The Mirrour — Concord, N.H., 1794-01-13 00:00:00, page 1

■ [Vol. IL— Num. 64.]
r Congreffion&l HiJk„. 1
Mr. G^NET.
Newyork, Sept. 18, 1793.'
2d year of the French Republics
° ne and Indivisible. i
Cifa Gm Wafer Qu^rattej of
fa French RefeubUck, Q.fa United
,&aW, , Mr. gefferfa, Secretary of State,
SIR,
PERSUADED that the Sovereignty of
Inta United States resides essentially
in fog people, and its representation in 1
Congress : Perfaadpd that the Executive
Power is the only one which has ten cog
faed to the President of they. States
Persuaded that this, Magistrate has n®t
the right to decide quefoons, the diftpif!
Gon of which the ConfytWon refepes
particularly to the Qngrefs : Persuaded
that he has not the power to bend ex
isting treaties to cifcymftances, and to
change theirfenfe: Perfuadedthat the
league formed by ^|the tyrants, ^anni
hilate republican pqiM^ r founded
the rights of mam,.will be the objed of
the most feripus deliberations ofCpngrefs
I had deferred, in the fme view of obtain
ing good harmony between the free peo
ple of America find France; communicat
ing to my government; before the epoch
at which the representatives of the peo
ple were to assemble, the original corres
pondence which has taken place, fa writ
ing, between youand myfelf, on the po
litical righ s of France in particular ; on
the intere, of general liberty ; and on
the aft, proclamations,, and decisions of
the President of thrUntted' States, rela ?
tive to objects which require, from their
mature, the fan&ion of the legislative bo
dy—hbwever, informed that the gentle:
mea who have been painted to me so oft
en as Ariftocrats,Partisans of Monarch/,
Partizans of England, of her Constitu
tion, and consequently, enemies of the
b principles which all good Frenchmen
' have embraced, with a religious enthusi
asm; alarmed at the popularity which
was reflexed on the minister ofFrancte,
by the affedion of the American People
far the French Republick, andt for the
glorious cause which it defends ; equally
, alarmed at my unshaken and incorrupti
ble attachment to the severe maxims of
L"democracy, were labouring to ruiumein
Qty country; after having reunited all
their efforts to ealuminafe me iti the
vie,vof their fellow citizen's.
Iwas going to begin so colled these
affliding, materials, and I was taking
medfurer mtranfmit them to France,
wither reports, when. the denuncia-
Itoh which these fame men have edited
,he President to exhibit against me, thro 1
Mri Morris came to my hands. Strong
) in the principles which have direfled
my condod; fheltercd from every well
founded reproach ; I expeded, neverthe
less, to have found in it some serious alle
gations. But what has ton my afton-
Jihment oh finding that the American
people were more Outraged in it than my
felf , that it was supposed that/ I .xercif
ed over them a sovereign influence; that
it was pretended that 1 was making them
take a part in the war of liberty Morthe;
defence of their brethren, of their allies,
againfttheintention of their government ;
that judgments favourable to our inrerefts
rendered in the midst of the acclamations
: of the citizens of Philadelphia, by juries, &
by independent tribunals, have not been
the ex preffion of a severe justice ; in Ihor t,
bhat I was a power within another power.
Such strange accusations, proving only
that the American people love and sup
port our principles and our cause, in spite
of its numerous enemies, and that the
power which they do me the honour to at
tribute to me, is only that ofgratitude ;
of truth combating error : I will fend no
other just ideation of my condna : I will
join only in support of the opinions which
I mean to profefs, some writings which
\^ff^ } till /< >& \ V f ' ''
have been published here, such as those of 1
feritae, and of Wvidius, &c.।
As to the peifon^ outrages ;,a, to the 1
doubts which you insinuate on my devo- 4
tion to the union of the people, I have, 4
reason to believe they will not make a 1
greai impression, when the anrwer rf flMll)
be recurred to, whiQ I made to thenu*
merous addresses which your fellow citi- 1
tens deigned to prefenr me ; when it Ihall<
pe recolleded, that placed at the age of:
twelve years, in the bureau of foreign af
fairs, it was I who had the advantage of
contributing to penetrate the French with<
the spirit of 1776 and 1777, by tranflat- |
ing into our, tongue, under the direction
of my fafher; then head of the bureau, the 1
greater part of your laws, and of the writ
ings of your politicians : That since that ]
tepocfr, always faithful to the cause of lit, j
^rty, I have rendered to the Americans th 1
jhe different employments I have had, all
the services which depended on me ; and,,
|hat ,we find, charged to rfprefent the 1
rfrench Roble with the firft people who 1
fee prdclairned the figfitiofnian, know-/
ing how fi^our'aricient government hadl
but liberticlde Ih^ckfes oh the amicable|
[htercoufe of our tod nations, I h'ave ne-i
gleded nothing to obtain on the one hah^,|
the liberal basis of the new bands whichi
the Fftfithßdpte desires to contra& with|
khelMited States, were to be negotiated, 1
irt order, ffiaf bn tie mother, the Federal\
Government might be sensible, fibrins I
gentftMs' to occupy themfeli^s prompt-•
I,'oh the tondufion of this 'true family 1
comp^a, which was forever to unite the
political and commercial interests of two
people, equally objects of the hatred' of all
OTahtSfl'Befides, Sir, whatever' may be
the refult-of the ! atchievemenit of which
you hire rendered yourfelf the generous ,
increment, after having made nfe believed
that fob were my friend @ - after havingl;
initiated me into mysteries, which hive
inflamed my tiiitlffl against all fholfe who
afpife to an abfofute power, there is ad
ad of juftite whichth^ American people;
which the Fteha I^^^ wb^b all free
people are ihterefted to • te&ptrtf ffiatH
ttet there! I ,bmid^ a particular enquiry
ih the next Congreft; ofihe motives, on
which the head <i!f the 'Executive Powet
of the United State,, has taken on himfelf
to demand the recalFoh;publick minis
ter, whom the so% ereign people of the U
nited States; had received fraternally, and
recognized, before thed?pldmatfc forms
bad been fulfilled, with r efpeatb him at
Philadriphia. f 1
, It isih the name of the french people,
that lam sent to their brethren, to free
and sovereign men ; it is then, for the
RepreFeAtatives of the American people,
and ridtfor i ifingte mapflo exhibit against
mean aft of accufetion; if I have merited
it. A despot may singly permit himfelf
to demand from iiAdther dripot, the re
call, of his representative, and to order his
expuifion in case of refufal. This is what
the Empress of Russia did with refpeft to
myfelf, from Lovis XVI. but in a free
state, it cannot be so, unless order be en
tirely subverted ; nO^s the people, in a
moment of blindnefe, chufes to rivet their
fetters in making to a single individual,
the abandonment of thei r most precious
rights.
I pray you, then, fir, to place under the
eyes of the President of the United States,
the demand which I make in the name of
equity, to lay before Congress, for their
difeuffion, at the epoch when they shall
be assembled by the law, if the great e
vents which occupy the universe, do not
appear yet fuffieient to hasten their con
vocation. ift. All the questions relative
to the political rights of France, and the
United States. 2d. The different cases,
resulting from our state of war with the
powers, of whose ads of aggression I have
informed you. 3d. The heads of accusa
tion, which the minister of the United;
States, with the French Republick, is
Icharged to exhibirtgaioft me > an dagainft
^^—.^l—^-—-—^^^ -==— ^^
BY *: RUSSELL.—— COMCRD NEWHAMPSHIRE.
.X ~ ;*^ ~lt 1 f,, j4l/JTX-a^'■'■'■'^^^^ t <.- * 1 * 11|1,..^— ■ It ~<,., ~.
the Consul, whose charaaer is com-pro- 4
mitted and outraged in the most fcanda-1
loos manner, for°naving obeyed fuperior|
Orders, which it Was neither in their pow
er not ih mine to revoke. In this expec-1
tation, fir, I do not confider the dignity 1
of the French nation as having corn-pro<
fitted by the extraordinary position in;
firhieh I find myfeff, as well as the Consul ;
and F have to complain only of the forms
you have employed:
The txe&tte'touna of the French
Republick had allo tornplaints of a very
different nature from those alledged a
gainst me, to exhibit ^g^inft Mr. Morris,
your Amballadobr at Paris ; but , pene
trated with a just feßtimentof refpeft for
thefoverfyuty ^W^M"&^ ^¥ te ^
Itrecoromended $0 me only, tp .make con
fidential observations to yioiiom the hfi
ceffity of recalling this minister plenipo
rteutiar,, accused by the publics voice
of £a&s eftablifhed,.but nat by the repre
fffitatiges of the people 4fe[#rfg4lar en
quiry, Qf;haring favoured, as mp&s hg
ix>uld„tte epuntef-revduMogafy^
b<fouis,X¥h of communicating to
him, memoirs in which he adyif#bim
hot to accept the constitution ; of haying
had no connexions but with, fufpeaed
persons ; having affe&ed the greatest con
tempt for all those who served faithfully
i^uitfeof ttePeople ;of having been
the channel of the counsels which co&
duaed L a Fayette into the prisons of
^N& ; of haring 4bufed the reaped of
the French people; far the envoy of the
American peQple, „ facilitate more surely
be correfppndepteapd the coafpiracies
bf all its ^orareG of having shewn noth?
togburiU huffing jn his relations with
he ministers of the. Breach Republick $
of taring riffled ri in writing to them, to
hemploy, in.fpeaking of the executive of
Pm v&d&re,toi the words, '• in
the name of my court,” so (hocking tofe
publican ears ; ts having demanded a
^&Dtute. lo&hbf.Augutt, ig% to go
into England with ,the Afcba&eur ^
Gieto lit ; §md»f having Aid, pub
l@&mth.Ooiififo©e which the pref
eat eventfafti&& that if the embassy of
fyrepublick Should be received at Phila
phia, te eriftfuce, and that of the repub
lican Copfuls in America, would not he
of long duration there..
I have already mentioned to you, fir,
some of these imptrtafens ; but, as I have
already told you out ofrefyee for the sov
ereignty of the United States, Ithought
I fhouid teavetc &fa wisdom, the care of
raking meafares, the most Writable to re
concile their dignity with what their pru
dence might require.
Not doubting;fit, that thejuftice which
I require, will be dotie me, as well as my
co-operators, Fought to inform you, that
I am about to hwve printed all my corres
pondence with you, all my inftruaions,
and all those of the consuls, inorder that
the American people whose esteem so dear
er to me than life, me, judge whether I
hm been worthy or net, of the fraternal
reception which it deigned to give me ;
if, in all my official papers, I have not ex
prefled my refpeX for that virtuous na
tion, and my confidents i ll the purity of
their fentimenfs ;^if T have infilled on a
single principle, which has not been fop
ported since by decisions of the juries of
tribunals of the country ; if, in a&ing
and in expressing myfelf with the frank
nefs and the energy of a republican, I
have attacked the conft^ution fifTha/e
refuted refpe& to a single law ; in fine, if,
in reclaiming with all the firmnefs which
was prescribed to me, the faithful execu
tion of our treaties, I have net endeav
oured to encourage the federal govern
ment to employ the only meanswortby
of a great people, to preserve peace and
to enjoy the advantages ot neutrahty : an
ufeful obje&, not to be obtained by timid
and uncertain measures, by premature
proclamations, which seem extorted by
fear, by a partial impartiality, which fours
you? friends without Satisfying your ene
mies, bat by hn 'attitude firm and pro
nounced, which apprises all the powers
hat the very legitimate desire of enjoying
the sweets of peace, has not made you
forget what isdue tajuftice, togratitude;
and that without ceasing to be neutral,
you may fulfil publick et^agements, con
traded with jour friends in a moment
when you were jourfelvesiin danger.
I will infer more in detail, fir, at a
proper time to your violent diatribe.
But it contains one faft oil which I must
now give you explanations. You are
made to reproach me with indiscreetly
having given t 6 my official proceedings,
I toneobcolaur, ,which has induced ^ be
lief, illite, did not know, in France,
fit her toy dharaaer or my manners.l
frill tell you the reason, fir; it is that a
pure and warm blood runs with rapidity
in my veniuM that I love passionately,
my country ;\that I adore the cause of li
berty ; thatJ am.always ready to facri
ray life-to it; that to me it appears in
conceivable, that all the enemies of tyran
ny ri that all virtuous men do not march
with us to the combat; and thati when
I find an injustice is donq to my fellow
citizens, that their interests are not es
poused with the zeal which they merit, no
coafiderat ion in the world, would hinder
either fly pen ormy tongue from tracing,
fromexpreffiHg.my pain. I will tell vou,
then, without ceremony, that I have been
Extremely wounded. Sir, iff, that the
President of the United States was in a
hurry before knowing what I had to
transmit to him on tfepart of the French
Republics to proclaim sentiments, on
Which decency and friendlhip should at
fate have drawn a veil, ad, That he did
net speak fata at my firft audience, but °
of the te&afyfyMW States towards
France without faying a wojri to me,wftli
announclng a single sentiment on our„
revolution; while all the towns from
Charleston to Philadelphia had made the
air refeond .with their most #dtot wish-
B for the French Republics + 3d, That
he had received aßdadmitted toa private
and ienee, before my arrival, Noailles and
Talon,known ageivspf the French coun
ter revolutionists, who liave since had °&
timate relations with two members of
the Federal Government. 4th, That
<hie firff magistrate of* free people, de
corated his parlour with certain medall
ions of Capet, and of<Ais family, which,
served at Paris as signals of rallying, sth)
That the firft complaints which wer^
made to my predecessor on the armaments
and prizes which took place at Charleston
on my arrival, were to fa& but a para
phrase of the notes of the English minif
fcr. 6th, Thatthe feeretary of war, to
{whom I communicated the with of our
governments, oflfe windward Islands to
receive promptly some fire arms, and
some cannon; which' might put into a
state cf defence, possessions, guaranteed
by the United States, had the front, to
answer me with an ironical carelessness,
thatthe principles eftabliiheu by the Pre
sident, did not permit him to tend us so
much asa piftpl. 7th, That the secretary
ofthe treasury, with whom I had a con
verfetien on the proposition whieh I bad
made to convert almost the whole Amer
ican debt; by means of an operation of
finance, authorifed by the law, into flour,
rice, gram*failed provisions, and other
objeds of which France had the most
pressing need, added to the refufal which
te had already made officially, of favour
ing this arrangement, the positive decla
ration,that even if it were practicable,the
United States could not consent to it,
because England would not fail to con
fider this extraordinary reimbursement
furnished to a nation with which (he war,
at war, as an aa of boftility. Sth, That
by inftru&ions from the President of the,
United Stares,the American citizens who
ranged themselves under the banners of
\•feteffl^^&^
[JANUARY 13, 1794.]