Franklin, then in Paris, the very court to which she was secretly
applying, to draw off America from France. But this is not all.
On the 14th of September, 1778, the British court, through their
secretary, Lord Weymouth, made application to the Marquis d'Almadovar,
the Spanish ambassador at London, to "ask the mediation," for these
were the words, of the court of Spain, for the purpose of
negotiating a peace with France, leaving America (as I shall hereafter
show) out of the question. Spain readily offered her mediation, and
likewise the city of Madrid as the place of conference, but withal,
proposed, that the United States of America should be invited to the
treaty, and considered as independent during the time the business was
negotiating. But this was not the view of England. She wanted to
draw France from the war, that she might uninterruptedly pour out
all her force and fury upon America; and being disappointed in this
plan, as well through the open and generous conduct of Spain, as the
determination of France, she refused the mediation which she had
solicited.
I shall now give some extracts from the justifying memorial of the
Spanish court, in which she has set the conduct and character of
Britain, with respect to America, in a clear and striking point of
light.
The memorial, speaking of the refusal of the British court to meet
in conference with commissioners from the United States, who were to
be considered as independent during the time of the conference, says,
"It is a thing very extraordinary and even ridiculous, that the
court of London, who treats the colonies as independent, not only in
acting, but of right, during the war, should have a repugnance to
treat them as such only in acting during a truce, or suspension of
hostilities.
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