The New-Jersey gazette — Burlington [N.J.], 1779-01-20 00:00:00, page 1

NEW-JERSEY GAZETTE.
TREATIES of Amity and Commerce, and of Al
liance eventual and defenfve, between bis Most
Christian Majesty and the Thirteen United States
of America.
LOUIS, b, the Grace of GOD, KING of France
and Navarre,
To All who (hall fee these Presents, Greeting :
^HE CONGRESS of the Thirteen United
' States of North-America, having by their Ple
nipotentiaries reJiding at Paris notified their deftre to
eftabliJh with Us and Our States a good underfunding
and perfect correspondence, and having for that purpose
proposed to conclude with Us a Treat, of Amit, and
Commerce : WE having thought it Our duty to give to
the said States a fenjibie proof of Our affection, deter
mining Us to accept their proposals : For these causes
and other good confederations Us thereunto moving, We,
repofmg entire confidence in the abilities and experience,
zeal and fidelity for Our service, of Our dear and be
loved Conrad Alexander Gerard, Ro,al Syndic of the
cit j °f Strasbourg, and Secretary of Our Council of State,
have nominated, appointed and commiffoned, and by
these presents ftgned avitb Our band, do nominate, ap
point and commission him Our Plenipotentiary, giving
him power and special command for Us and in Our name
to agree upon, conclude and Jign with the Plenipotenti
aries of the United States, equally furnifoed in due form
with full powers, fueb Treaty, Convention and Articles
of Commerce and Navigation as he /ball think proper,
willing, that he all with the fame authority as We
might or could ad, if We were perfonaliy present, and
even as though he had more special command than what
is herein contained ; promi/ing in good faith and on the
word of a King, to agree to, confirm and ejlablifo for
^ver, and to accomplijb and execute punctually, all that
Our jaid dear and beloved Conrad Alexander Gerard
jball flipulate and Jign, by virtue of the present power,
without contravening it in any manner, or fuffering it
to be contravened for any cause, or under any pretext
whatsoever ; and also to ratify the fame in due form,
and cause Our ratification to be delivered and exchanged
in the time that Jball be agreed on. For such is Our
pleasure. In Teftimon, whereof We have hereunto set
Our Seal. Done at PerfaiHes, this thirtieth day of Ja
nuary, in the year of our Lord one thousand seven hun
dred and fevent,-eight, in the fourth year of Our reign.
(Signed,)
(L. S.) L OUIS.
(Underneath) By the KING.
GRAZIER de CERGENLES.
TREATY of ALLIANCE.
CT^HE MOST CHRISTIAN KING and the
■ UNITED STATES of North-America,
■ to wit, New-Hampshire, Mahachufetts-
Bay, Rhode-Bland, Connecticut, New-
York, New-Jersey, Pennsylvania, Delaware, Mary
land, Virginia, North-Carolina, South-Carolina and
Georgia, having this day concluded a Treaty of
Amity and Commerce, for the reciprocal advantage
of their fubjeds and citizens, have thought it neces
sary to take into consideration the means of ffrength
ening those engagements, and of rendering them ufe
ful to the fafety and tranquility of the two parties;
particularly in case Great-Britain in resentment of
that connection, and of the good correspondence
which is the object of the said Treaty, should break
the peace with France, either by direct hostilities or
by hindering her commerce and navigation in a man
ner contrary to the rights of rations and the peace
subsisting between the two Crowns. —And his Majes
ty and the said United States having refolded in that
case to join their councils and efforts against the en
terprizes of their common enemy.
The relpedive Plenipotentiaries impowered to
concert the elaufes and conditions proper to fulfil the
said intentions, have after the molt mature delibera
tion, concluded and determined on the following
articles.
Article I. If war should break out between France
and Great-Britain during the continuance of the pre
sent war between the United States and England,
His Majesty and the said United States Ihall make it
a common cause, and "id each other mutually with
their good offices, their counsels and their forces, ac
cording to the exigence of conjunctures, as becomes
good and faithful allies.
Art. 2. The effcntial and direct end of the present
defensive alliance is, to maintain effectually the Li
berty, Sovereignty and Independence absolute and
unlimited of the laid United States, as well in mat
ters of government as of commerce.
Art. 3. The two contrasting parties Ihall each on
its own part, and in the manner it may judge most
proper, make all the efforts in its power against their
[Vol: II.)
WEDNESDAY, January 20, 1779.
common enemy, in order to attain the end proposed.
Art. 4. The contracting parties agree, that in case
either of them should form any particular enterprise
in which the concurrence of the other may be desired,
the party whole concurrence is deiired, ihall readily
and with good faith join to act in concert for that pur
pose, as far as circuinftances and its own particular
situation will permit, «nd in that case, they Ihall re
gulate by a particular Convention the quantity and
kind of fuccour to be furnifhed, and the time and
manner of its being brought into action, as well as
the advantages which arc to be its compensation.
Art. 5. If the United States should think fit to at
tempt the reduction of the Britilh power, remaining
in the Northern parts of America, or the illands of
Bermudas, thole countries or illands, in case of suc
cess, Ihall be confederated with, or dependent upon
the said United States.
Art. 6. The Most Christian King renounces for
ever the possession of the illands of Bermudas, as well
as of any part of the Continent of North-America,
which before the Treaty of Paris, in 1763, or in vir
tue of that Treaty, were acknowledged to belong to
the Crown of Great-Britain, or to the United States,
heretofore called Britilh Colonies, or which are at
this time, or have lately been under the power of the
King and Crown of Great-Britain.
Art. 7. If His Most Christian Majesty Ihall think
proper to attack any of the illands situated in the
Gulph of Mexico or near that Gulph, which are at
present under the power of Great-Britain, all the said
illes, in case of success, ihall appertain to the Crown
of France.
Art. 8. Neither of the two parties Ihall conclude
either truce or peace with Great-Britain, without
the formal consent of the other tirft obtained ; and
they mutually engage not to lay down their arms,
until the Independence of the United States Ihall
have been formally or tacitly allured, by the treaty
or treaties that Ihall terminate the war.
Art. 9. The contrading parties declare, that be
ing resolved to fulfil each on its own part, the elaufes
and conditions of the present Treaty of Alliance, ac
cording to its own power and circumstances, there
Ihall be no after-claim of compensation, on one tide
or the other, whatever may be the event of the war.
Art. 10. The Moll: Chriltian King and the United
States agree, to invite or admit other powers, who
may have received injuries from England, to make
common cause with them, and to accede to the pre
sent alliance, under such conditions as shall be freely
agreed to, and fettled between ail the parties.
Art. 11. The two parties guarantee mutually from
the present time, and forever against all other pow
ers, to wit—The United States to His Most Chriltian
Majesty the present possessions of the Crown of France
in America, as well as those which it may acquire
by the future treaty of peace ; and His Most Christi
an Majesty guarantees on his part to the United States,
their Liberty, Sovereignty and Independence, abso
lute and unlimited, as well in matters of government
as commerce, and also their pollellions, and the ad
ditions or conquests, that their confederation may
obtain during the war, from any of the dominions
now, or heretofore poflcfled by Great-Britain in
North-America ; conformable to the fifth and lixth
Articles above-written, the whole as their possession
Ihall be fixed and allured to the said States, at the
moment of the cessation of their present war with
England.,
i.rt. 12. In order to fix more precisely the sense and
application of the preceding Article, the contracting
parties declare, that in case of a rupture between
France and England, the reciprocal guarantee de
clared in the laid Article, shall have its full force and
efted, the moment such war shall break out; and if
such rupture Iha 1 ! not take place, the mutual obliga
tions of the said guarantee shall not commence until
the moment of the ceflation of the prelent war, be
tween the United States and England, shall have
afeertained their pofleflions.
Art. 13. The present Treaty Ihall be ratified on
both tides, and the ratifications shall be exchanged
in the space of fix months, or sooner, if poflible.
IN FAITH WHEREOF the refpedive Plenipoten
tiaries, to wit, on the part of the Molt Chriltian
King, Conrad Alexander Gerard, Royal Syndic of
the city of Strasbourg, and Secretary of his Ma
jesty's Council of State. And on the part of the
United States, Benjamin Franklin, Deputy to the
General Congress, from the State of Pennsylvania,
and President of the Convention of said State;
Silas Deane, heretofore Deputy from the State of
Connecticut ; and Arthur Lee, Counfellor at Law,
have signed the above Articles both in the French
and Englilh languages ; declaring nocxhelefs, that
THE
the present Treaty was originally composed and
concluded in the French language, and they have
hereunto affixed their Seals.
DOLE at Paris, this Sixth Da, of February, One
Tboufand Seven Hundred and Seventy-eight.
(L. S.) C. A. GERARD.
(L. S.) B. FRANKLIN.
(L. S.) SILAS DEANE.
(L. S.) ARTHUR LEE.
(The Treaty of Amity and Commerce to be inserted
in our next.)
Mr. Collins,
I'H OUGH I am a poor writer, and not quite
perfect in spelling, yet I call myfelf a tolerable
good reader ; and being warmly attached to the Ame
rican cause, I have perused your Gazette for near a
year pah, to find out the leveral proceedings of the
Army of the United States, the Representatives of
the United States in Congress, and those of this State
in Council and Assembly. I have also taken much
pkalurc in reading the several pieces offered to the
publick by thole who have thought proper to serve
their country that way; and have long desired to
imitate their worthy examples, by publishing a piece
on some intereftipg subject, but have been preve cd
partly becaule I had not the command of a style for
competing any thing that would perfectly represent
my thoughts and feelings, but principally because I
had not the use ot the pen so as to perform it de
cently. But a circumftancc at present offers it felf
in which, I presume, a few words may be or service.
There has been a report circulated in this neigh
bourhood, that a motion was made at the last fit
ting of the Legislature in the honourable Council of
this State, to conhfeate the estates of those who took
protection under and fubfefibed aikyianceto the King
of Great-Britain, which has created an uncalinefs in
the minds of some people : The intent of these lines is
to quiet their apprehensions, by alluring them that such
an act will certainly(in all probability ) never take place.
"I is my opinion that if tne people of this State were
to give in thejr votes (excluding all who have, or
who are related to or connected with any who had
taken protection) that more than three-fourths would
appear against the measure. I was just going to state
the matter, by luppofing it should pass, and then
marking the consequences: But the nature of the
thing is to ablurd and ridiculous, and therefore so
improbable, that it will hardly admit of such a fiip
pofition. Nevertheless, we may reflect on the report
and converse on the fubjeCt.
When the enemy penetrated New-Jersey, the peo
ple were caught in a lamentable furprize. Many
made fhift to pass the Delaware and join the army,
while others could by no means in their power n ike
their escape. Hard ufagc, and a knowledge of the
enemy's inhuman conduct which they had exhibited
lincc they landed on our fliorts, caused them to ip
ply the reinedy in their power. What with age and
what with infirmity, many were not able to untie -go
the hardihips of a winter's flight. Many <am is.
were visited by licknefs—perhaps an affectionate child
or a tender wife lay in a low and languishing condi
tion, exposed to the lawless outrages of inhuman
foes ; liable every hour not only to'fee the dear fa
ther or the loving husband dragged into a miserable
captivity, but to feel the violence of personal abut:
to a degree which might put a fpetdy period to their
lives. What man then in this situation would not:
have applied for relief where it might be found ? The
lons and heirs of such persons as these were, at the
fame time, risking their lives, and fuffering almost:
infurmouiitable hardships and difficulties in the flip
port of our cause : For all which patriotic exertions,
must their lathers estates (which may be considered
as theirs) be confifcated, and they reduced to po
verty and want? God forbid ! The enemy violating
their promise, the people thought themselves no long
er bound ; and have since been reftorcd, both officers
and soldiers, to their former places ; many of whom
have fought gallantly in the battles of America, and
earned laurels for the United States. And now are
their property and liberty to be taken from them !
What manner of proceeding is this ? Can we think
it has ever been moved for by the guardians of an in
fant state, appointed by the people to support and
maintain righteous government? Let us conclude
rather that it is only a falfe report, circulated by some
who with not well to our cause, and are desirous to
refled disgrace upon that Honourable Body: For
who but such as seek to destroy, would be the au
thors of a thing which can be considered (I think)
only as the foundation of deftrudion But if we a r e
forced :o believe that it bag originated in the Ho-
[Numb. 59.]