. '"
tr. ." ' ' '
? . r-
r---vrrr,--f--,r-;.;:-. "
- r -
LHuW,i-i t-t t w rds be, .'i.bo.U' ''- :?r! t.'up'l "'...A'?; 1
r;rny
i fi rf-V-vt ti 'W r:V' ! iMitroti J it
ivli j n - th-m to Ue.mdre trie.idfv to us, and U' o
d. v-r Vn tiontomimnm peace aiifHioipie r.m,
wi:b aU rfatUn inJ thai Jienx at ueuiraliiy an j
unpart'ulay, am the bcl'ierem powers of Eii.
Tli", which has been adopts P thii government,
' and o role-nnly'fanctif:iedi by ooth uouk of Co
'.". grejsy.andapolauded.:y:
ai'l the p-iWKc opinion, until it 'hafi he pother wit
ordained by Cbngrefs ; it a perfonal cittern for tlu-
chiefly among fhem, and a fincere delire to prelerv
tufr friend fbiojyhichjias been fo much tor the honor
and tnteretloTboTHTiiThjn
ous Jionor and integrity of the people ot America.
and the internal fentiment of their own power an-
energies. mud be preferved, an n neii endeavour u
inyettt&ate every j'l.t caule and remove every co
' louratde. pretence of. .crm plaint ; H an intention to
p-jre, by amicable negocialioTl, a reparation for
"; ' the inorfas 'that" harvr been c;f ye.-ety.l-eetHr
ees of debrs dae, drawn by f be colonial adiuintftr
tinrt irtthe Wel'ilnd-t: ' - '
merce -of 4aur .Tellow-cirizcns b'v wherever nation ;
a'.v! if' fricce.fr cannoTbeT "obrxvie d.-to lav the fafti
before the legiilature, tint they m'ny coniHer, wha;
farther --meafures the honour and intered of the go-
v.-foment and Its cq;ii oentsmind : . Jt a rctcdu
tion t sdo juitlce, as far as may depend upon me,
at ail times and. to all nation-ahd maintain peace,-
:" fne'hchhip and bericvolerice with all the. world ; IF
an nnfhakert .confidence in the honour, fpirit and re
fource of the American people, on which 1 have lo
often InzarcTedwy all, and never deceived ; It, ele
vatedg ideas of the high ds t'inies of this country,
and of mv own d-.ties towards it, founded on a
knowledge' of the moral principles and iutellectual
.improvement's of thprjp!,?, deeply enr,; avi-n on
my mind in early life, an I n.it obfeored bu exalted
by expcrieiu:e "a:ul age; and, with humble reverence
1 ftil it to be my duty to i ll, .if, a veneration tor
t!i? religion of a -people, .who pre fell and caM them-
.' ' Tdy.es hriltians, and a fixed resolution ro.con'lide-r a
decent refpe.t for chriltiaiilty, among the bed re
commendations for the pu lie fervice, can enable
m?,i a degree to ce.nply with your wifh.es,' it hull
be my dreiiuous endeavour that th;3 fa gadous in
junction of the two houies (lull not be without ef-
.feet. . '
Vnh thjs great example before me ; with the
. 4th. The feWrer toreed es o'f'iH farhe
iheir veflels, a;id -appropriating tbem tojbhc ui
UImhu. a yhysn-thrm?-xu- pay ug ihadetpva t clj A
or delaying payment for a lengtb of "time. ;
jth. The non performance of cjpntradts hiade b .
fVe flgt s :or IK g
ibs rhe Condun nation of t lvr EVeflels at)tl car
goes'uildcr Tiich of the piarine ordinance of r'ranct
as are incompatible with the treaties Tublting be
tween the two countries ; and..
"tii. The captures landiooetl by a' decree of th
.uiional Coiivcution of the otfa A'ay, 1 7y TA
wliichm ioiation of theTreaty of Aii'itydtd Com
mcrce, leclaied tuiny s' goods on board oixiiu
VVfleis iawidl Jiizes, and idireftcd the Ficuth fbips
otvar and priyatecU IU biing iHfo uou.
I mentioned. The foUpwfj tji? decree fjthi com-
tilciv. ot the iSth ol Tauuarv n.i'c -
N"1 ' ote'rd;: eaTytepal mgtne S t ha t iclenf
he decree oi wc i.jih voember preceding, and io
, frect,.tneart uj esj n the j;rigndreer ot t he 9th
Mav, 1 79T. by "'which th"c ; IreaTjT"witri the Cuitcd
"fates had been infHnged. It is not i;eceflary (ur
,rliern:ro(4df:thMbH5i ee ot -1 he-4th of
Jan'uTarjlliAs'beeri ' realeU by ihactie; of
: e Executive Directory, of the. atl of July, 170,
under rolWur of which ate commiti'd tii uutkiug
depredatiohs 011 the commerce- of the United Malts
w hich aTjaiiy witedirl'thB 'newrjfpe?sTrne ' ' '
agents ot the tcutive directory to ' uie ;ict'ward
ittawd rTrtaTie? amtiiotixr'mwi'"1rie-'"'
Z7th ot Noveriiber,-1 790, paired -a deliee (inafKtd ,
C C.Jforcaptoring aU American veiieli bound to
or trom Bf ittih ports. The.fccretary 'preilne8-tiiif
velfds laien with pi ovihous and bouud to the ci.e
.ny'i port. -
It nuy be proper io rema'rk here, tjjat th s decrt
of the Covention direcled the caj'uureof neutral ve
fels laden with proyifujis .nd deffined for enemy'
hx tsrpi eeede44j-one-iBm nr hed-i-f-4ie-Bf
tifli governm nt f( r capturing " all veflels loaU(
witJL.Lj. flour, oi' meal, bouud to a.r-v pof t i;-.
rame.
Such was the nature of the claims of the citizens
of the tniud otaies upon the French ftUpvibl it
fenfe and fpirit, the faith anJ honour, the duty amU
. mterelt of the tame American people, pledge! to
" fupport .the coii'.titJtion of the United States, n
i&tmxio'db"t of its cohtinu mce in all its energy j
7and:my inTn3 TsTpr epi red i:yv'i t hou tlhe'itat 1 0 ipro I ay
inylelt under the moilfole nn o )ligat,iotis to fupport
it, to. thje utmod of '.my povver.
And may that being, Whj is f ipremeover all, the
,patrdii-ot-order,-theiou it tm ot jultice, and tle
proteJtor, in all the ag-.-s of the world, of virtnons
7 jiliyon'welF bteffi nfru'pmths nation, ana1
its gover'ii.nicnt j ' andve 1r;iiTFyMibleTuecefn4
djratioiieoiiultein witb the ens. of his providence.
After. which' the oath of.o!lice wa read to him
"b the ciiief j'uflice, whiclvhe energetically repeat
ed -he refeatevl h mt z I "aa n f t er- a paufeof -a - fe w
n(.;n -nis, us role aadbowed to all around him and
.retired.' The Vice Pre.ident f oflowed in abont-a
miiyie, and George VVafb iigton moved on ' after
hi ti ami jit reiterated liuz,as, and' a dilcharge of ar
tillery ; thus clofed -a fceiie the like ol which was
tuver be f o re w ) t fie'fet 1 ilTt I lis or any o t he r cou a t r y
Avhich f arms a new epocha in our hilfory, and in
'the hilloryf re)ublican frtcdom, to which we '.mil it
co:uiiiit jfie glorious labjeit. v;--:- ---: -
it not, an x'ruiti-i y, unauliiorileu au oi their own
hot that it is contormahle to the intentions orihe
Executive Directory: the privatecis. ol ricnclt
Republic in Europe, having aptured ,ome American ;
v Hels on tbelnme pretence, and lie con lid of the
Hf ttblic at adiz having explicity 'uvo'wed his de
t im ivjtion to condemn' nmerican vellds .ou that
ground, pleading the decree of the Diicclofy ior
M p uLiJoriiy- : i '
The (ecietary has already intimated that th3.de-
crej ol the 1 Jth ot Novembc r 1 794, was not toiiow-
previous to the drpartute of Mr. Monroe as Miniltt r
Plenipotentiary to h'rance in the iuiiimer bt.1704,
and fjnee bis refidence there. - To hlVn vverchf riiit
ed - the documents which had oeeu . collected to
iiib'.tahtiate particular complairit ; aud lit ir
flniftv'd to prels th K'rencb' K'Overnri:-nr to al
certain and pay what might be found jly due
from time to time; as addittc.nal c.les niie, iiicy
were tranfnitred to fiiiuS'ifb likfvi. -v , t ;, j..
feniher. of that ''ear- he alhgned to his lecretai'v
Mr. Skipwith w thhe pj o'tjloiuil . ppn'm. ment t f i
conful at Paris) tjje charge o! ifatb the i'i'':1', and
fuming mem m me j'nipci 11 ui Ol ICll JL'H'.tlll ;
referving to hijiifjlf th? du' v of f.xin - general pfir
ciples with the government-,'putronizu.' and lu c-i
intending his proceed ngs
in conuii mity with ihe'.direftion. ji ;y.cjiHHitfe!'i
Mr. Sk'nvith '"fhoniy af . eT"iiiaue a "general report
on this injuries anu d'ulicniiics hiki 'vexations' to
vhkh the iontn.r of he Uu ltd Sta'C4 was -ub
je'ied y 1. e resrlations and leftraim o the Krr ec
government , o r iy tne ahme piactiie 1 by i
; ' :;s t a t e fap er. -
v Tb fbl lowing document was preferited to the
Houfe of Reprefentatives on Tuefday the 2?th lilt.
. with an extenftve appehdii, ' . " .
-R-E rP-Orft-TV
The Secretary of State, ia nurfuance of an order
of the Houfe of Repf efehtatye9vHof the 8t h of May,.
1 79,"on the ,mejnbrial3itvd petition of fpudry citi.
' zis M the United States, refitting' In the cay of
Philadelphia, relative to the lodes they have fullain
ed by the capture of property. by Kreuch armed vef
felfon the high Teas, or in couteqifence of the forced
or vohiiitary Tales of ilieir proviiions; and merchant'
cliz?, to the dtficers of the colonial adminiflrat ions
. ol the French Republic, having examined the fame",
,' together with accounts, orfiinUar lofTes fultained by
American citiz'-ns from the French, in the Euro-
. pean feas, or in the ports of France, which in the
details were neceHimy connected with the former j
hat finee the com'nencemeTiKof the prefenr vnr.
VTriotis-apcontinual con plaints have jbeen made
bv citr.ens oF.the United grates to tne; department
m Fringe, of injuries done to their- commerce nn-
der t"
g rs
ilt.'Spornt' nr amftniy treatment of their 'veC
le:s nt f n, hv erch,4n4r's tr war and. p. -ir et s.
; -1 - ..tr- ' . . .
e'aathprtryoi'.vKe French-Republic aid by its
i. Thwf:- ininri; "5 w ere, ; '.':.',
r. T..j ' t 1 1. '. t it.- ir'!
,eius; to-wHich lie ad Jed a nu.'nbt.r of particular
caies, ja copy ot the whole was annexed to ttie
report, marked B. j. This rDort was laid befou
the French ' novernmeiu'; and added to. (he tannic
reprefentarions of Mr. Monroe and.his preckceffbi ,
it ofoduced a decreeTjNbe joint ronimittees wtjjiili-s;
lie SafetyFinance, Commerceand Supplies, 'datdl
15th Nov. 1794, a copy bf which was annexed
mirked C This decree apparently calculated (
reinedy many,of the ,e
but a very partial, in retpect to cgmpt'nlition, u
xoropa'rativety-feHalleUetT-while-it---co'ntinited ;iri
force the principles of 'the deciee of the 91b May,
1 793 which . rendered liable to ieizure -,.i d . unfit'
vat ions the goods of enemies founi on board ricotr&l
veflels. Ameriiah veilels had been declared ex
empt from that part of the decree of the 9th Mav
which luthorifed (eizing of verte-ls going to an en'e
my 's port wit h provilions, by the decree ot the
tiorral conventjon of the 28th July, 1 79. i " '
On the appearance of the decree of the 9th Tay.;
he American Mmilter at Faris remonltrated aainlf
'tu'?,,a"yif'i34ifH1f,''e reatyofcoinm!-rrrr between
France and the United t ites. In onlequence there-
Of, the coiiverttion by a decree of Jlie 23d ot ihe
ame month, declared, 44 that the veffels of.-the" 0.
"St a r ess "r wn nfc o&icttSoTtie regular 1 on o f Tfit
9th of May." Mr. t e Brim, the minider 'for Tor-;
ed bv the exit ulhely good efffcts extedted;froni it.
By a communication front Mr. Skipwith, of th roth
of lalf 5pteriberf r(tfce laieltvrcommiiiiitatioi.ij'om
him, in aniwer to the iecreiary's requell for infor
mation) it appears that the claims ior detention of
103 American vrtiels by the eniLaigo at bourdeaux,
remained -nrd-.term ned ; no funds having' beenp
I ointed for the payment ot them ; and uiariiouw of
the bills drawn lv the tolonial adminillration in the
,V fft-ndies bad" been pa 'd to him ; the neaiory
having rendered pvinpt in atbfniaiS at their noiol--nalva'ue,
fnd afterward in another ipecitB ot 'pa
per, called m-aridat, which had lotfex d a greHt e
;'reciation even hetote they were put into cufuia.'
ion ; both of which nudes f payment weie refuted
10 be accepted. - The progrels made h Mr; Skip
wiih in th? j'djnflment-of other' cl in s io far as
knrjwn iv. the ferret ary", will appear u1 the annexed
latcnicnt !)J co'de ot which w tr .', mi t el 'eh
months ago to the ofRcer of the prin ipal collect or '
of the cuttoins, from the department of Hate, ior
ti e information of oor mercantile cin? ns
-That Toth:nr-might bf-left titidone- wbicb could -ie
accompiilhed by the executive, the attention of
general ! ii ikoev. ihe pvefert minMler of the I nittd
'ns to France, was p u ticuiai ly di ecled to tne
fub e t' t tbefe clanTm, bu the interval which has
1 1 ped bnce bis departure, has not admitted o: any
intemting ccintnunica tion fwm b m -.ort-tUs Jvufirefs. .
.11 oi-iv ction with orher Ipoliatiniis by Fiench
cnixl vtfT-ls, the.lf,cretat intended 10 nienuon
I!iL.Tffco.mmittv.d.junde.r;.adecree,.jilM.ted theJirftof
'V.iull7i -967 iiliVrd by Victor f iugues and i.etiiS,
the fpecTai agents of the executive- lUiectory to the
windward iilands. declaring all veffels loadeu witti
contrah?nd articleii of .ary kind, liable. to. ieiuie
and cohSlratiu w h h i heir eni ire cargoes , wish out
making any difcrim nation in favour of thoie which
m g Mb? bound to neut ra ( , or even to r renCh poi ts.
fi ts decree has been eof(Mccd againlf the Ainei ian
trade without any teuaid to the e(l b'i(hed, Innni
otlesra 1 proceedings, as w i 1 1 appear-f rom tne nnm x
ed depofitions I F ol Jpfiah f en.pllcad, m iller of
the brigantihe Patty of AVeatherfield, a copy of the
decree marked fr j is ajlo anjuxed.
- f '" ' V"
The fecretarv has received a nrin'ed ropy of an
other detjT!i,knieJPiaJjl! 1
ward iilands dated the 1 3 1 h Pjrvo Vie, th y ea at?r .
Terin4oJ!br4tarv
ture of all neutraf veflels deftined .to any of r!ie
e go afFatrs on; the 2nrh of May, commumcated i hav, b.rn dr,iverfd op t0 the Engli(h,;and -ccfpled
u.,, m (hv cc, n,,r mmmcr, accompany .ng u or dfend: d by eminrants. naming Marfiniqe,t.
with tlieF- words ; You w 11 there find a new con
irmation- of the principles from which the Frenc
p enp I itl ,ne v e
'riends and allies Uie peopleof rhe-Untt edrSt'ates k
America. Vet two days had only elalped, befor
thd'fe 'pr!pcile were departed trom ion; the 21t h
T.vicie, Tobago, Demarara,- Berbice, and Ffequibo ;
and to; I .e.wardfPtati.yr.ce,'rSt. Marc, U.Mi
Chaye,"and jeremie ; declaring fuch yelTels arid tM,?
Cargoes to begood prizeas weJT ai fa Rytflelifclear '-.
eu out vaguely tor tne weii-maics, a copy 01 .'
latVdeeree, will be added to this report as foonas ic
captured'a very rich American !hi;v the . an. '-!,.-Vund
means to ei'ct the repeal, to enable li em
tokeep- toM of their prize. They ! Jiad. .fx en
apparent hardinefs to lay before band, that the de
cree of the 1 3d would be repented,
the ill of Inly, the convention pa fled a fourth de
cree,. again declaring', "'' that the veffels of the U.
States are not coraprfed in the regulations of th-
-. . I . f - ,-'- . - -.
decree ot the grh otlaycjontoxniawyto-t4e-ft
of May, the convention regaled rbeir 'decree pf the -all be tranflatedv -All whleh is relpcaiuliy fnN
23d. J he .owners- otn r rench frivateer that na: ) ,Mt.j - .. TivnTHYPU KFRl,.
' . THE APPENDIX. - . :
A-i C opv bf a decree of the rational com ention 9th
May 179V
V:
(B) Aimer and report of ;rvSkipwltl;; Aniericaa
C"i 1 lui. on yy fids c a pt 6 red.
(C) Extract from'Freiich decrees of I cthNpv. l$4-fJrl-jxtract
from the relolve oi" the French vbiii
in ftion at tiie leewiii d ,ii!inis ot 27th Nov.- X7'i'
it mouTTTtTcailed fhe 22d1 article of the tr'eatv.
concluded-. the.t'n of February, '.'t,773.."The'.new:
.minider-for foreign affairs, JVt-Desforgues, accon)
rjaTlsfrtsewcVe
4t-iV-l tit -2 70-tla jutrr- 4-twniclfwere-fettlei
) I'll
fa IH
iW.lW','.9
tti nr.'iUe-r veJcW atrt5Ti.irJj:at:x'ii. the'yVto
.;ii'd - -r .; ''...;";", ---".---7 "rnr.j.... ;",'' .':.;'.'
3d The .non-"'incuf .:;bilif audj'0the-.e itin-
following exprefiion: "1 am very happy in bein-
aoieio give you tnis new procn ov tne irarcrral ten
ti meats of the Freituh people ror t heir fllics, and o
their determirtnti'ii to maintain to tliemmofl ot tliei
power ti e treaties . ft 1 h fl I i i u g b-t'w een the two Pe .
public I1'1' ?et 1 liis4lyjree:Provftl'"ws,fi!iwnjijy'as Hie
former ; op the zr.h or Tnly it wa r- pe :'r J.
-he next decree on thisjiibjecl was that tf the
joint committee of lh"e ' 15th '.Nov'. it 794 alrea'l'
with the French rcPu lic and the remainder' pend.
MiH,
A lecbnd lilt of claims on ioi veffels, detained. by
em ba rgfi"T7oiji rd t.a
I7oi. and fmned by Mr. Siikw t
( K ) A u affidavit of t he commander '.of the hrigan
tine lJattv7 ; ''"- .
(F) A Placard of Victor Mushes, 0.1 tiering the
ennrorino- of l!orfes com raband.- ' J
- r - - "j- - - - -- '
1 his-toilows the - tientioi; m thr t;iml;rnts''0
Philadelphia.. ."''. -.- ' . '- '"
Aiid a fecond lett.er-toni the fecrttary of date
dncicfiog a copy 01 u.c elect cc c. 'victor Jiughes.
fIJ
S
i ur J
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