i
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the vexations and spoliations which . your. I
Commerce has experienced, you will doubt
lels receive With pleafrtrt some edai'rciJe
ments on the complaints %vell or ill founded,
which have b»en brought against the priva
teers & 2 (hips of war of the French Repub
lic. You will not o'oferve with lei's plealure
in my reply, that the National Convention
has already done- justice t(J foif.e of the de
mands of the merchants of the United States,
and are now occupied in i"ati9iying some o
thers.
In the lift of complaints against the repub
lic, of Franee the complainants urge that .the
French privateers do net less harrafs your
con\merce than thofj of the Engli/h.
To this assertion I answer by two observa
tions which I l'ubmit to your impartiality.
I. It is now some time since any more
privateers have failed out of the puns of
France, and the number of thole which have
been armed in our Islands is not to be com
pared with those pirates which the illand of
Bermuda aiorte fends forth.
a. If any of your merchants have fuffered
any injury by the conduct of our privateers,
(a thing which would be .contrary to the in
tention and express orders of the Republic)
they may with confidence, address theml'elves
to the French government, which will never
refufe justice to those whose claims lhall be
legal. _ '
I feel a pleasure in thinking, and faying
to you, that it is not the fault o£ the French,
if commercial property, even of enemy-na
tions, has not been refpeifted amidit the hor-.
ro:% of w^r.
This proposition of natural right was made
by one of out' legillative aflembiies to the
Britiih, who rejeifid it. i
idly. It is imputed to tiuo tf our /hips of
<u>ar that they have Committed enormities on
your vejjels. y
Should the fatft be proved, the Captains
of those two vellHs are as culpable towards
France as they are towards the United States,
for having sifted In a manner contrary to the
inftr«(ftions thty have received: The govern
ment, upon information of the crime, will
fnoft certainly punish the authors of it. It
would Be unjust to accuse a nation generally
taf the aist of some individuals, when that
nation disavows their condudV, and repairs
the wrongs which they have committed.
J'ily. Certain aifts of opprefjion in the courts
if a mirdlrv are Complained of.
The opprellive a<sts of the admiralty courts
need no longer to be complained of, mice 011
ffte claims of merchants of the United States
file Convection on the Bth November last,
paCtd a decree giving to the executive coun- I
cil the power of judging of the validity or
invalidity of prizes.
It is as follows:
Tiie National Convention after having
heard the report of the > qiiuiUil'.e .ot niAhUi
fafet-r, decrees tEat all' dilpute> arisen, or
which may afife, on the validity or in validity
6f prizes made by privateers, fhail be decid
ed, by way of administration, by the provi
fbry executive council. The decree of the
f4th, Feb. (O. S.J attributing the judgment
«f these matters to the commercial tribunals
» repealed.
Copy agreeable to the original,
Jh. Fauchet.
The 4th allegation, would require a long
SLulic'n which I lhali not undertake here.
—I lhali only indulge myfelf in this Angle
refkclion, that the horrible system of viola
ting the law of nations in order to starve a
people Who cannot be conquered by force of
arms, has not been invented lay.France, and
that it would be as unjust as barbarous to
require that (he Ihould allow provisions to
pass to tef ehemies, while thole destined for
Her are taken by them.
As to the embargo on American veflels,
imperious cii/ umiUnces, the falvatipn of the
Country, have imposed that measure; but the
interests of no one will be injured ; and to
Convince you of this, I recite an extra# of a
letter which I have just received from citi
zen Taiiien Rcprelentative of the people at
Bordeaux.
ft is pofiible.he writes me," That fomema
' levolem persons may make ufeof this pretext
(.the embargo) to lit urb the harmony exift
mg between the Americans and us, or might
represent this measure as a violation, of trea
lies between the two nations ; the interest of
individuals may for a moment cause the ge
neral interest to disappear. It is then to"you
J>rave Republican and the true triendof your
country, that we mult consign the care of de
fending it to Congress ((hould the measure
happen to be there calumniated) fay to our
brethren that it is the intention of the com
mittee of public fafety, the actual center of
the French government to indemnify all the
Owners or captains who by the operation of
the embargo have been obliged to remain a
lergth of time in France, and that the pro
pohtions which soon will be made to them in
the name of the committee will be advanta
geous to both nations. In (hort, my friend, ■
Use every means of a frank republican nego
rator to convince our brethren the Ameri- 1
tans, that when occupied concerning the se
gregate interests of the nation, we do notfor- 1
get the,rs, and they may be assured, that they
*.11 always find ,n us faithful obfervera of
treaties made with nations worthy of li
7'he fifth and last allegation is that a con .
(raft the payment of which bavin? been /V
puhfed in cqjh, has been made in nffi.rrJs ■
I am unacquainted with the fact, but I am
*fiared, that it is the intention of the N ti- f
■ onit Coaventiatl net -to any injuftic.'
and to repair fuckr as lhali have been commit
■ ted.
I conclu !e my reft"ct'6ns ; not doubting
Sit, bui that *ih<-y w ; l! be receive 1 w.th ti.i
lame in stvas would be excited in Frinc«
by the obl'ervahonS of our allies, to whoih 1
always with new pleasure renew the aifuranoi
of the mod fraternity arid eterpa
friendlhip on the part of the people of France
JH. FAUCHET.
Faithfully translated from the original,
2911 March, 1754, by
G. TAYLOR, jun.
Philadelphia, April 3d, 1744.
Sir,
YOU do me no more than justice,- in be
lieving, that I receive with pleasure the ex
planations, which your letter of the 29th
ult. contains. They inspire :ne with full con
fidence, that my representations on each com
plaint will be treated with candor ; and as
sure mi; of redress, as far as truth will sup
port my demands.
On my part, permit me here to repelt
what I have expressed in my letter 011 the
vexations of our commerce, that my inquiry
into the facts did not go beyond the allega
tions of the parties interested. My viewwas
to present a summary only of the fubjedts,
of the remonltrartces, longed in my office,
reserving the proofs for our interviews on the
aJjultmentof the claims of retribution; deli
vering no opinion, how far the charges were
supported by evidence, and "above all, not
imputing to the French Republic the unau
thorized mil'conduft of its mips of war.
I have the honor, Sir, to be with great
retpect and ejtevm,
Your most obedient servant,
EDM. RANDOLPH.
The Minister Pie-
nipotentiary of the >
French Republif. )
1 True Copy,
GEORGE TAYLOR, jun.
1 -1.
PHILADELPHIA,
APRIL 7.
The express, dispatched by the Execu
tive of the United States, with the refolu
tioi) of Congress for laying an embargo,
arrived at Boston on Saturday evening the
• in seventy-sour hours from the
time of leaving this City.
Yeftevday afternoon a boat overlet and
immediately funk about the middle of the
river nearlyjoppoiitc the S'y-Ihl,
by wliicFi accident, seven persons were
unfortunately drowned—viz. three wa
men, two men and two children. T\Vo
woraen and one man were saved by the hn
mane exertions of some persons, whopulh
ed off in a boat from a wharf oppoiite
the diftrelTing scene.
Tliere is a report in town, that a truce
between France and Spain has taken
place.
Mr. Dayton this day gave notice, that
he (hould call up his proposition, for the
fequetration of Britiih property, to-mor
row.
Extra& of a letter from Boston, dated 11 ft
March.
" Mr. Sargent's brig is just arrived in
23 days from St. Kitts—this vessel was
some time since obliged to put into St.
Euftatia in distress, and was captured
coming from that island, and carried to
St. Kitts—where it seems (he was immedi
ately released."
" N. B. The January Packet was not
arrived at St. Kitts when this vefTel failed."
Extras of a letter frem Chefler county.
" When last in your city, I suggested to
you a probability that the contemplated
courfeof the unfinhhed part of the Turn
pike road, which lies between the sixteenth
ar.d thirteenth mile stones, would be rejetted
tor a more southerly one,this probability ap
proaching nearer a certainty, induced me
lome time since, to examine the fouthc-rn
route, which has these advantages, in an
eminent degree ; it being almost a perfe.fl le
vel, nearly ft,-sight, and in the midst of stone,
better calculated for the purpose, than any I
have ever leen—add to which, persons thro'
whose property it will run, f'cem anxious
that it (hould pass them ; moreover read,7
and willjng to affifl In the completion of such
| parts as may come on their jand, I therefore
rel! afiured that the board taking those things
as faas, will finally adopt this ccurfe as the
molt eligible.
By this Day's Mail.
NEW-YORK, April 5.
On Thursday the Commifliouers ap
po.uted to direct the Fortifications, pro
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» pofea f,i ling part, ".vent dovyii to the Nay- I
' j rw S ; and yeit-rday, tvti:t t >. (iuv-
J liVariri, io- examine find drter-siite
j « . the 11-i.ii proper pl-w.-i, t. cred iurt#
. } a.vl inh< " works foi tl« defence of chr
i J city and harbor. -
J.atejl European Intelligence.
LONDCfN, January n.
fetters from B:-ufie!s. mention, that the
different attacks lately made by the Carmag
nyis on the whole chaj) of. politions from
Nieuport to Tournav, had no other objea,
bur to maflt the of 10,000 men,
, who from the northern army have marched
again ft the royalists of la Vendee. As soon
a> this march was effeAed, the SansCulottes
retreated to tiieir former politions, after Hav
ing destroyed all the causeways which led ia
to .he French territory.
A Spahifti man of war, of 74 guns, il ar
rived in Falmouth roads, having on board, as
is raid, half a niilion of dollars, for the pay
ment >oi : the Nooika 3ound claimants. Wp.o
---• gons are detained there, and the conveyance
to Londoll will commence as soon as a guard
arrives.
Extra# of a letter from Portfmoufh, Jan. 9.
" This morning Earl Moira arrived from
London, and joihed the army at Cowes."
January 9.
The Ottoman Porte, we learn, has de
termined to fend an AinbalfaJor to every
Court irv Europe.
The Treasury letters to the members o{
the House of Commons, are already ifTued,
and, from the terms in which they are eX
pressed, Miniitcrs seem more than usually
anxious to procure a full and early attend
ance bf their friends.—The letters state
tnnta proposition of the " utmojl 'import
ance," is to be submitted to the deliberati
on of the House, and most earnjily re
quests the attendance of the members on
Ihe firjl day of the session. This, it is
supposed, alludes to a measure, which,
we underltand from very resectable autho
rity, has been determined in the cabinet,
of totally withdrawing the Bjritifh troops
from the continent,experience having prov- '
ed that trance cannot be conquered in
Flanders.
Yesterday the Hero, Captain Howatd,
fell down the river, with upwards of 300
pafTeugers for New-York.
Extra fl of a private letter,
The Imperial army, which on the 29th
of December, crofted the Rhine near Phi
liplbonrg, is taking post on the right
batik of the river, in order to protect Ftfrt
Louis, the possession of which is of the
greatest importance to the allies, as it
takes the lines of Weiffembourg in the
rear, and of course makes their pofTeffion
useless to the enemy.
January 13. "
The arrest of Thomas Paine has made
his proselytes in this country rather unfriend
ly to the present Convention of France. What
has happened to this man, setting aside the
enormities, of which the Convention is daily
guilty, ought to serve as a warning to every
one how they permit popuias locieties to in
frfftge on the privileges of government, and
take the law into their own hands.
The Emperor and the States of Brabant
are still at variance resetting the appoint
ment of the superior officers of the state. His
Majesty had appointed M. Van de Velde,
Chancellor of Brabant; but the Hates have
refufed to' accept him, a, being unworthy of
their cpnfidence.
We have received an official account of
the late battle between the Portuguese
and Spani/h troops, and the French, in the
Province of Rouffillon, which there was
no time yesterday to tranllate; but it lhall
appear to-morrow or next day.
Circuluj letters have been ifTued from
the Adjutant-General's office to all offi
cers engaged in the recruiting service, de
liring them to life the utmost activity in
completing their levies.
■THEATRE.
OBSERVER No. XIII.
Mr. Fenno,
THE Oiiferver presents hiseompliments in
this hint to the ladies of his acquaintance.
Is your hulband poor, yet honcft ? Attend ,
to •" .'v. ipbtr.ee in the character of Ladv !
Eleanor Irwin.
Is he led ash ay by accident and inexperi- ,
ence, rather tl an by habits of depravity ? 1
With her in Mrs. Belville smile him into 1
good humor, and lure him back to virtue &
conftar.
Is he, (lung by misfortunes and wrongs
led to ra&nelr, and plots of daring ? Lixe
her in Belvidera, call up the latent Iparks of
honor, and guard him from the precipice.
Have disappointments or calls'of duty,
banilhed him Trom your arms, and ih addi
tion, left an infant offspring/on your hands
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