of the continuance of the war would rest with Spain, and with Spain alone. In this declaration Grantham joined in unmistakable terms. Again and again did Rayneval return to the charge, urging the claims of Spain, yet always professing the utmost desire on the part of Vergennes and of Louis XVI. himself for peace. Shelburne replied that it was in the power of France to make peace; for himself if put to it he said he would continue the war without hesitation, although sincerely desirous of putting an end to it and forming an alliance between France and England; but he firmly declared he would conclude a peace only upon honourable terms.
They then proceeded to speak about America. Here Rayneval played into the hands of English Ministers, by expressing a strong opinion against the American claims to the Newfoundland fishery and to the Valley of the Mississippi and the Ohio. "As to boundaries," he said, following the line of argument in the Memorandum which he had handed to Jay, "the British Minister will find in the negotiations of 1754 relative to the Ohio, the boundaries which England, then the sovereign of the thirteen United States, thought proper to assign to them."[1] These opinions were carefully noted by Shelburne and Grantham. The conversation then became general. "I have been sincerely touched," said Shelburne addressing the French Envoy, "by all you have told me of the character of the King of France, of his principles of justice and moderation, and of his love for peace. Believing your estimate of his character to be correct, I desire not only to contribute to a pacification between our respective nations and sovereigns, but also to restore those cordial relations upon which their future happiness depends. Not
- ↑ On the 14th of October 1782 Vergennes had written to La Luzerne at Philadelphia as follows: "Moreover I do not see by what title the Americans can form pretensions on Lake Ontario. These lands belong to the savages or are a dependency of Canada. In either case the United States have no right to them whatever. It has been pretty nearly demonstrated that to the south of the Ohio their limits are the mountains following the shed of the waters, and that everything to the north of the mountain range, especially the lakes, formerly made a part of Canada." Bancroft, x. 582; "Address delivered before the New York Historical Society," November 27th, 1883, by Mr. John Jay, 212, note, where other passages to the same effect are given from the despatches of Vergennes. See also Life of John Jay, by Mr. William Jay, ii. 477.
