L30/14/397/7a

From De Vergennes to 2nd Baron Grantham ? [In French]:

24 Dec 1782

From: 1782 To: 1782

Translation: Extract from the letter of M le Comte de Vergennes dated 24th December 1782 Mr Fitzherbert has sent me two letters, one from Lord Grantham, the other from Mr Shelburn to prove the need that England has of Dominica. Mr Shelburn establishes his intention , proved by his proposition in Council and the debate which followed, the advantages granted to Spain were consistent with the giving back of Dominica and, starting with this principle, one must see peace as the immediate result of our compliance, or, if we persist in retaining this island, the necessity to reconsider the offers made to Spain and the doubt that peace would be the consequence. This dilemma is presented to us quite frankly, I do not contest Mr Shelburn’s intention at all, but not having had it shown to us in the past, we were not able to combat it, nor share it, nor discuss it The letter from Lord Grantham attached to your dispatch of the 12th was our compass, it was according to that that M le Comte d’Aranda pronounced the decree of Gibraltar, certainly this Ambassador would have refused to announce it, if he had been informed that the King was still in the way of giving indemnities whereas there could no longer be question of equivalents on the part of Spain. The facts thus re-established in their natural order, if the English Ministers judge the giving back of Dominica of such major interest to their nation, it is therefore not under pretence of necessity that they should reclaim it but rather as one of those accommodations with which one can look to find an amicable understanding. The question would then be reduced to examining up to what point the ceding to England could produce the safety and the prosperity of the French states and to find the means of warding off the inconveniences recognised as possible. It is averred that this island in our power is only passive for us. It is situated more conveniently to Martinique for encroachment upon the English Islands if the circumstances were ever to make it necessary! But it is not from an offensive point of view that the King insists upon the repossession of this island, it is rather to distance it that His Majesty desired the preservation of it I think that the English Ministers will lend themselves to taking measures to understand the unlicensed Dominican trade, which they have undertaken not to re-establish the franchise which they had given before the war: but these precautions will surely not prevent this island being, by its position, very inconvenient for communications between Martinique and Guadeloupe. The consideration that it [Dominica] is to the leeward of these two islands does not diminish the consequences by much; that it does not prevent the daily traffic of this same island with the two others .Also we have never attached much importance to Dominica which is not very fertile, (and it has some safe anchorages but no port) but by reason of the harm that the English establishments can cause us. It seems to me to be difficult to feel reassured in this matter: but it is not without precedent that a power sometimes yields one interest in order to obtain another, Mr Shelburne, in his letter to Mr FitzH. says that if we cede on this point the peace is made and all the other arrangements are easy. You may say to yourself Sir, that St Vincent remains ours without difficulty and the arrangements for India will become easier. I must make the observation that never having given up St Vincent, we cannot be presented with this island as an equivalent for Dominica: it has no other interest for us than to assure the liberty and the state in the Carribean. As for the East Indies, we are in mysterious darkness on this matter which begins to seem suspicious to us. Note, Sir, that the British Ministers are still eager work out what may affect their satisfaction, and very slow to explain themselves about ours. This unequal progress, I foresee with pain, will not bring us to our goal, or at least we will only bring us to it late. Does the English Minister seriously want peace, for a moment let us leave the deliberations relating to Dominica in suspense, and only concern ourselves with it in order to find a convenient equivalent. With my letter of the 22nd, Sir, you will receive a plan of the preliminary treaty, I have left the clause on Pondicherry and Karikal blank, for want of material to set it in order, it is for you to fill, but I pray you, let it be in the most decent and seemly manner. When the King has all the conditions together before his eyes and whatever is put forward as an equivalent for Dominica, His Majesty will be in position to decide the hearing of the cause. He has done so much up till now in contributing to the peace that for us not to carry on as openly with Him, as he conducts to himself: He even does too much justice to Mr Shelburne, in the interest of the dilemma I have reported, [that] he would have had the idea of waiting to make His Majesty buy Peace. M de Heredia is in London for the interests of Spain. There remain the Dutch. M Fitzherbert has received the reply to their propositions. What he was good enough to say to me, to make me believe, that they will not be satisfied with them. England will propose freedom of navigation in the same way as the Danes. You know the constraints that they have imposed on themselves since the beginning of the war, or to put back to another time the making of a navigation and commerce treaty. This last offer could be satisfactory, if convened from this present, by an irrevocable principal. England asks besides, to hold on to Trincomali while restoring all the other conquests, on this matter I said to Mr FitzH that I was charged with full powers by all, from all trading with India, that this port be returned to the “Republique” [?]commonweal(th). There is nothing to oppose in the measures that I quoted to him, in order to convince him that this acquisition would certainly do harm the general interest of all the nations. As we ha treated this matter very quickly, time did not permit us to stop there, I cannot tell you if it is a conciliatory expedient or as a new claim, that he explains that his Court would like the “Republique” [?]commonweal(th) to give up the severe precautions that it takes to prevent vessels of other nations from passing through or navigating the waters of the Moluccas.

item

Rayneval,
Fitzherbert,
Shelburn,
Aranda,
Heredia

Dominica, Spain, France, Gibraltar, St.Vincent, East Indies, Pondicherry, Ceylon, American War of Independence