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attention of the American government to this subject. His excellency Mr. Talleyrand has already testified his discontent to General Armstrong, your minister plenipotentiary at Paris; and you will be of opinion that it is at length time to pursue formal measures against every adventure to the ports of St. Domingo occupied by the rebels. The system of tolerance which produces this commerce, which suffers its being armed, which encourages by impunity its extension and its excess, cannot longer remain ; and the emperor and king my master expects from the dignity and the candour of the government of the Union, that an end be put to it promptly.

I add to this despatch a copy of the official note, which has already been transmitted to you. I earnestly request, sir, that you acknowledge the receipt of both, and receive anew assurances of my high consideration.

(Signed)

Faithfully translated,

J. WAGNER,

Chief Clerk Department State.

TURREAU.

From Mr. Talleyrand to General Armstrong. [Without date, but received in general Armstrong's letter to the Secretary of State, of the 10th August, 1805.]

SIR,

I HAVE several times had the honour to call your attention to the commerce, carried on from the ports of the United States to those of St. Domingo occupied by the rebels. These commercial communications would appear to be almost daily increased. In order to cover their true destination, the vessels are cleared for the West Indies, without a more particular designation of the place, and with the aid of these commissions, provisions, arms, and other objects of supply, of which they stand in need, are carried to the rebels of St. Domingo.

Although these adventures may be no more than the result of private speculations, the government of the United States is not the less engaged to put an end to them by a consequence of the obligations which bind together all the

civilized powers, all those who are in a state of peace.. No government can second the spirit of revolt of the subjects of another power; and, as in this state of things, it cannot maintain communications with them, it ought not to favour those which its own subjects maintain.

It is impossible that the government of the United States should longer shut its eyes upon the communications of their commerce with St. Domingo. The adventures for that island are making with a scandalous publicity. They are supported by armed vessels at their return, feasts are given, in order to vaunt the success of their specula tions ; and the acknowledgment, even the eulogies of the government are so much relied upon, that it is at these feasts, and in the midst of an immense concourse, where are found the first authorities of the country, that the principles of the government of Haiti are celebrated, and that vows are made for its duration.

I have the honour, sir, to transmit to your excellency an extract of an American journal, in which are contained sundry details of a feast, given in the port of New York, on board of a convoy which had arrived from St. Domingo.

The ninth toast, given to the government of Haiti, cannot fail, sir, to excite your indignation. It is not, after having covered every thing with blood and with ruins, that the rebels of St. Domingo ought to have found apologists in a nation, the friend of France.

But they do not stop at their first speculations. The company of merchants, which gave a feast on the return of their adventure, is preparing a second convoy, and proposes to place it under the escort of several armed vessels.

I have the honour, sir, to give you this information, in order that you may be pleased to call the most serious attention of your government towards a series of facts, which it becomes its dignity and candour no longer to permit. The federal government cannot so far scparate itself from the inhabitants of the U. States, as to permit to them, acts and communications, which it thinks itself bound to interdict to itself; or, as to think that it can distinguish its own re

sponsibility from that of its subjects, when there is in question an unparalleled revolt, whose circumstances and whose horrible consequences must alarm all nations, and who are all equally interested in seeing it cease.

France ought to expect from the amity of the United States, and his majesty charges me, sir, to request in his name, that they interdict every private adventure, which,. under any pretext or designation whatsoever, may be destined to the ports of St. Domingo, occupied by the rebels. Receive, general, the assurances of my high consideration. (Signed) CH. M. TALLEYRAND.

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To his excellency Gen. ARMSTRONG,

Minister Plenipotentiary of the United States.

Faithfully translated,

J. WAGNER,

Chief Clerk Department State.

: SIR,

From Mr. Talleyrand to General Armstrong.

Paris, 29th Thermidor,13th year, (Aug. 16, 1805.) · i

SINCE the letter, I had the honour to write to you on the 2d Thermidor, concerning the armaments which were making in the ports of the United States for the western part of St. Domingo, fresh information upon this point confirms every thing which had been received. The adventures for St. Domingo are publickly made; vessels are armed for war to protect the convoys; and it is in virtue of contracts, entered into between Dessalines and American merchants, that the latter send him supplies and munitions of war.

I add, sir, to the letter, which I have the honour to write to you, a copy of a sentence given at Halifax, in the matter of a merchant of New York, who had conveyed into the revolted part of St. Domingo, three cargoes of gun powder, and who was taken on his return by an English frigate.

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If even in the English tribunal, where this prize was condemned, the whole island of St. Domingo was considered as a French colony, how can the federal government tolerate, that the rebels of this colony should continue to

receive from America succours against the parent country? It is impossible that that government should be ignorant of the armaments making in its ports. Too much publicity is given to them not to render it responsible, and it ought to preceive that it is contrary to every system of peace and good friendship, to suffer longer in its ports, armaments evidently directed against France.

Without doubt the federal government would not wish, in order to favour certain private speculations, to give new facilities to rebellion and robbery (brigandage); the tolerance of a commerce so scandalous would be unworthy of it. Neither your government nor his majesty can be any longer indifferent to it; and as the seriousness of the facts, which occasion this complaint, obliges his majesty to con-. sider as good prize every thing which shall enter the port of St. Domingo, occupied by the rebels, and every thing: coming out, he persuades himself, that the government of the United States will take, on its part, against this com- › merce, at once illicit and contrary to all the principles of the law of nations, all the repressive and authoritative. measures proper to put an end to it. This system of impunity and tolerance* can no longer continue; and his majes ty is convinced, that your government will think it due from its frankness promptly to put an end to it.

Receive, sir, the assurances of my high consideration. (Signed) CH. M. TALLEYRAND.

To his excellency, GENERAL ARMSTRONG,

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MESSAGE

FROM THE PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES, RESPECTING THE APPLICATION OF HAMET CARAMALLI, EX-BASHAW OF TRIPOLI. JANUARY 13, 1806.

I LAY before congress the application of Hamet Caramalli, elder brother of the reigning Bashaw of Tripoli, soliciting from the United States attention to his services and sufferings in the late war against that state: and in order to possess them of the ground on which that application stands, the facts shall be stated according to the views and information of the executive.

During the war with Tripoli, it was suggested that Hamet Caramalli, elder brother of the reigning Bashaw, and driven by him from his throne, meditated the recovery of his inheritance, and that a concert in action with us was desirable to him. We considered that concerted operations by those who have a common enemy were entirely justifiable, and might produce effects favourable to both, without binding either to guarantee the objects of the other. But the distance of the scene, the difficulties of communication, and the uncertainty of our information, inducing the less confidence in the measure, it was committed to our agents, as one which might be resorted to, if it promised to promote our success.

Mr. Eaton, however, our late consul, on his return from the Mediterranean, possessing personal knowledge of the scene, and having confidence in the effect of a joint operation, we authorized commodore Barron, then proceeding with his squadron, to enter into an understanding with Hamet, if he should deem it useful: and as it was represented that he would need some aids of arms and ammunition, and even of money, he was authorized to furnish them to a moderate extent, according to the prospect of utility to be expected from it. In order to avail him of the advantages of Mr. Eaton's knowledge of circumstances, an occasional employ

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