You know there were two _Arrets_; the first of August the
30th, 1784, the second of the 18th and 25th of September, 1785. As to
the first, it would be a sufficient justification of myself, to say,
that it was in the time of my predecessor, nine months before I came
into office, and that there was no more reason for my giving information
of it, when I did come into office, than of all the other transactions,
which preceded that period. But this would seem to lay a blame on Dr.
Franklin for not communicating it, which I am confident he did not
deserve. This government affects a secrecy in all its transactions
whatsoever, though they be of a nature not to admit a perfect secrecy.
Their _Arrets_ respecting the islands go to those islands, and are
unpublished and unknown in France, except in the bureau where they are
formed. That of August, 1784, would probably be communicated to the
merchants of the seaport towns also. But Paris having no commercial
connections with them, if any thing makes its way from a seaport town
to Paris, it must be by accident. We have, indeed, agents in these
seaports; but they value their offices so little, that they do not
trouble themselves to inform us of what is passing there.
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