figned minifter plenipotentiary has developed to the fecretary of state, in his note of the 6th Brumaire lat, principles which leave no doubt in this refpect, and which the answer of the fecretary of ftate is far from deftroying. But the ftipulations of treaties now come to the fupport of general principles. The Republic calls for the execution of the fecond article of the treaty of 1778, which fays that France and the United States mutually engage not to grant any particular favour, as to navigation or commerce, which thall not inmediately become common to the other party. The government of the United States having by the treaty of London facrificed to England the freedom of their flag, the property of the enemies of England, and naval stores: France, by her treaty, is authoried to claim the fame advantage, to make ufe of it, and the United States have no right to complain.

Certainly it would have been more conformable to the defigns of France, and to her principles, to fee the American flag floating without interruption upon the feas; to fee the commerce of the United States, enjoy that liberty, that freedom, which should belong to neutral nations; but in order to that it was necellary that the American government fhould know how to maintain that neutrality; it was neceflary that it preferved it free from violation by Great Britain; and if now the execution of the meafures which the Directory is obliged to adopt, give rife to complaints in the United States, it is not against France they fhould be directed, but against thofe men who, by negotiations contrary to the interefts or their country, have brought the French Government to use the prerogatives granted to the English.

When, after having fuffered to be violated the treaties which unite it to France, the government of the United States has affociated itfelf with England, and has rendered its neutrality as useful to that power as it is now injurious to its ally, could the Republic be filent? Her outraged generofity, her wounded honour, prevented her. Her filence were weakneis; and, frong in her principles as in her proceedings, the fhould demand her unacknowledged or forgotten rights.

Thus, therefore, as it refults from the statement which the undersigned min fter plenipotentiary has juft given,

1t. That the 17th articles of the treaty of 1778 has been violated; that in contempt of this article the American tribunals have been permitted to take cognizance of the validity of prizes made by French fhips of war and privateers, under pretext of original armament or augmentation of armament in the United States, or 'capture within the jurifdictional line of the United States.

2. That the faid article 17th has been equally violated by the admiffion of English veffels in the ports of the United States, which had made prizes on Frenchmen, and by the admiffion of their prizes.

The undersigned minifter plenipotentiary, in the name and by the orders of the Executive Directory, protelts against the violation of the 17th article above cited, in contempt of which the American tribunals have taken cognizance of the validity of prizes made by French thips of war, or privateers, under pretext of original armament or augmentation of armament in the United States, or of capture within the jurifdictional line; claims the replevy of all feizures, and the repeal of all other judicial acts exercifed on thefe prizes; protests, moreover, against all oppofition to the fale of the faid prizes.

and

Further, the underfigned minifter plenipotentiary protefts against the violation of the 17th article of the treaty of 1778, in contempt of which Englifh veffels, which had madeprize on Frenchmen, have been admitted into the ports of the United States; and declares that the Executive Directory cannot regard, as a juft conftruction of the treaty, the diftinction which Mr. Randolph, fecretary of ftate, has eftablished in his letter of May 29, 1765, in which he admits only the exclufion of the English veffels which bring in their

prizes,

prizes, and wishes to except from the prohibitory measure the veffels which, after having made prizes, enter the ports of the United States.

The underfigned minifter plenipotentiary moreover declares, that the Executive Directory regards the treaty of commere conclude with Great Britain as a violation of the treaty made with France in 1778, and equivalent to a treaty of alliance with Great Britain; and that justly offended at the conduct which the American government has held in this cale, they have given him orders to fuipend from this moment his minifterial functions with the rederal government.

The fame caufe which for a long time prevented the Executive Directory from allowing their juft refentment to break forth, has alio tempered its effects. Neither hatred nor the defire of vengeance, rapidly fucceed to triendhip in the heart of a Frenchman; the name of America ftill excites Tweet emotions in it, notwithstanding the wrongs of its government, and the Executive Directory with not to break with a people whem they love to falute with the appellation of friend.

The under figned minifter plenipotentiary therefore announces that the government of the United States, and the American people, are not to regard the fufpenfion of his functions as a rupture between France and the United States, but as a mark of jeft difcontent, which is to laft until the government of the United States returns to fentiments and to meafures more conformable to the interefts of the alliance, and the fworn friendfhip between the two nas tions.

This alliance was always dear to Frenchmen; they have done every thing to tighten its bands; the government of the United States, on the contrary, has fought to break them. Scarcely had the war broken out between France and England, when America was alone invited to, the commerce of the Antilles. All the colonial ports were opened to her. Her veffels entered the ports of France without being fubjected to higher duties than French veffels. When the English violated the freedom of the neutral flag, the Convention was obliged to ufe reprifals. They ordered that neutral veffels fhould be feized by the fhips of the Republic: She excepted the Americans from this meature: forced against her inclination to make it bear on them also, the waited with impatience for the moment when he might return to a conduct more conformable to her fentiments for the United States. Soon the revoked her law relative to the arreft of their veffels. Soon alfo the committee of Public Safety gave orders to refpect the American flag. In every circumftance France fought the means of proving to the United States the fincerity of her friendship. When the federal government complained of the conduct of one of the predeceffor of the underfigned, the French government faw only the complaints of the government of the United States, and immediately gave the mott ftriking reparation.

Let the annals of the French revolution be opened'; let the minutes of that augult fitting be feen, in which the National Convention received the minifter of the United States into its bolom; the addreffes were not ftudied; they fprang from hearts full of affection for an allied people; they breathed the fentiments which dictated them; and the American minifter found himfelf in the midft of his friends. What joy did not the American flag inspire when it waved unfurled in the French fenate? Tender tears trickled from each eye; every one looked at it with amazement. There, faid they, is the fymbol of the independence of our American brethern-behold there the pledge of their liberty! May victory always attend it-May it lead to glory none but a free and happy people! Thefe words, which elcaped from a thoufand mouths, were the expreflion of the fentiments of the whole nation. Was not an American to each Frenchman another Frenchman? he was more he was

a friend;

a friend; and that facred name, amidft civil diffentions, was equally refpeced by all.

What then was done by the government? It put in question whether it fhould execute the treaties, or receive the agents of the rebel and profcribed princes; it made a proclamation or inficious neutrality; by its chic neries it abandoned French privateers to its courts of justice; it eluded the amicable mediation of the Republic for breaking the chains of its citizens, at Algiers. Notwithstanding treaty ftipulations, it allowed to be arrested wells of the itates; it fuffered England, by infulting its neutrality, to interrupt its commerce with France; notwithstanding the faith of treaties it gave an afylum to thefe fame English, who, after having infulted her flag, pillaged her citizens, came alfo to brave the American people in its ports, and to take a ftation whence to cruize on a favourable opportunity against the French. It might be faid that it applauded their audacity; all fubmiffion to their will, it allowed the French colonies to be declared in a state of blockade, and its citizens interdicted the right of trading to them. It eluded all the advances made by the Repubile for renewing the treaties of commerce, upon a more favourable footing to both nations. It excufed ittelf, on the most trivolous pretexts, whilt it anticipated Great Britain, by foliciting a treaty in which, proftituting its neutrality, it facrificed France to her enemies, or rather looking upon her as obliterated from the chart of the world, it forgot the fervices that he had rendered it, and threw afide the duty of gratitude, as it ingratitude was a governmental duty.

Alas! time has not yet demolished the fortifications with which the Englih roughened this country-ner thofe the Americans railed for their defence; their half rounded fummits ftill appear in every quarter, amift plains, on the top of mountains. The traveller need not fearch for the ditch which ferved to encompass them; it is ftill open under his feet. Scattered ruins of houses, laid watte, which the fire had partly respected, in order to leave monuments of British fury, are ftill to be found. Men itill exift, who can fay, here a ferocious Englishman slaughtered my father; there my wife tore her bleeding daughter from the hands of an unbridled Englishman. Alas! the foldiers who fell under the fword of the Britons are not yet reduced to dust : the labourers, in turning up the field, ftill draws from the bofom of the earth their whitened bones, while the ploughman, with tears of tendernels and gratitude, ftill recollects that his fields, now covered with rich harvefts, have been moiftened with French blood; while every thing around the inhabitants of this country animates them to peak of the tyranny of Great Britain and of the generofity of Frenchmen: when England has declared a war of death to that nation, to avenge herself for its having cemented with its blood the independence of the United States. It was at this moment their government made a treaty of amity with their ancient tyrant, the implacable enemy of their ancient ally. O! Americans, covered with noble fears! O! you who have fo often flown to death and to victory with French foldiers! You who known thofe generous fentiments which diftinguish the true warrior! Whole hearts have always vibrated with thofe of your companions in arms! Confult them to-day to know what they experience; recollect, at the fame time, that if magnanimous fouls with livelinels refent an affront, they also know how to forget one. Let your government return to itself, and you will still find in Frenchmen faithful friends and generous allies.

Done at Philadelphia, the 5th Brumaire, 25th year of the French Republic, one and indivisible, (15th Nov. 1796, O. S.)

P. A. ADET.

The foregoing Letter was accompanied with Notes and Comments tending to fubftantiate the Charges therein contained, but which we deem both of 100 great a ength and of too little importance to infert in this Collection.

The

The Minifter Plenipotentiary of the French Republic with the United States of America, to the French Citizens who refide or travel in the United States.

Citizens,

TROM the dawn of our revolution the tri-coloured cockade has been the rallying point of thofe energetic men, whofe generous efforts gave the first blow to arbitrary power. At their call the French ration, bent for centuries under the yoke, thook off that long drowsiness; twenty-four millions of men adopted that auguft fymbol; they exclaimed, "We fhall be free!" and all oppofition was deleated, and the throne tumbled down in the dust, and all Europe, armed against then, has been vanquished.

The Republic decorates all her citizens with all thofe national colours, the facred fymbol of liberty which they have won.

Frenchmen who are abient from their native land ought not, amidst nations allied with their's, to lay afide the distinctive mark which, by making them known, fecures to them the protection and reciprocal refpect guarranteed by our treaties with thofe nations.

Thole who from a guilty indifference fhould flight that right, exempt themfelves from that duty; thofe could lay no claim to that protection, they would renounce the support of the agents of the Republic.

But, Citizens, I am perfuaded that, at the call of the minister of the French Republic, you will hatten to put on the fymbol of a liberty, which is the fruit of eight years toils and privations, and of five years victories.

Thus you will draw a line of demarcation between you and those contemptible beings, whofe unfeeling hearts are callous to the facred name of native land, the noble pride with which the freeman is animated by the lense of his in dependence.

Thus you will fignalize thofe ftill more degraded beings who, being fold to the enemies of the Republic, drag from clime to clime a life overwhelmed with mifery and contempt; wretches whom hiftory will not call to remembrance, except to perpetuate their difgrace.

The ufe of the French chanceries, the national protection, will not be granted to any Frenchman but thole who, perfe&tly fenfible of the dignity attached to the title of Citizen, fhall take a pride in wearing conftantly the tri-coloured cockade. The Executive Directory of the French Republic have pronounced thus. Being the organ of their decifions, I communicate them with pleasure to my fellow citizens. As for those who, although Frenchmen born, have cealed to be Frenchmen, I do not speak to them; the public voice will inform them of the r exclufion.

Done at Philidelphia, the 12th Brumaire, (Nov. 7.) the fifth year of the French Republic, one and indivifible.

Signed

P. A. ADET.

The Speech of the Prefident of the United States to the Gentlemen of the Senate, and Gentlemen of the House of Reprefentatives.

Gentlemen of the Senate, and

Gentlemen of the Houle of Reprefentatives, THE perfonal inconveniences to the Members of the Senate, and of the House of Reprefentatives, in leaving their families and private affairs at this feafon of the year, are fo obvious, that I the more regret the extraor dinary occafion which has rendered the Convention of Congress indispensable. It would have afforded me the highest fatisfaction to have been able to congratulate you on a restoration of peace to the nations of Europe, whofe animofities have endangered our tranquillity. But we have ftill abundant caufe of gratitude to the Supreme Difpenter of national bleffings, for general heith and promifing feafons; for domeftic and focial happinels; for the rapid progrefs and ample acquifitions of industry, through extenfive territories; for

civil, political, and religious liberty: while other ftates are defolated with foreign war, or convulied with inteftine divifions, the United States prefent the pleafing profpect of a nation governed by mild and equal laws; generally fatisfied with the poffeffion of their rights; neither envying the advantages, nor fearing the power of other nations; folicitous only for the maintenance of order and justice, and the prefervation of liberty; increafing daily in their attachment to a fyftem of Government, in proportion to their experience of its utility; yielding a ready and general obedience to laws flowing from the reafon, and refting on the only folid foundation, the affections of the people.

It is with extreme regret that I fail be obliged to turn your thoughts to other circumstances, which admonith us that fome of there felicities may not be laiting; but if the tide of our profperity is full, and a reflux commencing, a vigilant circumfpection becomes us, that we may meet our reverfe with fortitude, and extricate ourselves from their confequences with all the fkill we poffels, and all the efforts in our power.

In giving to congrefs information of the state of union, and recommending for their confideration fuch meatures as appear to me to be expedient or necef fary according to my conftitutional duty, the caules and the objects of the prefent extraordinary Seffion will be explained.

After the President of the United States received information that the French Government had expreffed ferious discontents at fome proceedings of the Governments of these States, laid to affect the interefts of France, he thought it expedient to lend to that country a new Minifter, fully inftructed to enter on fuch amicable difcuffions, and to give fuch candid explanations, as might happily remove the difcontents and fulpicions of the French Government, and vindicate the conduct of the United States. For this purpote, he selected from among his fellow citizens a character, whofe integrity, talents, experience, and fervices, had placed him in the rank of the molt effeemed and refpected in the nation. The direct object of his million was expreffed in his letter of credence to the French Republic, being "to maintain that good understanding which, from the commencement of the alliance, had fubfifted between the two nations, and to eiface unfavourable impreffions, banish fufpicions, and refore that cordiality which was at once the cvide ce and pledge of a friendly union." And his inftruitions were to the fame effect," faithinily to reprefent the difpofition of the Governinent and people of the United States, their difpolition being one; to remove jealoufies, and obviate complaints, by fhewing that they were ground leis; to reflore that mutual confidence which had been to unfortunately and injurioufly impaired; and to explain the relative interefts of both countries, and the real fentiments of his own."

A Minifter thus 'pecially commiílioned, it was expected, would have proved the inftrument of rettoring mutual confidence between the two republics; the firit tep of the French Government correfponded with that expectation; a few days before his arrival at Paris, the French Minifter of Foreign Relations informed the American Minifter, then refident at Paris, of the formalities to be oblerved by himself in taking leave, and by his fucceffor preparatory to his reception. Thele form alities they cbferved; and on the 9th of December prefented officially to the Minister of Foreign Relations, the one a copy of his letters of recal, the other a copy of his letters of credence. There were laid before the Executive Directory." Two days afterwards, the Minitter of Foreign Relations informed the recalled American Minifter, that the Executive Directory had determined not to receive another Minifter Pienipotenti-ry from the United States until after the redreis of grievances demanded of the American Government, and which the French Repubic had a right to expect from it. The American Minifter immediately endeavoured to ascertain whether, by refufing to receive him, it was intended that he thould retire from the territories of the French Republic; and verbal anfwers were given, that fuch was the intention of the Directory. For his own juftification, he defired a written anP fwer