did not subscribe to the recent Declaration of Independence. A copy was sent, under flag of truce, addressed first to "George Washington, Esq." and then, when the Americans had indicated that Washington's rank was missing, to "George Washington, Esq. etc., etc." On instructions from Washington, the letter was both times refused by the American messengers. Finally, General Howe sent his Adjutant General, Lt. Col. Patterson, to meet with General Washington in person. The interview took place on July 20th, at Henry Knox's home at No.1 Broadway. "After some finessing, Colonel Patterson...proceeded to explain that Lord Howe and his brother the General had large powers as the King's commissioners to settle the unhappy differences with America. Patterson wished his visit to be considered as the first advances to that end. Washington was prepared for this approach, which he countered with the statement that he had no authority to treat on that subject. He added in plain words that he thought the Howe brothers were empowered only to grant written pardons. These papers, said the General, were not desired by Americans who felt they had committed no fault but, instead, were defending their indisputable rights....The alleged 'offer' of the Howes was destined to provoke discussion and some cleavage in Congress; but Washington had no faith whatever in these particular peace negotiations and he reasoned that the Howe brothers, conscious at last of t