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proportion as nations advance in population, and other circumftances of maturity, this truth becomes more apparent, and renders the cultivation of the foil more and more an object of public patronage. Inftitutions for promoting it grow up, fupported by the public purfe; and to what object can it be dedicated with greater propriety? The means which have been employed to this end, none have been attended with greater fuccefs than the eftablishment of boards, compofed of proper characters, charged with collecting and diffufing information, and enabled by premiums, and finall pecuniary aids, to encourage and aflift a fpirit of difcovery and improvement.

I have heretofore propofed to the confideration of Congrefs the expediency of establishing a national univerfity, and also a military academy. The defirablenefs of both thefe inftitutions has fo conftantly increased with every new view I have taken of the subject, that I cannot omit the opportunity of once for all recalling your attention to them.

The affembly to which I addrefs myfelf is too enlightened not to be fully fenfible how much a flourishing ftate of the arts and fciences contributes to national profperity and reputation. True it is that our country, much to its honour, contains feminaries of learning, highly refpectable and useful; but the funds upon which they reft, are too narrow to command the ableft profeffors in the different departments of liberal knowledge, for the inftitution contemplated, though they would be excellent auxiliaries.

Amongst the motives to fuch an inftitution, the affimilation of the principles, opinions, and manners of our countrymen, by the common education of a portion of our youth from every quarter, well deferves attention. The more homogeneous our citizens can be made, in these particulars, the greater will be our profpect of permanent union; and a primary obje&t of fuch a national inftiution fhould be the education of our youth in the fcience of government. In a Republic, what fpecies of knowledge can be equally important; and what duty more preffing on its legislature than to patronize a plan for communicating it to thofe who are to be the future guardians of the liberties of the country?

While in our external relations, fome ferious inconveniences and embarraffinents have been overcome, and others leffened, it is with much pain and deep regret I mention, that circumftances of a very unwelcome nature have lately occurred. Our trade has fuffered, and is fuffering, extenfive injuries in the West Indies, from the cruizers and agents of the French Republic; and communications have been received from its minifter here, which indicate the danger of a further difturbance of our commerce by its authority, and which are, in other respects, far from agreeable,

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It has been my conftant, fincere, and earnest wish, in con formity with that of our nation, to maintain cordial harmony and a perfectly friendly understanding with that Republic. This with remains unabated; and I thall perfevere in the endeavour to fulfil it, to the utmost extent of what fhall be confiftent with a juft and indifpenfable regard to the rights and honour of our country; nor will I eafily ceafe to cherish the expectation, that a fpirit of juice, candour, and friendship, on the part of the Republic, will eventually enfure fuccefs.

In purfuing this courfe, however, I cannot forget what is due to the character of our government and nation; or to a full and entire confidence in the good fenfe, patriotifm, felf-respect, and fortitude of my countrymen:

GEORGE WASHINGTON.

HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES.

MONDAY, DEG. 12.

THIS day the Senate in a body waited upon the President of the United States at his houfe, when the Vice President prefented the following addrefs, in answer to his fpeech to both houfes at the opening of the feffion :

WE thank you, Sir, for your faithful and detailed expofure of the exifting fituation of our country; and we fincerely join in fentiments of gratitude to an over-ruling Providence for the diftin. guished fhare of public profperity and private happiness, which the people of the United States fo peculiarly enjoy.

We obferve with pleafure, that the delivery of the military pofts lately occupied by the British forces within the territory of the United States, was made with cordiality and promptitude, as foon as circumstances would admit; and that the other provifions of our objects of eventual arrangement are now about being carried into effect with entire harmony and good faith.

We perfectly coincide with you in opinion, that the importance of our commerce demands a naval force for its protection against foreign infult and depredation, and our folicitude to attain that object will be always proportionate to its magnitude.

The neceflity of accelerating the establishment of certain useful manufactures by the intervention of legiflative aid and protection, and the encouragement due to agriculture by the creation of boards (compofed of intelligent individuals) to patronize this primary purfuit of fociety, are fubjects which will readily engage our molt ferious attention.

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A national univerfity may be converted to the moft ufeful pur-, pofes. The science of legillation being fo effentially dependent on the endowments of the mind, the public intereft must receive effectual aid from the general diffufion of knowledge, and the United States will affume a more dignified ftation among the nations of the earth, by the fuccessful cultivation of the highest branches of literature.

We fincerely lament, that while the conduct of the United States has been uniformly impreffed with the character of equity, moderation, and love of peace, in the maintenance of all their foreign relationships, our trade fhould be fo haraffed by the cruifers and agents of the Republic of France, throughout the extenfive departments of the Weft Indies.

We cordially acquiefce in the reflection that the United States, under the operation of the federal government, have experienced a moft rapid aggrandizement and profperity, as well political as commercial.

While contemplating the causes that produce this aufpicious refult, we must acknowledge the excellence of the conftitutional fyftem, and the wifdom of the legislative provifions, but we fhould be deficient in gratitude and justice, did we not attribute a great portion of thefe advantages to the virtue, firmnefs, and talents of your administration, which have been confpicuously difplayed in the moft trying times, and on the most critical occafions. It is, therefore, with the fincereft regret, that we now receive an official notification of your intentions to retire from the public employments of your country.

When we review the various fcenes of your public life, fo long and fo fuccefsfully devoted to the moft arduous fervices, civil and military, as well during the ftruggles of the American revolution, as the convulfive periods of a recent date, we cannot look forward to your retirement without our warmest affections and moft anxious regards accompanying you, and without mingling with our fellow-citizens at large the fincereft wishes for your perfonal happiness that fenfibility and attachment can prefs.

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The most effectual confolation that can offer for the lofs we are about to fuftain, arifes from the animating reflection, that the influence of your example will extend to your fucceffors, and the United States thus continue to enjoy an able, upright, and energetic Administration.

JOHN ADAMS, Vice Prefident of the United
States, and Prefident of the Senate.

The

The following is the Reply of the Prefident.

GENTLEMEN,

IT affords me great fatisfaction to find in your address a concurrence in fentiment with me on the various topics which I prefented for your information and deliberation; and that the latter will receive from you an attention proportioned to their refpective importance.

For the notice you take of my public fervices, civil and military, and your kind wishes for my personal happiness, I beg you to accept my cordial thanks. Thofe fervices, and greater, had I poffeffed ability to render them, were due to the unanimous calls of my country; and its approbation is my abundant

reward.

When contemplating the period of my retirement I faw vir tuous and enlightened men, among whom I rested on the difcernment and patriotifm of my fellow-citizens to make the proper choice of a fucceffor; men who would require no influential example to enfure to the United States "an able, upright, and energetic adminiftration." To fuch men I fhall cheerfully yield the palm of genius and talents, to ferve our common country; but at the fame time I hope I may be indulged in expreffing the confoling reflection (which confciousness fuggefts), and to bear it with me to the grave, that none can ferve it with purer intentions than I have done, or with a more difinterested zeal. GEORGE WASHINGTON.

Speech of the Prefident of the Executive Directory, Citizen Barras, to Citizen Monroe, Minifter Plenipotentiary from the United States of America, upon presenting to the Directory his Letters of Recall, 23 Dec. 1795.

MR.

R. Minifter Plenipotentiary of the United States of America, in prefenting this day to the Executive Directory your let ters of recall, you afford to Europe a fpectacle fufficiently strange. France, rich in its liberty, and furrounded by the train of its victories, and strong in the esteem of its allies, will not stoop to calculate the feries of condefcenfion fhewn by the American ftates to the fuggeftions of their former tyrants. The French Republic hopes that the fucceffors of Columbus, Ramhiph, and Penn, proud of their liberty, will never forget that they are indebted for it to France. In their wifdom they will weigh the magnanimous good will of the French people with the infidious. careffes of perfidious perfons, who with to bring them back to

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their ancient flavery. Mr. Minifter, affure the good people of America, that with them we will adore liberty, and they thall poffefs our esteem, and fhall find in the pcople of France that generofity which knows as well to maintain peace as to cause its fovereignty to be refpected. As to you, Minifter, you have combated for principles; you know the true interests of your country-depart with our regret. In you we fend a reprefentative to America; and we retain the remembrance of a citizen, whofe perfonal qualities do honour to that title.

GENOA.

Copy of the Note of the Envoy Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of the French Republic, dated 22 Meffidor (July 10), fourth year, to the Secretary of State.

FOR feveral days paft movements have manifefted themselves

among the inhabitants of Genoa and its environs, the cause of which could not efcape the underfigned, because it is injurious. to the French Republic. It is falfely infinuated to the people, that the French with to take away their property, their arms, their churches.

Under the eyes of the moft ferene government the priests, deviate from the fpirit of peace, which fhould be peculiarly characteristic of their fpeeches and actions; they inflame the imagination of the people by religious ceremonies, grounded on the danger which the Genoefe nation is fuppofed to run.

The

women collect in great numbers, and repair in crowds to the churches, praying Heaven to protect them against the banditti who are to come from the mountains. These movements have been directed against the French, in fuch a manner, that laft Wednesday, July 6, a band of women affailed, on the bridge of Lavignano, two Frenchmen, who were peaceably taking a sketch of that bridge.

The underfigned cannot believe that the moft ferene government is provoking by any particular meafure this alarm, which has no foundation, fince the French Republic is the friend of nations that are at peace with her; fince the refpects their liberty, their commerce, and their property. Thefe truths must be demonftrated to the fenate of Genoa; and it cannot but be by fome bafe perfidy that the inftigators of the prefent ferment fpeak to the people of the juft fate of Arquata, and divers places which the infurrection in Lombardy had changed into dens of affaffins

and robbers.

VOL. Y.

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