▁that ▁the ▁administration ▁wanted ▁the ▁commission ▁to ▁be ▁" a ▁mixture ▁of ▁rid ic ule , ▁null ity , ▁and ▁embar rass ments ." ▁ ▁E den ▁was ▁ups et ▁that ▁he ▁wasn ' t ▁told ▁of ▁Cl inton ' s ▁orders , ▁since ▁the ▁British ▁intent ▁to ▁withdraw ▁further ▁st iff ened ▁American ▁resolve . ▁ ▁On ▁June ▁ 1 3 , ▁the ▁commission ers ▁sent ▁a ▁package ▁of ▁propos als ▁to ▁Congress , ▁which ▁was ▁then ▁holding ▁sessions ▁in ▁York , ▁Pennsylvania . ▁ ▁Congress ▁replied ▁ins isting ▁that ▁either ▁American ▁independence ▁be ▁recogn ised , ▁or ▁that ▁all ▁British ▁forces ▁first ▁withdraw ▁from ▁the ▁states , ▁terms ▁the ▁commission ▁was ▁not ▁author ised ▁to ▁accept . ▁ ▁The ▁commission ▁attempted ▁to ▁appeal ▁to ▁public ▁opinion , ▁with ▁warnings ▁of ▁w ides p read ▁destruction , ▁but ▁was ▁un success ful . ▁ ▁John stone ▁tried ▁to ▁b ri be ▁some ▁Congress men , ▁and ▁the ▁Mar quis ▁de ▁La f ay ette ▁challeng ed ▁Carl is le ▁to ▁a ▁du el ▁over ▁some ▁anti - F rench ▁statements ▁he ▁had ▁made . ▁ ▁Thomas ▁Pa ine ▁den ounced ▁the ▁British ▁propos als . ▁G ouverneur ▁Morris ▁wrote ▁several ▁ess ays ▁against ▁the ▁propos als . ▁ ▁The ▁Commission ers ▁circul ated ▁a ▁Man if esto , ▁which ▁was ▁printed ▁in ▁the ▁Hart ford ▁Cour ant , ▁October ▁ 1 0 , ▁ 1 7 7 8 . ▁The ▁Mar qu ess ▁of ▁Rock ingham , ▁a ▁leading ▁oppon ent ▁of