wˌɛn mˈɛɹɪlˌænd ɹᵻkwˈɛstᵻd fɹˈæns tə pɹəvˈaɪd nˈeɪvəl fˈoːɹsᵻz ɪnðə tʃˈɛsəpˌiːk bˈeɪ fɔːɹ pɹətˈɛkʃən fɹʌmðə bɹˈɪɾɪʃ hˌuː wɜː kəndˈʌktɪŋ ɹˈeɪdz ɪnðə lˈoʊɚ pˈɑːɹt ʌvðə bˈeɪ, hiː ˈɪndᵻkˌeɪɾᵻd ðæt fɹˈɛntʃ ˈædmɜːɹəl dᵻstˈʌtʃᵻz wʊd dˈuː wʌt hiː kˈʊd, bˌʌt lˌæ lˈuːzɚn ˈɔːlsoʊ "ʃˈɑːɹpli pɹˈɛst" mˈɛɹɪlˌænd tə ɹˈæɾᵻfˌaɪ ðɪ ˈɑːɹɾɪkəlz, ðˈʌs sədʒˈɛstɪŋ ðə tˈuː ˈɪʃuːz wɜː ɹᵻlˈeɪɾᵻd.
When Maryland requested France to provide naval forces in the Chesapeake Bay for protection from the British (who were conducting raids in the lower part of the bay), he indicated that French Admiral Destouches would do what he could, but La Luzerne also "sharply pressed" Maryland to ratify the Articles, thus suggesting the two issues were related.