of affection which bound her to France, that only repeated and continued acts of hoftility can tear them asunder. The government of the United States, therefore, ftill fearches the means of terminating peacefully, and in a manner which ought to be mutually fatisfactory, the calamities of the moment, and of averting the ftill greater calamities which may be referved for the future. Not even the discouraging and unusual events which had preceded the prefent effort to negociate could deter that government from repeating its endea vours for the preservation of amity and peace. Three citizens of the United States have been deputed as Envoys Extraordinary and Minifters Plenipotentiary to the French Republic. Their inftructions authorize and direct them to review the existing treaties between the two nations,. and to remove by all proper means, the inequalities which have grown out of the ftipulations of thofe treaties, in confequence of the refufal of England to adopt the principles they contain. They are also directed to give fair and complete explanations of the conduct of the government they reprefent; to ftate fully and truly the heavy injuries which their fellow citizens have fuftained; and to afk from the equity of a great and magnanimous Republic that compenfation for those injuries, which, we flatter ourselves, their juftice will not refuse and their liberal policy will not hefitate to give. Bringing with them the temper of their government and country, fearching only for the means of effecting the objects of their miffion, they have permitted no perfonal confiderations to influence their conduct, but have waited under circumftances beyond measure embarraffing and unpleasant, with that refpect which the American government has fo uniformly paid to that of France, for permiffion to lay before you, citizen minifter, these important communications with which they have been charged. Perceiving no probability of being allowed to enter, in the ufual forms, on thofe difcuffions which might tend to restore harmony between the two Republics, they have deemed it most adviseable, even under the circumftances of informality which attend the measure, to addrefs to your government, through you, this candid review of the conduct, and this true reprefentation of the fentiments and wishes of the government of the United States. They pray that it may be received in the temper with which it is written, and confidered as an additional effort, growing out of a difpofition common to the government and people of America, to cultivate and reftore, if it be poffible, harmony between the two republics. If, citizen minifter, there remains a hope that these defirable objects can be effected by any means which the United States have authorized, the underfigned will ftill folicit and will ftill refpectfully attend the developement of those means. If on the contrary no fuch hope remains, they have only to pray that their return to their own country may be facilitated; and they will leave France with the most deep-felt regret that neither the real and fincere friendfhip, which the government of the United States has fo uniformly and unequivocally displayed for this great Republic, nor its continued efforts to demonftrate the purity of its conduct and intentions, can protect its citizens, or preferve them from the calamities which they have fought by a juft and upright conduct to avert. The underfigned pray you, Citizen Minifter, to accept the assurances of their perfect refpect and confideration, (Signed) CHARLES COTESWORTH PINCKNEY, É. GERRY. Paris, January 27th, 1798, in the 22d year of American Independence. Tranflated extract from the Bulletin des Lois, No. 178, printed at Paris, and enclofed with the quadruplicate of the Envoys' letter, No. 6. Law relative to veffels laden with English merchandize, of the 29th Nivofe, 6th year, [18th Jan. 1796.] The Council of Ancients, adopting the reafons for the declaration of urgency, which precedes the refolution herein after contained, approves the act of urgency. Here follows the tenor of the declaration of urgency, and of the refolution of the 2zd Nivofe, [11th Jan. 1798.] The Council of Five Hundred, after having heard the report of a Special Committee upon the meffage of the Executive Directory of the 15th Nivofe [4th January] relative to English merchandize; Confidering, that the intereft of the Republic demands the most prompt measures against all veffels which may be loaded therewith; Declares, that there is urgency. The Council, after having declared the urgency, refolves as follows: The character of veffels, relative to their quality of neuter or enemy, fhall be determined by their cargo; in confequence, every veffel found at fea, loaded in whole or in part with merchandize the production of England or of her poffeffions, fhall be declared good prize, whoever the owner of these goods or merchandize may be. Every foreign veffel which, in the course of her voyage, fhall have entered into an English port, fhall not be admitted into a port of the French Republic, except in cafe of neceffity; in which case the shall be bound to depart from the faid port as foon as the caufes of her entry fhall have ceased. ARTICLE III, The prefent refolution fhall be printed. (Signed) BOULAY (of la Meurthe) Prefident. After a fecond reading the Council of Ancients APPROVES the above refolution. The 29th of Nivose, fixth year of the French Republic [18th January, 1798.] (Signed) The Executive Directory orders, that the above law shall be printed, executed, and that it shall be sealed with the feal of the Republic. Done at the National Palace of the Executive Directory, the 29th Nivofe, fixth year of the French Republic, one and indivifible. [18th January, 1798.] P. BARRAS, Prefident. For a true copy: (Signed) By the Executive Directory, The Secretary-General, LAGARDE. And fealed with the feal of the Republic. MESSAGE from the PRESIDENT to CONGRESS. Gentlemen of the Senate, and Gentlemen of the House of Reprefentatives, I NOW tranfmit to both Houses, the Communications from our Envoys at Paris, received fince the laft, which have been prefented by me to Congrefs, JOHN ADAMS. No. 7. Paris, March 9th, 1798. DEAR SIR, AGREEABLY GREEABLY to what we reprefented to you in our No. 6. we prepared a letter to the Minifter of Foreign Affairs, on the fubject of the late law authorizing the capture of neutral veffels, on board of which any productions of Great Britain or its poffeffions fhould be laden, fhewing how incompatible fuch law was with the rights of neutral nations and the treaty between France and America, its direct tendency to destroy the remaining commerce of our country, and the particular hardships to which it would fubject the agricultural as well as commercial interests of our countrymen, from the peculiar fituation of the United States. We added, that under exifting circumftances, we could no longer refift the conviction that the demands of France rendered it entirely impracticable to effect the objects of our miffion; and that not being permanent Minifters, but Envoys Extraordinary, with full power for particular purpofes, we deemed it improper to remain longer in France after the impoffibility of effecting thofe purposes had been demonftrated. Before however we took this measure and explicitly demanded our paffports, we deemed it expedient to defire Major Rutledge to call on Mr. Talleyrand, on the 19th ultimo, to know if he had any communication to make to us in confequence of our letter, dated the 17th and delivered the 31st of January. To this Mr. Talleyrand replied, that he had no answer to make, as the Directory had not taken any order on the subject, and when they did, he would inform us of it. Still being anxious to hear explicitly from Mr. Talleyrand himself, before we fent our final letter, whether there were no means, within our powers, of accommodating our differences with France, on juft and reasonable grounds, we wrote to him on the 27th of February, foliciting a perfonal interview on the fubject of our miffion; he appointed the 2d of March following. You will find in the exhibit A, herewith enclosed, what paffed on that occafion. On the 4th inftant we requested another interview. We have detailed in the latter part of the fame exhibit, for your information, the substance of that converfation. From these accounts you may obferve that the views of France with regard to us, are not effentially changed, fince our communications with its unofficial agents in October laft. We have the honor to be, With great refpect, Your most obedient humble fervants, CHARLES COTESWORTH PINCKNEY, E. GERRY. Col, PICKERING, Secretary of the United States. (A.) March the 2d. At three o'clock we waited on Mr. Talleyrand, and were almost immediately introduced to him. General Pinckney commenced the converfation by faying, that our government and ourselves were extremely anxious to remove the fubfifting difference between the two Republics; that we had received many propofitions through Mr. Y. to which we had found it impracticable to accede; and that we had now waited on him for the purpose of enquiring whether other means might not be devised which would effect so desirable an object. The minifter replied, that without doubt, the Directory wished very fincerely on our arrival to fee a folid friendship established between France and the United States, and had manifefted this difpofition by the readinefs with which orders for our paffports were given. That the Directory had been extremely wounded by the laft fpeech of General Washington, made to Congress when about to quit the office of Prefident of the United States; and by the first and laft fpeech of Mr. Adams. That explanations of these fpeeches were expected and required of us. General Pinckney expressed his futprife that the fpeech of General Washington was complained of, and faid this was a new complaint. Mr. Talleyrand merely obferved, that the Directory was wounded at it; and proceeded, He faid, that the original favourable difpofition of the Directory had been a good deal altered by the coldness and distance which we had obferved. That instead of feeing him often, and endeavouring to remove the obstacles to a mutual approach, we had not once waited on him. General Pinckney obferved, that when we delivered him our letters of credence, he informed us, that the Directory in a few days would decide concerning us; and that when the decifion was made he would communicate it to us. That this had for fome time fufpended any procedure on our part. He answered that this related only to our public character, and not to private vifits. General Pinckney faid, that on an application made by his fecretary for a paffport for an American under his care, he was told that he must apply to the office of police, for that America had no minister in France, fince the recall of Mr. Monroe. The minifter faid, that was very true; and then proceeded to fay, that the Directory felt itself wounded by the different fpeeches of Mr. Washington and Mr. Adams, which he had ftated, and would require fome proof, on the part of the United States of a friendly difpofition previous to a treaty with us. He then faid that we ought to fearch for and propofe fome means which might furnish this proof; that if we were disposed to furnish it, there could be no difficulty in finding it; and he alluded very intelligibly to a loan. He faid, he had feveral conferences with Mr. Gerry on this fubject, who had always anfwered that we had no power. Mr. Gerry faid, that he had stated other objections; that he had particularly urged that it would involve us in a war with Great Britain. He made no reply and General Pinckney obferved, that a loan had repeatedly been fuggefted to us, but that we had uniformly anfwered, that it exceeded our powers. Mr. Talleyrand replied, that perfons at fuch a diftance as we were from our government, and poffeffed as we were of the public confidence, muft often use their discretion, and exceed their powers for the public good. That there was a material difference between acting when inftructions were filent, and doing what was particularly forbid den; that if indeed a loan was pofitively forbidden, we might confider ourfelves as incapable of making one; but if, as he supposed was the cafe the looked the question) our inftructions were only filent, that it must be referred to us to act in a cafe not provided for according to the beft of our judgment, for the public good: that in almoft all the treaties made during the revolution, the negociators had exceeded their powers; although the government appointing them was at no confiderable distance. He particularized the treaty with Pruffia, and feveral others. General Pinckney told him that our powers did not extend to a loan, and perhaps might forbid it. The Minifter till urged the difference between an exprefs prohibition and mere filence. He then proceeded to ftate that the principal objection on the part of our government to a loan muft be, that it would draw us out of the neutral fituation in which we wished to continue; that there were various means of evading this; firft, the fecrecy of France, which might be relied on: and fecondly, means of difguifing the loan might be devised, which would effectually prevent its being confidered as an aid during the prefent war: that if we were truly and fincerely defirous of effecting the thing, we should experience no difficulty : |