pendence, and conftantly witneffed the patriotifm, fidelity, and perfeverance of my Fellow Citizens on the most trying occafions, it is not for me to hefitate, or abandon a caufe in which my heart has been fo long engaged. Convinced that the conduct of the Government has been just and impartial to Foreign Nations; that thofe internal regulations, which have been eftablished by law for the preservation of Peace, are in their nature proper, and that they have been fairly executed; nothing will ever be done by me to impair the national engagements, to innovate upon principles which have been fo deliberately and uprightly established, or to furrender in any manner the rights of the Government. To enable me to maintain this declaration, I rely, under God, with entire confidence, on the firm and enlightened fupport of the National Legiflature, and upon the virtue and patriotiim of my Fellow Citizens. JOHN ADAMS. ΤΗ Arret of the Executive Directory of the 12th Ventofe, March 2. HE Executive Diretory having confulted the law of the 9th of March, 1793, confidering that the flags of neutral Powers being no longer refpected by the enemies of the French Republic, and all the rights of men being violated to their prejudice, it is no longer permitted to the French People to fulfil towards thofe powers in general, that with which they have fo often manifested, and which they will conftantly entertain for the full and entire freedom of commerce and navigation, di. rests, among other difpofitions, 1. That thips of war and privateers may ftop and bring into the ports of the Republic, neutral fhips which fhall be charged, in whole or in part, with merchandize belonging to the enemy. 2. That merchandize belonging to the enemy fhall be declared good and lawful prizes, and be confifcated to the profit of the captors. 3. That in all cafes neutral hips fhall be releafed, the moment that the merchandize feized is difcharged; tha the freight of it fhall be paid at the rate which fhall have been ftipulated by the configners; and that a just indemnity fhall be granted on account of their detention by the tribunals competent to decide upon the validity of prizes. 4. That thefe tribunals fhall be directed besides to fend, three days after the decifion, a double inventory of the merchandize to the Minifter of Marine, and another to the Minifter for Foreign Affairs. 5. That the prefent law, applicable to all the captures that have been made fince the declaration of war, fhail cease to have effect as foon as the enemy fhall have declared non-feizable, although destined for the ports of the Republic, the merchandize laden on board neutral fhips, which fhall belong to the Government or to French citizens. Having feen the law of the 27th of July 1793, which directs the foregoing law to be fully executed; having alfo feen the 7th Article of the law of the 13th Nivofe, 3d year, which enjoins all the agents of the Republic to respect and obferve in all their difpofitions the Treaties which unite France to the Neutral Powers of the Continent, and to he United States of America; confidering that his last law is not derogatory to the law of the 9th May, 1793, refolves as follows: Art. 1. The Commillaries of the Executive DireStory, with the Civil Tribunals of the Department, shall take care that, in the con its upon the validity of marine prizes, no decition fhall be founded u; on the 7th Article of the law of the 13th Nivofe, without the Mini, of juice having been previoufly confulted, conformably to the 3d Ar icle of the law of the 8th Florcal, 4th year, relative to the Ticanes, in virtue of which neutral perfons pretend to withdraw themfelve, by means of the first of thefe laws, from the execusion of that of the 9th March 1793. Aud 2. The Minifter of Juftice fhall examine whether the Treaties ftill fubfift, or whether they have been modified fince the conclufion of them: there fhall be furnished to them by the Minister for Foreign Affairs, all the documen's of which they fhall ftand in need, and reference fhall be made to the Executive Directory, as it is prescribed by the law of the 8th Floreal, 4th year. 3. The Directory remind all French Citizens, that the Treaty concluded on the 6th February 1778, between France and the United States, has been, on the terms of the fecond Article, modified of full right by that which has been concluded at London, on the 19th November 1794, between the United States of America and England: in confequence, 1. After the article 17 of the Treaty of London, of the 19th November 1794, all merchandize of the enemy's, or merchandize not fufficiently afcertained to be neutral, conveyed under American flags, fhall be confifcated: but the fhip on board of which fuch merchandize shall be found, fhall be released and given to the proprietor. The Commissaries of the Directory are enjoined to accelerate, by all the means in their power, the decifion of the conte'ts which fhall arife either upon the validity of the captures of the cargoes, or upon freights and infurances. 2. According to the 18th Article of the Treaty of London, dated the 19th of November, 1794. relative to articles declared contraband by the 24th Article of the Treaty, dated February 6, 1778, are added the following: Ship timber; Oakum, pitch, and rofin; Sails, hemp, and cordage; And every thing which ferves directly or indirectly to the arming and equipping of veffels, excepting bar iron, and fir in planks. These articles fhall be confifcated as often as they fhall be defined, or attempted to be carried to the enemy. 3. According to the 21ft Article of the Treaty of London, of the above date, every American, who fhall hold a commiffion from the enemies of France, as well as every seaman of that nation composing the crew of the fhips and veffels, thall, by this fact alone, be declared piratical, and treated as fuch, without fuffering the party to eftablith that the act was the confequence of threats or violence. 4. In pursuance of the law of the 14th February 1793, the regulations of the 21st October 1744, and of the 26th July 1778, refpecting the manner of veffels and neutral merchandize, fhall be complied with according to their form and tenor. Every American ship shall therefore be deemed a lawful prize, which fhall not have on board a bill of lading in due form, according to the plan annexed to the Treaty of the 6th of February 1778, the execution of which is enjoined by the 25th and 27th Articles of that Treaty. 5. The Commiffioners of the Executive Directory are required to carry into effect the penalties that attach on all clandeftine attempts that may be made by American, or veffels belonging to any other nation, to pals as neutral, on board the vefiel where the fraud is attempted to be practifed, in the manner that theie penalties have been repeatedly carried into effect during the prefent war. The penal y fhall attach where the blanks in the confignments and invoices are no filled up, though figned and fealed, wh re the papers are in the form of letters, containing fictitious fignatures; where are double paffports or policies, fpecifying different destinations; where confignment is inade to two or more factors, and where there are different receipts or papers of any kind which con fign the whole or part of the fame goods to different owners or different deftinations. 6. By this Article, provifions of the Treaty of the 9th Frimaire last, relative to freight and infurance, are repealed, as far as they apply to infurance. 7. The prefent Treaty fhall be publifhed in the Bulletin of the laws. The Ministers of the Marine and of the Colonies, of Juftice, and for Fo. reign Affairs, are charged with the execution of it in their refpective Departments. (Signed) REWBELL, President. Manifefto of the Municipality or Provifory Government of Venice. INCE it is the intention of the Venetian Government to bring to the S greatest perfection the republican item, has of this country for fo many centuries, and to make the inhabitants of this capital enjoy a freedom which at once fecures religion and the property of individual citizens; fince it invites the inhabitants of Terra Firma who may not wish to remain true to the duties they owe to their country, to obferve them, being assured that it is the with of the French Government to augment the power and profperity of the people of Venice, and to unite their fate with that of the free nations of Italy: it announces to all Europe, and to the people of Venice, the free and voluntary reform which it has deemed neceffary for the Constitution of the Republic. The Nobles alone were admitted to offices of State by their birthright. Thefe very Nobles now freely renounce that privilege, in order that the most meritorious in the whole nation may forthwith be admitted to public functions. They will more zealously strive to promote the intereft of their country, and be the more anxious to deferve before the Sovereign People the hereditary refpe&t attached to their name, while they will render the fame fervices to the people as their ancestors, till the nation thall be affembled to choose their own magiftrates, according to the laws of a democratic form. The adminiftration of this capital remains entrusted to thofe citizens whofe names are fubfcribed to this Manifefto, and who have been chofen from among all clalles of the inhabitants. This provifory adminiftration is called Municipality-Another central administration, confitting of the Reprefentatives of this Municipality, and of a proportionate number of Repre fentatives of the Venetian Provinces of Terra Firma, Iftria, Dalmatia, Albania, and the islands of the Levant, fhall manage the general interelt of the Republic under the name of Department, and rivet the bands between the Capital and the Provinces, as the only means to restore to this Republic her ancient priftine fplendour and her ancient liberty. The last with of the Venetian Nobles, who make this laudable facrifice of their titles and privileges, confifts in their feeing all the children of the country equal and free, that they may enjoy the bleifings of fraternity in the bofom of democracy, and, by a due obedience to the law, render ftill more respectable the more facred title of Citizen, which they have again acquired. (Signed) Done at Venice, May 16, 1797. NICOLO CORNERO, President, [Here follow the Signatures of the 60 new the TH SECOND MANIFESTO. Liberty! Equality! Rights and Duties of Men and Citizens. HE Mun cipality of Venice, proviforily entrusted with the National Sovereignty after the refignation of the Great Council, declares, in the name of the Nation, that the faid Council, by thus refigning and renouncing its privileges, has well deferved of the Country. It efpecially pays this public acknowledment to the Members of the Govern nent and the Commanders of the force, for putting a top, on the 12th intant, and in the moment of infurrection, to the plundering of property, and for saving this City from murder and conflagration. Equally zealous as the Great Council (whom the Municipality fucceeds) to found democracy on the bafis of fraternity, it proclaims, in the name of the Nation, a folemn amneity for all opinions, writings, fpeeches and political actions, which according to the new fyftem might be deemed errors or crimes, except the punishment of the plunderers on the 13 h of May, whom no power fhall free from punishment. It therefore invites all the Citizens to drop all refentment which they fill might harbour on account of what has happened; and, to give the whole Nation a folemn example of it, it fends two of its Members as Deputies to folicit of the generous General in Chief of the French Army the liberty of Citizens A. Barbarigo, A. M. Gabrielli and Catterin Cornero, Ex-Inquifitors of State, that of Citizen D. Pizzemaro, and at the fame time the nullification of the profecution commenced againt them. They are alfo to petition, that the Ex-Patricians, Officers, Soldiers and individuals be liberated, who have been put under arreft by defire of the French Army, or by the Municipalities of Venetian Terra Firma, for being dependents of the ancient Government. From this amnesty it refults, that all that which relates to opinions, writings, fpeeches and political actions, done before the inftallation of the prefent Municipality, is exempted from the liberty of the prels, and fhall not be printed. Withings farther, in the name of the Nation, to give a plain proof of her gratitude towards the poor Ex Patricians, who, under the prefent circumftances, facrificed their perfonal interest to the welfare of their Country; that pentions thall be aligned them, arifing from the national domains or a lottery, till the new Government may provide places for them with proportionate falaries. The fame meatures fhall be adopted with regard to the other Ex-Patricians who enjoyed public benefits; as likewife for the Secretaries, Minitters, and other perfons who hitherto enjoyed penfions for life. The National gratitude also requires, that thote perfons who tuffered innocently by the plundering of the 12th be indemnified, which object fhall be regulated by a Special Commiffion. The Municipality finally withing that the tranfition from the old to the new order of things should give a greater fecurity to the public credit, the Nation takes upon herfelf all the debts which the late Government Contracted with private perfons, as likewife all that concerns the Giro Bank, feveral depofits in the Mint and City Treafury, according to the legal documents which the agents of the refpective Adminiftration thall produce. The provifory. Municipality declares, that it will devote itself to the welfare of the Country, the protection of Religion and Property, and the fately of its Fellow-Citizens. Full of confidence in its patriotic zeal, it fwears on the bafis of Democracy to maintain Liberty. (Signed) Done at Venice, May 16, 1797. NICOLO CORNERO, Prefident. |