In teftimony whereof, I have caufed the feal of the United States to be hereunto affixed. Given under my hand at the city of Philadelphia, the 22d day of June, in the year of our Lord 1797, and of the independence of the United States of America the twentyfirft. By the President of the United States, JOHN ADAMS. TIMOTHY PICKERING, Secretary of State. Department of State, April 3, 1798. THE names defignated by the letters W. X. Y. Z. in the following copies of letters from the envoys of the United States to the French republic, are, in the originals, written at full length, in ciphers. For the fame reafon that fingle letters are thus taken to defignate certain perfons named in the letters, other words defcriptive of them are omitted. TIMOTHY PICKERING. No. I. Dear Sir, Paris, O. 22, 1797. ALL of us having arrived at Paris on the evening of the 4th inftant, on the next day we verbally and unofficially informed the minifter of foreign affairs therewith, and defired to know when he would be at leifure to receive one of our fecretaries with the official notification. He appointed the next day at two o'clock when Major Rutledge waited on him with the following letter: "Citizen Minifter, "The United States of America being defirous of terminating all differences between them and the French republic, and of reftoring that harmony and good understanding, and that commercial and friendly intercourfe, which from the common cement of their political connexion, until lately, have fo happily fubfifted, the Prefident has nominated, and by and with the advice of the Senate, has appointed us, the undersigned, jointly and feverally, envoys extraordinary and minifters plenipotentiary to the French republic, for the purpofe of accomplishing thefe great objects. In purfuance of fuch nomination and appointment, and with fuch view, having come to Paris, we with, Citizen Minister, to wait on you at any hour you will be pleafed to appoint, to present the copy of our letters of credence; and whilst we evince our fincere and ardent defire for the speedy reftoration of friendship and harmony between the two republics, we flatter ourselves with your concurrence in the accomplishment of this defirable event. request you will accept the affurance of our perfect efteem and confideration. Paris, Oct. 6th, in the 21ft year of (Signed) "CHARLES COTESWORTH PINCKNEY. To this letter the minifter gave a verbal anfwer, that he would fee us the day after the morrow (the 8th) at one o'clock. Accord. ingly at that hour and day we waited on the minifter at his houfe, where his office is held, when, being informed he was not at home, the secretary general of the department told Major Rut ledge, that the minifter was obliged to wait on the Directory, and requested he would fufpend our vifit till three o'clock; at which hour we called. The minifter we found was then engaged with the Portuguese minifter, who retired in about ten minutes, when we were introduced, and produced the copy of our letters of credence, which the minifter perufed and kept. He informed us, that the Directory had required him to make a report relative to the fituation of the United States with regard to France, which he was then about, and which would be finished in a few days, when he would let us know what fteps were to follow." We afked if cards of hofpitality were in the mean time neceffary? He faid they were, and that they fhould be delivered to us; and he immediately rung for his fecretary, and directed him to make them out. The converfation was carried on by him in French, and by us in our own language. The next day the cards of hofpitality were fent to us and our fecretaries, in a ftyle fuitable to our official character. On Saturday the 14th, Major Mountflorence informed Genetal Pinckney, that he had a converfation with Mr. Ofmond, the private and confidential fecretary of the minifter of foreign affairs, who told him, that the Directory were greatly exafperated at fome parts of the Prefident's fpeech at the opening of the laft feffion of Congrefs, and would require an explanation of them from us. The particular parts were not mentioned. In another converfation on the fame day, the fecretary informed the major, that the minister had told him it was probable we should not have a public audience of the Directory till fuch time as our negotiation was finished; that probably perfons might be appointed to treat with us; but they would report to him, and he would have the direction of the negotiation. The major did not conceal from Mr. Olmond his intention to communicate thefe converfations to us. In the morning of October the 18th, Mr. W of the houfe houfe of called on General Pinckney, and informed him, that a Mr. X. who was in Paris, and whom the general had feen and reputation reliance on him. , was a gentleman of confiderable credit and that we might place great In the evening of the fame day, Mr. X. called on General Pinckney, and after having fat fome time ; whifpered him, that he had a mellage from M. Talleyrand to communicate, when he was at leifure. General Pinckney immediately withdrew with him into another room; and when they were alone, Mr. X. faid, that he was charged with a bufinefs in which he was a novice; that he had been acquainted with M. Talleyrand that he was fure he had a great re gard for [America] and its citizens; and was very defirous that a reconciliation fhould be brought about with France; that to effectuate that end, he was ready, if it was thought proper, to fuggeft a plan, confidentially, that M. Talleyrand expected would anfwer the purpose. General Pinckney faid, he fhould be glad to hear it. M. X. replied, that the Directory, and particularly two of the members of it, were exceedingly irritated at fome paffages in the Prefident's fpeech, and defired that they should be foftened; and that this ftep would be neceffary previous to our reception: that befides this, a fum of money was required for the pocket of the Directory and minifters, which would be at the difpofal of M. Talleyrand; and that a loan would also be infifted on. M. X. faid, if we acceded to these measures, M. Talleyrand had no doubt that all our differences with France might be accommodated. On inquiry, M. X. could not point out the particular paffages of the fpeech that had given offence, nor the quantum of the loan; but mentioned that the douceur for the pocket was twelve hundred thoufand livres, about fifty thousand pounds fterling. General Pinckney told him, his colleagues and himfelf, from the time of their arrival here, had been treated with great flight and difrefpect; that they earnestly wifhed for peace and reconciliation with France; and had been entrusted by their country with very great powers to obtain these ends, on honourable terms: that with regard to the propofitions made, he could not even confider of them before he had communicated them to his colleagues: that after he had done fo, he should hear from him. After a communication and confultation had, it was agreed, that General Pinckney fhould call on M. X. and requeft him to make his propofitions to us all; and for fear of mistakes or misapprehenfion, that he fhould be requested to reduce the heads into writing. Accordingly, on the morning of October the 19th, General Pinckney called on M. X. who confented to fee his colleagues in the evening, and to reduce his propofitions to writing. He said, his VOL. VII. B b commu communication was not immediately with M. Talleyrand, but through another gentleman, in whom M. Talleyrand had great confidence. This proved afterwards to be M. Y. At fix in the evening M. X. came, and left with us the first fet of propofitions; which, tranflated from the French, are as follows: "A perfon who poffeffes the confidence of the Directory, on what relates to the affairs of America, convinced of the mutual advantages which would refult from the re-eftablishment of the good understanding between the two nations, purposes to employ all of his influence to obtain this object.-He will aflift the commiffioners of the United States in all the demands which they may have to make from the government of France, inafmuch as they may not be contradictory to thofe which he propofes himself to make, and of which the principal will be communicated confidentially. It is defired that in the official communications there fhould be given a foftening turn to a part of the Prefident's fpeech to Congrefs, which has caufed much irritation. It is feared that in not fatisfying certain individuals in this refpect, they may give way to all their refentment. The nomination of commiflioners "will be consented to on the fame footing as they have been named in the treaty with England, to decide on the reclamations which individuals of America may make on the government of France, or on French individuals. The payments which, agreeably to the decifions of the commiffioners, fhall fall to the fhare of the French government,' are to be advanced by the American governmént itself. It is defired that the funds which by this means 'fhall enter again into the American trade, fhould be employed in new fupplies for the French colonies. Engagements of this nature on the part of individuals reclaiming will always haften, in all probability, the decifions of the French commiffioners: and perhaps it may be defired that this claufe fhould make a part of the inftructions which the government of the United States should give to the commiffioners they may choose. The French government defires, befides, to obtain a loan from the United States; but fo that that fhould not give any jealoufy to the English government, nor hurt the neutrality of the United States. This loan fhall be masked, by ftipulating, that the government of the United States confents to make the advances for the payment of the debts contracted by the agents of the French government with the citizens of the United States; and which are already acknowledged, and the payment ordered by the Directory, but without having been yet effectuated.-There fhould be delivered a note to the amount of thefe debts. Probably this note may be accompanied by oftenfible pieces, which will guarantee to the agents the refponfibility of the United States, in cafe any umbrage fhould caufe an inquiry. There shall alfo be first first taken from this loan certain fums, for the purpose of making the customary diftributions in diplomatic affairs.' The perfon of note mentioned in the minutes, who had the confidence of the Directory, he faid, before us all, was M. Talleyrand. The amount of the loan he could not afcertain pre-, cifely, but understood it would be according to our ability to pay. -The fum which would be confidered as proper, according to the diplomatic ufage, was about twelve hundred thoufand livres. He could not state to us what parts of the Prefident's fpeech were excepted to, but faid he would inquire and inform us. He agreed to breakfast with Mr. Gerry the morning of 21ft, in order to make fuch explanations as we had then requefted, or fhould think proper to requeft: but on the morning of the 20th, M. X. called, and faid, that M. Y. the confidential friend of M. Talleyrand, inftead of communicating with us through M. X. would fee us himself, and make the neceffary explanations. We appointed to meet him the evening of the 20th, at feven o'clock, in General Marshall's room. At leven, M. Y. and M. X. entered; and the first mentioned gentleman, being introduced to us as the confidential friend of M. Talleyrand, immediately ftated to us the favourable impreffions of that gentleman towards our country, impreffions which were made by the kindnefs and civilities he had perfonally received in America: that, impreffed by his folicitude to repay these kindneffes, he was willing to aid us in the prefent negotiation by his good offices with the Directory, who were, he faid, extremely irritated against the government of the United States, on account of fome parts of the Prefident's fpeech, and who had neither acknowledged nor received us, and confequently have not authorized M. Talleyrand to have any communications with us. The minifter, therefore, could not fee us himself, but had authorized his friend M. Y. to communicate to us certain propofitions, and to receive our answers to them-and to promife on his part, that if we would engage to confider them as the bafis of the propofed negotiation, he would intercede with the Directory to acknowledge us, and to give us a public audience. M. Y. ftated to us explicitly and repeatedly, that he was clothed with no authority; that he was not a diplomatic character; that he was not he was only the friend of M. Talleyrand, and trufted by him; that with regard to himself, he had and that he earnestly withed well to the United States. He then took out of his pocket a French tranflation of the President's fpeech, the parts of which objected to by the Directory were marked agreeably to our request to M. X. and are contained in the exhibit A. Then he made us the fecond fet of propofitions, which were dictated by him and written by M. X. in our pre Bb 2 fence, |