Philadelphia May 28th 1782 Dear Sir I received your favor of the 16th instant between 9 & 10 o'clock last night. The post having been delayed by [illegible]. I shall pursue your commands with respect to the bill inclosed in it. The arrival of the Alliance Frigate at Blood Island and the subsequent arrival of a French Cutter at Salem have furnished Congress & the Minister of France with pretty late intelligence from Europe. The latter has not yet communicated the contents of his dispatches. Those from our ministers at Versailles & the Hague inform us that British influences had been practicing every address on each of them to feel the pulse of their constituents and debauch them from their engagements with France. At the same time very tempting concessions were held out to the latter for a similar purpose. Proper answers were given to each of those insidious applications. These circumstances afford a seasonable admonition to the credulous of the wickedness of Mr. Caitlon's Mission. We have heard nothing from this gentleman since the refusal of a passport for his Secretary to visit Congress. [2] Mr. Adams seems to be making considerable progress in Holland towards an acknowledgment of [illegible] his public character. He says the Prince had declared his inability to visit the [illegible] in favor of a connection with the U. States. We have rec'd [received] no letters from Mr. Dana very lately. If I do not forget some have been red. (received) since you left us which contained little more than a [illegible] of that he had not become sensible of the error which his preceding letter displayed. Dispatches from Mr. Jay transmitted by Col. Livingston have been lost to us by the capture of this gentleman by a [illegible] from N. York. They were not however gained by the Enemy. Col. Livingston is not here but restrained by his people from suggesting the contents of the dispatches, or giving any other intelligence from that quarter. I have written more fully in cypher to Mr. Randolph on foreign subjects & some others than [illegible] time or prudence will permit me to repeat here. For what is omitted I must therefore by law to refer you to him. The reasons which recommend [illegible] interference of the assembly in the case of the Flags do not I confess occur to me. [3] If the goods included in the capitulation of York were sold and are to paid for, it would seem that a mode of payment which afforded to Virginia a cent for her staple and prevented the exportation of her [illegible] cannot be complained of by her. The inclosed gazette contains the several obscure & contradictory advices of the action in the W. Indies, which have of late agitated our hopes & fears. The acknowledged inferiority of the fleet of our ally gives some credibility to the articles which are in favor of the Enemy. Should the event however have been ever so disastrous it can only affect the duration of the war, the face of it is fixed by causes which are superior to every particular event. Every triumph of the Enemy on the ocean is rather a new argument to all Europe in favor of our Independence, and I am [illegible] somewhat of Mr. Adam's opinion that if America were to betray a disposition to relapse under the dominion of G. B. all the maritime powers would interfere to prevent it. The tyranny which they have experienced would under any alternative preferable to a reestablishment of the superiority of power which gave birth to it. [4] Notwithstanding the importance of the present crisis the number of the states in congress does not exceed 8, sometimes 7 only, and most of those represented by two members. The President is directed to write to the unrepresented States on the subject & urge them to supply the deficiency [deficiency] I wish much for a reinforcement to the Delegation of Virginia & have pressed Mr. Randolph to undertake that service ^ immediately. I calculate your return as soon as your other undertaking [illegible]. In the present moment it is of consequence that every delegation should be tolerably full, as well as every state represented. With great respect & regard I am [illegible] J. Madison Jr. [illegible] A. Lee Esq. Requisite for the notes what fund there is to support how such fund is securd [secured] What security is there that no more nobs will [illegible] Than [illegible] to the amount of the funds What security there is [illegible] Forgery in these notes Whether Congress have pledged themselves to reissue them As our quota or what obligation they are under to do so If they should depreciate how will they assure the public use, then can Congress reissue them. must not this state abide this risque. if they should get currency in this state [illegible] gold, silver will not a lender in payment of debts be demanded for these notes there being no [illegible] I beseech you what alternative have we but these notes? and how are we to get these notes but with our property and why not [illegible] the same way.