The inducements of intereft for obferving that conduct will best be referred to your own reflections and experience. With me a predominant motive has been to endeavour to gain time to our country to settle and mature its yet recent inftitutions, and to progrefs without interruption, to that degree of ftrength and confiftency, which is neceflary to give it, humanly fpeaking, the command of its own fortunes. Though in reviewing the incidents of administration I am unconfcious of intentional error, I am nevertheless too fenfible of my defects not to think it probable that I may have committed many errors. Whatever they may be, I fervently befeech the Almighty to avert or mitigate the evils to which they may tend, I shall alfo carry with me the hope that my country will never ceafe to view them with indulgence; and that after forty-five years of my life dedicated to its fervice, with an upright zeal, the faults of incompetent abilities will be configned to oblivion, as nyfelt muft foon be to the manfions of reft. Relying on its kindness in this as in other things, and actuated by that fervent love towards it, which is fo natural to a man who views in it the native foil of himfelf and his progenitors for feveral generations, I anticipate with pleafing expectation that retreat, in which I promife myself to realize, without alloy, the fweet enjoyment of partaking, in the midst of my fellow citizens, the benign influence of good laws, under a free government, the ever favourite object of my heart, and the happy reward, as I trust, of our mutual cares, labours, and dangers. United States, Sept. 17, 1796, G. WASHINGTON, STATE PAPER. THE underfigned minifter plenipotentiary of the French Re public, in conformity to the order of his government, has the honour of tranfmitting to the fecretary of state of the United States, a refolution taken by the executive government of the French Republic, on the 14th Meffidor, 4th year, relative to the conduct which the fhips of war of the Republic are to hold towards neutral veffels. The flag of the Republic will treat the flag of neutrals in the fame manner as they fhall fuffer it to be treated by the English. The fentiments which the American government have manifefted to the undersigned minifter plenipotentiary, do not permit him to doubt, that they will fee in its true light this meafure, as far as it may concern the United States; and that they will allo feel, that it is dictated by imperious circumstances, and approved by justice. Great Great Britain, during the war fhe has carried on against the Republic, has not ceafed ufing every means in her power to add to that fcourge fcourges ftill more terrible. She has ufed the well-known liberality of the French nation to the detriment of that nation. Knowing how faithful France has always been in the observance of her treaties; knowing that it was a principle of the Republic to refpect the flags of all nations, the British government, from the beginning of the war, has caufed neutral veffels, and in particular American veffels, to be detained, taken them into their ports, and dragged from them Frenchmen and French property. France, bound by a treaty with the United States, could find only a real difadvantage in the articles of that treaty, which caufed to be refpected as American property Englith property found on board American veffels. They had a right, under this confideration, to expect that America would take fteps in favour of her violated neutrality. One of the predeceffors of the underfigned, in July 1793, applied on this fubject to the government of the United States; but he was not fuccefsful. Nevertheless the National Convention, who, by their decree of the 9th of May, 1793, had ordered the feizure of encmy's property on board neutral veffels, declaring, at the fame time, that the meafure fhould ceafe when the English fhould refpect neutral flags, had excepted, on the 23d of the fame month, the Americans from the operation of this general order. But the Convention was obliged foon to repeal the law which contained this exception fo favourable to Americans; the manner in which the English conducted themfelves, the manifeft intention they had to stop the exportation of provifions from America to France, rendered it unavoidable. The National Convention by this had reftored the equilibrium of neutrality which England had deftroyed; had difcharged their duty in a manner juftified by a thousand paft examples, as well as by the neceffity of the then exifting moment. They might, therefore, to recall the orders they had given to feize the enemy's property on board American veffels, have waited till the British government had firft definitively revoked the fame order, a fufpen fion only of which was produced by the embargo laid by Congrefs the 26th of March, 1794. But as foon as they were informed that, under orders of the government of the United States, Mr. Jay was directed to remonstrate against the vexatious measures of the English, they gave orders, by the law of the 13th Nivofe, 3d year, to the fhips of war of the Republic to refpe&t American veffels; and the committee of Public Safety, in their explanatory refolve of the 14th of the fame month, haftened to fanction the fame principles. The National Convention and the committee of Public Safety had every reafon to believe, that this open and VOL. V. liberal L1 liberal conduct would determine the United States to use every effort to put a stop to the vexations impofed upon their commerce, to the injury of the French Republic; they were deceived in this hope; and though the treaty of friendship, navigation, and commerce, between Great Britain and the United States had been figned fix weeks before France adopted the measure I have just fpoken of, the English did not, abandon the plan they had formed, and continued to stop and carry into their ports all American veffels bound to French ports, or returning from them, This conduct was the fubject of a note which the undersigned addreffed on the 7th Vendemiaire, 4th year (29th September 1795, O. S.) to the fecretary of state. The remonstrances which it contained were founded on the duties of neutrality, upon the principles which Mr. Jefferson had laid down in his letter to Mr. Pinckney, dated the 13th September, 1794. Yet this note has remained without an anfwer, though recalled to the remembrance of the fecretary of ftate by a dispatch of the 9th Germinal, 4th year (29th March 1796, Ó. S.); and American veffels bound to French ports, or returning from them, have ftill been feized by the English. Indeed more; they have added a new vexation to thofe they had already impofed upon Americans; they have impreffed feamen from on board American veffels, and have thus found the means of ftrengthening their crews at the expence of the Americans, without the government of the United States having made known to the undersigned the fteps they had taken to obtain fatisfaction for this violation of neutrality, fo hurtful to the interefts of France, as the underfigned hath fet forth in his difpatches to the fecretary of state of the 9th Germinal, 4th year (29th March 1796, O. S.), 19th Germinal (8th April 1796), and ift Floreal (20th April, 1796), which have remained without an anfwer. The French government then finds itfelf, with refpect to America at the present time, in circumftances fimilar to thofe of the year 1795; and if it fees itfelf obliged to abandon, with refpect to them, and neutral powers in general, the favourable line of conduct they pursued, and to adopt different measures, the blame fhould fall upon the British government: it is their conduct which the French government has been obliged to follow. The underfigned minifter plenipotentiary conceives it his duty to remark to the fecretary of ftate, that the neutral governments, or the allies of the Republic, have nothing to fear as to the treatment of their flag by the French, fince if, keeping within the bounds of their neutrality, they caufe the rights of that neutrality to be refpected by the English, the Republic will refpe&t them, But it, through weakness, partiality, or other motives, they hould fuffer the English to fport with that neutrality, and turn it 10 to their advantage, could they then complain, when France, to restore the balance of neutrality to its equilibrium, fhall act in the fame manner as the English? No, certainly; for the neutrality of a nation confifts in granting to belligerent powers the fame advantages; and that neutrality no longer exifts, when, in the courfe of the war, that neutral nation grants to one of the belligerent powers advantages not ftipulated by treaties anterior to the war, or fuffers that power to feize upon them. The neutral government cannot then complain if the other belligerent power will enjoy advantages which its enemy enjoys, or if it feizes upon them; otherwife that neutral government would deviate, with refpect to it, from the line of neutrality, and would become its enemy. The undersigned minifter plenipotentiary thinks it ufelefs further to develope thefe principles. He does not doubt that the fecretary of State feels all their force; and that the government of the United States will maintain from all violation a neutrality which France has always refpected, and will always refpect, when her enemies do not make it turn to her detriment. The underfigned minifter plenipotentiary embraces this opportunity of reiterating to the fecretary of ftate the affurance of his efteem, and informs him, at the fame time, that he will cause this note to be printed, in order to make publicly known the motives which, at the prefent juncture, influence the French Republic. Done at Philadelphia, 6th Brumaire, 5th year of the French (Signed) Extract from the Register of Refolves of the Executive Directory of the 14th Meffidor, 4th Year of the French Republic, one and indivisible. TH HE Executive Directory, confidering that, if it becomes the faith of the French nation to refpect treaties or conventions, which fecure to the flags of fome neutral or friendly powers commercial advantages, if they fhould turn to the benefit of our enemies, either through the weakness of our allies or of neutrals, or through fear, through interefted views, or through whatever motives, it would, ipfo facto, warrant the inexecution of the articles in which they were ftipulated, decrees as follows: "All neutral or allied powers fhall, without delay, be notified, that the flag of the French Republic will treat neutral veffels, either as to confifcation, as to fearches, or capture, in the fane manner as they fhall fuffer the English to treat them. LI 2 The The minifter of foreign relations is charged with the execution of the prefent refolve, which fhall not be printed. A true copy. CARNOT, Prefident. Reply of the Executive Government of America to Citizen Adet's Note, inclofing the Decree of the Directory respecting Neutral Vessels. I SIR, HAVE the honour to acknowledge the receipt of your note, of the 27th ult. covering a decree of the Executive Directory of the French Republic, concerning the commerce of neutral nations. This decree makes no diftinction between neutral powers, who can claim only the rights fecured to them by the law of nations, and others between whom and the French Republic treaties have impofed fpecial obligations. Where no treaties exist, the Republic, by feizing and confifcating the property of their enemies found on board neutral veffels, would only exercife an acknowledged right under the law of nations. If, towards fuch neutral nations, the Frenth Republic has forborne to execute this right, the forbearance has been perfectly gratuitous. The United States, by virtue of their treaty of commerce with France, stand on different ground. In the year 1778, France voluntarily entered into a commercial treaty with us, on principles of perfect reciprocity, and exprefsly ftipulating that free fhips fhould make free goods. That is, if France fhould be at war with any nation with whom the United States fhould be at peace, the goods (except contraband) and the perfons of her enemies (foldiers in actual service excepted) found on board the vellels of the United States, were to be free from capture. That on the other hand, if the United States thould engage in war with any nation, while France remained at peace, then the goods (except contraband) and the perfons of our enemies. ffoldiers in actual fervice excepted) found on board French veffels, were alfo to be free from capture. This is plainly expreffed in the 23d article of that treaty, and demonftrates that the reciprocity thereby ftipulated was to operate at different periods; that is, at one time in favour of one of the contracting parties, and of the other at another time. At the prefent time, the United States being at peace, they poffefs by the treaty the right of carrying the goods of the enemies of France, without fubjecting them to capture. But what do the fpirit of the decree of the Executive Directory and the current of your obfervations require?-That the United States fhould now gratuitously renounce this right. And |