me to extricate my felf from, by appointing fome others to fupply the places of myfelf and colleagues, if a farther progress in this bufinefs fhould be found practicable. I have only a moment to add my beft refpects to your lady, and my affurances of the moft fincere and refpectful attachment, My dear Sir, Of yours fincerely, The Prefident of the United States. E. GERRY. Paris, the 14th Germinal, 6th Year of the French The Minifter of Foreign Relations to Mr. Gerry, Envoy Extraordinary of the United States of America to the French Republic. I SUPPOSE, Sir, that Meffrs. Pinckney and Marshall have thought it useful and proper, in confequence of the intimations given in the end of my note of the 28th Ventofe laft, and the obftacle which their known opinions have interpofed to the defired reconciliation, to quit the territory of the republic. On this fuppofition, I have the honour to point out to you the 5th or the 7th of this decade, to refume our reciprocal communications upon the interefts of the French republic and the United States of America. Receive, I pray you, the affurances of my perfect confidera tion. CH. MAU. TALLEYRAND. Paris, 4th April 1798 (Germinal 15, An 6). I HAD the honour, Citizen Minifter, of receiving your let ter of the 14th Germinal (the 3d inft.), and Mr. Deutrement, who delivered it, informed me that it was intended to be shown to Gen. Pinckney and Gen. Marshall. Whilft my colleagues and my felf, to whom the government of the United States have entrusted the affairs of the embaffy, had a joint agency therein, I have carefully imparted to them all the propofitions which you have requefied, and the relative confere ences; and to yourself our decifions thereon; regretting, at the fame time, the unfortunate and embarraffing circunftances which imp fed or me this difagreeable tafk. But as, by the tenour of your letter, it is now expected that they will quit the territory of the French rep.blic, it will be impoffible for me to be the medium of, or to take any measures which will be painful to my colleagues, colleagues, or not to afford them all the affiftance in my power; and it would be, moreover, inconfiftent with the line of conduc which you well know, Citizen Minifter, I have uniformly obferved, for removing the unfavourable impreffions which existed on the part of this government against them: indeed, in our laft letter there is a conditional application for paffports, which, as it appears to me, fuperfedes the neceffity of a hint to them on this fubject; and General Marshall is waiting impatiently for an anfwer to that part of it which refpects a letter of fafe conduct for the veffel in which he and his fuite may take paflage for the United States, to determine whether he fhall embark from France or Great Britain; but the unfortunate fituation of General Pinckney with refpect to the critical ftate of his daughter's health, renders it utterly impoffible for him to depart under existing circumstances. You have propofed, Citizen Minifter, the 5th or 7th of this decade for me to refume (reprendre) our reciprocal communications upon the interefts of the French republic and of the United States. The reciprocal communications which we have had were fuch only as I have alluded to in the beginning of this letter, unlefs your propofition accompanied with an injunction of fecrecy for me to treat feparately, is confidered in this light. To refume this fubject will be unavailing, because the measure, for the reafons which I then urged, is utterly impracticable. I can only then confer informally and unaccredited on any fubject refpecting our miffion, and communicate to the government of the United States the refult of fuch conferences, being, in my individual capacity, unauthorized to give them an official ftamp. Neverthelefs, every meafure in my power, and in conformity with the duty I owe my country, fhall be zealously purfued, to restore harmony and a cordial friendship between the two republics. I had the honour of calling on you last evening, for the purpose of making this communication verbally, but as you were abfent, to prevent mifconceptions, I have thought it beft to reduce it to writing. Accept, I pray you, Citizen Minifter, the affurances of my perfect esteem and respect. To the Minifter of Foreign Affairs of the French Republic. E. GERRY. To To Charles Cotefworth Pinckney, John Marshall, and Elbridge Gerry, Efquires, Envoys Extraordinary and Minifters Plenipotentiary from the United States of America to the French Republic. Gentlemen, ON the 4th inftant came to hand your firft difpatches fince you arrived at Paris; these were your numbers 1, 4, and 5; and on the 6th inftant your numbers 2 and 3 were received. On the 5th, your number 5, dated the 8th of January, and a tranflation of the meffage of Jannary 4th from the Directory to the Council of Five Hundred, were laid before Congrefs. In this letter, you repeat," that there exifts no hope of your being officially received by that government, or that the objects of your miffion will be in any way accomplished." This opinion is fanctioned by the whole tenour of your communications; and we trust that foon after the date of your number 5, you clofed your miffion, by demanding paffports to leave the territories of the French republic. An official copy of your letters of credence having been delivered to the minifter for foreign affairs, and by him laid before the Directory, they were fufficiently informed of the great objects of your miffion; and confidering that you were an extraordinary delegation from an independent nation, you had a right to expect a prompt and refpectful reception. The fair and honourable views of the American government, which dictated your appointment and your powers, entitled you to expect the early appointment of a commiffion by the French government, with equal powers to negotiate on all the matters in controverfy between them. Had the French government been influenced by fimilar views, the objects of your miffion would long fince have been accomplished, to the advantage and peace of both nations. But instead of coming forward on fuch equal and proper ground, they have treated you, and, through you, your country, with extreme neglect. Under thefe circumftances, the Prefident prefumes that you have long fince quitted Paris and the French dominions; yet, actuated as you were with an ardent defire to preferve peace, which you knew would be fo grateful to your country; and having for this object manifefted unexampled patience, and submitted to a series of mortifications; as you alfo prapofed to make one more direct attempt, fubfequent to the date of your laft letter, to draw the French government to an open negotiation; there is a bare poflibility that this laft effort may have fucceeded: the Prefident therefore thinks it proper to direct 1. That if you are in treaty with perfons duly authorized by the the Directory, on the fubjects of your miffion, then you are to remain and expedite the completion of the treaty, if it should not have been concluded. Before this letter gets to hand, you will have ascertained whether the negotiation is or is not conducted with candour on the part of the French government: and if you fhall have difcovered a clear defign to procrastinate, you are to break off the negotiation, demand your passports, and return. For you will confider that fufpenfe is ruinous to the effential interefts of your country. 2. That if, on the receipt of this letter, you fhall not have been received, or, whether received or not, if you fhall not be in treaty with perfons duly authorized by the Directory, with full and equal powers, you are to demand your paffports, and re turn. 3. In no event is a treaty to be purchased with money, by loan, or otherwise. There can be no fafety in a treaty fo obtained. A loan to the republic would violate our neutrality; and a douceur to the men now in power might by their fucceffors be urged as a reafon for annulling the treaty, or as a precedent for farther and repeated demands. It is proper to apprize you, that a motion has been made in the Senate, and will doubtlefs be repeated in the Houfe of Representatives, to defire the Prefident to lay before them your communications; and he will probably be under the neceflity of doing it only withholding the two names which you promised should in no event be made public. I have the honour to be, with great refpect, Your obedient fervant, Department of State, Philadelphia, TIMOTHY PICKERING. Paris, 11 Prairial (May 30). The Minifter of Foreign Affairs to Mr. Gerry, Envoy of the Sir, [HEREWITH tranfmit you a London newspaper, of the 15th May laft. You will find that it contains a very strange publication. I perceive, with the utmost surprise, that certain intrigans have availed themselves of the referve which the envoys of the United States maintained, to make proposals, and to hold a language, the object of which evidently was to deceive you. I request 1 request you immediately to communicate to me the names for which the initials W. X. Y. and Z. ftand; and likewise the name of the lady who is reprefented to have had converfations with Mr. Pinckney upon American affairs. If you have any reluctance to fend me them in writing, be fo good as communicate them confidentially to the bearer. I firmly rely upon the zeal you must feel to put the government in a fituation thoroughly to inveftigate these proceedings, by which I congratulate you in not having been duped, and which you cannot but with to fee cleared up. Anfwer of Mr. Gerry. Paris, May 31, 1798. I HAVE received, Citizen Minifter, your letter of the 11th Prairial (30th May), and the newfpaper to which it alludes. The newspaper contains the whole of the irregular negotiations communicated by the envoys to their Government. The letter proves, that certain intriguers had made propofals to the envoys, and had carried on converfations with them, the object of which evidently was to impofe upon them. You accordingly exprefs a defire that I thould impart to you their names. If thefe perfons have not been authorized to come forward, or, being invefted with definite powers, have exceeded them, they have outraged the French government and the envoys. This point I am not competent to decide, as they did not produce, as far as I know, any authority, any document, of any kind what ever. The publications in queftion are fufficient to prove how very delicate my fituation is, with regard to the name of thefe individuals: and they contained circumftances which I hope will enable you to investigate the affair to the bottom, without infifting upon any other communications from me. At the fame time, defirous to fhield innocent perfons from fufpicions, by which they might have been placed in an awkward fituation, I have no objection to declare, that three of the individuals mentioned are foreigners, and that the fourth acted only as messenger and interpreter. You will perceive, Citizen Minifter, the extreme repugnance of the envoys to fuch an irregular mode of negotiation, from their anfwer of the 30th October to certain propofitions which had previously been made to them. Upon the ft of November they determined to put an end to fuch intercourse, and they kept their refolution, notwithstanding the repeated attempts which were fubfequently made; at the fame time, however, they thought |