should take place in the annals of the two republicks, which gave cause for suspicion that you doubted in any degree our sincere and affectionate attachment to your welfare, is a circumstance that cannot otherwise than give pain to our government and our people. That these however should be removed by a fair and candid examination of your complaints, on both sides, is the best consolation that such an occurrence can admit of. If by my feeble efforts I contribute in any degree to promote that end and preserve the harmony and affection which have so long subsisted between us, and I trust will always subsist, I accomplish an object the most grateful to my feelings, that I can possibly accomplish. Permit me in concluding this letter to assure you of the great respect and esteem with which I am your most obedient and very humble servant, JAMES MONROE. Extract from the Registers of the Special Agency of the Executive Directory to the Windward Islands. THE special agents of the executive directory to the Windward Islands, considering, that the laws, as well ancient as modern, forbid neutrals to carry to the enemy contraband or prohibited merchandises; Considering, that notwithstanding the complaints of the minister plenipotentiary of the French Republick to the United States of North America, of which he informed us by his letter of the 14th Messidor, those states, and particularly Virginia, have fitted out vessels loaded with horses for the English; Decree, That from this day forward, all vessels loaded with merchandises, designated by the name of contraband, such as arms, instruments, munitions of war, of what kind soever, horses and their furnitures, shall be stopped by the vessels of war and privateers, to be seized and confiscated for the bencfit of the captors. At Basseterre, Guadaloupe, 14th Thermidor, 4th year of the French Republick, one and indivisible.— Signed on the Register, VICTOR HUGUES and LEBAS. Compared with the Register, VAUCHELET, Sec'ry. of the Agency. The special agents of the executive directory, to the Windward Islands, in conformity with the above decree, declare to be good prize the American vessel, the Lucy, captain G. Gillbard, captured by the advice boat of the Republick, the Iris. Basseterre, Guadaloupe, the 22d Fructidor, 4th year of the French Republick, one and indivisible. VICTOR HUGUES. [L. S.] LEBAS, Sealed with the seal of the Agency, No. 150. TRANSLATION. The Minister Plenipotentiary of the French Republick, near the United States, to Mr. Randolph, Secretary of State of the United States. Philadelphia, 23d Thermidor, 3d year of the French Republick, one and indivisible (10th August, 1795, O. S.) your SIR. The neutrality of the United States and the law of nations, have just been violated in the most serious manner. It is but too true that the English wished to take citizen Fauchet and his papers from on board one of vessels and in the waters of the United States. The letters from citizens Fauchet and Pichon, that of the consul at Newport, the affidavit of the passengers of the packet the Peggy, leave no doubt upon this wicked attempt. I should not have spoken to you at all on the subject if the French Republick had not been outraged. But you know as well as I do sir, that a minister on quitting his functions, does not on that account lose his privileges, or his rights-that he retains them until his return to the power by whom he was sent. His safety, his inviolability, are as much under the safeguard of the law of nations, as those of a minister exercising his functions, and you owe him the same protection. Nations are agreed in this principle; it is mentioned by the authors who have written on the publick law, and you will find it reported in Vattel, (§ 125, chap. 9, book 4, vol. 2, Amsterdam edit. MDCCLXXV.) The premeditated insult against the citizen Fauchet therefore, is at once an injury against the United States and the French Republick. I should betray my most sacred duty, were I not bitterly to complain of it, and if in soliciting you to cause reparation to be made, I were not to pray you to take measures for preventing a similar outrage in future. It were vain to seek to excuse those who have committed it. In vain would it be said that scamen were ignorant of the laws of nations. They were instruments made use of by men who could not be unacquainted with those laws. The English vice consul, Moore, presided on board the Africa on the pillage of the American packet boat: and how could he justify this outrage of which modern Carthage can alone give an example? Were such an infraction of the laws of nations passed over in silence; what safety should I then find here? Who would prevent the pirates of Great Britain from forcing my house in the night, from carrying me off in one of their vessels and loading me with irons? What then would there be sacred among nations: if the character of a minister were no longer respected, and if a single nation could always trample every principle, all conventions under foot without exciting a murmur or complaint? The It would offend you, sir, were I longer to insist. honour of your country, the respect you owe to its faithful ally, the attachment you bear to her, will speak much better than I can. Accept, sir, &c. P. A. ADET. No. 151. TRANSLATION. The Vice Consul of the French Republick at Newport, Rhode Island, to the Minister Plenipotentiary of the said Republick near the United States of America. Newport, "Rhode Island, the 16th Thermidor, 3d year of the French Republick, one and indivisible. THE most formal violation of the territory of the United States, and the most serious insult has been committed, and it was a functionary of the Republick, citizen Fauchet, who was the object of it. On Saturday last the packet boat, Peggy, coming from New York, and on board of which the minister had embarked, was arrested at about two miles and an half from the light house, by the English ship Africa, lying at anchor, which obliged the captain of the packet to come to within a few fathoms of her. The officers sent to visit on coming on board, asked for citizen Fauchet and his trunks of which they knew the exact number-they were answered that the said citizen had landed at Stonington-they then asked to see his effects, and appeared as though they intended to seize his papers. It was casy to discover their disappointment, when the empty pasteboard cases were pre sented to them. The most indecent researches were made in the ministers trunks, and in those of citizens Bournonville and Pichon : some papers belonging to the latter were transported on board of the ship, but were returned. The design failed-it was citizen Fauchet and his papers that they wished; and by the most fortunate circumstance, he defeated the audacious act projected against him. I had fortunately been advised of the packet boat putting into Stonington, and heaven suggested to me the idea of notifying citizen Fauchet by express of the station of the ship. He debarked with his papers only, and thence come here by land. Nothing proves better the fixed intention of the English to take the citizen Fauchet and his papers than the conduct of the English consul on the same day: at daylight he went on board the Africa, and did not return until after it was ascertained that the project formed by him and his companions in depredation, had failed. I immediately gave an account of this transaction to the governour of Rhode Island by sending him a copy of the affidavit of the packet (affidavit du Paket) of which I herein enclose another authentick copy together with one of my letters to the governour of this state, that you may be enabled to make such application to the government of the United States, as you shall think proper. Health and fraternity, True copy of the original, L. ARCAMBAL. P. A. ADET. No. 152. Be it known unto all whom it may concern, that on the day of the date hereof, before me Christopher Ellery, publick notary for the county of Newport, in the state of Rhode Island and Providence Plantations, in the United States of America, come Thomas Bliss, master of the sloop Peggy, of Newport, just arrived from New York, and Louis Andrew Pichon, former secretary of the legation of the French Republick to the United States, passenger on board said sloop, together with T. A. Hoffer, citizen of Boston, and captain Chabert, also passengers on board the said sloop, all of whom on their oaths declare, that yesterday at three of the clock in the afternoon, being the 1st day of August instant, they were at a distance of two miles from the light house in Narraganset bay in said sloop bound to Newport, when being opposite to the same, a British ship of war the Africa, commanded by fired a cannon shot at the said sloop as a signal to bring her to; that the sloop had then American colours flying; that the master aforesaid, obeying the signal, soon perceived two boats coming to the sloop from the said ship of war, which boats were manned by a part of the crew of said ship, and out of which came four or five officers; two of them appearing to be higher in command than the others, ordered the captain of the said sloop to go near to the ship, with which order he complied and soon anchored a stern of the said ship; that |