and consummated by three men Washington, Franklin and Carroll. Others who helped were mere instruments in the hands of the trio that did the work. Both Washington and Franklin thought at first that Mr. Carroll should go to France as a commissioner but both fully agreed with him afterwards that this would not be politic or advantageous. In a talk with them in the early stages of the effort Mr. Carroll said, "I am the one man that must be kept entirely in the background. It must not be known to a single soul that I am personally active in this matter."

Arthur Lee, the first commissioner sent to France made no progress and really did our cause harm. Through Mr. Carroll Washington had been able to give Lee many valuable leads and to put him in close touch with the right influence and interest. By this time the people of the colonies were resting their hopes of success mainly on Washington himself. The Congress was weak, vascillating, and impatient; without power to do much; and many eminent men on this account refused a membership in the body. Mr. Carroll, though most of the time a member of both the State and National bodies, evidently always attached greater importance to his position as a Maryland Senator than to anything the United Colonies or the United States could offer. But Lee went to Paris as a Commissioner of the Congress and with letters and instructions from Washington. His only progress was with Vergennes and those that surrounded him. In this he had the advantage of the friendly feeling created by Mr. Carroll. The long journey to Canada gave Mr. Carroll and Dr. Franklin the opportunity to go freely and frequently into all phases of the French situation. This they did with such frequency and earnestness that Judge Chase, their fellow Commissioner to Canada several times reminded them that it

was the Canadian situation rather than the French scheme that required immediate attention. Franklin and Silas Deane were sent as additional Commissioners to France, and Franklin went with every bit of information and every argument that Mr. Carroll could give him.

Mr. Carroll never agreed with those who attributed sordid or other improper motives to either Lee or Deane. He believed Lee to have been irascible and temperamentably unfit for the work and regarded Deane as a good merchant, but wanting in elements of diplomacy or tact. Dr. Franklin did the work and did it on lines laid out by Mr. Carroll and supported by Washington.

Those were days of bitter prejudices on religious matters. No one understood this better than Mr. Carroll. He felt that if it was understood and known that a Roman Catholic was exerting himself to influence a Catholic King to come to the aid of the country, a howl of Romanism would go up from every quarter of the land. Not only would the Loyalist party use it to the disadvantage of the Patriots, but half the Patriot party would rather see the cause lost than be under obligations to a Catholic country and a Catholic King for success.

Among the loyalists the French Alliance was regarded as a horror and an infamy far worse than the Declaration of Independence. That Protestant colonists should ally themselves for the purpose of making war upon their own faithful and loving mother, England, was a depth of degradation to which they declared, they had thought it impossible for Americans to descend. They saw in it nothing but ruin, and the Romanizing of America under despotic government.

John Adams who did harm in France by his blundering and John Jay, able patriot and bigot as he was, could not understand the alliance or the causes which brought it about. And, as it was, the loyalists screamed Romanism every time the aid of France was mentioned and insisted that if Louis XVI helped us, he would exact a cession of territory on this continent as a reward. After the treaty with France was concluded showing the greatest magnanimity which one nation ever extended to another, men like Jay and Adams believed for a time that there must be some secret clause or private understanding which would insure to France some substantial return; and which would in some way be to our disadvantage, or to the advantage of the Catholic Church. So narrow were the prejudices of the day that men broad and able in other matters, could see the image of the Pope in every shadow that flitted across their paths.

On account of this peculiar condition Mr. Carroll resolved to keep entirely out of the public eye so far as possible where the alliance was concerned, but men like Mr. J. H. B. Labrobe and others who knew, believed that the friendship of France never could have been secured nor the alliance formed but for the effective work done by Mr. Carroll. Mr. Bushrod Washington, who had talked the matter over many times with his brother, was clearly of the same opinion, and in the expression of this he doubtless reflected the views of General Washington himself.

Mr. Carroll was with Washington during the war more than any other man in civil life. During the terrible days of Valley Forge, Mr. Carroll spent months with the great Commander, aiding him with his presence, advice, and money.

When Charles Carroll of Carrollton returned to the Province of Maryland in 1765, he found George

Washington one of the close friends of the family. The intimacy then commenced, extended without a break until the death of the great Virginian.

Mr. Latrobe also firmly believed that if the Conway Cabal had succeeded in removing General Washington, Mr. Carroll would have withdrawn his support from the cause; that the French aid and alliance would have been lost and that the whole effort at independence would have collapsed. Mr. Latrobe received much of his information from Mr. Carroll, but also had a great deal from his father, who was an active and efficient participant in the events of those days. And above all he had the opportunity of going over the whole matter, fully and freely with LaFayette. This he did not casually as the average man might, but with the care of a trained writer and thinker, who was preparing the life of Charles Carroll of Carrollton.

LaFayette knowing this and out of the esteem he had for his friend, the elder Latrobe, gave the young man the advantage of every detail he could recall and on his return to France sent him copies of many papers which he thought might be of interest in connection with the work on which he was engaged.

CHAPTER XVIII

FURTHER DETAILS OF THE FRIENDSHIP OF, AND ALLIANCE WITH FRANCE

In tracing our relations with France, the next step introduces to us one of the most interesting characters ever presented even by France, the country of interesting people. This is Seur de Beaumarchais, our first friend at the French court in a practical way.

Beaumarchais, though much berated and quite as much envied, was a very remarkable man. His real name was Carnon. He was the son of a watchmaker and learned that trade himself. Though the second son, he was selected to follow in the footsteps of his father, and carry on the business. He turned out to be a most excellent mechanic and made some valuable inventions in the construction of watches. The Carnon watches became famous and the most distinguished people of France came to his shop. But making time pieces was altogether too slow an occupation for this gifted and ambitious young man. He took the name of Beaumarchais, bought fashionable clothes, got introductions; and introduced himself into society, and soon became every where a favorite. He studied languages, science and history. Naturally brilliant and thoroughly accomplished he soon became a favorite and succeeded in winning his way to royal favor. By the year 1774, he had attained a position where he not only was received in court circles, but was one of the most influential of those that had the ear of Louis XVI. Mr. Carroll never met Beaumarchais but knew him well through La Fon, one of the men who looked after the Carroll interests in Paris as Perkins did in London. La Fon saw in Beau