The gazette., 1799-02-18


take uPon himfelf negotiation evidently en-
trufed 10 the whole," and " that no two of
tham could pyopde 10 withdraw themtelves
from tie talk committed to them by their gov
ernmen1, while htre remained a pollibility Of
perforning il p bur that if it fhould be the
viii of the Directory to order pahports for the
whole or any nu u.nber Of .hern,' it was deGred
that fuch pafports might Be accompanied with
letters Of fate conduit, TO Protea them aganlt
the cruizers OF France.
Thefe endeavours of the French Govern
ment, whether real or affected, TO draw Mr..
Gerry into feparate negotiation, conltltute the
iubltance Of the ccrrelpondence between hIm x
Mr.. Talleyrand. They appear TO merit conii-
deration in frveral points Of view.
I. Becaufe if real, It was only in the hope
ard expectation, that by intrigues and terrors
the French government might influence Mr..
Gerry TO enter into a formal treaty, on the
terms which he and his colleagues had repeat
edly reieAed as incompatible with the interets,
honor and independence Of their country. For
at this time MFR. Talleyrand had not renounced
the demands Of loans and douceur as the IN
diIpenlable preliminaries of treaty. Accord
ilgly we fee Mr.. Talleyrand, in his letter OF the
Cd of April 10 Mr.. Gerry, propofed "to rs'sms
their reciprocal communications upon the in
terelts of the French republic and the United
States of America" And in his letter OF July
I 9Th, to Mr.. Gerry, having mentioned the ar
rival at the Havre of packet, the Sophia, from
the American government, he iays, until then
1 never fuppoled you entertained the delgn OF
em0arking before we had come TO an agreement
upon the deiuitve articles to be ratified by your
government" I'd. Becauie if that government
had 70 far fJIcceeded, il would have iniilted on
its ratification by the Prefdent and Senate, on
the ground conRantly taken by Mr. Taiieyrand'
that the powers of the ENJOYS bting JsosrA! as
well as joinf, Mr.. Gerry when alDne, eUsH gtfeT
fbs FrsHc5 CoUsrnmsnt bad ordered bi; eoieagSe5
to kavs France, were adequate to the formation
Of the treaty and that therefore the Publc
faith would be violated If it were not rauhed'
.. Becau[e under luch q. cumRances,th French
government doubtlefs calculated at lealt on a
divifion Of the public opinion IN the Onited
States in favor Of the ratification OF tuch
treaty By means of which it might enforce the
ratification, or ETA pill greater eJEbiefj 4. But
thefe endeavours 10 draw MIR. Gerry into a
formal negotiation are chiefly remarkable be-
cauic they were perlevered in during near hve
months, againa his coaaant, direa and Poiitive
refu(als 10 treat feparate'y: MIR. Talieyrand al
1trtiug and NJ. Gerry denying the competency
Of b IS powers.
We have feen The envoys, from the OH OF
Odober, 1907, the date Of their hr!t letter TO
the French mnl-r, to the Sd Of April 1898,
,vben their lat was delivered TO him, expecting
their earneR defre to eater upon and Proleou-e
the 81 eat 1beGnels of sheir milton we hav-
feen them during that long period patiently en-
duIinr neglect and indgnitieT, to which an ar
dent zeal 10 re-eltablifh h.rmony& peace could
alone induce frecmcn 10 fnbmit We have ieeD
them while held IN luGpence e-neither received
nor reie6ed--yielding to the imPortunities OF
,byiuaie agents Of the French government, and
hearing and diGcuding their proportions, iniult-
mo As thy were, in the hope that when theie
fbould He ihown to be utterly inadmidible, 9th
ers founded in reafou and equity, and IN the
uluai COURT. Of diplomatic negotiation, might
be broneht forward. Doubtle1s they alio with
ed, when their a2oniihment at the hrlt over
tures had fubfded, b. liitcuin5 It'll longer 10
Ipch difhonorable propofjtions' 10 aicertain Inc
true character of the French government we
have leen them, after waiting hVe weeks from
the preientation OF copy OF thelr le'erS OF
credence, entirely unnotlced, 'HolicIt an atten-
ton to their mihion,'' and folicited 10 vain
Thns denied an official hearing, thel hopeu ~
an unuiual aep TO excite the attention. OF mat
government they determined to trantm" %
the miniaer letter representing the views OF
their own government in relation to the lubjects
IN difpute with France This letter dated the
nth was delivered the 3Ih Of January, 1898.
Waiting near a month without any aniwer, &
'sill being anxious to hear explicitly from Mr.:
Talleyrand himlelf, before they fent their final
letter, whether there were no means, within
their powers Of accommodating our differences
with France, on juR and reafonable grounds
on the z7th of FEBRUARY they deired ga per
fonal interview on the fubjef of their million )"
and afterwards iecond interview. They re-
mark on what paded at thele meetings, " that
the views Of France with regard to the United
States, were not eGentialy changed flnoe their
communications with its unofficial agents in the
preceding Odober."
Az length they received Mr.. Talleyrands