tional defence, which a benevolent Providence has kindly placed within their power.

It may be confidently afferted, that nothing has occurred which renders inexpedient thofe precautionary measures recommended by me to the confideration of the two Houses, at the opening of your late extraordinary feffion. If that fyftem was then prudent, it is more fo now, as increafing depredations ftrengthen the reasons for its adoption.

Indeed, whatever may be the iffue of the negotiation with France, and whether the war in Europe is or is not to continue, I hold it most certain that permanent tranquillity and order will not foon be obtained. The ftate of fociety has fo long been difturbed, the fenfe of moral and religious obligations fo much weakened, public faith and national honour have been fo impaired, refpect to treaties has been fo diminished, and the law of nations has loft fo much of its force; while pride, ambition, avarice, and violence, have been fo much unreftrained, there remains no reasonable ground on which to raise an expectation, that a commerce, without protection or defence, will not be plundered.

The commerce of the United States is effential, if not to their existence, at least to their comfort: their growth, profperity, and happiness, the genius, character, and habits of the people, are highly commercial; their cities have been formed and exist upon commerce; our agriculture, fisheries, arts, and manufactures, are connected with and dependant upon it. In short, commerce has made this country what it is, and it cannot be deftroyed or neglected, without involving the people in poverty and diftrefs. Great numbers are directly and folely fupported by navigation. The faith of fociety is pledged for the prefervation of the rights of commercial and fea-faring, no lefs than for those of the other citizens. Under this view of our affairs, I fhould hold myself guilty of a neglect of duty, if I forbore to recommend that we should make every exertion to protect our commerce, and to place our country in a fuitable posture of defence, as the only fure means of preferving both.

I have entertained an expectation that it would have been in my power, at the opening of this feffion, to have communicated to you the agreeable information of the due execution of our treaty with his Catholic Majefty, refpecting the withdrawing of his troops from our territory, and the demarkation of the line of limits. But by the latest authentic intelligence, Spanish garrifons were ftill continued within our country, and the running of the boundary limited not been commenced. These circumstances are the more to be regretted, as they cannot fail to affect the Indians in a manner injurious to the United States. Still, however, indulging the hope, that the answers which have been

Y 2

given

given will remove the objections offered by the Spanish officers to the immediate execution of the treaty, I have judged it proper. that we should continue in readiness to receive the polts, and to run the line of limits.

Further information on this fubject will be communicated in. the course of the feffion.

In connexion with the unpleasant state of things on our western frontier, it is proper for me to mention the attempts of foreign agents to alienate the affections of the Indian nations, and to excite them to actual hoftilities against the United States. Great activity has been exerted by thofe perfons, who have infinuated themselves among the Indian tribes refiding within the territory of the United States, to influence them to transfer their affections and force to a foreign nation; to form them into a confederacy, and to prepare them for war against the United States.

Although measures have been taken to counteract these infractions of our rights, to prevent Indian hoftilities, and to preserve entire their attachment to the United States, it is my duty to obferve, that to give better effect to thefe measures, and to obviate the confequences of a repetition of fuch practices, a law providing adequate punishment for fuch offences may be neceffary.

The commiffioners appointed under the fifth article of the Treaty of Amity, Commerce, and Navigation, between the United States and Great Britain, to afcertain the river which was truly intended under the name of the River St. Croix, mentioned in the treaty of peace, met at Palzamaquody Bay in October 1796, and viewed the mouths of the rivers in question, and the adjacent hores and iflands; and, being of opinion that actual furveys of both rivers to their fources were neceffary, gave to the agents of the two nations inftructions for that purpose, and adjourned to meet at Boston in Auguft. They met; but the furveyors requiring more time than had been fuppofed, and not being then completed, the commiffioners again adjourned, to meet at Providence in the ftate of Rhode Island in June next, when we may expect a final examination and decifion.

The commiffioners appointed in purfuance of the fixth article of the treaty, met at Philadelphia in May laft, to examine the claims of British fubjects for debts contracted before the peace, and still remaining due to them from citizens or inhabitants of the United States. Various caufes have hitherto prevented any determination; but the bufinefs is now refumed, and doubtlefs will be profecuted without interruption.

Several decifions on the claims of citizens of the United States for loffes and damages fuftained by reafon of irregular and illegal captures, or condemnations of their veffels or other

property,

property, have been made by the commiffioners in London, conformably to the feventh article of the treaty. The fums awarded by the commiffioners have been paid by the British government. A confiderable number of other claims, where colts and damages, and not captured property, were the only objects in queftion, have been decided by arbitration, and the fums awarded to the citizens of the United States have also been paid.

The commiffioners appointed agreeably to the 21st article of our treaty with Spain met at Philadelphia, in the fummer paft, to examine and decide on the claims of our citizens for loffes they have fuftained, in confequence of their veffels and cargoes having been taken by the fubjects of his Catholic Majefty, during the late war between Spain and France. Their letters have been intercepted, but now are returned.

The United States being obligated to make compenfation for the latter, and damages fuftained by British fubjects, upon the award of the commiflioners acting under the fixth article of the treaty with Great Britain, and for the loffes fuftained and damages incurred by British fubjects, by reafon of the capture of their veffels and merchandise, taken within the limits and jurifdiction of the United States, and brought into their ports, or taken by veffels originally armed in ports of the United States, upon the awards of the commiffioners acting under the seventh article of the fame treaty; it is neceffary that provision be made for fulfilling thefe obligations.

The numerous captures of American veffels by the cruifers of the French republic, and of some by thofe of Spain, have occafioned confiderable expenfes in making and fupporting the claims of our citizens before their tribunals. The fums required for the purpose have, in divers inftances, been disbursed by the confuls of the United States. By means of the fame captures, great numbers of our feamen have been afhore in foreign countries, deftitute of all means of fubfiftence; and the fick, in particular, have been expofed to grievous sufferings. The confuls have, in thefe cafes, alfo advanced monies for their relief. For these advances they reafonably expect reimbursements from the United States.

The confular act relative to feamen requires revision and amendment: the provifions for their fupport in foreign countries, and for their return, are found to be inadequate and ineffectual. Another provifion feems neceffary to be added to the confular act: fome foreign veffels have been difcovered failing under the flag of the United States, and with foreign papers. It feldom happens that the confuls can detect this deception, because they have no authority to demand an infpection of the register and fea-letters..

4

Gentlemen

Gentlemen of the Houfe of Representatives,

It is my duty to recommend to your ferious confideration thofe objects which, by the conftitution, are placed particularly within your sphere-the national debt and taxes.

Since the decay of the feudal fyftem, by which the public defence was, provided for, chiefly at the expenfe of individuals, the fyftem of loans has been introduced; and as no nation can raife within the year, by taxes, fufficient fums for its defence, and military operation in time of war, the fum loaned and debt contracted have neceffarily become the fubject of what have been called the funding fyftems.

The confequences arifing from the continual accumulation of public debts in other countries, ought to admonish us to be careful to prevent their growth in our own. The national defence muft be provided for, as well as the fupport of government; but both fhould be accomplished as much as poffible by immediate taxes, and as little as poffible by loans.

The estimates for the fervice of the enfuing year will, by my direction, be laid before you.

Gentlemen of the Senate, and Gentlemen of

the House of Representatives,

We are met together at a most interesting period. The fituation of the principal powers of Europe is fingular and portentous. Connected with fome by treaties, and with all by commerce, no important event there can be indifferent to us. Such circumstances call, with a peculiar importunity, not lefs for a difpofition to unite in all those measures on which the honour, fafety, and profperity of our country depend, than for all the exertions of wisdom and firmness.

In all fuch measures you may rely on my zealous and hearty

concurrence.

JOHN ADAMS.

Meffage from the Prefident of the United States to the House of Reprefentatives, on the 19th March.

Gentlemen of the Senate, and Gentlemen of the

Houfe of Representatives,

THE difpatches from the envoys extraordinary of the United States to the French republic, which were mentioned in my meffage to both Houfes of Congrefs, have been examined and maturely confidered.

While I feel a fatisfaction in informing you, that their exertions for the adjustment of the differences between the two na

tions have been fincere and unremitted, it is incumbent on me to declare, that I perceive no ground of expectation that the objects of their miffion can be accomplished on terms compatible with the fafety, honour, or the effential interefts of the nation.

The refult cannot, with juftice, be attributed to any want of moderation on the part of this government, or to any indif pofition to forego fecondary interefts for the prefervation of peace. Knowing it to be my duty, and believing it to be your with, as well as that of the great body of the people, to avoid, by all reasonable conceffions, any participation in the contentions of Europe, the powers vefted in our envoys were commenfurate with a liberal and pacific policy, and that high confidence which might justly be reposed in the abilities, patriotifm, and integrity of the characters to whom the negotiation was committed. After a careful review of the whole fubject, with the aid of all the information I have received, I can difcern nothing which could have infured or contributed to fuccefs, that has been omitted on my part, and nothing further which can be attempted, confiftently with maxims for which our country has contended, at every hazard, and which conftitute the bafis of our national fovereignty.

Under thefe circumftances, I cannot forbear to reiterate the recommendations which have been formerly made, and to exhort you to adopt with promptitude, decifion, and unanimity, fuch measures as the ample refources of the country afford, for the protection of our fea-faring and commercial citizens; for the defence of any expofed portions of our territory; for replenishing our arfenals, establishing founderies and military manufactures; and to provide fuch efficient revenue as will be neceffary to defray extraordinary expenfes, and fupply the deficiencies which may be occafioned by depredations on our com

merce.

The present state of things is fo effentially different from that in which inftructions were given to collectors to restrain vessels of the United States from failing in an armed condition, that the principle on which thofe orders were iffued, has ceased to exift. I therefore deem it proper to inform Congrefs, that I no longer conceive myself juftifiable in continuing them, unless in particular cafes, where there may be reafonable ground of fufpicion that fuch veffels are intended to be employed contrary to law.

In all your proceedings it will be important to manifest a zeal, vigour, and concert, in defence of the national rights, proportioned to the danger with which they are threatened.

United States, 19th March 1798.

JOHN ADAMS.