DEANE, SILAS (173i-89). An American di plonmtist during the Revolutionary War, who passed the latter part of his life in England. He was born in Groton. Conn., graduated at Yale in 175S, was admitted to the bar in 1761, became an active member of the 'patriot' party on the approach of the Revolutionary War, and was a delegate from Connecticut to the first and second Continental Congresses. In February, 1776, large ly through the influence of Robert Morris, lie was appointed by Congress business agent of the States at Paris, where lie entered upon his ditties in .Tuly of the same year. Until Franklin's arrival he acted virtually as the offi cial delegate of the States to the French Court, and, besides securing and transmitting supplies, induced many French officers—some times by lavish and ill-advised promises—to take service in the American Army. In December he became one of the three commissioners from Congress to France. Soon afterwards he was charged indirectly by Arthur Lee (q.v.), one of his associates. with having misappropriated part of the public funds, and toward the close of 1777 Congress sent a summons to him to return, osten sibly to communicate infornmtion concerning the attitude of European Powers toward the United States. Before this order reached him, he signed, together with the other eommissioners, the treat ies of commerce and alliance with France, early in 1778. Immediately upon his return lie was asked to render a detailed account of his financial transactions, but failed to sat isfy Congress. whieh persistently refused to authorize a settlement of his accounts. "No proof appears that he had been dishonest," says the historian II ildreth, "or had employed the public money in speculations of his own, as his enemies alleged: but lie had occupied the unfortunate position of having large sums of public money pass through his hands before any proper system of vouchers and ac countability had been established. and he fell
before the same spirit of malignant accusation which presently assaulted Wadsworth, Creene, Alorris, and even Franklin himself, but they had better means of warding off" (History of the United States, iii., 269). Deane soon re turned to France. largely for the purpose of straightening out his accounts. and subsequently became convinced that the Revolution was des tined to fail and that the 'United States should again become colonies of England. Late in 1781 Riving' on's Loyal Ze I e ( New York) pub lished a series of 'intercepted' letters written by him (at the instigation, it. has been charged. of George 111. and Lord North) to prominent Americans, in which he strongly opposed the Declaration of Independence and the French alli ance, and urged prompt submission to Great Britain. For this he was S C011Sidered a traitor by a large element of the patriot party. In 1512 Congress at last adjusted Deane's accounts and paid to his heirs about 837,000. Dean published, in defense of his conduct, .1 to the Free and bulcpendent Citizens of the Pulled States (Hartford and London, 1784). A part of his correspondence in 177.1-76 is given in the Papers of the Conilreir melt! Historical Society, col. ii.
(Hartford, 1891), and much of his diplomatic correspondence, together with a biographical sketch, may be fotmd in Wharton (editor). The Revolutionary Diplomatic Correspondence of the United States (6 vols., Washington. 18891. Con sult also The Deane Papers (5 vols., New York, published by the New York Historical Society; and Papers in Relation. to the rase of Silas Deane (Philadelphia, 1355), published by the Seventy-six Society.