nufacturing people; the United States cannot inftantaneously, on the mere paffing of a decree, transfer, to the manufacture of articles heretofore imported, fuch a portion of their labour as will at the fame time furnifli a market for the furplus commodities, and a fupply for the wants of the cultivator of the foil. It is, therefore, fcarcely poffible for them to furrender their foreign commerce.

Independent of the right they poffefs in common with others to fearch for and chufe the best markets, it is believed that the fupplies they need· could with difficulty, in the actual state of the world, be completely furnifhed, without the aid of England and its poffeffions. It is not pretended that France manufactures at prefent, for foreign confumption, nor do the undersigned fuppofe that there exifts a market where the citizens of the United States can obtain in exchange the articles they need. and are accustomed to confume, if those coming out of England and its poffeffions be entirely excluded. A variety of other confiderations, and efpecially the difficulties individuals must encounter in fuddenly breaking old and forming new connexions, in forcing all their commerce into channels not yet well explored, in trading without a fufficient capitol to countries where they have no credit, combine to render almost impoffible an immediate diffolution of commercial intercourfe between the United States and Great-Britain.

If then the decree complained of fhall be executed on American vesfels, it can only increafe grievances already but too confiderable, and transfer the carriage of English manufactures, for American confumption, from their own to British bottoms, failing under the protection of a convoy. Instead of wounding England, it will probably aggrandize its marine, by facrificing the remnant of that of the United States, and by deftroying that fyftem of policy by which they have heretofore fought to give their own veffels that portion of their own carrying trade, which would otherwise be enjoyed by British merchants.

You have made fome general animadverfions on the government of the United States, which the undersigned feel themselves bound briefly to notice.

You have charged that government with giving inftructions not in the fincere intention of arriving at pacific refults, and yet the underfigned have offered to change thoie claufes in the treaty of 1778, which have become inconvenient to France, and to repair any injuries which may have been committed.

You have charged that government with omitting nothing to prolong and augment the misunderstanding between the two Republics; but does not the fact, that the undersigned are now in Paris, furnish perfuafive evidence to the contrary?

You have charged it with fearching to juftify, by deceitful appearances, the prejudices with which it furrounds at pleasure the name of the Republic, and the fyftem of exasperation and feparation pursued in this refpect with the strangeft obftinacy. But has not this Republic, in terms the most cordial, been again and again intreated to enter into a candid investigation of the mutual complaints of the two nations? Have not these entreaties been unnoticed, whilft the Minitters deputed to make them have remained unaccredited?

You have charged it with wishing to feize the first favorable occafion for confummating an intimate union with a power, towards which a

devotion and a partiality are profeffed which have long constituted the principle of the conduct of the Federal government; but whilft no devotion or partiality has been expreffed for any nation except France, have not the United States made, and are they not still making the most extraordinary efforts to restore the broken relations between the two Republics?

In a letter difcuffing the important interefts of two great nations, the underfigned are unwilling to introduce what relates perfonally to them

felves.

This unwifhed for task has been rendered a duty, by afcribing to them opinions and relations which exist in imagination only, and by adducing those fuppofed opinions and relations as proofs of an indifpofition, on the part of the governmert which has deputed them, towards that accommodation which has been fought fo unremittingly through all those difficulties and impediments with which the pursuit has been embarraffed.

You are pleased to add, that these intentions are fo little disguised, "that nothing feems to have been neglected at Philadelphia, to manifest them to every eye. It is probably with this view that it has been judged proper to send to the French Republic, perfons whose opinions and relations are too well known to hope from them difpofitions fincerely conciliatory."

The opinions and relations of the undersigned are purely American, unmixed with any particle of foreign tint. If they poffefs a quality on which they pride themfelves, it is an attachment to the happiness and welfare of their country; if they could at will select the means of manifesting that attachment, it would be by effecting a fincere and real accommodation between France and the United States, on principles promoting the interests of both, and confiftent with the Independence of the latter.

It requires no affurance to convince, that every real American muft with fincerely to extricate his country from the ills it fuffers, and from the greater ills with which it is threatened; but all who love liberty, must admit that it does not exift in a nation which cannot exercise the right of maintaining its neutrality. If "opinions and relations," fuch as these, are incompatible with "difpofitions fincerely conciliatory," then indeed has the Federal government chosen unfit inftruments for the expreffion of its pacific difpofition.

You contraft the conduct observed by the United States, under analagous circumftances, towards the cabinet of St. James, with that which is obferved towards this Republic. You fay, that on that occafion, there was a folicitude to fend to London, Minifters well known to poffefs fentiments conformable to the objects of their miffion; that the Republic has a right to count upon a fimilar deference; and that if a like attention has not been obferved with respect to it, it is too probable that it must be attributed to the views already indicated.

If, unfortunately, the cafes fhall exhibit a contraft, it is not to be found in the characters the United States have thought proper to employ, or in the conduct of their government, otherwife than by the fuperior attention manifefted towards this Republic, and never fhewn to any other nation, in deputing to it, with ample powers, three Envoys Extraordinary and Minifters Plenipotentiary from the three great divifions

of the United States. The Ministers sent to the Cabinet of St. James greatly deserved the confidence of their country; but they did not pos fefs fentiments more conformable to the objects of their miffion than those deputed to this Republic. They did not with more ardently to effect reconciliation; nor is it believed that any perfons who could have been deputed to that Cabinet, would have fubmitted to greater facrifices in order to obtain it. Had their application for compenfation for past injuries, and fecurity against their future commiffion, been only met by requifitions, a compliance with which would involve their nation in ills of which war perhaps might not be the most confiderable; had all attempts to remove unfavorable impreffions failed, and all offers to make explanations been rejected; can it be believed, that other Minifters (the first having been ordered out of the nation) would have waited fix months unaccredited, foliciting permiffion to difplay the upright principles on which their government had acted, and the amicable fentinents by which it was animated?

The underfigned are induced, Citizen Minifter, to pray your attention to these plain truths, from a conviction that they manifeft unequivocally the friendly temper of the Federal government, and the extreme reluctance with which the hope of an accommodation with France would be relinquished.

The underfigned obferve, with infinite regret, that the difpofition manifefted to treat with the Minifter who might be selected by this government, is not accompanied with any affurances of receding from those demands of money, heretofore made the confiderations on which alone a ceffation of hoftility on American commerce could he obtained, to which the undersigned have not the power to accede, with which the United States would find it extremely difficult to comply, and a compliance with which would violate that faith pledged for the obfervance of neutrality, and would involve them in a difaftrous war with which they have no concern. Nor do you answer to the applications, which have been made for compenfation to the citizens of the United States for property which shall be proved to have been taken contrary to the law of nations and exifting treaties, otherwife than that you are willing to discuss cases where there has been a departure from certain principles, which principles, in fact, involve almost every cafe.

You have fignified, Citizen Minifter, that the Executive Directory is difpofed to treat with one of the Envoys, and you hope that this overture will not be attended, on the part of the undersigned, with any ferious difficulty. Every propofition of the Executive Directory is confidered with the most minute and respectful attention.

The refult of a deliberation on this point is, that no one of the underfigned is authorized to take upon himself a negociation evidently entrusted by the tenor of their powers and inftructions to the whole: Nor are there any two of them who can propose to withdraw themfelves from the task committed to them by their government, while there remains a posfibility of performing it.

It is hoped that the prejudices, faid to have been conceived against the Minifters of the United States, will be diffipated by the truths they have stated.

If in this hope they fhall be difappointed, and it should be the will of The Directory to order paffports for the whole or any number of them,

you will please to accompany fuch paffports with letters of fafe conduct, which will entirely protect from the cruizers of France, the veffels in which they may refpectively fail, and give to their perfons, fuite and property, that perfect fecurity to which the laws and ufages of nations

entitle them.

They pray you, Citizen Minifter, to receive the renewal of their asfurances of profound refpect and confideration.

(Signed)

A true copy.

CHARLES COTESWORTH PINCKNEY,
JOHN MARSHALL,

E. GEBRY.

HENRY M. RUTLEDGE, Secretary.

[French Original of M. TALLEYRAND's Letter to the Envoys.]

Le Miniftre des Relations Exterieurs de la République Françaife, à Meffieurs CHARLES COTESWORTH PINCKNEY, J. MARSHALL, et E. GERRY.

Le fouffigné Miniftre des Relations Exterieures de la République Françaife, a mis fous les yeux du Directoire Executif, le Memoire que les Commiffaires et Envoyés Extraordinaires des Etats Unis de l'Amerique lui ont fait parvenir fous la date du 28 Nivôfe dernier, et c'est en execution des intentions du Directoire, qui defire convaincre les Etats Unis des veritables difpofitions qui l'animent à leur egard, que le fousfigné communique aux Commiffaires et Envoyés Extraordinaires les

obfervations fuivantes.

La premiere chofe que a dû frapper dans le Memoire des Commiffaires et Envoyés Extraordinaires, c'eft la methode qu'ils ont jugé à-propos de fuivre dans l'exposition et dans la difcuffion des points qui font en contestation entre les deux Etats. Le Directoire Executif, animé des difpofitions le plus conciliantes, et pénètré des intèréts qui doivent rapprocher les deux nations, autant qu' empreffé de concourir au voeu bien connu des deux peuples pour le maintien d'une intimité parfaite, avait lieu d'attendre que les Envoyés apporteraient, au nom de leur Gouvernement, des difpofitions entierement analogues et un efprit prêparé d'avance par les mêmes vues et par les mêmes defirs. Quel a dû être, d'après cela, l'étonnement du Directoire Executif, quand le fouffigné lui a rendu compte d'un Memoire, dans lequel les Commiffaires et Envoyés Extraordinaires, en renverfant l'ordre connu des faits, fe font attachés à paffer, en quelque forte, fous filence, les juftes motifs de plainte du Gouvernement Française, et a dèguifer la véritable cause de la mèfintelligence qui fe prolonge entre les deux Républiques! En forte qu'il paraitrait, d'après cet expofé, auffi partial, qu'infidèle, que la République Françaife n'a aucun grief rèel à faire valoir, aucune reparation legitime à exiger; tandis que les Etats Unis feroient les feuls adiniffibles à fe plaindre, les feuls autorifés à réclamer des fatisfactions."

Les intentions, qui ont fait prèferer cette marche à toute autre, n'ont point échappé au Directoire Executif; et, c'eft autant par un jufte fentiment de la dignité de la République dont les interêts lui font confiés, que pour se premunir eventuellement contre les vues qu'on pourrait fe propofer par une semblable conduite, qu'il a chargé le fouffigné de faire difparaître ces vaines apparences, qui ne peuvent en effet fubfifter à l'inftant que les faits auront été retablis, et que les véritables intentions du Directoire auront été folemnellement conftatées, en oppofition avec celles qu'on ne pourrait lui attribuer que gratuitement et en se prevalant de fon filence.

Une vérité incontestable, et qui fe trouve entierement écarté dans le Memoire des Commiffaires et Envoyés Extraordinaires, c'eft que l'anteriorité des griefs et des plaintes appartient à la République Française; que ces plaintes et ces griefs etaient auffi réels que nombreux, bien avant que les Etats Unis euffent la moindre reclamation fondée à élever et par conféquentavant que tous les faits fur lefquels les Envoyés appuient avec tant de details, euffent éxifté.

Une autre verité non moins incontestable, c'est que tous les griefs que prefentent les Commiffaires et Envoyés Extraordinaires, faut des exceptions que le fouffigné etait prèt à difcuter, font une conféquence necesfaire des mefures que la conduite antérieure des Etats Unis avait justifiées de la part de la République Françaife, et que fes traités avec les dits Etats Unis autorifaient dans certains cas, qu'il dependant du Gouvernement général de l'Union de faire ou de ne pas faire exister.

Il ferait hors de propos d'entrer dans l'enumeration des plaintes que le Gouvernement Française avait lieu d'élever contre le Gouvernement Fédéral, depuis le commencement de la guerre fufcitée à la République Françaife par une puiffance jaloux de fa profpérité et de fa régénération. Ces details font confignés dans les offices nombreux paffés à Philadelphie par les Miniftres de la République, et ils ont été recapitulés par le prédeceffeur du fouffigné, dans une note, addreffé fous la date du 19me Ventôle, an 4me. au Miniftre Plénipotentiaire des Etats Unis à Paris, et expofés très en detail dans l'office paffé à Philadelphie par le Citoyen Adet, le 25 Brumaire, de l'an 5me. On fe plaignait dans la note ci deffus de l'inéxécution des traités conclus en 1778, dans les feules claufes où la France eut ftipulé quelques avantages en retour des efforts qu'elle s'était engagée à faire pour l'utilité commune; et l'on y réclamait contre des infultes faites à la dignité de la République Française.

Dès le commencement de la guerre en effet les tribunaux Americains ont prétendu au droit de prendre connaifance de la validité des prifes, menées dans les ports des Etats Unis par des croifeurs Français. Il eft réfulté de cette prétention contraire à la lettre du traité de commerce de 1778, que les proprietés des citoyens de la République ont été injuftement détenues, et que l'on a totalement decouragé la courfe Française, dans les mers de l'Amerique, contre un ennemi qui en fefait revivre les lois de plus barbare, pour detruire et infulter le commerce Americain fous les yeux mêmes du Gouvernement Fédéral.

On ne se bornait pas à favorifer les ennemis de la République Française dans un point auffi effentiel, point fur lequel il pouvait à la verité furvenir quelques abus, mais que le Gouvernement Français fe montrait difpofé à prevenir; on allait encore jufqu'à permettre aux vaiffeaux ennemis contra le fens textuel du traité ci-deffus, relàcher dans les ports

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