I was put
off by the choppy narrative of Unlikely Allies by Joel Richard Paul. But
it confirmed my view of conspiracy. A conspiracy is just a group of people who
agree. Usually, it’s just someone alone in their motel, sucking on whatever,
watching CNN saying:
-I guess
that worked.
The book
also highlighted how common it is to have infiltrators, provocateurs and
opposition. Ben Franklin and Silas Deane understood and accepted that and still
accomplished their objectives.
When
Franklin finally arrived in Paris to support Deane he was wearing a fur hat.
The narrative gives reasons but fails to mention that Franklin was also teasing
the French about giving up Canada and its French citizens for Haiti after the
Seven Years War. Franklin loves teasing and double entendre.
In the book
Arthur Lee is painted as the villain who falsely accused Dean. But where was
Franklin? To have a case there should be a shortfall. Deane is unable to give
account but Franklin had to know how much the French paid and how much the
Patriots got. Why wasn’t Franklin screaming:
-How much
was taken?
So there had
to be a shortfall. The French were shy publicly saying what they sent. The
Americans had to know what they spent their money on. Franklin’s silence damns
Dean. Franklin had picked Deane as an envoy. But Deane shows no profit. He is
penniless. Washington received the French funds. Washington was not penniless.
Washington socked all his money into his plantation and land purchases. A
common tactic when currency is suspect. His downfall was that the size and
scope of Washington’s holdings made it difficult to collect rent. Washington
was a Virginia Gentleman. Of course he was skimming. There is even a satirical
picture, Washington Prays for His Troops. Washington is plump and
prosperous while his troops starve. His horse stares at him from behind while
Washington kneels.
The French
Monarchy is portrayed as foolishly borrowing money to support the ideals of the
American Revolution, seduced by their hatred of the English. The promise of American trade, particularly tobacco,
is ignored. It wasn’t realized that the Turks and Greeks would compete
supplying tobacco to Europe. Everyone also failed to reckon with Thomas
Jefferson. Jefferson was the next American Envoy. He and the trade minister,
Lafayette, Jefferson’s best friend, failed to do the tobacco deal. Who would
expect that Jefferson would act so diametrically against his own interests?
Robert Morris came over to France to rescue the deal and Jefferson back stabbed
him the whole way screaming:
-It’s not
enough money.
Tobacco is
addictive, you must establish your market. Jefferson may have been tipped by
the Greeks, but it was also that from Jefferson’s position in the Virginia
hierarchy, if everyone is busted then he is equal. Robert Morris thought he
could have made it if he got the tobacco deal. The British captains begged
Jefferson to do the deal, their ships were sitting at anchor.
Once
everything caved in the Americans, in desperation, wrote the constitution to
tax whiskey and give themselves enough revenue to borrow on. Washington owned a
large distillery and favored the competitive advantage this gave him over the
small farmers who brought whiskey over the mountains to trade. Washington had
little scruple suppressing Shay’s rebellion of people who weren’t paying his rent
and competed with his distillery.
Franklin
must have realized that Washington was pocketing the French money. Franklin
teases Washington about Washington’s lack of progeny. Franklin makes a big
point of his happiness with his grandchildren and the gifting to Washington of
his walking stick.
Even with
the whiskey revenue, Washington was unable to get America another loan from the
French. Washington had gone even handed on them earlier. So, Washington was
told to grab his hat and not let the door hit him on the way out. His last act
was bringing in John Adams to hold off Jefferson.