Virginia Argus. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1796-1816, 1804-11-14
[12 u Certs Si4slc.l


reluctance accompanied the restoration.
We a,e now at peace wi,S France, and
We should ac( as live ,ctu,ied 10 a state of
amiIy with pleasure. Let there lie 10
cause or complaint again Tic government
or it's agents"
On the Isl OF April, further instru6ti-
ons were given 10y the SECRETARY lie sayss
81 lave TO request that you Will be
pleased to ASCERTAIN without clay the state
OF he French national ship lie Aerceau
was In al the time OF her capture, as TO her
armament, stores and provisions, and to-
Cause hel'to be put IN the sAu:c Condition
before she is delivered 10 Ike l.ench go-
Iernnieni.
On the z4,h Of June the navy agent
addressed The following lc,tci 10 The Sc
cretarv
"On Monday the 22d, the corvette lie
BSrceau was delivered 10 ttS tcmmissa-
~ o! the Ftench government, and the
captain at The same time took charge Of
her. Al the lequest OF the co,nnlissary
and Captain, and from The necessity Of the
case, have furnished some Articles hich
may nnt have been OIL board 1T the lilac
OF the capture, such as haumocks, BAN
kets Ind ii then Oh board, they we've re-
ta"ed wholly or in part by toe ore~.
The captain roW wishes ~ be furnished
WITH silver spoons p.ated ware, china, SC.
ior his caboin. These caunor provide
without your special directions. as ( do
not suppose they were on buard q the
time OF the capture.--T The cumniiss5ry
IS willing Oh the parI at his gose,rment,
10 engage to pay for al. articles suppIied,-
that probably were nUi ihen OH boaId the
Corvette"
Subsequent letters from the agent state
The repairs mad. 10 have amounted to
1888 do!!ags 81 Cents ; in ome Of hich
lie says:
e" | have presrn,ed il was The meaning
OF the instruct Gus. thou, h not fully cx-
pressed, that tire corvette should be re-
stored, in AZ respects, 10 the condition
she was ~ 'n;a-.iai.iy aolorCf 10 The
commencement OF the a&Iior with the
Boston. have the;eiure eBdsavo!ed, m
directing the repairs AID furnishing the,
supplies, TO be governed as far as possible
Ivy this principle, which | made known
10 such oi the principal Workmen employed
IN The repairs as Appeared 20 be rTpeGieat.
But ali adherence 10 the rue with a few
exceptions, was soon f-uod i.hpra6lcable,
but every departure pr0dOcea ar exbense
to the linked States fot example, the
stays, shrouds, and al. the C C,age, were
unaVoidabiy replaced with the new for the,
old. 1 lie rule OF course was violated, as
the old was not worth more lEan two thtds
the price of new. The corvette was i'm
tbs respect therefore ,laced in a better
condition than she was al The cuInmcnce-
ment Of the action; but The United states
lost by it the difference 10 the value of the
new and the old corlage. This was also
the case with her sail with her masts,
spars, tops and caps; with tre carpenters
work, with the IRON work, and with ma
ny other supplies too numerous 10 be de-
tailed here, Her store, SIC. thus lurnish-
ed, may, / presume, be es.lm tied to be-
worth oil an average, thirty per cent. more
than the stores they have replaced"
On this topic three charges have been
raised. |. That the repairs and delivery
OF the BerCcau were made before the def
nitlve ratification on The part Of France
2. that The p:iCe paid Tor them wa, extras
vageul; and 8. that the expense was in-
cured without any approp iation. The
'lrst charge Is not denied bu. il is con-
tended that IN an affair, so important, as
returning peace between the two nations,
II was The duty Of The government 10 res
lax, III some degree, the risor Of law par
tlcuiarIy when such relaxation on our part
was accompanied by one equally great IN
the part OF France. We gave up the Btr-
ceau only for an equivalent. Our vess-ls
10 much greater value were released.
So that, had the we'll founded expec lati-
ons OF the government, as TO ID, ultimate
ratification of the convention, been disap.
pointed, we should 5i!l have been e; iners.
That the price of tie repairs was extras
VACANT has never been proved. I hat thew
may have been made Oh a seal. Of lbeiaL
policy is probable. The instructions of
the government were chat they should be
made IN such a way as TO furnish mo
cause Of complaint az inst The governs
ment or rs agents" TO have pursued
a different course would have manifested
a spirit Of pusylanimous a,a,ice, so infa.
tuat d a. to sacrifice ultimate millions for
res NJ peace and could have implied
90 dcstittticu Of an hat kpo,yiedc,e that Ia.