very ▁fit ▁to ▁make ▁a ▁treat y ▁that ▁will ▁not ▁be ▁made " ▁and ▁that ▁he ▁" was ▁totally ▁un ac qu aint ed ▁with ▁business ▁and ▁though ▁not ▁void ▁of ▁amb ition , ▁had ▁but ▁moder ate ▁parts ▁and ▁less ▁application ." ▁ ▁Richard ▁Jackson ▁decl ined ▁to ▁serve ▁after ▁it ▁became ▁known ▁that ▁the ▁United ▁States ▁and ▁France ▁had ▁signed ▁a ▁Tre aty ▁of ▁Alliance . ▁ ▁The ▁commission ers ▁also ▁learned ▁of ▁the ▁Franco - American ▁al liance ▁before ▁they ▁set ▁out ▁in ▁April . ▁ ▁One ▁thing ▁the ▁commission ers ▁did ▁not ▁learn ▁before ▁their ▁departure ▁was ▁that ▁General ▁Sir ▁Henry ▁Cl inton ▁had ▁been ▁ordered ▁to ▁ev acu ate ▁Philadelphia , ▁even ▁though ▁his ▁orders ▁had ▁been ▁issued ▁one ▁month ▁before ▁they ▁left . ▁ ▁Carl is le ▁was ▁of ▁the ▁opinion ▁that ▁the ▁administration ▁had ▁done ▁this ▁intention ally , ▁since ▁they ▁might ▁not ▁otherwise ▁have ▁gone ▁at ▁all . ▁ ▁Carl is le ▁wrote ▁to ▁his ▁wife ▁of ▁the ▁situation , ▁" We ▁all ▁look ▁grave , ▁and ▁perhaps ▁we ▁think ▁we ▁look ▁wise . ▁ ▁I ▁fear ▁nobody ▁will ▁think ▁so ▁when ▁we ▁return ▁... ▁I ▁don ' t ▁see ▁what ▁we ▁have ▁to ▁do ▁here ." ▁ ▁Upon ▁learning ▁of ▁the ▁planned ▁withdraw al , ▁Carl is le ▁appe aled ▁to ▁Cl inton ▁to ▁delay ▁it , ▁but , ▁in ▁reject ing ▁the ▁appeal , ▁Cl inton ▁c ited ▁his ▁orders ▁to ▁act ▁without ▁delay . ▁This ▁prompt ed ▁Carl is le ▁to ▁observe