The Glorious Cause - Jeff Shaara [113]
Vergennes pondered the statement.
“You cannot achieve your independence if you do not have the spirit to fight for it.”
“Your Excellency, no nation on this earth has accomplished what America is attempting to do. Where do we go for instruction, for guidance? Is there any nation prepared to offer us a model to follow, who can provide wise counsel for our congress, so that we may know how to build a nation? It may be that the only way for America to survive is to impress its citizens by force, to compel men to take up arms against their will. But such a success would cost us the very principles for which we fight. Is this a contradiction? Perhaps. The congress is not a professional government. It is composed of men such as those before you here.” He paused, thought a moment. “When the British were persuaded to evacuate Boston, the congress voted in celebration to grant General Washington a gold medal. To the General’s credit, he will not wear it. He beseeches us instead to put our gold to better use, to pay for clothes and food for his soldiers. I am embarrassed to admit to Your Excellency that we do not possess the means to do that. It is not simply a lack of spirit. It is a lack of experience, and a lack of resources. We are a nation of amateurs, fighting a war against an empire of professionals. If America survives, it will have to survive on the backs of the inexperienced. And, I must be candid, sir. We require assistance.”
THE RESPONSE CAME IN LESS THAN TWO WEEKS, AND HE STARED AT the gold seal on the document in tearful disbelief. He read the words over again, thought, There must be conditions, some restriction, some clause here . . . but there was nothing beyond the simple and extraordinary decree. The French government had granted the American congress two million francs to assist them in their war effort, with a guarantee of two million more for each year the war went on.
He lowered the document, looked now at the courier, a young man sent by Vergennes to deliver the document.
“I suppose, sir, this is official.”
The man spoke only broken English, smiled now, said something that Franklin’s swirling mind would not grasp. Franklin looked again at the thick gold seal of King Louis.
“Well, yes. Of course this is official.”
The young man seemed ready to leave, and Franklin looked at him again.
“Young sir, please express my profound . . . our most esteemed . . .” He stopped, thought, Good God man, how does one respond to this?
“Please tell Count Vergennes that America thanks him.”
The young man seemed to be satisfied, was quickly away. Franklin closed the door, moved across the room to the window, could see the young man emerging from the hotel entrance, climbing now into a grand carriage. He backed away from the window, sat slowly in his soft chair. There was silence now, and he held the paper up, thought, This could change so much. And there’s no one here to show it to.
He tried to relax the spasms in his stomach, the utter thrill of the success. This will cause trouble at the French court, that’s for certain. The English will howl like wild dogs, and no one will be surprised if a war is declared either here or in London. But he would not think of that now, held the paper against his chest. He would have to write his own letter to the congress, a footnote to this document, send the papers on the fastest ship available. He thought of Vergennes. What did he say to the king? Was it a difficult job convincing Louis to open up his treasury? And what must we still do in return?
His mission was far from accomplished, but in his hand was the first success, the unmistakable message that America had found an ally. The door to the French court was slowly swinging open.
18. FRANKLIN
FEBRUARY 25, 1777
THE SMALL SHIP REACHED THE DOCKS AT LE HAVRE WITH A