The gazette. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1798-1799, 1798-05-28

State, 10 bis letter 10 Mr.. Genet, d,ted the
z5th July, 1903 and irhis letter to Morris,
dated 9th Angua 10 tie fame year. The ar
eGments which thCf. letters contain. were fup-
pvfed to have f4ts6ed the government OF
France, fnce is miniaers IL the United States
TO longer coniroveried the principle they iup-
pcrtsd. Indeed th5f- arguments appeared too
ooncluive to permit doubt Concerning the
fuccef, which would attend them.
In Aueuf 1894, when Mr.. Munroe, the
then miniaer Of the United States to this re
public, was received into the bofom Of til.
convention, France obvioufly did not conGder
The Acknowledgements If this efablifhed prir-
ciDle of the law Of nations, az indicating a
partiafiry towards hercntmy. The language
ufed on he occafion could only have been ufed
to the miniher Of 4 nation whole frieDdll1ip
was valued, and whole conduit had evinced
The fneerity of its projections. It was then
declared that the fweeteR, the frankea fra
tern;ty united in effect the two republics" and
Thar g their union would be forever indiGolu.
bic" Thele declarations made long after a
merica had avowed is neutrality, and had
ayowed its acquiefcence under the principle
that beliigerent power, and unyeit aimed by
particular treaty, may Of right take OUT Of The
bottoms Of neutral, the goods Of its enemy,
deuonRrzte that neither that neutrality nor
that acquiefcence induced the want Of a proper
regard for France. The government of the
United States Rill cheriihes the hope, that this
true and fair Ultimate then made of its conduit,
may be foon reluned by nation whole friend
fiP it has inGduouily and unr emittingly Eulti-
waited, by all thofe means which good faith
and juRice could permit il to ule.
After the difcu1ion of this nterefing quef
fioR was fuppoied TO have been clofed, and
France was believed to have been entirely con-
tent with that fyRem in VII CD the United
States found themfelves bound to perfeyere,
fome complaints were made, not againf the
principles adopted BY the government, bat a.
gaina the application of thole principles to par
tjcular cafes fnPpoled not TO come within hem.
The neutrality Of the United States could rot
permit prize to be made Of thofe veGels belong
ing to nations with whom they were at peace,
within th-ir jurifdtlion, or by privaleers fitted
out intheir own ports. Regulations to this
sfeewere necefarily made, & 10 enforce the CD.
fervanee of thofe regulations was duty not to
be difpenf-d with. The right of one Of the
belligerent powers, TO obtain the relcaf- of a
veGel captured under fuch circumstances was as
IacIed as the right Of the captor to a vehel
taken on The high leas and hch according to
the uluages OF way was lawful prize. The u
nited States were bound TO reped the rights
Of both. To do 70, il was BeceiIary to examine
the facts for which purPofe, Tribunal, in
which both parties might be fairly heard, was
unavoidable. Some complaints were made Of
particular vexations, and each complaint has
heretofore been particularly attended to. Il is
believed TO be unnecefary 10 review thefe few
eral cafes, becauf= the undersigned are entirely
Perfuaded that explanations already given mutt
have been completely iatisfa6tory. Should any
one Of them be ftil confdered as furniihing
fubie4 for complaint, the unGerfgned will pro-
coed to its inVeRigation, with the mott Gncere
defre 70 attain truth, and 10 rsdrels the wrong,
if any has been committed.
During this period, the caufes Of complaint
agaiaR France, on the part Of the UnitedStates,
were By no means uncomfortable. Their com
rnerce was not to exempt from depredatons,
believed to be entirely unwarrantable, made
upon it BY the CRITTERS ofths republic.
On the 9th May, 1893, The national conven-
vention paGed decree relative to the COM
1nerce Of. neutrals, the fri article of which is
in thefe words, " The French fhips Of war and
privateers may lop and bring into the ports of
the republic fuch neutral vehels as are loaded,
in whole or in part, either with provilions be-
longing to neutrals, and defined for enemy
ports, or with merchandise belonging to enc.
mics" In coniequence ii the remonarances
of the American miniRer, the convention. on
the 2sd May, declared " that the vefels Of the
United Stetes are not comprifed in the regu'a
tons of the decree Of the 9Th May" On the
ash of the fame month the convention repealed
the decree of the 23d-On the 1T July they re
eilablihed it. On the z7th July it was again
repealed. Under the decree of the 9th May,
the vefels Of the United States were captured,
brought into the ports of France, and their
Cargoes dilpofed Of Could this decree, citizen
rnin;aer he regarded ofherwiEa than az in