The Mirror — Concord, N.H., 1798-01-23 00:00:00, page 2

degree more favorable to the io
terefti of humanity, the fame ar
dent desire for the case and happi
neft of hit fubje&i induced hit
majetty to renew hit overtures for
terminating the calamities of war :
Thus availing himfelf of every
"F^B which could inany man
ner lead to a secure and honorable
peace, and cenfulting equally the
withes of his own heart and the
principles by which his conduct
has invariably been guided.
New obftaclea were immediate
ly interposed by those who still di
rected the councils of France, and
who amidst the general desire for
peace, which they could not at
that time openly disclaim, still re
tained the power of frustrating the
withes of their country, of coun
tera^ing his m^jefty's benevolent
intentions, and of obstructing that
result, which was necessary for the
the happiness of both nations.—
Difficulties of form were Audi
oufly created ; modes of negotiar
lion were infilled upon, the most
incontinent with their own con
dua in every other ioftance ; the
fame (pintappeared in every step
which was taken by them ; and
while the most unwarranted insin
uations were thrown out, ind the
most unfounded reproaches bro't
forward, the established customers
and usages, which have long pre
Vailed in Europe, were purposely
departed from, even in the sim
plest ads which were to be done
on the part for the renewal of the
negotiations. All these things
his majesty determined to disre
gard ; net as being iofenfible of
their purport and tendency, nor
unmindful of the importance of
these points, in the public inter.
Course of great and independent
nations, but refolding to defeat
the object of these artifices, and to
Suffer no Subordinate or inferior
confideratioo to impede, on his
part, the difeufion of the weighty
and extensive interefti on which
the termination of the war most
necessarily depend.
He direded his Minister to re
pair to France, furnifhed with the
most ample powers; and instructed
to communicate at oocejmeiplic.
it and detailed proposal and plan
of peace, reduced into the shape
of a regular treaty, just and mod
erate in its principles, embracing
afl the interests concerned, and ex
tending to ever, fubje& conceded
with the restoration of public tran
quility. The communication of
this paper, delivered io the very
firft Conference, was accompanied
by such explanations as fully Rat
ed and detailed the utmost extent
of his Majesty's views, and at the
fame time gave ample room for
the examination of -every disputed
point, for mutual arrangement and
ponceffion, and for reciprocal fa
cilities arising out of the progress
of fair discussion.
To this proceeding, open and
liberal beyond example, the con
du^ of his Majetty's enemies opt
poses the most ftrikiog concraft ;
From them no counter projed has
ever yet been obtained : no state
meat of the extent or nature of
the conditions on which they
would conclude any peace with
these kingdoms. Their preteo
fioni have always been bro't for
ward either as detached or as pre
liminary points, diftind from the
mam object of negotiation, and
accompanied, in every instance,
with an express reserve of farther
and unexplained demands.
The points which, in pursuance of this
system, the Plenipotentiaries of the ene
my proposed for separate discussion, in
their firft conferences with his Majesty's
Minister, were at once frivolous and of
fenfive ; none of them produdive of any
vfolid advantage to France, but all calcu-
I lated to raise new obstacles in the way of
peace. And to these demands was soon
after added another, in its form unpre
cedented, in its substance extravagant,
and such as could originate only in the
most determined and inveterate hostility.
Ihe principle of mutual compensation,
before expressly admitted by common
tonfent, as the just and equitable basis
ot negotiation, was now declaimed ; —
every idea of moderation or reason, eve
ry appearance ot justice, was difregerded ;
and a concession was required from his
majesty's plenipotentiary, as a prelimin
ary and indifpenfible condition of nego
tiation, which must at once have super
seded all the objeds, and precluded all
the means of treating. France, after in
corporating with her own dominions fc
large a portion of her conquests, and as
feeing to have deprived herfelf, by her
own internal regulations, of the power
of alienating these valuable additions of
Territory, did not scruple to demand
from his Majesty the absolute and unc n
ditiona! forrender of all that the emf
gy of his people, and the valour <f
his Fleets and armies, have con
quered in the present War, either from
France or from her allies. She contend
ed that the Power of Great Britain
Ihould be confined within its former lim
its, at the very moment when her own
dominion was extended to a degree al
most unparalleled in H:ftory. She insist
ed, that in proportion to the increase of
danger, the means of refinance should
be diminished ; and that His Mjft,
Ihould give up, without compensation,
and into the hands of His Enemies, the
necessary defence of His pofft lfions, and
the future fafeguards of His Empire
Nor was even this D maud brought tor
ward as constituting the terms or Peace,
but the price of Negotiation ; as the
condition on which aloe His M jit
was to be allowed to learn what m the#
unexplained Demands were still referred,
arid to what grea er Sacrifices these un
precedenred concessions of honour ano
fafety were to lead.
Whatever were the impreflions which
such a proceeding created, they did n^
induce the King abruptly to pre# lude h
means of Negotiation. In ejecting
without a moments hefiration a demand,
which could have been made for booth
er reason than because it was inadmissible.
His Majesty, from the fixed reflation
to avail himfelf on every chance of bring
ing the. Negotiation to a favourable iffuc,
direded that an opening should still be
left for treating on reasonable and equal
grounds, such as might become the dig
nity of His Crown; and the rank and fia
, tion in Europe in which it has pleated
the Divine Providence to place the
Britilh Nation. ','
This temperate and conciliator, con
, dud was strongly expressive of the be
nevolence of His M^jefty's intentions ;
arid it appeared for some time to have pre
pared the way for that result which has
been the uniform objedof all bi> roeaf
ures. Two months elapsed after his Maj
esty had unequivocally and definitively
refufed to comply wih the unreasonable
and extravagant Preliminary which had
been demanded by His Enemies.—:
During all that time the Negotiation
was continued open, the conferences
were regularly held, and the Demand,
thus explicitly rejeaed by one party
was never once repeated by the other —
It was not only abandoned, it was open
ly declaimed ; assurances were given in
direct contradiction to it. Promises
were continually repeated, that His Maj
efty's explicit and detailed Prepohls
Ihould at length be answered by that
which could alone evince a real difpo-
Gtion to negotiate with sincerity, by jhe
delivery of a Counter Projed, of a nature
tending to facilitate the conclofion of
Peace, and the long delay of the French
Government in executing these promises
were excused and accounted for by an
unequivocal Declaration, that France
was concerting with her Allies for those
Sacrifices on their part, which might af
ford the means of proceeding in the Ne
gotiation. Week after week puffed over
in the repetition of these solemn engage
ments on the part of Kis Majesty's Ene
mies. His desire for Peace induced him
to writ for their completion, with an
anxiety proportioned to the importance
of, the object ; nor was it much to expea,
tha: His Min;fter should at length be in
formed what was the extent and nature of
the Conditions on which His Enemies
were disposed to terminate the War.
It was in this stage of business that,
on the i,tth of September, the appniot
ment of new Plenipotentiaries was an
nounced on the part of France, under a
formal promise that their arrival should
facilitate and expedite the work of Peace.
The renewal, in a shape still more of
fenfive than before, the inadmissible De
mand so long before brought forward,
and so long abandoned, was the firft ad
of these new Messengers of Peace. And
such was now the undisguised impatience
of the King's Enemies to terminate all
Treaty, and to exclude all profpe6 lof
accommodation, that even the continu
ance of the King's Plenipotentiary at the
appointed place of Negotiation was made
by them to depend on his immediate
compliance with a Condition which his
Court had, two months before, explicit
ly refufed, arftl concerning which no
farther discussion had since occurred.—
His reply was such as the occasion re
quired ; and he immediately received a
positive and written order to depart
from France.
[Th# remainder next ourd.]
BONN, OCT. 4.
A Proclamation has been pub.
lifted at Coblentz, by which the
people on that fide of the Rhine,
from Du fbourg to Mein, are in
vited co form a Tram-Rhenane
Republic,
FRANCE.
PARIS, NOV. I.
: Agreeably to assignment, Gen.
Berthier and Citizen Monge, were
admitted into the Hall of the Di
re&?ry, bearing the Olive-Branch,
at an emblem of the Peace with
Austria. — After they had made
rheir introduaory fpeechei, they
were answered by the President,
RevieHierc Lepeaux, as follows :
" CITIZENS,\
" Great were the days for the
Republic, when this hall resound
ed with the (bouts of vidory, but
(weet is the moment when the
voice of Peace it heard ; and its
refult# are as ufeful as they are
glorious.
" Fortunate France, forget thy
past difafteri, which are do more ;
e'joy with confeious pride thy
happiness and thy glory, and re
pose on thy laurels,
" Tet, before thou giveft thy
felf entirely up to repose, turn thy
view to England. There exifti a
generous nation, no doubt, but
an odious government. After
having grasped the empire of the
main, it covered the world with
its armies. In Asia the thirst of
gold has rendered it the most
dreadful minister of death; On
every part of Europe and Ameri
ca, it has poured down torrents of
corruption, and now lords it with
defpQtic arrogance over all the
governments it hat debated. In
fine, it became the author of all
our domestic broils. Having not
been able to destroy our liberty
by the coalition of which it was
the fiift cauie, it defiled it by the
most horrid proscri ptions, it pro
duced La Vendee. It it against
that government, Republican Sol
dim, vou are to dired four last
blows."
The French have committed
a misnomer, in calling their army
which is to assemble at Brett, &c.
the " Army of England."
They should have named it '' the
Army of the Ocean , for should
fßridpor(, Duncan, or St. Vincents
catch one glimpse of them, on the
water —they would foots add a
new didich to the New-England
Primer ; of
" P,oud Gallia's troop
,W35 (wallowed up."
United States LegiJlature.
FIFTH CONGRESS-.-Second Seffiou.
HOUSE, &c. — jam. 1,1798.
A MESSAGE was received hern the
President of the United Salts, in
doling a Report of the Secretary of State,
founded upon the reflation of both
Houles of thb 2d of March, 1797, dirty
ing the President of the U. S. to mke
enquiry of the States of Connecticut, N.
Jeijey, Ptnnfylvania, Maryland, Virgin
ia, Kentucky, Terne flee, and SouthCaro
lina, whether they had ratified the pro
posed amendment# to the Conftiturion of
the U. States, refpeaing the fuabity cf
States, by which report, it appears, hat
information has been received from Cun
neaicut, Maryland and Virginia/ that
they had ratified the said amencments ;
that the Stat,, of Newjerfey and Ptnn
fylvania have not ratified them ; that
the State of Soutbearolina has not yet
determined upon the qpefron ; and that
no information had yet been received
from Kentucky and Tennessee. The
Secretary of State adds, that not co: fid.
ering the latter as a State until it was
foi mally admitted as such, he did not
transmit the proportion for the^r c rifi
deration until O&. last.— Ordered to lie
on the table.
Mr. Van Allen thought the govern
ment, for some time past had been a a
greater expense than neceflary, in pay
ing, by means of the commiihoners of
loans, the interest upon the Domestic
Debt of the Uni ed States. He thought
the business might be equally as well
done, at a much less expense, by either
contrasting with the banks in the differ
ent States, or authorifing the collector of
the revenue to pay it. In order to bring
the fubjed under the view of the House,
he proposed a resolution to the following
effect :
^ Resolved, that a committee be ap
pointed to inquire whether any, and if
any, what alterations are necessary in the
ad making provision for the debt of the
United States."
Mr. Harper^ from the committee of
ways and means, to whom was referred
the estimate of the Secretary of the Trea
sury, of the Sth ult. of what would be
necessary for the fervicea of the year 1798#
made a report is part, which stated that
former appropriations had proved defi
cient, and that if a partial appropriation
was not made before the regular appro
, priations were gone into, the public ser
vice might fuffer. The deficiencies were
stated to be in the Quarter Master's and
Indian departments, &c. in the fubfift
eace for the army, and allo in the appro
priations for the naval service. They
proposed, however, to defer any appro
priation for the latter object, until they
received ftatemects on the fubjed from
the proper department. The report also
stated, that the Secretary,^ the Treasury
had informed the committee, that two
awards had been made under the 6th ar
ticle of the Britiffi Treaty, agaioft the to
Stated amounting to 24,921 dollars,
which became payable in Od. last, but
which had not yet been paid for want of
funds ; and that other awards have been,
or are soon expeded to be made, for up
wards of 27,000 dollars. The commit
tee therefore, propose, that the House
grant 100,000 dollars, for the deficien
cies in the appropriations (exclusive of
the deficiency io the naval service) and
52,000 dollars to meet the awards under
the Britilh Treaty. Committed for to
morrow.-
.CT at— rate
, Bankrupt Laws.
Mr. Harper made a report ba
a system of General Bankruptcy $
but owing to some informality id
ic, it wai withdrawn for the pres
ent.
.4 JANUARY 3;
A bill, amending the Ercife
Law, Aval read and referred tog
committee of the whole, for co-q
morrow. ••
Gen. KeJkiuJko's Claim.
The report of the Secretary of
the Treasury on thia claim was
taken up ; in consequence, Mr.
Dawson moved,-