The writings of George Washington; being his correspondence, addresses, messages, and other papers, official and private, selected and published from the original manuscripts; with a life of the author, notes and illustrations. By Jared Sparks.

448 ~WASHINGTON'S WRITIN GS. [ArPP:.DIx.
there he found that his vessel was not entirely ready. He soon
discovered, also, that his precautions had not been effectual, that
his departure was known at Versailles, and that an arrest by order
of the King would immediately follow him. He adopted the only
mode of escape, that of setting sail without delay. He proceeded to Passage, the nearest port in Spain, where he proposed to
wait for his ship's papers. He had hardly reached that harbour,
when two officers arrived by land from Bordeaux, with a lettre de
cachet from the King prohibiting his departure. At the same time
came letters from the ministers and his family, insisting on his return.
Lord Stormont's spies had detected his movements, and that ambassador had communicated the intelligence to Lafayette's fatherin-law. The lettre de cachet commanded him to repair to Maarseilles, and there wait for further orders. The letters from the
ministers were severe, charging him with violating his oath of
allegiance to the King, and of rashly committing an act, which
might involve the government with other powers. H]is family censured him in a tone of pointed reprimand, assuring him that his
conduct, if persisted in, would ruin both them and himself. It
must be observed, however, that his wife did not join in this outcry;
she approved of his enterprise from the beginning, and threw no
obstacles in his way. The family were preparing for a tour in Italy,
and the design was, that he should meet them at Marseilles, go
with them on this tour, and thus be diverted from his American
project.
Fronm Passage he was obliged to return with the officers to Bordeaux, where he reported himself to the commandant. He wrote
to the ministers and his friends, replying to their charges, and
vindicating himself in the best manner he could.; He reminded
them, that an officer in the King's Irish regiment had been permitted to go over and join the British forces, and added that he saw
no reason why the same privilege should not be allowed to other
officers in regard to the Americans, who were an independent
people, and contending for just principles. Indeed, this had already
been done in the case of Duportail, and three other engineers belonging to the King's army, who had obtained special permission to
enter the American service. These reasons and precedents he
thought would justify him in asking the same permission. To his
family he wrote, that his resolution was fixed, and he hoped they
would aid his views. As to his oath of allegiance, he observed
to some of his correspondents, that when the ministers should be
faithful to their pledges to the people, they might with a better