SUPPLEMENT to the(gauttc UnttiU |Mateg<
SECRETARY'S REPORT, 1
Cdncluded from this day's Gatette.
ing the piinifhmerit of piracy, he demanded I
and received from the Minister of Marine, a '
tommiffion naming him the commander of a
Privateer that did nbtexift ; with which in
his pocket, he returned to London ; and
soon after carried the ship Hate and her car
go as a prize into France.
"The ship and cargo were both claimed by
the American ownets ; and upon the un
veiling of this infamous proceeding before
the lower Tribunals, the judges hesitated ;
and finally refufed to sanCtion so unheard of
a fraud ; though in lie ad of restoring the pro
perty to its lewful owners, they on some friv
olous pretence-adjudged both ship and cargo
to be good prize to the nation—Lately the
Tribunal in the lait resort, upon the appeal
of Haley, has reversed the judgment of the
lower Court, and "decreed the ship and car
go to be condemned as good prize to this
Renegado.
" If a trafaCtion more grossly corrupt and
infamous has occurred in the Weft-Indies—
I have not heard of i.t; and yet with this
cafe of unequalled infamy and corruption
before them, fauCtioned by the highefl Tri
bunals of the nation, the Directory expect
to amufc us with a disavowal of the conduCt
of a few subaltern agents, in a remotepart of
their dominions i ! 1"
Besides the communications from Mr.
Gerry, I haVe received from Fulwar Skip
with, Esq. CMiful General of the United
Stat* at Pa; is, three letters dated the 4th,
Bth and 2idof August, copies ps which and
of the papers therein referred to, are here
with presented, excepting the decree of July
51ft, which appears among the communica
tionsfrom Mr. Gerry* Mr. Skipwith's let
ter of August 2jd with its jnclofures, was
delivered to me by Doctor Logan ; I had pre
viously received the original, which had been
brought over by Mr* Woodward of Boston.
Doc Ton Logan having been the bearer
of the last mentioned communications from
the Frehch government, and his embassy
having not only engaged the attention of the
public, but been made the subjeCt of.debate
in congress, I trust it will not be deemed im
proper to introduce into this report some cir
cumstances respeCting it.
On the 12th of November the DoCtor came
to me at Trenton—he advanced with eager
ness, and handed me the packet from Mr.
Shipwith. On examining its contents, I
told the DoCtor that I already possessed
the fame papers. I made some remarks on
the decree of the Directory of the 31ft of Ju
ly, to {hew that it was only ostensible and
illusory ; and that it would not give any re
lief to the commerce of the United States.
The doCtor, not conteiling my arguments or
Opinion, said that more was intended to be
done ; but that the Direftory could not ac
eomplifh it of themf.lves ; feeing it depended
on the laws which the Legjlitive Councils a
lone could change. I anfivered, that this was
eall to be done—that as the directory, on the
18th FruCVdcr [Sept. 4> 1797] had garbled
the two councils; and banifhjd some and dif
miffedothers of the heft members— all who were
firmly opposed to their-riews, and as on the
new elections to supply the vacancies and the
new third of the councils, the Directory sent
home every new member who was not agree
able to them—every body mud fee that the
DiteCtory had but to declare its will and it
would be obeyed. The doCtor said, That
the Directory was very well disposed towards
the United States, and desired a reconcilia
tion ; that they would promote a revision of
the laws in regard to privateering, so as to
put the rights of neutral nations on a just
footing : but that it would take some time
to bring thi: about, " the people concerned in
privateering having gained a very great in
fluence in tbe two councils !
Is it necessary to inquire how this " very
great influence" has been obtained! are the
leading members owners of privateers ? Or
do they receive their shares of prize-money
fromthofe who are ? Do the legislative coun
cils really act independently of the directory ?
Or does the fame " influence" actuate both ?
—The printed dispatches of our envoys, un
der the date of October 29, 1797, ftatej .on
the information of Mr. Talleyrand's private
agent X, that Merlin, one of the members,
and now or late President of the Directory,
was to receive no part of the douceur demand
ed of the envoys, because be was paid by tbe
owners of privateers, and in respect to the
loan then demanded, on which subject it was
suggested that one of the envoys should goto
America to consult the government, the en
voys " asked Mr. X, if in the meantime the
Directory would order the American proper
ty not yetpaffed into the hands of the priva
teerfmen, to be restored ? He said explicitly
that they would not. The envoys asked him
•whether they would suspend further depreda
tions on our commerce ? He said they would
not: —but Mr- Talleyrand observed that on
this subject we could not sustain much addi
tional injury, because the winter season was
approaching when few additional captures
could be made." Here we fee our envoys
inquiring—not whether the two councils
•would suspend those: depredations—but whe
ther the Directory would do it : and Mr.
Talleyrand's agent X, without intimating
that the Directory wanted power, or that
they could only " endeavor to provoke in the
legislature, a revision of their maritime laws"
anfwered peremptorily, that tbe direc
tory would not suspend tbe depredations'
The truth is, that it was an act of the Di
rectory alone (their decree of the 2d of March
1797) which authorised and produced more
txtenfive depredations on the commerce of
the United States than any other decree or c
law of the French repoblic. To effect a re- c
peal of that decree, no application to the let
giflative countils could be necessary. 1 ney e
could also have repealed another of their ■<
own decrees, that of the 2d July 1795, which t
subjected neutral property, and particularly t
that of American citizens, to the discretion t
of their consuls andcruife'rs in the European >
seas, as well as of their privateers and agents
in the Weft-Indies, and on which these a
gents have founded other numerous decrees, 1
which have occasioned those fliocking depre- 1
dations arid abuses there and oil the coast of
the United States, which the directory by ]
their decree of the 31ft of July l|ft affect to '
re ft rain.
When the French Directory wished to 1
enlarge the field of depredations otl neutral ]
commerce, and on the 4th January, 1798,
proposed to the two councils, the project of 1
the iniquitous law "to declare to be good
prize every vessel and her cargo, to whom
soever belonging, if any part of the cargo 1
came from England or her possessions"- 1 -
ther# was a ready obedience. " The direct
ory think it urgent and neceffar) to pals the
law." The plan of a decree is reported to
the Council of Five Hundred on the tith ;
1 and " urgency" being declared, is im
mediately and unaniino'tifly adopted: It goes
to the Council of Ancients—that Council
approves the a A of " urgency" { arid on the
1 Bth of January the project of the Directory
becomes a law.
This law was necessary for the French
i government : fp many American vessels
\ had been entrapped by the Directory's de
j cree of March 2, 1797, requiring the role
d'equipage, that the residue were now gene
rally provided with that paper : Some new
pretext was therefore requisite for " fleecing"
the peopb of the United States of their pro
perty ; and an ordinance of one of the kings
of France, made near a century past, having
declared lawful prize, the vessels aud their
cargoes, in which were fpund English mer
chandize " belonging to enemies," —the Di
rectory declare that the provisions of this or
dinance ought to be extended, to comprehend
the vessels and cargoes offriends ; that is,
of allied and neutral nations. The Directo
ry knew that the United States, wbofe inha
bitants were cultivators, required a
greater supply of Englilll manufactures than
any other neutral country of equal populati
on ; and those manufactures too, were, from
the course of American commerce, combined
with almost all our mercantile operations,
and pervaded entirely our great coasting
trade. Hence it is evident that this law
was chiefly aimed at tbem.
It will be remembered also, that this law
was passed while our three envoys were at
Paris, where they had passed three months
unheeded by the French government, except
by its indignities—-and when they had in
vain solicited to be heard on the just claims
of our citizens, plundered and ruined under
the former decrees of the republic. This time
was preferred, in order to add insult to inju
ry. The envoys had firmly refilled her de
mands of loans and douceurs ; and when
speaking of country, dared to intimate,
that it was independent: it was therefore re
quisite, on the French system, to "chastise,"
as well as to" fleece" it.
In elofing this subjeCt, it will be propfer
to notice an assertion of Mr. Talleyrand in
a conversation with the envoys on the 2d
March, 1798. In reply to some observations
of his respeCting the proofs of friendfhip re
quired by France from the United States,
Gen. Pintkney observed, that the envoys be
ing in France was a proof of the friendly dis
position of our government; and that while
they were there, the French government
had passed a decree for seizing neutral vef
ft.ls having on board any article coming out |
of England ; Which in its operation would
subjeCt to capture all our property on the
ocean. Mr. Talleyrand replied, that tbis
was not particular to us, but was common to
all neutral powers." This assertion of Mr.
Talleyrand is not true. Although the decree
in its terms is general, and applicable to all
the neutral powers, yet "in its operation, it
was not designed to be, and bas not been so
applied—it has not touched a vessel of Prus
sia. The motives to this exemption are ob
vious : France wished not by irritating Prus
sia to add so powerful a nation, and one so
near at hand, to the number of her enemies,
while her peace with Austria remained preca
rious. But this exemption of Pruflian ves
sels from the operation of a general law, me
rits particular notice. It demonstrates that
there exists in the French Republic a dispen
sing power—a power above tbe laws—a pow
er which can prevent tbeir executien : and it
is alike demonstrable that this sovereign con
trouling power can exist, and in faCt does ex
ist, in the Executive Directory. It might
then, if the Directory desired it, be exercis
ed in the exemption of American as well as
Prussian vessels : But the Directory do not
desire it : we have not yet been fufliciently
" fleeced" and " chastised."
Mr. Skipwith's letter of the 4th of Au
gust inclosed the Decree of the Executive
Directory already noticed, passed the 31ft of
July, respeCting French depredations in the
Weft Indies and on the coast of the United
States. His letter of the Bth of August in
closed Mr. Talleyrand's letter to him of the
6th, respeCting that decree in which it is plain
that the minister supposed the world, and
particularly the United States, will be amufv
ed by that illusory device, and'imagine that
it was intended to flop abuses, and give se
curity to neutral commerce.
Mr. Skipwith's letter of the 22 of August
• covers another letter from Mr. Talleyrand,
dated the joth of August, in which he «n-
WEDNESDAY, JANUART 23, 1799.
closes copies of two letters from the Minister ol
of Marine respeCting American seamen who i
had been imprisoned» When in July last an tr
embargo was laid on the American merchant (1
vessels in the poits of France, the agents of re
the Marine took out their crews and threw d
therri into p'rifon ; thus hazarding the loss of "
the vessels, and injuring the riien by confine- a
ment and the bad provisionS of their jails. I
These seamen were ordered to be released. g
The other letter from the Minister of Marine v
required that no injury should be done to the h
fafety and liberty of the officers and crews of f
American vessels found to be in order, nor to 1 a
pafWngers and other citizens of the United n
States having passports and protections. i
The fame letter from Mr. Skipwith in- t
closed the copy of a Decree of the Directory a
passed the 16th of August, for taking off f
the Embargo, laid a month before 011 Ameri- t
can vessels. 1
The Decree itfelf occupies but two lines : c
but its preamble is extended for the purpofs t
of intuiting the Government of the United c
States, when an aCtof common justice was done 1
to some of their citizens } by insinuating that
the Government was "abandoned to the pas- (
lions of the British Cabinet.?' This, howe- ,
ver, is but the repetition of a calumny fa- (
miliar in Freiich diplomacy, respeCting ether
nations as well as our own. Barras, Presi
dent of the Directory, in his valedictory ad- '
dress to Mr. Monroe, declared that " France j
would not abase herfelf bycalculating thecon- j
sequences of the condescension of the Ame
rican givernment, to the suggestions of her (
former tyrants" : profiling at the fame time
great "esteem for the American people." Mr.
Adethad before charged the American Gov
ernment, with a " perfidiouscondtfctnhon to
the English and after making his last com
munications to the Government he by their 1
immediate publication under his orders, ap- 1
pealed from the Government to the People of
the United States. Yet Mr. Talleyrand ,
fays, that the French Government has indeed
"complained of the American govrenment,but
to the Givernment itself meaning to have it
understood, thoughcarefully avoiding the ex
pression, that it had complained to the Gov
ernment alone. With the like sophistry he
attempts to evade our well founded allega
tions, that the French Government has made
reproachful and injurious diftinCtionsbetween
the Government and People of the United
States, endeavoring to separate the latterfrom
the former. He fays " it is utterly false,
notwithstanding the public and private insin
uations which have been made in private
writings and in solemn a&s, that the French
government has ever fought to detach the
people of the United States from tie Consti
tution tbey bave given themselves." Such a
charge against the French government has
not, that I know, ever been made by the
American government: but we have accused
them, and truly, with endeavors to detach
the People of the United States from the
Government chosen by themselves to admin
ister that Constitution : and this the minis
ter does not attempt to deny. The Directo
ry would perhaps be contented that the Peo
ple should retain the forms of " the Con- J
ftitution they have given themfelvesj" and to
which they are attached, provided they would
eleCt to administer it, men devoted to France
and ready to obey the intimations of her will.
And because the People have not been thus
obsequious, but have dared to make a differ
ent Election,—the French Government has
expressed its " terrible" resentment. Mr.
Barlow has assured us, in tbe passage already
cited from his letter, that for this single act
of the People of the United States, in exercis
ing freely their right of election the Directory
passed a decree " which Wasmeant tobeiittle
short of adecla ration of war ;"by which it" was
determined tofleece the people of their proper
ty certainly in expectation that by touching
their feelings in that" nerve," they would be
induced, in order to save tbeir property, to
submit implicitly to the government of
France. Failing in this attempt the French
government made another, in the decree (if
the ißthof January, 1798, which, though
' general in its terms, I have (hewn to have
been levelled directly aad chiefly at the com
, merce .of the United States. And this, at
the time, (as I have before remarked) when
three envoys extaordinary were waiting
month after month; and most refpefifully
soliciting to be heard, and to enter on the
| difcuflionof all the subjeCts of difference be
tween the two countries ; and among these,
on the French depredations 011 our com
merce. Yet Mr. Talleyrand has the confi
dence to assert, and to Mr. Gerry too, one
of those envoys, that the French govenv
. ment " never refufed and never will refufe
to enter into difcuflion upon evefy proper
subject of discussion. Does the minister mean
. that those depredations are not " a proper
subject of difcuflion ?" Yes, with respect
to a vast proportion of them. Mr. Y, his
; private agent, explicitly told our Envoys,
that the condemnations of vessels for want c.
r the role d'equipage were not to be questioned ;
"thatbeinga point on which Merlin while
. Minister of Justice had written a Treatise,
. and on which the Directory were decided."
p It is fit here to recollect another and a
. peremptory refufal of the French govern
-1 ment, "to enter into discussion" upon the
_ subject of difference between France and the
. United States.
1 General Pinckney, appointed a Minister
j Plenipotentiary of the United States'to the
I French Repnblic,iwent to Paris in the autumn
of 1796. There was at firft (as in the cafe
of the Envoys Extraordinaryin 1797) a ftiew
of receiving hiin : but soon the fccnevas
j. changed ; and he was not only refufed a hear
ing, and after bearing athoufand indignities,
ordered to leave France ; but the predeceffcr
of Mr. Talleyrand, Charles De La Croix, in tuc
i letter to Mr. Monroe, intended to be corti- ing
niiinicated to General Pinckney, declared, ma
(being specially charged to do so by the Di- " t
rectory, and Mr. De La Croix repeated the up>
declaration te General Pinckney's Secretaj-y)
" That it will not acknowledge nor receive D<
another Minister Plenipotentiary from the
Uriited States, until after the redress of the mm
grievances demanded of the American go
vernment, and which the French Republic
has a right to expect from it." To this re
solution we have seen the Directory adhere ; (
and we have aifo seen, in the dejnands it
made to our Envoys Extraordinary, as the
indispensible preliminaries to any negotia
tion, what it meant by a " redress of griev-
ances," prior to the reception of a Minister
, from America : itconfiftedin a douceur for
the pocket of the Directors and Ministers J
in the purchase at par of thirty-two millions
of Dutch Securities, then worth but half
that sum ; and in Loans as immense and in
definite as their depredation! on our com
merce! • A
The fame letter from the French misif
ter De La Croix to Mr- Monroe, affords _
another proof of the aim and endeavours
of the French Government to separate the B
People from the Government of the United
States. In the fentencc next following the f
above quoted paffege, Mr. De La Croix
lays, " I pray you to be purfuaded, citizen
minister, that this determination having be- f 0
• come neceflary, allows to subsist between
the French Republic and the American P'
People the affe&ion founded upon former m
benefits and reciprocal interests."
If I were to allow myMf to make any d(
further refleftions on the conduft of Fiance
towards the United States, it would be to
illustrate the truth of Mr. Barlow's after- -
tion, That the French Government determined,
to fleece us. If the French Government L
" listened (as Mr. Talleyrand fays it does) il
to nothing but j'lftice," and really desired a in
reconciliation, it would have proposed to C
Use some meafnre of fatisfa9ion, for the inju- 1
ries it said it had received. Or if b
too proud to propose to us, at lead it would
have prescribed to itfelf, some limit to re
prisals s or at any rate, it would not have
spurned us from its presence, when we res-
pe&fully presented ourselves, fought a re
conciliation, and offered to make ajuft fa
tisfa&ion for every injury we had commit
ted. And if (as Mr. Talleyrand) asserts
" the French g >vcrnment has not ceased to
offer the exadl justice it demands," it would
also have permitted us to state our claims.
But it would have been so easy to ascertain
all the damages we had done ; and their
amount would have been so small ; even if
we agreed to pay for all English, Spanish
and Dutch veffcls brought by French crui- 5
fers, into our ports, while all those nations
were at war with Ftance—a few of which
the justice of the Federal courts, in vindi- J.
cation of the sovereignty of the United States,
rescued from the hands of the French con-
I fills, Agents and Privateerfmen ; and if to
that amount we also added ten times the t
value of the raiferable corvette Le Caffius, p
a vessel which had been unlawfully fitted C
out for war in the United States, but which F
has been the burden of every note from A- *
det's in 1795, to De la Croix's and Talley- 5
rand's in 1796 and 1798, the amount of i
the whole, it was known, would be so
fmill; the French government did not choose 1
to have it afcertnined: for 'hen the injuries j .
d»ne by the French to the commerce of the ' <
United States mult also have been examined j 1
and adjfifted : and when adjusted, payment .
must have been made or stipulated : but in i *
this, the French government, doubtless J
thought " it would fi'id only a real difad-
the amount of its own demands j
1 dedu&cd from those of America, would j <
hardly seem to have diminished the latter. !
Such a mutual . adjufimtnt woud also' <
have been accompanied with a settlement of 1
allqueftions and di'putesabout the CQultruft- 1
ion of treaties, and all other fubje&s of dif
" fereuce : But in this also the French go
vernment, upon its own system, " would
have found a real disadvantage " For it '
• would have vastly reduced the field for pri
vateering in the European seas j and in the t
Weft-Indies it would have been nearly an
' nihilated : for there, for' every vefTcl taken
' from the enemies of France, h«r cruifcrs have
probably «aptured twenty belonging to the
United States. But the French government
by always abstaining from making fptcific
demands of damages—by refufing to re
ceive our ministers—by at length proposing
to negotiate in a mode wh ch it knew to be
impradlicable,—with the person who h.d 1
t no powers, and who therefore constantly re
-5 fufed to negotiate—and thus wholly avoi
ding a negotiation—it has kept open the
field for complaints of wrongs and injuries,
in order, by leaving them undtfined to fur
' nifh pretences for unlimited depredations
In this way " it determined to fleece ns ,"
In this way it gratified its avarice and re
a venge—And it hoped also to satiate its am
bition . After a long series of insults unrt
c fented, ana a patient endurance of injuries
e aggravated in their nature and unexampled
in their cxttnt—that government expe&ei 1 ,
, r our final submission to its will. Our refi.
e stance has excited its furpriie ; and as cer
n tainly increased its resentment. With some
■ e soothing expressions, is heard the voice of
lv wounded pride. Warmly profeffing its de
ls fire of reconciliation, it gives ro evidence of
r _ its sincerity ; bnt proofs in abundance de
monstrate that it is rot fmcere. From ftan
■ r dinjj eieit, and in that commanding atti-
tude requiring implicit obedience;—-cower
ing, it renounces some of its unfounded de
mands. But I hope we| shall remcrabetf
" that the Tyger crouches before he leaps
upon his prey."
TIMOTHY PICKERING.
Department of State,")
January 18. 1 J
An elegant Chariot,
With plated Harntfs.
For SALE at the Merchant's Coffee House %
On Saturday next,
• at 10 o'clock.
FOOTMAN V CO.
Jan. * j d4t
MADEIRA WINE '
FOR SALE,
At the late dwelling house of Henry
Hill, Esq.
On Tuesday morning next,
precisely at 11 o'clock.
FOOTMAN V CO.
Approved endorsed note*, at 60 days, will
be received in payment,
jan *3 dtTu
StiMUEL PARKER, ~
BRASS and BELL FOUNDER,
No. 137, Mulu errr-Srneet.
CONTINUES to carry on the Brafs-foundcry
Bnfineft a« usual, where his former customers
and the public may be supplied with castings for
machines to any pattern, rtodder bracts, bolts, &c.
for flii ps.
It m; y be proper to adj, that, as it has been re
ported he had declined the buGnefs, fe. P. takes this
means of informing the public that he is makirg
arrangements to carry it 00 still more extensively,
hoping th-rebr to comply promptly with such or
der-as he may have te execute.
Bills, of any size, cast for churches and
other institutions; printets rules, &c.
_j an> eo3t
THE Creditors of Britton and
fvfaj/cy, who obtained judgments agaioft
them at March te:m, 1798, or any preced
ing term, are requeued to meet at William
Ogden's tavern, in Chefnut street, on
Thursday evening next, the 24th instant, on
bafinefs of importance.
Jan. 23 dzt
WILL BE SOLD,
On Thursday morning n:xt. at 10 o'clock, on
the lot adjoining the City Tavern, be
tween Second and Doci Jlreett,
A Quantity of Lumber,
Among which are
Doors and door-cases
Window frames, fliutlers and sashes
Girders, scantling and joyft
Rafters, collar beams and roofs
W alnfcotting, bieaft work, boards,ice.
CONNELLY & Co. Auct'rs
Henry Zantzinger,
SURVIVING PARTNER OF THE HOUSE OF
Keppele Zantzinger,
Will dispose of all their Stock in 1 rade, upon
moderate terms, confijling of the fallowing
articles, in packages and open,
Br»ad and narrow Cloths Sewing Silks, Twist
Calfinieres, Swanfdowns Oinghams Bengal Stripes
Plains Beverrets Beaver Gloves and Bind-
Coatings, Elastic Cloths ing»
Flannels, Swanftins Coloured and Scotch
Baizes Threads
R#f: Blankets > in Bales. Men's and Women's Cot.
Striped do. J Hose
Thickfetts,Velvetts,Cor- Do. do. Silk do.
duioys Men's Beaver Hats
I Fancy Cords, Vest Coat- Pocket and Children'*
, ing Knives
! Jeans, Fustians, Nankeens Barlow and other Pen-
Cott. Ba.idanoesß.onv.il- knives
■ ! I.iwnen and Cotton pock- Knives and Forks,Butch
f jet Handkerchiefs ers Knivej
1 j Pulicat a«d other ditto Scifl" rs, Shears, Razors
( Silk Hdkfs Ferrets Ivtry, horn, and other
j Olive, purple and chintz Combs
j Shawls Needles, Spefladcs, and
1 I Apron Spoon'.
I Calicoes and ( in thimbles, Curry Combs
I Chintzes ( Trunks &c. &c.
j Furnitures J -.
3 Camblets, Calimaßcoes. N. R. A large afloft-
F Duranrs ment of Pearl, Steel and .
I. Spinning & other Stuffs other Buttons.
j "» 1 d;t
The Creditors
1 Of the late James Wilson, Esq. are rc r
' ucfted to meet at ihe City Tavern, at 6
clock in the evening df Thursday next,
' the 24th inft. on business of importance.
Jan. 22 . djt
' For Savannah,
To fail the Jirfl opening,
' ran I he well atoommodated and fall
failing ship
; STVIFT PACKET,
' Patrick Gribcin, Majler,
1 how lying at Latimer's wharf.--For lreight;
, or Paflage apply to the mifttr on board, or
1 N. & J. FRAZIER,
No. 95, South Front Street.
January n. drw
40 Boxes of Fre& Citron
' J»fl artived via New-York, anchor Sale by
JOHN CRAIG,
~ Who has also for Sale, |j
Old Madeira Wine
of the firft quality,
India Mullins,
>s coarse and fine, &c.
] A quantity of the best Hnglifli large leaf
Clover Seed.
Jan. it. diw
" TO BE SOLD,
e A two story Stone House,
>f T ATELY built, with two acres of land, on !
.Li the Bristol road, about a mile above Frank- ;
,f fort. The situation is high and healthy, and ]
the water excellent.—For terms apply to M/. 1
"" John McClelland, or Mr. Richard Whitehead,
1 No. 6*, Vine-street.
Jan. it d »»