noeuvres near the American government, and with the agents of foreign powers in the United States. The conftitution, while it abolishes flavery, declares that the colonies are an integral part of the Republic, and that they fhall be governed by the fame laws. This declaration gives to St. Domingo the laws made relative to emigrants, who, by the CCCLXIIId article of the conftitution, are for ever banished from the French territory, while it takes abfolutely from the Legislative Body the right of making new exceptions on that head. Filled with refpect for the national will, we declare to you, that our firm intention is to prevent their approaching our coaft, and thus to guarantee this portion of the Republic from the peftilential influence of their principles, and from the dangers of an unavoidable re-action, if they were fuffered to return. We know, citizen minifter, that there may be fome legal exceptions among them; fome may have been forced by violent means to abandon their homes, but the law, equitable in this refpect, has left open to them the means of re-integration: a late decree of the Legislative Body entrufts to the Directory the decifion on all petitions for being ftruck off the lift of emigrants; and as we exercife their functions in St. Domingo, we shall haften to do juftice to all. The women, the children, the old men, who, driven by the fury of the rebels against the national authorities, fled from the conflagration of the Cape, fhall be carefully distinguished from the abettors and authors of that unfortunate catastrophe. We shall pity misfortune, but never forgive crime. We beg you, confequently, to give no paffport to St. Domingo to the emigrants of this colony, except those who may be authorised to return by a decree of the Legislative Body, by leave of the Executive Directory, or by a decifion of their delegates to the Leeward Islands. By the prefident of the commiffion, SANTHONAX. A true copy. P. A. ADET. The Ambaffador of Sweden to the Citizen Minifter of Foreign Affairs. CITIZEN MINISTER, Paris, Auguft 2, 1796. 11 is by the exprefs order of my court that I have the honour to renew, before the Directory, the fteps I had already taken for the admiffion of M. de Rehaufen, in the quality of chargé d'affaires of his Majefty with the French Republic. Inviting Inviting you, citizen minifter, to take again into confideration a ftep fo conformable to the good intelligence which fubfifts between the two countries, I beg you will permit me to make fome obfervations, which I fubmit to the Directory. The confidence which friendly and allied powers reciprocally owe each other, the refpect which is its refult, has always been indifcriminately granted to the perfon chofen by his fovereign to reprefent him; it is even infeparable from it. Both have, however, been neglected in the perfon of M. de Rehaufen. His private fentiments can the lefs give umbrage to the government, as he would certainly facrifice them in the exercife of his functions, if they could be contrary to the inftructions he has received; and if in his conduct, or in his language, he could be wanting to the treaty which fubfifts between Sweden and France. And it is in this cafe only, if a misunderstanding fhould take place between the two governments, that his recal would become necellary. But fince this is not the cafe, his fentiments cannot be confidered as a valid motive of exclufion, and the refufal becomes confequently lefs an injury done to M. de Rehaufen than a want of refpect to his fovereign. I must likewise remark, that M. de Rehaufen being at Paris, has been appointed to attend ad interim to the affairs of Sweden, at a time when a rupture with Ruffia was every instant expected, and when the Swedish Ambassador at that court was on the eve of quitting his poft. His appointment could not, therefore, have been influenced by the Empress of Ruffia, to whom he is otherwife an utter stranger. It is for these reafons, citizen minifter, that I am unable to attribute to the perfon of M. de Rehaufen the refufal of the Directory to acknowledge him in his public character. This refufal appears evidently to announce the intention of difobliging, in the face of Europe, the most ancient friend of France. I heftate to pronounce a more decifive fuppofition; it is too repugnant to the known wishes of the Swedes and the French themselves, as likewife to their respective interefts; and at the fame time, it would be difficult for the enemies of both countries, not to find great fatisfaction in the difunion of which the French Republic may have given the fignal. It is prefcribed to me to declare, that if M. de Rehaufen be not acknowledged, his Majefty will be obliged, in fupport of his dignity, to use reciprocity with regard to Citizen Perrochel. This neceffity will otherwife have no influence on the defire which his Majefty will always have to ftrengthen the bands of friendship and good understanding which ought ever to fubfift between the two powers. Pleafe, citizen minifter, to accept the affurance of my moft fincere attachment. (Signed) E. N. STAEL DE HOLSTEIN, Refolution of the 18th Thermidor, (Auguft 5,) Fourth Year. THE Executive Directory having feen the official note prefented by Monf. the Baron de Stael, ambaffador of Sweden, dated August 2, 1796, old style, Refolves, Article I. The Executive Directory perfifting in their refusal of admitting M. de Rehaufen; they confequently charge the minister of general police to notify to him the laws of the Republic concerning foreigners. II. The Executive Directory recal citizen Perrochel, charge d'affaires, and citizen Marivaux, fecretary of legation, and formerly charge d'affaires in Sweden. III. The Executive Directory proteft, nevertheless, that the Swedish nation may always rely on their fentiments of affection. IV. The minifters of foreign relations and of general police, are charged, each in his capacity, with the execution of the prefent refolution, which fhall be printed with the note. (Signed) REVELLIERE LEPEAUX, pref.dent. ay order of the Executive Directory, LAGARDE, fecretary. (Signed) (A true copy.) Meffage of the Executive Directory to the Council of Five Hundred relative to the Organization and prefent State of the French Marine. THE Executive Directory haftens to reply to the meffage of the council of Five Hundred, dated the 5th of thi nonth, and which it received on the 7th, refpecting its arret of the 23d Prairial, for completing the military officers of marine. The Legiflative Body having itself fufpended the execution of the maritime law of the 3d Brumaire, did not declare till the month Pluviofe that all its provifions fhould be carried into execution. The first of these provifions ordained the complete organization of the civil officers, and the nomination of the major part of the military. The fecond, which is evidently no more than an acceffary provifion, fince it is indifferent as to the organization of the ports, and particularly on the armament of veffels, only concerns the complement of military officers. Since the ft Germinal, the firft difpofition has been executed in the grofs and all its details. On this difpofition refted the organization and regeneration of the marine and arfenals of the Republic. In the execution of this great defign, the Directory neglected nothing to remove all the obftacles that impeded the production of a grand refult. It had then the courage to facrifice all perfonal perfonal confiderations, which may prove injurious to that great operation. It difappointed ambition, difcarded ignorance, rejected all pretenfions, repreffed all fpirit of corporation and party; and anxious to correfpond with the views of the legiflature in the regeneration of the marine, it chofe for the administration of the ports men whofe genius, experience, and probity, were not limited to the reputation of a day. They felected, for the command of the fhips and harbours of the Republic, officers diftinguished by their bravery, their talents, and their devotion to the glory of the marine. In this firft arrangement it was unable to include feveral gallant officers, to whom age and infirmities did not afford means of activity proportioned to their zeal. But it was refolved to recompence their former fervices with honourable and useful retreats, or with employments in which activity was not required. Let any impartial man caft an eye upon the picture of wretchednefs, languor, and diforganization, which the arfenals. prefented in Brumaire laft, and then take a view of their actual fituation at prefent. He will perceive the union which now reigns in our large ports between all the authorities, civil and military. They all efteem each other, and propagate with ardour the love of the conftitution. He will there fee the intelligence with which bufinefs is conducted, and the efforts of the new adminiftration, to relieve the indigence of the moment, and to encourage the workmen who have fo long been miferable. He wil fee oeconomy and activity directing every fpeculation, and that admirable fpirit which impels a republican to obey without ervility, and to command without pride. All are attached to the government, and eager to contribute to the glory and approaching triumph of the marine. It is in vain, Citizens Legislators, that the ambitious who are disappointed, and the wicked of every defcription, endeavour to disturb this harmony, by reprefenting to fome that they are worthy of higher fituations, and by talking to others of the unjuft prepoffeffions of government; it is in vain that they ftrove, and still strive, to vilify the fuperior authorities. No; real merit fhall never be degraded, in an organized republic it always knows how to triumph over intriguers and intrigues. Such, Citizen Legiflators, is the effect produced by the first difpofition of the law of the 3d Brumaire, and it will fhew with what fidelity the Directory entered into the fpirit of it. The fecond difpofition, which is only acceflary, as it only regards the filling up of the military ranks, becomes then the fole object of the meffage of the council, and it will be eafy for the Directory to diffipate this fresh ftorm. The Legislature, in defiring to organize the whole of the navy, were aware of the difficulty of choofing amongst fuch a vast number of perfons in the fhort time that was limited. Confidering that the civil officers being fedentiary This fedentary and refiding in the ports, are better known, and that military mariners, whom a wandering life withdraws from obfervation, cannot produce fuch certain teftimonials, the Legiflature enjoined by the 3d Brumaire, that the adminiftrators of all ranks and functions fhould be named at the fame time; but that the government, after naming the greatest part of the military officers of fuperior degree, fhould not be obliged to complete them for the fpace of fix months. Thus the law, which was to have been executed on the 1it of Nivofe, adjourned that completing of ranks to the firft of the following Meflidor. This delay was the lefs injurious, as the number of general officers and captains already appointed were more than fufficient for the equipment of eighty thips of the line, and as many frigates. This certainly was a fage difpofition at the time, that all ranks were filled according to the choice made by the popular focieties. difpofition ought unquestionably to be executed in its full latitude by the Directory, as it afforded it the means of repairing errors, and correcting the inevitable intrufion of indifcreet and multiplied folicitations; becaufe, in fine, it conferred on it the means of advancing officers who are, at this moment, in the face of the enemy, burning to give battle, to restore its fplendour to the republican flag, to revenge the outrages it has received, and retrieve paft misfortunes. It was this delay of fix months, con→ formable to the fpirit of the law, that produced the arret of the Directory, which is no more than explanatory. For the law of the 3d Brumaire having been fufpended, muft neceffarily be fo in all its difpofitions; and it would not be confiftent with good faith to regard the 1ft Meffidor as a period of rigour in a difpofition calculated for the general advancement of the public weal. Who then can cenfure a meafure, not only authorifed by the fpirit of the law, but which alfo enables the government to juftify its wifh of bringing to perfection an useful branch of the public force? On the contrary, how great would be the danger of entering upon a precipitate examination of the fervices. of every officer, at the time that we are withdrawing ourselves. from a ftate of diforganization;-To put the forces in activity, to arm for the ruin of the commerce of our enemies, to equip, in order to defend and fupply our colonies with provifions, are the duties you are to require of government; but to prefs it on the impartial examination of the deferts of individuals, fince they are men who produce events, would tend to deprive it of the means of obtaining great fucceffes. The Executive Directory having made this explanation to the council of Five Hundred, think it will be fufficient to prevent the bad effects which, in our political fituation, might be produced by hazardous expreffions tending to imprefs a falfe idea of the ftate of our marine. To adjourn to the firft Vendemiaire the nomination of VOL. V. K fome |