Knox, William (1756-1795) to Henry Knox

Urges Knox to write him as soon as he can, or make Lucy Knox "overcome her natural timidity" and write him. He has heard of the General (Charles) Scott expedition in the Miami Country and of the casualties Scott suffered. Discusses in great detail the Turk-Russian war along with other foreign affairs. The Russians are not far from Constantinople; the Empress (Catherine the Great) seeks to drive the Turks completely out of Europe and listens to no offers of negotiations. Prince Potemkin said that the Empress would consider stopping the war on several conditions; ceding Moldavia and Wallachia to Russia, Crimea would be independent. Says Turkey is very unlikely to agree to these conditions. England, Prussia and Holland will assist Turkey in the spring. "France I do not know what to say about, I wish her happiness, and although the revolution appears to have broken the necks of numberless existing evils which were disgraceful to that charming and enlightening nation, yet it appears to me the business is far from being completed." Fears the nobility and the clergy will ally themselves with "internal enemies to the present revolution, who act secretly, and watch with unremitting malignance to throw discord in every proceeding of the national assembly." Writes, "they are that same party who have put the King in the way of temptation to commit some act by which they might deprive him of his life, in order to promote their own personal views - these characters make a formidable body in the a national Councils of France at this moment and from those she has more to apprehend from foreign powers or Frenchmen openly declar'd enemies." Notes, "the Marquis de la Fayette has been the head of another party, who have seen all their motives and opposed them - it has been sufficiently strong as yet to do it successfully, to him the King and his family may be said to be indebted for existing even as they do..." Encloses (not included) "Mr. Burkes pamplet [sic] relative to the revolution, it is a strong display of his acquaintance with, and the powers of the English language - if he were council highly [illegible] against Freedom and France he could not have said more, I am persuaded you will be pleased with the stile, while you condemn the reasoning - it has been read with avidity, many thousand copies have been sold, and it has the honor to have twelve or thirteen opponents. [text loss] one observes he is an host in himself and may be called Edmund Ironsides." Believes the French noblemen in Dublin are disaffected. Writes, "The only serious application I have had for the lands has been from a Mr. O'Connor who is associated with the several roman Catholic Gentln in the County of [Leitrium]." They have "purchased of the Dayton family of N. Jersey 40,000 acres on the Banks of the Patowmack for about £6,000 sterling." They would pay for the St. Lawrence lands over time "in Bills on London."