fubject, and it was painful to him to acknowledge that the precarious fituation of the envoys was fuch as to render it impoffible for them to take measures for decent arrangements; that a fhort time fince he had fuppofed measures were taking a favourable turn; but that lately he had received, from various quarters, information of a report made by the minifter. of the interior, and under the confideration of the Directory, for fending all Americans from Paris in twenty-four hours; that he could not be refponfible for the truth of the information; but it appeared to him, as well from the various quarters from which it came, as from the intelligence of the perfon who gave it, to be highly probable; that, if this was the cafe, it was unneceffary for the Directory, as he conceived, to pass any arrête, as it refpected the envoys, for that they would depart from Paris whenever it was hinted as the wifh of the Directory; that, for his own part, he fhould feel more at cafe until we were received, to refide in a city of fome other nation than that of France; and to return to Paris on notice that the Directory were difpofed to open the negotiation. M. Talleyrand appeared to be very uneafy at this declaration, but avoided faying a word on it. He faid, that the information M. Y. had given me was juft, and might always be relied on; but that he would reduce to writing his propofitions, which he accordingly did; and after he had fhown them to Mr. Gerry, he burnt the paper. The fubftance was as follows. (See No. 1. below.) He then faid, that he accepted of the invitation; that he would dine with him the decade after the prefent, in which he was engaged. Mr. Gerry did not repeat all that he had faid to M. Y. having no doubt he would communicate the whole to M. Talleyrand. And, after exprefling a friendship for the French republic, and a warm defire to renew the former attachment of the two republics, which M. Talleyrand warmly reciprocated, Mr. Gerry bid M. Talleyrand adieu, leaving with him M. Y. No. 1. That the envoys fhould come forward generally, and say— "France has been ferviceable to the United States, and now they wish to be ferviceable to France: understanding that the French republic has fixteen millions of Dutch refcriptions to fell, the United States will purchase them at par, and will give her farther affittance when in their power. The first arrangement being made, the French government will take measures for reimburfing the equitable demands of America, America, arifing from prizes, and to give free navigation to their fhips in future.". Dear Sir, No. V. Paris, Jan. 8, 1798. WE embrace an unexpected opportunity to fend you the Redacteur of the 5th inft. containing the meffage of the Directory to the Council of Five Hundred, urging the neceffity of a law, to declare as good prize all neutral fhips, having on board merchandifes and commodities, the production of England, or of the English poffeffions, that the flag, as they term it, may no longer cover the property; and declaring farther, that the ports of France, except in cafe of diftrefs, fhall be fhut against all neutral hips, which, in the courfe of their voyage, shall have touched at an English port. A commiffion has been appointed to report on the meffage, and it is expected that a decree will be paffed in conformity to it. Nothing new has occurred fince our laft, in date of 24th ult. We can only repeat, that there exifts no hope of our being officially received by this government, or that the objects of our miffion will be in any way accomplished. We have the honour to be, with great refpect, T. Pickering, Efq. Your moft obedient fervants, CHARLES COTESWORTH PINCKNEY: E. GERRY. Peffeript to a Triplicate of the Envoys' Letter, No. V. received 30th March 1798. THE law above-mentioned has been paffed unanimously by the Council of Five Hundred, and we enclofe a journal containing the account. There is no doubt but that it will be adopted without oppofition by the Council of Ancients. TRANSLATION. Mage to the Council of Five Hundred, of the 15th Nivofe, 6th Year (4th Jan. 1798). Citizens Representatives, ON this day, the 15th of Nivofe, and at the very hour at which the Executive Directory addreffes this meffage to you, the municipal adminiftrators, the juftices of the peace, the commillaries of the Directory, and the fuperintendants of the cuf Ff 2 toms, toms, are proceeding in all the chief places of the departments, in all the ports, and in all the principal communes of the republic, to feize the English merchandise now in France, or introduced into its territory, in contravention of the law of the 10th Brumaire, 5th year (October 31, 1796). Such is the first act by which, now that peace is given to the continent, the war declared long fince againft England is about to affume the real character that becomes it. The French will not suffer a power which feeks to found its profperity upon the misfortune of other nations to raife its commerce upon the ruin of that of other ftates, and which, afpiring to the dominion of the feas, wishes to introduce every where the articles of its own manufacture, and to receive nothing from foreign industry any longer to enjoy the fruit of its guilty fpeculations. The English government has kept in pay, during the war, the coalefced forces, with the produce of its manufactures. It has violated all the principles of the law of nations, in order to fhackle, the relations of neutral powers; it has caufed to be feized the provifions, corn, and commodities, which it fuppofed to be deftined for France: it has declared contraband every thing which it thought could be useful to the republic; it defired to ftarve it.-All the citizens call for vengeance. When it had to fear the capture of veffels failing under its flag, it corrupted foreign captains to induce them to take on board their veffels English merchandife, and thus to introduce it, by ftratagem, by fraud, or otherwife, into other states, and efpecially into the French republic. The neutral powers thould have perceived that, by this conduct, their merchants took part in the war, and that they lent affiftance to one of the belligerent powers. We serve a party as well when we procure for it the means of augmenting its forces, as when we unite ourselves to those which it has. The neutral powers fhould have perceived that England, by stopping the veffels of other powers, laden in their respective ports, and deftined for France, by permitting articles coming from her own manufactories alone to circulate, aimed at an exclufive commerce, and that it would be neceffary to feek reparation for fuch an attempt. The ordinance of the marine, and the regulations of 1704, have declared lawful prize the veffels and their cargoes in which is found English merchandise belonging to enemies. Thefe provifions fhould be extended; the intereft of Europe requires it. The Directory thinks it urgent and neceffary to pass a law, declaring that the character of veffels, relative to their quality of neutral or enemy, fhall be determined by their cargo, and the cargo fhall be no longer covered by the flag; in confequence, that every veffel found at fea, having on board English provifions and and merchandife as her cargo, in whole or in part, fhall be declared lawful prize, whofoever may be the proprietor of these provifions or merchandife: which fhall be reputed contraband, for this caufe alone, that they come from England or her poffeffions. It would be useful to declare, at the fame time, that, except in the cafe of diftrefs, the ports of the republic fhall be shut to all foreign veffels, which, in the courfe of their voyage, fhall have entered thofe of England. The Executive Directory requests Directory_requests you, citizens reprefentatives, to adopt these measures. No neutral or allied power can miftake their object, nor complain of them, unless it be already abandoned to England. The infallible effect of the meafure is to enhance the value of the produce of their own foil and industry, to increase the profperity of their commerce, to repel every thing that comes from England, and effentially to influence the conclufion of the war. Such are the motives which induce the Executive Directory to invite you, citizens reprefentatives, to take the object of this meffage into the most prompt confideration. (Signed) P. BARRAS, Prefident. LAGARDE, Secretary-general. Message of the Prefident of the United States to both Houfes of Congress, May 4, 1798. Gentlemen of the Senate, and Gentlemen of the House of Representatives, I NOW tranfmit to Congrefs copies of all the communications from our envoys extraordinary received fince their arrival in Paris, excepting those before prefented by me to both Houses. United States, May 4, 1798. Dear Sir, JOHN ADAMS. Paris, February 7, 1798. WE tranfmit to you in this enclosure our last letter to the minifter of foreign relations; though dated the 17th ult. it was not, on account of the time taken to tranflate so long a letter, delivered till the 31ft. In our communications here, although we have, agreeably to your inftructions, written in our own language, we at the fame time have taken the precaution, left our meaning fhould be mifreprefented or mifunderflood, to accompany them with an accurate tranflation. We have not yet received any anfwer to this communication, and, fhould no notice be taken of it in a few days, we shall apply in a more explicit manner for our paffports. The The Councils have paffed the decree mentioned in No. V. as having been recommended by the Directory to capture and condemn all neutral veffels laden in part, or in whole, with the manufactures or productions of England, or its poffeffions. We enclofe you the official copy of the report on that fubject, and shall reprefent to this government the injuftice and injury which it muft inevitably occafion us. We have the honour to be, with great refpect, your most obedient humble fervants, CHARLES COTESWORTH PINCKNEY. J. MARSHALL. E. GERRY. Colonel Pickering, Secretary of the United States. To the Minifter of Foreign Affairs of the French Republic. THE underfigned envoys extraordinary and minifters plenipotentiary from the United States of America to the French republic, have been hitherto retrained by the expectation of entering on the objects of their miflion in the forms ufual among nations, from addreffing to the Executive Directory, through you, thofe explanations and reclamations with which they are charged by the government they reprefent. If this expectation is to be relinquished, yet the unfeigned with of the United States to restore that harmony between the two republics, which they have fo unremittingly fought to preferve, renders it the duty of the undersigned to lay before the government of France, however informal the communication may be deemed, fome confiderations, in addition to thofe already fubmitted, relative to the fubfifting differences between the two nations. Openly and repeatedly have France and America interchanged unequivocal teftimonials of reciprocal regard. Thefe teftimonials were given by the United States with all the ardour and fincerity of youth. It is ftill believed, that on the part of France they were likewife the offspring of real esteem. They were confidered on the other fide of the Atlantic as evidencing a mature friendship to be as durable as the republics themfelves. Unhappily the fcene is changed; and America looks around in vain for the ally or the friend. The contrast both of language and of conduct which the prefent fo avowedly exhibits to a portion of the paft, has been repeatedly attributed by France to a difpofition alleged to exist in the government of the United States, unfriendly to this republic, and partial towards its enemies. That government, altonished at a reproach fo unfounded in fact, fo contradicted by its declarations and its conduct, could fcarcely |