Sir:
The steps that may lead to so important an event as Peace upon safe and honorable terms, are too interesting to be withheld from you. I have the honor, therefore, to enclose a Copy of Mr. Oswald’s Commission to treat with the thirteen United States of America, which will certainly smoothe the way to it, tho’ the variety of interests to be adjusted at a general Congress (and, perhaps, too, the success of the British arms at Gibraltar) may place it further off than our wishes should otherwise lead us to imagine. Your Excellency will see the propriety of not suffering Copies to be taken of this Commission for the press, and of accompanying the communications you shall think proper to make of it with such recommendations to exertion and vigilence as prudence and the critical situation of our affairs may require; since, on a review of the conduct of the enemy, it will not appear extraordinary to suppose that this may be another of those artifices so often practiced to deceive and put us off our guard. Tho’ we have no Official
Accounts, yet we have every reason to believe that the Treaty of commerce with the United Provinces was signed the seventh of October.