age, either in his person, liberty, or property, and that those who may be in confinement on such charges at the time of the ratification of the treaty in America, shall be immediately set at liberty, and the prosecutions so commenced be discontinued. ARTICLE VII. There shall be a firm and perpetual peace, between his Britannic Majesty and the said States, and between the subjects of the one and the citizens of the other, wherefore all hostilities, both by sea and land, shall then immediately cease. All prisoners on both sides shall be set at liberty; and his Britannic Majesty shall, with all convenient speed, and without causing any destruction, or carrying away any negroes or other property of the American inhabitants, withdraw all his armies, garrisons, and fleets, from the said United States, and from every port, place, and harbor, within the same, leaving in all fortifications the American artillery that may be therein. And shall also order and cause all archives, records, deeds, and papers belonging to any of the said States, or their citizens, which in the course of the war may have fallen into the hands of his officers, to be forthwith restored and delivered to the proper States and persons to whom they belong. ARTICLE VIII. The navigation of the Mississippi river, from its source to the ocean, shall forever remain free and open to the subjects of Great Britain and the citizens of the United States. ARTICLE IX. In case it should so happen, that any place or territory, belonging to Great Britain or the United States, should be conquered by the arms of either from the other, before the arrival of these Articles in America, it is agreed, that the same shall be restored without diffi Done at Paris, the thirtieth day of November, in the year one thousand seven hundred and eightytwo. RICHARD OSWALD, JOHN ADAMS, B. FRANKLIN, JOHN JAY, HENRY LAURENS. Witness, CALEB WHITEFOORD, Secretary to the British Commission. W. T. FRANKLIN, Secretary to the American Commission. SEPARATE ARTICLE. It is hereby understood and agreed, that in case Great Britain, at the conclusion of the present war, shall recover or be put in possession of West Florida; the line of north boundary between the said Province and the United States, shall be a line drawn from the mouth of the river Yazoo, where it unites with the Mississippi, due east, to the river Apalachicola. Done at Paris, the thirtieth day of November, in the year one thousand seven hundred and eightytwo. RICHARD OSWALD, JOHN ADAMS, B. FRANKLIN, JOHN JAY, HENRY LAURENS. Attest, CALEB WHITEFOORD, Secretary to the British Commission. W. T. FRANKLIN, Secretary to the American Commission. TO FRANCIS DANA AT PETERSBURG. Paris, December 12th, 1782. Sir, We have the honor to congratulate you on the signature of the preliminary treaty of peace, between his Britannic Majesty and the United States of America, to be inserted in the definitive treaty when France and Britain shall have agreed upon their terms. The articles, of which we do ourselves the honor to enclose you a copy, were completed on the 30th of last month. To us, at this distance, the present opportunity appears to be the most favorable for you to communicate your mission to the Ministers of the Empress of Russia, and to the Ministers of the other neutral powers residing at her Court, and if you have no objections, we presume you will wish to be furnished with the enclosed paper, to cominunicate at the same time. We heartily wish you success, and if you should inform us of a fair prospect of it, we shall propose an article in the definitive treaty, to secure the freedom of navigation, according to the principles of the late marine treaty between the neutral powers. With great respect, we have the honor to be, &c. JOHN ADAMS, Sir, TO ROBERT R. LIVINGSTON. Paris, December 14th, 1782. We have the honor to congratulate Congress on the signature of the preliminaries of a peace between the Crown of Great Britain and the United States of America, to be inserted in a definitive treaty so soon as the terms between the Crowns of France and Great Britain shall be agreed on. A copy of the Articles is here enclosed, and we cannot but flatter ourselves, that they will appear to Congress, as they do to all of us, to be consistent with the honor and interest of the United States, and we are persuaded Congress would be more fully of that opinion if they were apprized of all the circumstances and reasons which have influenced the negotiation. Although it is impossible for us to go into that detail, we think it necessary nevertheless to make a few remarks on such of the Articles, as appear most to require elucidation. Remarks on Article 2d, relative to Boundaries. The Court of Great Britain insisted on retaining all the territories comprehended within the Province of Quebec, by the Act of Parliament respecting it. They contended that Nova Scotia should extend to the river Kennebec; and they claimed not only all the lands in the western country and on the Mississippi, which were not expressly included in our charters and governments, but also all such lands within them as remained ungranted by the King of Great Britain. It would be endless to enumerate all the discussions and We knew this Court and Spain to be against our claims to the western country, and having no reason to think that lines more favorable could ever have been obtained, we finally agreed to those described in this Article; indeed they appear to leave us little to complain of, and not much to desire. Congress will observe, that although our northern line is in a certain part below the latitude of fortyfive, yet in others it extends above it, divides the Lake Superior, and gives us access to its western and southern waters, from which a line in that latitude would have excluded us. Remarks on Article 4th, respecting Creditors. We had been informed that some of the States had confiscated British debts, but although each State has a right to bind its own citizens, yet in our opinion, it appertains solely to Congress, in whom exclusively are vested the rights of making war and peace, to pass acts against the subjects of a power with which the Confederacy may be at war. It therefore only remained for us to consider, whether this Article is founded in justice and good policy. In our opinion no acts of government could dissolve the obligations of good faith, resulting from lawful contracts between individuals of the two countries prior to the war. We knew that some of the British creditors were making common cause with the refugees, and other adversaries of our independence ; besides, sacrificing private justice to reasons of State and political convenience, is always an odious measure; and the purity of our reputation in this respect, |