powers neceffary to treat with effect? Is it not true refpect to thow ourselves tenacious of the blood of the people, and that we are not defirous of abandoning their welfare to the unworthy sport of diplomatic forms, and to defire that a moment may not be loft in vain ceremonies, when the repose of the world is at stake?

In reality, to fail in that refpect, confecrated by all the customs and laws of nations, is to dare to fend back an ambassador to negotiate upon a bafis entirely inconfiftent with the power to be treated with. Lord Malmesbury well knows which is the power that has permitted this outrageous violation of every principle; but what is at once moft ridiculous and abfurd is, to pretend that they are not the real authors of the war, which has been the confequence of fuch an outrage, and in which rivers of blood have been fhed.

Addrefs to his Imperial Majefty relative to the revolutionizing the left Bank of the Rhine. Dated Ratisbon, Oct. 17, 1797.

IT

is well known from various concurring and indubitable accounts, how zealously and inceffantly the French civil and military agents, the intermediary commiffion at Bonn, and the German coadjutors in their pay, on the Lower Rhine, have laboured to carry into execution their highly dangerous plan, to fpread fill wider their principles, fo peculiarly adverse to the Germanic conftitution, to government, fubordination, and order, and thereby to loofen the bonds of civil fociety; to alienate the fubjects from their lords, and to weaken, by working on their hopes and fears, their hitherto unfhaken fidelity, to detach them from their dependence and their duty; and on this foundation to erect what they have already denominated a Cifrhenane republic, torn from the Germanic empire.

The decree of the diet of the 22d of March, 1793, had already ftated the mifchievous confequences of fuch plans, maxims, and principles, among the principal dangers which the Germanic empire had to apprehend from France; and the Imperial court decree of ratification of the 30th of April of the same year admitted the truth of this danger, and placed in the clearest light the preffing neceffity of counteracting fuch projects and principles, adding at the fame time additional motives derived from the fame fource.

The measures oppofed to fuch defigns have, however, not had a durable, and certainly not the defired effect. Yet when the preliminaries of peace had been figned at Leoben, on the 18th of April of the prefent year, and their ratification interchanged be tween the plenipotentiaries of his Imperial Majefty and those of France; in which preliminaries it was ftipulated that the defini

tive treaty fhould be concluded on the bafis of the integrity of the empire; it was to be expected that all attempts to alienate the fubjects of Germany from the conftitution of their country, to loofen the ties of their fidelity to their lords, and by fuch means to feparate the countries on the left banks of the Rhine from the German empire, would entirely have ceased.

The principles of truth and faith common to, and held facred by all nations and all governments, forbid us to fuppofe that fuch plans of revolution can have immediately originated with the French government, or that they can proceed from any other cause than the ill-advifed officioufnefs and miftaken zeal of fome agents of that of that government. Yet are the confequences precisely the fame with respect to the means and end; and much is it to be feared that the arret of the intermediary commiffion at Bonn, of the 29th of Fructidor (Sept. 15)-(the arret which promifes freedom from feudal fervices, impofts, tithes, &c. to fuch communes as fhall become annexed to the Cifrhenane republic), and the advantages it offers, may have but too great an effect; and that even those who would otherwise retain their fidelity, may at length fink under repeated attacks, when they have no hope of receiving any fuc

cour.

His Electoral Highnefs of Cologn has therefore, agreeably to the attention he has conftantly manifefted for the welfare of Germany, and his paternal care and love for his fubjects, and the other loyal inhabitants of the left bank of the Rhine, reprefented the continually increafing danger of fuch proceedings to his Highnefs the Elector of Mentz, who had fubmitted to the general diet of the empire the neceflity of concerting measures to stop the progrefs of fo ferious an evil, and provide against it in future; and the diet, after mature confideration, has refolved moft humbly to reprefent to his Imperial Majefty, in all its circumstances, a proceeding contrary to the tenor of the preliminaries figned at Leoben on the 18th of April of the prefent year, and ratified and interchanged by the Imperial and French plenipotentiaries, and humbly to requeft his Majefty to employ his influence with the French government to obtain that in the countries of the empire lying between the Meufe, the Mofelle, and the Rhine, every thing may remain in ftatu quo; and that the integrity of the Germanic empire fhall not be attacked by the feduction of the inhabitants, or by granting any manner of aid and protection to fuch as may attempt to disturb the public tranquillity.

This humble representation and request is hereby made with the moft lively and unlimited confidence in the protection of his Imperial Majefty, which the German empire has fo frequently experienced.

Papers

Papers relative to Neutral Powers.

UNITED STATES OF AMERICA*..

Communication received from the Prefident, by the House of Reprefentatives of the United States, together with the Documents therein referred to, on the 19th January, 1797..

Gentlemen of the Senate, and of the

Heufe of Representatives,

AT the opening of the prefent feffion of Congress, I mention

ed that fome circumstances of an unwelcome nature had lately occurred in relation to France; that our trade had fuffered and was fuffering extenfive injuries in the Weft Indies from the cruifers and agents of the French republic; and that communications had

been

* In the 4th volume of our collection, page 294, we inferted feveral refolutions purporting to have been paffed by the House of Representatives; one of which related" to the non-expediency of concurring in the paffing of the laws neceffary for carrying the treaty of amity and commerce with Great Britain into effect." We find by the fubjoined letter and resolution, addreffed to the publisher, that no fuch refolution was paffed; but that a motion only was made to that effect. We very readily correct the mistake, which we were led into by fome foreign papers, and beg leave to express our thanks to the gentleman from whom the following communication was received:

Sir,

Philadelphia, July 20th, 1797.

HAVING obferved in the 4th volume of your valuable Collection of State Papers, page 294, that you have given to Europe, as a refolution of the Houfe of Reprefentatives of the United States, what was in fact a motion only, prefented to that House, but never agreed to, nor even difcuffed; I have thought it proper to furnish you with the means of correcting this mistake.

When the refolution for carrying the British treaty into effect was under difcuffion, this motion was prefented to the Houfe by the oppofition, as the measure which, in cafe that refolution fhould be rejected, they intended to bring forward in its ftead: but the refolution having been carried, the fubftitute was never taken up; though it had been printed for the information of the members, and, like all other motions, was entered at large on the Journal.

Having been a member myself when these transactions took place, I can affirm that they were as I have ftated: but to give the statement a more authentic form, I have fubjoined the motion itself, with a certificate from

the

been received from its minifter here which indicated danger of a further disturbance of our commerce by its authority, and that were in other refpects far from agreeable: but that I referved for a fpecial meffage a more particular communication on this interefting fubject.-This communication I now make.

The complaints of the French minifter embraced most of the tranfactions of our government in relation to France, from an early period of the prefent war; which therefore it was neceffary carefully to review. A collection has been formed of letters and papers relating to thofe tranfactions, which I now lay before you, with a letter to Mr. Pinkney, our minifter at Paris, containing an

the clerk at the bottom. The defire of vindicating the House of Reprefentatives from the imputation of fo great an inconfiftency as to pafs this refolation, and then carry the treaty into effect within a few weeks, will, I hope, be a fufficient excufe for the trouble given you on this fubject, by, Mr. Debrett.

Sir, your very humble Servant.

In the House of Reprefentatives of the United States.

Thursday, the 14th April, 1796. ON a motion made and feconded, that the House do come to the following refolution:

"The Houfe having taken into confideration the treaty of amity, commerce, and navigation, between the United States and Great Britain, communicated by the Prefident, in his meffage of the first day of March laff, are of opinion, that it is, in many refpects, highly injurious to the interest of the United States; yet, were they poffeffed of any information which could juftify the great facrifices contained in that treaty, their fincere defire to cherish harmony and amicable intercourse with all nations, and their earneft wish to co-operate in haftening a final adjustment of the differences fub fifting between the United States and Great Britain, might have induced them to wave their objections to the treaty: but when they contemplate the conduct of Great Britain, in perfevering, fince the treaty was figned, in the impreffment of American feamen, and the feizure of American vessels (laden with provifions), contrary to the cleareft rights of neutral nations→ whether this be viewed as the construction meant to be given to any articles in the treaty, or as contrary to, and an infraction of the true meaning and fpirit thereof-the Houfe cannot but regard it as incumbent on them, in fidelity to the trust reposed in them, to forbear, under fuch circumstances, taking, at prefent, any active measures on the subject: therefore,

"Refolved, That, under the circumstances aforefaid, and with fuch information as the Houfe poffefs, it is not expedient, at this time, to concur in paffing the laws neceffary for carrying the faid treaty into effect." Ordered, that the faid motion be committed to the committee of the whole House on the state of the union.

Extract from the Journal,
JONATHAN W. CONDY, Clerk,

I certify, that it does not appear from the Journal of the Houfe, that the foregoing motion was confidered by the committee of the whole House on the fate of the union, to whom it was referred, or that it was agreed to by the Houfe JONATHAN W. CONDY, Clerk.

Philadelphia, July 19th, 1797.

examination of the notes of the French minifter, and fuch information as I thought might be useful to Mr. Pinkney in any further reprefentations he might find neceffary to be made to the French government. The immediate object of his miffion was to make to that governmerit fuch explanations of the principles and conduct of our own, as, by manifefting our good faith, might remove all jealoufy and difcontent, and maintain that harmony and good understanding with the French republic which it has been my conftant folicitude to preferve. A government which required only a knowledge of the truth to juftify its meafures, could not but be anxious to have this fully and frankly difplayed.

United States, Jan. 19, 1797.

GEO. WASHINGTON.

The following is the Letter to Mr. Pinkney, Minifter Plenipotentiary of the United States at Paris, alluded to in the Prefident's Message.

Sir,

Department of State, Jan. 16, 1797IN my letters of the 5th and 26th ult. I fent you two notes from Mr. Adet, the minifter of the French republic to the United States; the former dated the 27th of October, and the other the 15th of November laft; and my anfwer to the firft. The latter note embracing numerous topics of complaint, and going as far back as the year 1793, required a particular examination of all the tranfactions of cur government from that time to the prefent. The other indifpenfable duties of the office prevented my entering on this examination as early as I had expected, and the current business has retarded the purfuit. The refult of this examination I am now, by the direction of the President of the United States, to communicate to you. This hiftory of our affairs you will find fupported by documents, many of which were delivered to you at your departure, and the refidue will be herewith tranfmitted. The remarks and reafonings on facts you will duly appreciate; and from the whole, joined with your own obfervations, you will be enabled, it is believed, to vindicate the United States, and to demonstrate their impartiality as a neutral nation, their fidelity in the obfervation of treaties, and their friendfhip as an ally.

The difcuffion on which I am entering, will involve much repetition; for the general queftions and particular cafes grouped together in the minifter's laft note, have been fubjects of controverfy and correfpondence from May 1793 to this day. Some other points have indeed been contended for, which the minifter has now paffed without notice. Why they are omitted I know not; for in thefe cafes the United States were as pofitively charged with violating treaties as in thofe which he has been pleafed now