dearly purchas’d.  Many of your Countrymen besides myself, feel very grateful to you and those of our Negociators who joyned you, in preventing the Tory Refugees from being obtruded upon us.  These would certainly have increasd the Number of such Kind of Patriots as I have mentiond, and besides, their Return would have been attended with other mischievous Effects.  Mutual Hatred and Revenge would have occasiond perpetual Quarrels between them & the people & perhaps frequent Bloodshed.  Some of them, by Art and Address might gradually recover a Character & in time an Influence, and so become the fittest Instruments in forming Factions either for one foreign Nation or another.  We may be in Danger of such Factions, and should prudently expect them.  One might venture to predict that they will sooner or later happen.  We should therefore guard against the evil Effects of them.  I deprecate the most favord Nation predominating in the Councils of America, for I do not believe there is a Nation on Earth that wishes we should be more free or more powerful than is consistent with their Ideas of their own Interest.  Such a disinterested Spirit is not to be found in National Bodies; The World would be more happy if it prevaild more in individual Persons.  I will say it for my Countrymen, they are, or seem to be, very grateful.  All are ready freely to acknowledge our Obligations to France for the Part she took in our late Contest.  There are a few who consider the Advantage derivd to her, by a total Seperation of Britain & the Colonies, which so sagacious a Court doubtless foresaw & probably never lost Sight of.  This Advantage was so glaring in the first Stages of our Controversy, that those who then ran the Risque of exciting even an Appeal to Heaven rather than a Submission to British tyranny, were well perswaded that the Prospect of such a Seperation would induce France to interpose, and do more than she has done if necessary.  America with the Assistance of her faithful Ally has secured and establishd her Liberty & Independence.  God be praisd!  And some would think it too bold to assert, that France has thereby saved the Being of her great Importance.—­But if it be true why may we not assert it?  A punctual Fulfillment of Engagements solemnly enterd into by Treaty is the Justice, the Honor & Policy of Nations.  If we, who have contracted Debts, were influenced only by Motives of sound Policy, we should pay them as soon as possible & provide sure & adequate Funds for the Payment of Interest in the mean time.  When we have done this we shall have the Sense of Independence impressd on our Minds, no longer feeling that State of Inferiority which a wise King tells us the Borrower stands in to the Lender.