which were to have been opened in January laft. If the fituation of your affairs is yet fuch with refpect to that barbarous regency as that our intervention may be of fome utility, I pray you to invite the prefident to caufe to be communicated to me the means that he will join to thofe of the committee of Public Safety for the greatest fuccefs of the measures already taken. It is in virtue of the exprefs request of the minifter that I folicit of the prefident fome communication on this fubject; I fhall be fatisfied to be able to tranfmit it by a very early conveyance, which I am now preparing for France.

The fecretary of state replied to him on the 6th of June, 1794, by a letter of which the following is an extract:

"Your other letter of the 4th of June is a powerful demonftra"tion of the intereft which the Republic of France takes in our "welfare. I will frankly communicate to you our measures and "expectations with regard to Algiers; but as you will fo foon re"ceive the detail of those measures, which your government have "pursued in our behalf, and after the rifing of Congrefs fome new. "arrangement will probably be adopted by the executive, it will "be better perhaps to poftpone our interview on this matter until "the intelligence, which you farther expect, fhall arrive."

Then Mr. Jay was charged to negotiate with the British government, and the Citizen Fauchet did not afterwards receive any communication on the subject.

(No. 8). On the 13th Floreal, in the 3d year of the Republic (2d May, 1794), the predeceffor of the underfigned minifter ple nipotentiary expreffed himself in these terms to the fecretary of ftate, upon the blockade of the French colonies :

"After fo many ufelefs attempts, Sir, you must be fenfible of "the pain I experience in tracing this picture fo different from that " which the French Republic gives whenever justice towards you "is in question, even though her interefts are compromitted. It was "when a terrible war was inceffantly devouring her, that the ri

:

gorously fulfilled her treaties with you; in this inftance fhe "demands but juftice, and cannot obtain it. On the contrary, the "fees her enemies admitted to an intimacy with you, at the moment "in which your commerce and your fovereignty are alike infulted "by them at the moment when, adding derifion to injuftice, they defpoil you anew upon the feas, when they promife to indemnify you for former acts. This reflection, Sir, becomes much "more grievous when we fee pofted up under your eyes the official "legalization of a proclamation, which prohibits your commerce "with our colonies, and fufpends to you alone the law of nations. "I know, Sir, what refpect impofes on me as to what immediately interefts your affairs, and your relations as a people. "But I cannot entirely pafs in filence tranfactions to which the

P P 2

"Re

"Republic is no ftranger, because they are directed against her; "and that to fubfcribe by an excess of courtesy to fuch orders, "were to quit the neutral pofition which the Americans profefs. "Examine, I pray you, Sir, whether this neutrality can be faid® "to exift, when on the one hand you can no longer maintain your "treaties, and on the other you are obliged to abandon your rela❝tions exclufively to the discretion of England, who doubtlefs will "foon declare all the universe blockaded, except her poffeffions. "What account do you conceive I can render to the French go"vernment of the means you take for rendering your neutrality "refpectable? Yet on that my instructions insist, and it is on that "more especially that France is uneafy."

The fecretary of state replied, on the 29th of May, 1795, to this paffage of Citizen Fauchet's letter in the following man

ner:

"The predicament of a neutral nation is always peculiar and "delicate, and eminently so while it defends itself against charges "of partiality from one of the warring powers, left it should seem "to palliate the mifdoings of another. But you are not to infer "from any juftification of the executive that the validity of the pro"clamation of blockade is affented to. We did read, on the "10th of April, 1795, a publication from his Britannic Majesty's conful general, for the middle and fouthern ftates of America, "giving public notice that he had received official communications that the island of Gaudaloupe, Marigalante, and Defirade, "were, by proclamation iffued by his Britannic Majesty's general "and vice admiral commanding in the Weft Indies declared to “be in an actual state of blockade; and that neutral vessels were "by that proclamation prohibited from attempting to enter any of "the ports or places of the said ifslands with provifions or fup"plies of any nature or kind whatfoever, under the penalty of "being dealt with conformably to exifting treaties, and as "warranted by the established laws of nations." So highly valued "has the West Indian commerce always been, that this exclufion

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was often revolved in the mind of the executive. It was acknowledged that neutrals are interdicted by the law of nations “from a blockaded port. From fome quarter or other blockade must be notified; or elfe neutrals would be a conftant, unfufpect"ing prey; not being in a condition to collect this information "for themselves. Who then are to notify the military inveft"ment of a place? Surely not the befieged; but the besiegers, "whether we confult principle or practice. The check which "neutrals have upon a wanton and falfe parade of a fiege, is the fame with the check upon any other groundless pretence. We "might indeed have remonftrated; but with what colour may "well be imagined, when this department was unprovided with

"any

"any document upon which the refcinding of that edict could "have been urged. If rumour were a fit guide, who can pro"nounce on which fide rumour preponderated, when stripped of "the exaggerations which a hoft of paffions had gathered together? "We had, it may be faid, one effort remaining: which was to "promulge to the citizens of the United States, that the pro"clamation was null and void as to them. If after this defiance of "that act any American veffel had rifqued and incurred confif"cation, the government would have been importuned for fome"thing more than the general protection, which is the birthright "of all our citizens. The clamour would have been for a Special "indemnity; and, under fuch a cloak, frauds innumerable might "have been covered."

(No. 9). The Citizen Genet, one of the predeceffors of the underfigned, notified to the fecretary of state, on the 23d of May, 1793, that he was empowered to renew the exifting treaties. between the French Republic and the United States. The fecretary of state replied to him, that the Senate not being affembled, it was impoffible to meet his overtures, because that body were, according to the conftitution, to participate in the confummation of treaties.*

On the 30th of September, 1793, Citizen Genet renewed the fubject; the fecretary of ftate, in acknowledging the receipt of that letter, informed him that he had laid it before the prefident, and that it will be taken into confideration with all the refpect and intereft that fuch an object requires.

The Senate affembled, and the treaty was never again brought in question.

The predeceffor of the undersigned, in his verbal communication with the fecretary of state, expreffed the defire which the Republic had of renewing her treaties. He received only evafive anfwers.

The undersigned minifter plenipotentiary, charged to prepare with the federal government the plan of a new treaty of com merce, communicated to the fecretary of state, on the 30th of June, 1795 (old ftyle), that part of his inftructions which authorifed him to open this negotiation.

On this fubject the prefident authorised the fecretary of ftate, who explained to the underfigned the manner in which they could proceed in it. But at what time? When the ratification

Letter from Mr. Jefferson to Mr. Morris, dated 23d of August, 1793. Mellage of the Prefident, 3d of December, 1793, p. 68 of the original English.

of

of the treaty concluded between Lord Grenville and Mr. Jay no longer permitted the underfigned to pursue that negotiation.

At Philadelphia, the 25th of Brumaire, in the 5th year of the French Republic, one and indivisible, (15th Novem ber, 1796, old style.)

P. A. ADET.

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,

FROM the dawn of our revolution the tricoloured cockade has been the rallying point of thofe energetic men, whofe generous efforts gave the firft blow to arbitrary power. At their call the French nation, bent for centuries under the yoke, fhook off that long drowsiness; twenty-four millions of men adopted that auguft fymbol; they exclaimed, "We fhall be free!" and all oppofition was defeated, and the throne tumbled down in the duft, and al Europe, armed against them, has been vanquished. The Republic decorates all her citizens with those national colours, the facred fymbol of liberty which they have won.

Frenchmen who are abfent 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 respect guarantied by our treaties with those

nations.

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

But, Citizens, I am perfuaded that, at the call of the minister of the French Republic, you will haften to put on the symbol 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 thofe 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 fenfe of his independence.

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 history will not call to remembrance, except to perpetuate their difgrace.

Thus

The ufe of the French chanceries, the national protection, will not be granted to any Frenchman but those who, perfectly fenfible of the dignity attached to the title of citizen, shall take a pride in wearing conftantly the tricoloured 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 ceafed to be Frenchmen, I do not speak to them; the public voice will inform them of their exclufion.

Done at Philadelphia, the 12th Brumaire, the fifth year of the French Republic, one and indivifible.

Philadelphia, Nov. 7.

(Signed)

P. A. ADET.

A Proclamation, by George Washington, Prefident of the United States of America.

WHEREAS an explanatory article, to be added to the treaty of amity, commerce, and navigation, between the United States and his Britannic Majefty, was concluded and figned at Philadelphia, on the 4th day of May last, by Timothy Pickering, Efq. fecretary of state, on the part of the United States, and by Phineas Bond, Efq. the commiffioner of his Britannic Majefty, which explanatory article is in the words following:

EXPLANATORY ARTICLE.

Whereas by the third article of the treaty of amity, commerce, and navigation, concluded at London on the nineteenth day of November, one thousand seven hundred and ninety-four, between his Britannic Majefty and the United States of America, it was agreed that it fhould at all times be free to his Majefty's fubjects, and to the citizens of the United States, and alfo to the Indians dwelling on either fide of the boundary line affigned by the treaty of peace to the United States, freely to pafs and repass, by land or inland navigation, into the respective territories and countries of the two contracting parties on the continent of America (the country within the limits of the Hudfon Bay Company only excepted), and to navigate all the lakes, rivers, and waters thereof, and freely to carry on trade and commerce with each other, fubject to the provifions and limitations contained in the faid article: And whereas, by the eighth article of the treaty of peace and friendship concluded at Grenville, on the third day of Auguft,

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