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

into that channel Comfortable portion of tie
commerce Of any nation under The crcumltan-
ces of The u. S. 1t is market too important
and too valuable 10 be Voluntarily Clofed in
confequence of which a comfortable po; ton of
their commerce has taken that direction, and
continual folicitude has been manfefed TO reg
ulate and FIGURE it by contract. To abohlh this
commerce, or TO refuf4 to give it pcrmanenee &
1ecurily by fair and equal ftipulatons woold be
iacrifce which no nation ough. TO require and
which no nation ought 10 make. In forming
her treaty Of amity and commerce with the U.
5. France claimed 10 iuch 1erogative. That
treaty declares the intention of the parties to BE
f' to fix in an equitable and permanent maoner
the rules which ought to be followed relative 10
I the CORE lpondsnce and commerce, which the
two parties dllre TO eltahl n between their ref
pe6ive countries, Rates and fubjetts p and that
Is they have judged thar the fad end could not
be better obtained than by taking for The bats
of their agreement the mott perfett equality ana
Iesiprocity and by carefully avoiding all thofe
burtheniome preferences, whch are rfusllv
fources of debate, embArralnent dncontent,
by leaving afo each party at liberty TO mix
r5tpediEg commerce and navigation, thofe inte
Iior regulations which it ihall find mott ccnve-
nient to itfelf, and by founding the advantages
OF commerce iole upon reciprocal utility, and
the ult rules Of free intercouf-, relerVing with
al 10 each party the liberty Of admitting al its
pleaiure other nations TO a participation Of the
flame advantages" The treaty tfelf contains
no liquidation in any degree contradictory T.
thof- declarations of the preamble, or which
could fugget Iuipicion that under thefe decla
rations was concealed with 70 abrdge the fov-
eregnty Of the U. S. with refpe6t 10 treaties, or
10 oontTOul their intereh in regard to commerce.
In forming a commercial treaty with Britain
therefore, in which no peculiar privilege is gran
ted, the government Of the u. S believed itfef
70 be rrania6tIng bufnefs exclufvely its own
which could give umbrage to none, and which
no other nation on earth would confder if II
as having a right to interfere in. There e2iRed
coniequently no motive for concelling from
France, Or any other power, that the negocia-
ton Of Mr.. Jay might or might not terminate
ana commercial treaty. The dec ara ion there.
tore was not made nor is it ulual for nations
about to enter into negotiations, to proclaim: to
Others. the various objects to hich thofe nego-
Citations may politely be diredei. Such is not,
nor has it ever been the practice Of France. To
iuPPoie neceHity or duty on the part of ore
government thus 10 proclaim all its views, or
70 CONDUIT another with refpea 10 its arrange
ments ct rs own affairs, is to imply depend
Fl ance to which no government ought willingly
+ to fubmt. So far As the intere4s of France
+ might be involved il the negotiation, the inlruc-
!. fions gwen to the negociator ere promptly
communicated. The nniRer Of his republic
Z was informed Officially that Mr.. law was in
E itru6ted not to weaken the engagements of the
Fl L. 5. 10 France. Further information was nei-
Their TO have been required or expected indeed
that which was given, furniihed reafon to fup
Poie that one Of the objeds of the negotiation
" with BHtaIn was commercial treaty. Why
then 1uoh unnecefary and unmerrited farcafns
againlt cautious and unofending ally? Thofe
I objects which ihe purified were fuch as an inde-
pendent nation might legitmately purfue, and
iuch as America never bad diAembled, & never
deemed i necehary to didemble her with to OBJ
IAN. why ihould an effort be made to impress
I france with Al opinion, that Mr.. lay was not
authorized to negotiate a Commercial. treaty
with Britain, when the fixed opinion Of America
has ever been, that France could not be, and
I 0n2nt not 70 be diEatisied with the formation
q iuch treaty Why lhould the mhiRer OF
france have been icf0rmed officially that Mr..
Jay was elFecaly inlruded not to weaken the
) engagements of The I. S. TO France, if it were
: INTENDED to convince that minider, that his row
ers di1 not extend to fubje9s in any degree con.
netted with thoia engagements? To what pur-
: pole ihOuld the government of the II. S. have
Practlied deception deemed by itfelf totally
7 ln1neceAdry, and which its utmoa efforts could
4 not long continue! Itrequires an equal degree
ct toby and vice to pradice an u1elefs fraud
s which mutt inevitably and immediately be de-
= tected, and the detection Of which mutt exDore
2 is author general infamy as well as the err.
Il nifty of lhofe on whom the fraud had been
s.Praaifed Thcfe conGderations ought to have
fome heGtation concerning the faa
The teltimony in foPPOrt Of it ought to have