The Baron DeKalb [pp. 141-202]

154 Tlie Baron DeKaib. [July,
of your kindness to me, I could not have had the least uneasiness
about the packet I took the liberty to direct to you for France.
N\That induced me to ti~ouble you so far, is owing to my apprehen
sion that my letters, going and coming, may be withheld, either on
this or on the other side of the sea. For, would you be~ieve it,
sir, I had not one single letter, either from my lady, relations or
friends in Europe, since my arnval on this continent, though I am
satisfied they did not miss any opportunities they could get, and
are as well informed as anybody of tLe vessels sailing for America.
I can hardly think that any of these letters will be stopped in
France, my absence being consented to by the king and his ministers. My suspicion must then more naturally fall on this side [of
the wa~er]; and if so, those that withhold them must do it out of
curiosity or ill-nature, without reaping any kind of benefit or intelligence from it, for letters relating to businessare written in a m~nner
which nobody but myself can understand-and what can he got by
letters from a wife to her husband about family affairs I dare say
it is distressing to me not to hear anything of what is most dear to
me-for that reason I will recommend for the future (if you will
give me leave) to have my letters directed to your Excellency. I
may assure you, sir, that my political correspondence can be in no
way hurtful to the cause of America, nor offend any individual
whatsoever. On the contrary, all I aim at is to make interest with
my friends at court, to procure real assistance to the United States,
to countermine the false reports of disaffected and exclaiming officers,
that come home, and to show the necessity and usefulness of a war
with England. I wish I could be sometimes more pmvate to the
proposals of Congress to the French ministry, for possibly I could
strike on such strings as the American commissioners (though men
of sagacity, understanding and knowledge, in all other matters)
cannot be ac~uainted with, nor have even ideas of, considering the
differences in government between an infant commonwealth and the
intricate roads in that of a monarchical, or often ministerial one.
Good use should be made of it at home, for I would trust it onJy to
those I know to be well-wishers to those States. I have sent to
Mr. John Adams a few letters of introduction for Paris and Versailles, which I hope will be of some service to him.
"Although thi~ letter exceeds already the ordinary bounds, I
cannot help imparting to your Excellency a few remarks on the
continental army, which I shall set down as they will occur to my
memory, without any regular order or plan, and only as hints, to
be considered by Congress for redress, if they think them worth
notice. That the States, in raising regiments and completing the
officers thereof, before they could be sure of linding a sufficient num ber of men, made a mistake, excusable in new governments; but