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it the native foil of himself and his progenitors for feveral generations, I anticipate with pleafing expectation that retreat, in which I promife myfelf to realize, without alloy, the fweet enjoyment of partaking, in the midst of my fellow citizens, the benign influence of good laws, under a free government, the ever favourite object of my heart, and the happy reward, as I truft, of our mutual cares, labours, and dangers.

G. WASHINGTON. United States, Sept. 17, 1796.

Note prefented to the American Secretary of State, by Citizen Adet, Minifter Plenipotentiary from the -French Republic, Oct. 17, 1796..

The undersigned minifter plenipotentiary of the French republic, in conformity to the orders of his government, has the honour of tranfmitting to the secretary of state. of the United States, a refolution taken by the executive of the French republic on the 11th Meffidor, 4th year, relative to the conduct which the flips of war of the republic are to hold toward neutral veffels.

"The flag of the republic will treat the flag of neutrals in the fame manner as they fhall fuffer it to be treated by the English."

The fentiments which the American government have manifefted to the undersigned minister plenipotentiary, do not permit him to doubt, that they will fee, in its true light, this meafure as far as it may concern the United States, and that they will alfo feel that it is dictated by imperious circumftances, and approved by justice.

Great Britain, during the war fhe has carried on against the republic, has not ceafed ufing every incans in her power to add to that

fcourge fcourges ftill more terrible. She has used the well-known liberality of the French nation to the detriment of that nation. Knowing how faithful France has always been in the obfervance of her treaties; knowing that it was a principle of the republic to refpect the flags of all nations, the British government, from the beginning of the war, has caufed neutral veffels, and in particular American veffels, to be detained, taken them into its ports, and dragged from them Frenchmen and French property. France, bound by a treaty with the United States, could find only a real difadvantage in the article of that treaty which caused to be refpected as American property English property found on board American vefels. They had a right, under this confideration, to expect that America would take steps in favour of her violated neutrality. One of the predeceffors of the undersigned, in July 1793, applied on this fubject to the government of the United States; but he was not. fuccefsful. Nevertheless the national convention, who, by their de.. cree of the 9th of May, 1793, had ordered the feizure of enemy's property on board neutral veffels, declaring, at the fame time, that the meafure fhould ceafe when the. English fhould refpect neutral flags, had excepted, on the 23d of the fame month, the Americans from the operation of this general order. But the convention was obliged foon to repeal the law which con tained this exception fo favourable to Americans; the manner in which the English conducted themselves, the manifeft intention they had to stop the exportation of provifions from America to France, rendered it unavoidable.

The national convention by this

had

had restored the equilibrium of neutrality which England had deftroyed; had difcharged their duty in a manner juftified by a thoufand paft examples, as well as by the neceffity of the then exifting moment. They might, therefore, to recall the orders they had given to. feize the enemy's property on 'board American veffels, have waited till the British government had first definitively revoked the fame. order, a fufpenfion, only of which was produced by the embargo laid by Congress the 26th of March, 1794. But as foon as they were informed that, under orders of the government of the United States, Mr. Jay was directed to remonftrate against the vexatious meafures of the English, they gave orders, by the law of the 13th Nivofe, 3d year, to the fhips of war of the republic to refpect American vefiels; and the committee of public fafety, in their explanatory refolve of the 14th of the fame month, haftened to fanction the fame principles. The national convention and the committee of public fafety had every reafon to believe that this open and liberal conduct would determine the United States to use every effort to put a ftop to the vexations impofed upon their commerce, to the injury of the French republic; they were deceived in this hope; and though the treaty of friendship, navigation, and commerce, between Great Britain and the United States had been figned fix weeks before France adopted the meafure I have, juft fpoken of, the English did not abandon the plan they had formed, but continued to ftop and carry into their ports all American veffels, bound to French ports, or return ing from them.

This conduct was the subject of

a note which the undersigned addreffed on the 7th Vendemiaire, 4th year (29th September 1795, O. S.) to the fecretary of state.. The remonftrances which it contained were founded on, the duties of neutrality, upon the principles which Mr. Jefferson had laid down in his letter to Mr. Pinckney, dated the 13th September, 1794.

Yet this note has remained without an anfwer, though recalled to the remembrance of the fecretary of ftate by a dispatch of the 9th Germinal, 4th year (29th March, 1796, Q. 8.); and American veffels bound to French ports, or returning from them, have ftill been feized by the English. Indeed more; they have added a new vexation to thofe they had already impofed upon Americans; they have impreffed feamen from on board American veffels, and have thus found the means of ftrengthening their crews at the expence of the Americans, without the government of the United States having made known to the undersigned the fteps they had taken to obtain fatisfaction for this violation of neutrality, fo hurtful to the interefts of France, as the underfigned hath fet forth in his difpatches to the secretary of state of the 9th Germinal, 4th year (29th March, 1796, O. S.), 19th Germi-: nal (8th April, 1796), and ift Floreal (20th April, 1796), which have remained without an anfwer.

The French government then finds itself, with respect to America. at the prefent time, in circumftan, ces fimilar to thofe of the year 1795; and if it fees itself obliged to abandon, with respect to them, and neutral powers in general, the favourable line of conduct it purfued, and to adopt different measures, the blame fhould fall

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The undersigned minifter plenipotentiary conceives it his duty to remark to the fecretary of ftate, that the neutral governments, or the allies of the republic, have nothing to fear as to the treatment of their flag by the French, fince if, keeping within the bounds of their neutrality, they cause the rights of that neutrality to be refpected by the English, the republic will refpect them. But if, through weak-. nefs, partiality, or other motives, they should fuffer the English to fport with that neutrality, and turn it to their advantage, could they then complain, when France, to reftore the balance of neutrality to its equilibrium, fhall act in the fame manner as the English? No, certainly; for the neutrality of a nation confifts in granting to belligerent powers the fame advantages; and that neutrality no longer exifts, when, in the course of the war, that neutral nation grants to one of the belligerent powers advantages not ftipulated by treaties anterior to the war, or fuffers that power to feize upon them. The neutral government cannot then complain if the other belligerent power will enjoy advantages which its enemy enjoys, or if it feizes upon them; otherwife that neutral government would deviate, with refpect to it, from the line of neutrality, and would become its

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States will maintain from all vialation a neutrality which France has always refpected, and will always refpect, when her enemies do not make it turn to her detri

ment.

The underfigned minifter plenipotentiary embraces this opportunity of reiterating to the fecretary of state the affurance of his esteem, and informs him, at the fame time, that he will cause this note to be printed, in order to make publicly known the motives which, at the prefent juncture, influence the French republic.

Done at Philadelphia, 6th Brumaire, 5th year of the French republic, one and indivisible, (27th Oct. 1796, O. S.)

(Signed) P. A. ADET.

Extract from the Regifter of Refolutions of the Executive Directory of the 14th Miffidor, 4th Year of the French Republic, one and indivifible.

The executive directory, confidering that, if it becomes the faith of the French nation to refpect treaties or conventions which fecure to the flags of fome neutral or friendly powers commercial advantages, if they fhould turn to the benefit of our enemies, either through the weakness of our allies or of neutrals, or through fear, through interested views, or through whatever motives, it would, ipfo facto, warrant the inexecution of the articles in which they were stipulated, decrees as follows:

"All neutral or allied powers fhall, without delay, be notified, that the flag of the French republic will treat neutral veffels, either as to confifcation, as to fearches,

or

or capture, in the fame manner as they fhall fuffer the English to treat them."

The minifter of foreign relations is charged with the execution of the prefent refolution, which fhall not be printed.

Anfer of the Executive Government of America to Citizen Adet's Note, inclofing the Decree of the Directory refpecting Neutral Vefels.

SIR,

I have the honour to acknowledge the receipt of your note, of the 27th ult. covering a decree of the executive directory of the French republic, concerning the commerce of neutral nations.

whom the United States fhould be at peace, the goods (except contraband) and the perfons of her emenies (foldiers in actual fervice excepted), found on board the veffels of the United States, were to be free from capture. That, on the other hand, if the United States

A true copy. (Signed) CARNOT, Prefident. fhould engage in war with any nation, while France remained at peace, then the goods (except contraband) and the perfons of our enemies (foldiers in actual fervice excepted), found on board French veffels, were alfo to be free from capture. This is plainly exprefled in the 23d article of that treaty, and demonftrates that the reciprocity thereby ftipulated was to operate at different periods; that is, at one time in favour of one of the contracting parties, and of the other at another time. At the prefent time, the United States being at peace, they poffefs by the treaty the right of carrying the goods of the enemies of France, without fubjecting them to capture. Bot what do the fpirit of the decree of the executive directory and the current of your obfervations require? That the United States fhould now gratuitoufly renounce this right. And what reafon is affigned for denying to us the enjoyment of this right? Your own words furnish the answer: "France, bound by treaty to the United States, could find only a real difadvantage in the articles of that treaty, which caufed to be refpected, as American property, English pro. perty found on board American veffels." This requifition, and the reafon afiigned to fupport it, alike, excite furprize. The American go. vernment, fir, confcious of the purity of its intentions, of its impartial obfervance of the laws of neutrality, and of its inviolable regard

This decree makes no diftinc tion between neutral powers who can claim only the rights fecured to them by the law of nations, and others between whom and the French republic treaties have impofed fpecial obligations. Where no treaties exift, the republic, by feizing and confifcating the property of their enemies found on board neutral veffels, would only exercife an acknowledged right under the law of nations. If, towards fuch neutral nations, the French republic has forborne to execute this right, the forbearance has been perfectly gratuitous. The United States, by virtue of their treaty of commerce with France, ftand on different ground.

In the year 1778, France voluntarily entered into a commercial treaty with us, on principles of perfect reciprocity, and exprefly Ripulating that free ships should make free goods. That is, if France fhould be at war with any nation with

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to treaties, cannot for a moment admit that it has forfeited the right to claim a reciprocal obfervance of ftipulations on the part of the French republic, whofe friendship moreover it has every reafon to cultivate with the most perfect fincerity. This right, formerly infringed by a decree of the national convention, was recognized anew by the repeal of that decree. Why it fhould be again queftioned, we are at a lofs to determine. We are ignorant of any new reftraints on our commerce by the British government; on the contrary, we poffefs recent official information, that no new orders have been issued.

The captures made by the Britifh, of American veffels having French property on board, are warranted by the law of nations. The force and operation of this law was contemplated by France and the United States, when they formed their treaty of commerce; and their fpecial ftipulation on this point was meant as an exception to an univerfal rule; neither our weakness nor our strength have any choice, when the queftion concerns the obfervance of a known rule of the law of nations.

You are pleafed to remark, that the conduct of Great Britain, in sapturing veffels bound to and from French ports, had been the fubject of a note, which, on the 29th of September, 1795, was addreffed to the fecretary of state, but which remained without an answer. Very fufficient reafons may be affigned for the omiffion. The fubject, in all its afpects, had been officially and publicly difcuffed; and the principles and ultimate measures of the United States, founded on their indifputable rights, were as pub licly fixed. But if the fubject had not, by the previous difcuffions,

been already exhausted, can it be a matter of furprise that there fhould be a repugnance to answer a letter containing fuch infinuations as these?

"It must then be clear to every man, who will difcard prejudices, love, hatred, and, in a word, all the paffions which lead the judg ment aftray, that the French republic has a right to complain, if the American government fuffered the English to interrupt the com mercial relations which exist between her and the United States; if by a perfidious condefcenfion it permitted the English to violate a right which it ought, for its own honour and intereft, to defend; if, under the cloak of neutrality, it prefented to England a poniarato cut the throat of its faithful ally; is, in fine, partaking in the tyrannical and homicidal rage of Great Britain, it concurred to plunge the people of France into the horrors of famine!" For the fake of preferving harmony, filence was preferred to a comment upon these infinuations.

You are alfo pleased to refer to your letters of March and April laft, relative to impreffes of American feamen by British ships, and complain that the government of the United States had not made known to you the fteps they had taken to obtain fatisfaction. This, fir, was a matter which concerned only that government. As an independent nation, we are not bound to render an account to any other of the measures we deemed proper for the protection of our own citizens, fo long as there was not the flighteft ground to fufpect that the government ever acquiefced in any aggreffion.

But permit me to recur to the subject of the decree of the execu- . tive directory.

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