ticulière, pour laquelle elle desireroit le concours de l'autre ; celle-ci, se prêteroit de bonne foi à un concert sur cet objet, autant que les circonstances et sa propre situation pourront le lui permettre, et dans ce cas, on réglera, par une convention particulière la portée de secours à fournir, et le tems et la manière de la faire agir, ainsy que les avantages destinés à en former les compensation. ART. 5. Si les Etats Unis jugent àpropos de tenter la re duction des isles Bermudes et des parties septentrionales de l'Amérique, qui sont encore au pouvoir de la Grande Brétagne les dits isles et contrées, en cas de succès, entreront dans la confédération ou seront dépendantes des dits Etats Unis. ART. 6. Le roi très chrétien renonce à posseder jamais les Bermudes, ni aucune des parties du continent de l'Amérique septentrionale, qui, avant le traité de Paris de mil sept cent soixante trois, ou en vertu de ce traité, ont été reconnues appartenir a la couronne de la Grand Bretagne, ou aux Etats Unis, qu'on appelloit ci-devant colonies Britaniques, ou qui sont maintenant, ou ont été récemment sous la jurisdiction et sous le pouvoir de la couronne de la Grand Brétagne. ART- 7. Si sa majesté très chrétienne juge àpropos d'attaquer aucune des isles situées dans le golphe de Mexique ou près du dit golphe, qui sont actuellement au pouvoir de la Grand Bretagne, toutes les dites isles, en cas de succès appartiendront à la conronne de France. ART. 8. Aucune des deux parties ne pourra conclure ni trève ni paix avec la Grand Brétagne, sans le consentement préalable et formel de l'autre partie, et elles s'engagement mutuellement à ne mettre bas les armes, que lorsque l'indépendance des dits Etats Unis aura été assurée formellement ou tacitement par le traité ou les traités qui termineront la guerre. ART. 9. Les parties contractantes déclarent, qu'étant resoluës de remplir chacune de son côté les clauses et conditions du présent traité d'alliance selon son pouvoir et les circonstances, elles n'auront aucune répétition, ni aucun dédommagement, à se demander réciproquement, quelque puisse etre l'événement de la guerre. ART. 10. Le roi très chrétien et les Etats Unis sont convenus d'inviter de concert ou d'admettre les puissances, qui auront des greifs contre l'Angleterre, à faire cause commune avec eux, et à accéder à la présente alliance, sous les conditions que seront librement agrées et convenuës, entre toutes les parties. 1778. February 6. 1778. February 6. ART. 11. The two parties guarantee mutually from the present time, and forever, against all other powers, to wit: The United States to his most christian majesty, the present posMntual guaran- sessions of the crown of France in America, as well as those tee of possesssons and sove- which it may acquire by the future treaty of peace: And his reignty. Explanation of the extent of the most christian majesty guarantees on his part to the United States, their liberty, sovereignty, and independence, absolute and unlimited, as well in matters of government as commerce, and also their possessions, and the additions or conquests that their confederation may obtain during the war, from any of the dominions now, or heretofore possessed by Great Britain in North America, conformable to the fifth and sixth articles above written, the whole as their possession shall be fixed and assured to the said states, at the moment of the cessation of their present war with England. ART. 12. In order to fix more precisely the sense and apmutual guaran- plication of the preceding article, the contracting parties detee of posses clare, that in case of a rupture between France and England, sions and sovereignty. the reciprocal guarantee declared in the said article, shall have its full force and effect the moment such war shall break out; and if such rupture shall not take place, the mutual obliga. tions of the said guarantee shall not commence until the moment of the cessation of the present war between the United States and England shall have ascertained their possessions. Ratifications to ART. 13. The present treaty shall be ratified on both sides, be exchanged and the ratifications shall be exchanged in the space of six months, or sooner, if possible. within six months. In faith whereof the respective plenipotentiaries, to wit: on the part of the most christian king, Conrad Alexander Gerard, royal syndic of the city of Strasbourg, and secretary of his majesty's council of state, and on the part of the United States, Benjamin Franklin, deputy to the general congress from the state of Pennsyluania, and president of the convention of the same state: Silas Deane, heretofore deputy from the state of Connecticut, and Arthur Lee, counsellor at law, have signed the above articles both in the French and English languages, declaring nevertheless, that the present treaty was originally composed and concluded in the French language, and they have hereunto affixed their seals. Done at Paris, this sixth day of February; one thousand seven hundred and seventy-eight. C. A. GERARD, [L. S. L. S. L. 8. FL. S. 1778. ART. 11. Les deux parties se garantissent mutuellement des à présent et pour toujours envers et contre tous, savoir, February 6. les Etats Unis à sa majesté très chrétienne les possessions actuelles de la courronne de France en Amérique, ainsi que celles qu'elle pourra acquérir par le futur traité de paix. Et sa majesté très chrétienne, garantit de son côte aux Etats. Unis leur liberté, leur souverainté et leur independance absoJuë et illimitée, tant en matière de politique que de commerce, ainsi que leurs possessions et les accroissements ou conquêtes que leur conféderation pourra se procurer pendant la guerre, d'aucun des domaines maintenant ou ci-devant possedés par la Grande Brétagne dans l'Amérique Septentrionale, conformément aux articles cinq et six ci-dessus, et tout ainsy que leurs possessions seront fixées et assurées aux dits états, au moment de la cessation de leur guerre actuelle contre l'Angle terre. ART. 12. Afin de fixer plus précisément le sens et l'application de l'article précédent, les parties contractantes décla rent qu'en cas de rupture entre la France et l'Angleterre, la garantie réciproque enoncée dans le susdit article, aura toute sa force et valeur du moment où la guerre éclatera, et si la rup ture n'avoit pas lieu, les obligations mutuelles de la dite garantie, ne commenceroient, que du moment susdit, ou la cessation de la guerre actuelle entre les Etats Unis et l'Angleterre, aura fixé leurs possessions. ART. 13. Le présent traité sera ratifié de part et d'autre et les ratifications seront échangées dans l'espace de six mois. ou plustôt si faire se peut. En foi de quoi les plénipotentiaries respectifs, savoir: de la part du roi très chrétien le Sr. Conrad Alexandre Gerard, sindic royal de la ville de Strasbourg et sécrétaire du conseil d'état de sa majesté, et de la part des Etats Unis les Srs. Benjamin Franklin, deputé au congrés général de la part de l'état de Pensylvanie et president de la convention du même état, Siles Deane cy-devant député de l'état de Connecticut, et Arthur Lee, conseiller ès loix, ont signé les article ci-dessus tant en langue Françoise, qu'en langue Angloise, déclarant néanmoins, que le présent traité, à été originairement redigé et arrêté en langue Françoise, et ils les on munis du cachet de leurs armes. Fait à Paris, le sixième jour de mois Fevrier, mil sept cent soixante dixhuit. 9 L. S. C. A. GERARD, [L. S. ARTHUR LEE. L. S. [L. S.] 1782. July 16. Motives for French govern States. No. 3.--Contract between his Most Christian Majesty and the United States of America, entered into by the count de Vergennes and Mr Franklin, the 16th July, 1782, and ratified by Congress, the 22d day of January, 1783. The king having been pleased to attend to the requests made stating particu- to him in the name, and on behalf of the united provinces of larly the amount of the loans fur- North America, for assistance in the war and invasion under nished by the which they had for several years groaned, and his majesty, after ment, and the entering into a treaty of amity and commerce with the said manner of payment, by the U. confederated provinces, on the 6th of February, 1778, having had the goodness to support them, not only with his forces by land and sea, but also with advance of money, as abundant as they were effectual, in the critical situation to which their af fairs were reduced: it has has been judged proper and necessary to state exactly the amount of those advances, the conditions. on which the king made them, the periods at which the congress of the United States have engaged to repay them to his majesty's royal treasury, and in fine, to state this matter in such a way as for the future to prevent all difficulties capable of interrupting the good harmony which his majesty is resolved to maintain and preserve between him and the said United States. For executing so laudable a purpose, and with a view to strengthen the bands of amity and commerce which subsist between his majesty and the said United States; we, Charles Gravier de Vergennes, &c. counsellor of the king in all his councils, commander of his orders, minister and secretary of state, and of his commands and finances, vested with full pow-. ers of his majesty to us given for this purpose: and we, Benjamin Franklin, minister plenipotentiary of the United States of North America, in like manner vested with full powers of the congress of the said states for the present purpose; after duly communicating our respective powers, have agreed to the following articles: Amount of various loans. Items of loans. ART. 1. It is agreed and certified, that the sums advanced by his majesty to the congress of the United States, under the title of a loan, in the years 1778, 1779, 1780, 1781, and the present, 1782, amount to the sum of eighteen millions of livres, money of France, according to the following twenty-one receipts of the abovementioned under written minister of congress, given in virtue of his full powers, to wit: 1, 28 February, 1778, 2, 19 May, 3, S August, ditto ditto, 4, 1 November, ditte, 750,000 750,000 750,000 750,000 -3,000,000 Amounting in the whole to 18 millions, viz. 18,000,000 By which receipts the said minister has promised in the Five per cent. Hame of Congress, and in behalf of the thirteen United States, interest. to cause to be paid and reimbursed to the royal treasury of his majesty, on the 1st of January, 1778, at the house of his grand banker at Paris, the said sum of eighteen millions money of France, with interest at five per cent. per annum. ART. 2. Considering that the payment of so large a capital Loans to be reat the one stipulated period, the 1st of January, 1788, may equal annual in. paid in twelve greatly injure the finances of the congress of the United States, stalments. and it may perhaps be even impracticable on that footing, his majesty has been pleased for that reason to recede in that respect from the tenor of the receipts which the minister of congress has given for the eighteen million livres tournois, mentioned in the foregoing article, and has consented that the pay. ment of the capital in ready money, at the royal treasury, be in twelve equal payments of 1,500,000 livres each, and in twelve years, only, to commence from the third year after a peace. ART. 3. Although the receipts of the minister of the congress Abatement of oi the United States specify, that the eighteen million of livres interest. abovementioned, are to be paid at the royal treasury, with interest at five per cent. per annum, his majesty being willing to give the said United States a new proof of his affection and friendship, has been pleased to make a present of, and to for |