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of national bleffings, for general health and promifing seasons; for domestic and focial happinefs; for the rapid progress and ample acquifitions of industry, through extenfive territories; for civil, political, and religious liberty. While other ftates are defolated with foreign war, or convulfed with inteftine divifions, the United States prefent the pleafing profpect of a nation governed by mild and equal laws; generally fatisfied with the poffef fion of their rights; neither envy. ing the advantages nor fearing the power of other nations; folicitous only for the maintenance of order and justice, and the prefervation of liberty; increafing daily in their attachment to a system of govern ment, in proportion to their experience of its utility; yielding a ready and general obedience to laws flowing from reason, and refting on the only folid foundationthe affection of the people.

It is with extreme regret that I fhall be obliged to turn your thoughts to other circumstances, which admonish us that fome of thefe felicities may not be lafting; but if the tide of our profperity is full, and a reflux commencing, a vigilant circumfpection becomes us, that we may meet our reverfes with fortitude, and extricate ourselves from their confequences, with all the skill we poflefs, and all the efforts in our power.

In giving to congrefs information of the state of the union, and recommending to their confideration fuch measures as appear to me to be expedient or neceffary, according to my conftitutional duty, the caufes and the objects of the prefent extraordinary feffion will be explained.

After the prefident of the United States received information, that

the French government had ex preffed ferious difcontents at fome proceedings of the government of thefe States, faid to affect the interefts of France, he thought it expedient to fend to that country a new minifter, fully inftructed to enter on fuch amicable difcuffions, and to give fuch candid explanations, as might happily remove the difcontents and futpicions of the French government, and vindicate the conduct of the United States. For this purpose he selected from among his fellow-citizens a character whofe integrity, talents, experience, and fervices, had placed him in the rank of the most esteemed and refpected in the nation. The direct object of his miffion was expreffed in his letter of credence to the French republic, being "to maintain that good understanding, which from the commencement of alliance had subsisted between the two nations; and to efface unfavourable impreffions, banish fuf- * picions, and restore that cordiality, which was at once the evidence and pledge of a friendly union." And his inftructions were to the fame effect, "faithfully to reprefent the difpofition of the govern ment and people of the United States, their difpofition being one, to remove jealotifies, and obviate complaints, by fhowing that they were groundless, to restore that mutual confidence, which had been fo unfortunately and injuriously impaired, and to explain the rela tive interefts of both countries and the real fentiments of his own."

A minifter thus fpecially com miffioned, it was expected, would have proved the inftrument of reftoring mutual confidence between the two republics: the firft ftep of the French government correfponded with that expectation a

few

few days before his arrival at Paris, the French minifter of foreign relations informed the American minifter, then refident at Paris, of the formalities to be observed by himfelf in taking leave, and by his fucceffor preparatory to his reception. Thefe formalities they obferved, and on the 9th of December prefented officially to the minister of foreign relations, the one a copy of his letters of recall, the other a copy of his letters of credence. Thefe were laid before the executive directory; two days after wards, the minifter of foreign relations informed the recalled American minifter, that the executive directory had determined not to receive another minifter plenipotentiary from the United States, until after the redrefs of grievances demanded of the American government, and which the French republic had a right to expect from

it. The American minifter immediately endeavoured to afcertain whether, by refufing to receive him, it was intended that he should retire from the territories of the French republic, and verbal anfwers were given that fuch was the intention of the directory. For his own juftification he defired a written answer, but obtained none until towards the laft of January, when receiving notice in writing to quit the territories of the republic, he proceeded to Amfterdam, where he proposed to wait for inftructions from this government. During his refidence at Paris, cards of hof pitality were refufed him, and he was threatened with being fubjected to the jurifdiction of the minifter of police-but with becoming firmness he infifted on the protection of the law of nations, due to him as the known minister of a foreign power. You will derive

further information from his dif patches, which will be laid before you.

As it is often neceffary that na tions fhould treat for the mutual advantage of their affairs, and efpecially to accommodate and termi nate differences, and as they can treat only by minifters, the right of embaffy is well known and eftablifhed by the law and ufage of nations: the refufal on the part of France to receive and hear our mi nifter is then the denial of a right; but the refufal to receive him, until we have acceded to their demands without difcuffion and without in vestigation, is to treat us neither as allies, nor as friends, nor as a fovereign ftate.

With this conduct of the French government, it will be proper to take into view the public audience given to the late minifter of the United States on his taking leave of the executive directory. The fpeech of the prefident difcloses fentiments more alarming than the refufal of a minifter, because more dangerous to our independence and union; and at the fame time studioufly marked with indignities towards the government of the United States. It evinces a difpofition to feparate the people of the United States from the government; to perfuade them that they have dif ferent affections, principles, and interefts, from thofe of their fellowcitizens, whom they themselves have chofen to manage their com、 mon concerns, and thus to produce divifions fatal to our peace. Such attempts ought to be repelled, with a decifion which shall convince France and the world that we are not a degraded people, humiliated under a colonial fpirit of fear and sense of inferiority, fitted to be the miferable inftruments of foreign in.

fluence,

Auence, and regardless of national honour, character, and interest.

I fhould have been happy to have thrown a veil over thefe tranf actions, if it had been poffible to conceal them; but they have paffed on the great theatre of the world, in the face of all Europe and America, and with fuch circumstances of publicity and folemnity, that they cannot be difguifed, and will not foon be forgotten; they have inflicted a wound in the American breaft; it is my fincere defire, however, that it may be healed; it is my fincere defire, and in this I prefume I concur with you and with our constituents, to preferve peace and friendship with all nations; and believing that neither the honour nor the intereft of the United States abfolutely forbid the repetition of advances for fecuring thefe defirable objects with France, I fhall inftitute a fresh attempt at negotiation, and fhall not fail to promote and accelerate an accommodation, on terms compatible with the rights, duties, interefts, and honour of the nation;-if we have committed errors, and thefe can be demonftrated, we fhall be willing to correct them; if we have done injuries, we shall be willing on conviction to redrefs them, and equal measures of juftice we have a right to expect from France and every other nation. The diplomatic in tercourfe between the United States and France being at prefent fufpended, the government has no means of obtaining official information from that country; nevertheless there is reafon to believe, that the executive directory paffed a decree on the fecond of March laft, contravening in part the treaty I of amity and commerce of one thousand seven hundred and feventy-eight, injurious to our lawful

commerce, and endangering the lives of our citizens.-A copy of this decree will be laid before you.

While we are endeavouring to ad juft all our differences with France by amicable negotiation, the pro grefs of the war in Europe, the depredations on our commerce, the perfonal injuries to our citizens and the general complexion of af fairs, render it my indifpenfable du ty to recommend to your confidera. tion effectual measures of defence.

The commerce of the United States has become an interesting object of attention, whether we confider it in relation to the wealth and finances, or the strength and refources of the nation. With a fea coaft of near two thousand miles in extent, opening a wide field for fisheries, navigation, and commerce, a great portion of our citizens naturally apply their in duftry and enterprise to thefe objects; any ferious and permanent injury to commerce would not fail to produce the most embarraffing diforders; to prevent it from being undermined and destroyed, it is effential that it receive an adequate protection.

The naval establishment must occur to every man, who confiders the injuries committed on our commerce, the infults offered to our citizens, and the defcription of the veffels by which these abuses have been practifed. As the fufferings of our mercantile and feafaring citi zens cannot be afcribed to the omiffion of duties demandable, con fidering the neutral fituation of our country, they are to be attributed to the hope of impunity arifing from a fuppofed inability on our part to afford protection-to refist the confequences of fuch impref fions on the minds of foreign na

tions, and to guard against the degradation and fervility which they muft finally ftamp on the American character, is an important duty of government.

A naval power, next to the militia, is the natural defence of the United States. The experience of the last war would be fufficient to fhow that a moderate naval force, fuch as would be eafily within the prefent abilities of the union, would have been fufficient to have baffled many formidable tranfportations of troops, from one state to another, which were then practifed; our fea-coafts, from their great extent, are more eafily annoyed, and more easily defended by a na val force than any other; with all the materials our country abounds; in skill, our naval architects and navigators are equal to any; and commanders and feamen will not be wanting.

But although the establishment of a permanent fyftem of naval defence appears to be requifite, I am fenfible it cannot be formed fo fpeedily and extenfively as the prefent crifis demands. Hitherto I have thought proper to prevent the failing of armed veffels, except on voyages to the Eaft-Indies, where general ufage, and the danger from pirates, appeared to render the permiffion proper; yet the reftriction has originated folely from a wish to prevent collufions with the powers at war, contravening the act of congrefs of June, one thousand seven hundred and ninety-four, and not from any doubt entertained by me of the policy and propriety of permitting our veffels to employ means of defence, while engaged in a lawful foreign commerce. It remains for congrefs to prefcribe fuch regulations as will enable our feafaring

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citizens to defend themfelves a.. gainft violations of the law of na tions, and at the fame time reftrain them from committing acts of hoftility against the powers at war. In addition to this voluntary provifion for defence by individual citizens, it appears to be necessary to equip the frigates, and provide other veffels of inferior force to take under convoy fuch merchant veffels as fhall remain unarmed.

The greater part of the cruifers whofe depredations have been most injurious have been built, and fome of them partially equipped, in the United States. Although an ef fectual remedy may be attended with difficulty, yet I have thought it my duty to prefent the fubject generally to your confideration. If a mode can be devised by the wif dom of congrefs to prevent the refources of the United States from being converted into the means of annoying our trade, a great evil will be prevented. With the fame

view I think it proper to mention, that fome of our citizens refident abroad have fitted out privateers, and others have voluntarily taken the command or entered on board of them, and committed fpoliatious on the commerce of the United States. Such unnatural and iniquitous practices can be reftrained only by fevere punishments.

But, befides protection of our commerce on the feas, I think it highly neceffary to protect it at home, where it is collected in our most important ports. The diftance of the United States from Europe, and the well-known promp titude, ardour, and courage of the people, in defence of their country, happily diminish the probability of invafion: nevertheless, to guard a gainft fudden and predatory incur. fións, the fituation of fome of our

(X) principal

principal fea-ports demands your confideration: and, as our country is vulnerable in other interefts befides thofe of its commerce, you will seriously deliberate whether the means of general defence ought not to be increased by an addition to the regular artillery and cavalry, and by arrangements for forming a provifional army.

With the fame view, and as a measure which even in time of univerfal peace ought not to be neglected, I recommend to your confideration a revifion of the laws for organizing, arming, and difciplining the militia, to render that natural and fafe defence of the country efficacious. Although it is very true, that we ought not to involve ourselves in the political fyftem of Europe, but to keep our felves always diftinct and feparate from it if we can; yet to effect this feparation, early, punctual, and continual information of the current chain of events, and of the political projects in contemplation, is no lefs neceffary, than if we were directly concerned in them. It is neceffary, in order to the discovery of the efforts made to draw us into the vortex, in season to make pre paration against them: however we may confider ourfelves, the mari time and commercial power of the world will confider the United States of America as forming a weight in that balance of power in Europe which never can be forgotten or neglected. It would not only be againft our interest, but it would be doing wrong to one half of Europe at leaft if we fhould voluntarily throw ourselves into either fcale; it is a natural policy for a nation that studies to be neutral, to confult with other nations engaged in the fame ftudies and purfuits; at the fame time that meafures

might be purfued with this view, our treaties with Pruffia and Sweden, one of which is expired, might be renewedl.

Gentlemen of the house of representatives,

It is particularly your province to confider the ftate of our public finances, and to adopt fuch meafures refpecting them as exigencies fhall be found to require. The prefervation of public credit, the regular extinguishment of the public debt, and a provifion of funds to defray any extraordinary expences, will, of courfe, call for your ferious at tention: although the impofition of new burdens cannot be in itself agreeable, yet there is not ground to doubt that the American people will expect from you fuch meafures as their actual engagements, their prefent fecurity, and future intereft demand.

Gentlemen of the fenate, and gentlemen of the houfe of representatives,

The prefent fituation of our country impofes an obligation on all the departments of government to adopt an explicit and decided conduct. In my fituation an expofition of the principles by which my adminiftration will be governed, ought not to be omitted.

It is impoffible to conceal from ourselves or the world what has been before observed, that endeavours have been employed to fofter and establish a divifion between the government and people of the United States. To inveftigate the caufes which have encouraged this attempt is not neceffary; but to repel by decided and united councils infinuations fo derogatory to the honour, and aggreffious fo dan gerous to the conftitution, union, and even independence of the nation, is an indifpenfable duty.

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