Virginia Argus. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1796-1816, 1804-11-10

zurcs or de,entions, is OF very high inl-
portance, and is 10 be pressed wiki the1
greatest earnestness, yet Il is not 10 be in (
sisted on as an Indispensable condition Of
The proposed treaty. You are not, howe
yer, to renounce these claims of our citi-
zens, or 10 slipulate that they be assumed
by the United States as loan to the
French government"
| The euvoys repaired 10 France, and The
mission, it IS well known, proved abottive.
On The Sd of April, l79S, the president,
! communicated to the two houses af con
gress, copy Of MS instructions given TO
The ENJOYS anG Of their dispatches. This
communicationwas read with closed doors.
In the house OF representatives a motion
was made to publish it; but this was deem
ed so inpcudent by that body that the mo-
! ton received the votes OF bu, few mem.
bers. The friends OF the administration,
as we'll rs its enemies, concurred i'm the
opinion that while our differences remain
! cd unadjustetl, it would be unwise To APP
prise our enemy OF the extent TO which, in
| otder to insure an accommodation, our
commissioners had been instructed to po.
/ II would have been welt if this caution had
/ guided the deliberations Of the SENATE
But that assembly, aGtualed by the sole
motive OF vindicating and iuslifying the
measures of The executive, ard of hoidinr.
| up 10 appreciation the conduct Of France,
! 10 the surprise Of the house and Of their
country, at the very moment when the
/ house, impelled by more magnanimous
sentiments, had determined 10 maintain
the secrecy ofthc communication, ordered
! II to be printed. BY this spirited act, said
their apologisis, we will shew our coun-
trymen that the Rubcon is passed The
| tlnid accents of Cancellation shall 40 ionr-
er annoy us. With this temper, Mr.. Ira
cey announced The policy Of waging war
! DISCRIMINATION, in which every man, wo-
man, and child, in America, shouNbe en-
gagged against every man, woman and
child in France; and, with similar tenn
p r, ne ,dition acl threatened with incar-
cerallon, and the alien act with exile, the
person al every man that dared to inpugn
the motives OF the government.
Thus stood the affairs between the two
nations till wandering impulse of patri.
otIsIE induced Mr.. Adams TO name ano-
ther embassy 10 France. What were the
Instructions given on this occasion do not
appear. We may, however, reasonably
lntcr that they did not materially differ
from those we have already quoted. With
such Instructions, what could our enyovs
do! Had they demanded full reparalion
Tor sPo!Iations, as a part CT the treaty,
would not the vigilance Of The French 20.
! Vernment have confronted them with thc
| previous declaration OF Mr.. Adams that il
! was " nor 10 be in'fstcd on as an iadishe75s7-
6(e condition, Of The yiroEosel treaty." The
I declaaiion,by the highest authority, mus,
DC considered as virtual abandonment Of
the claims for il admits the formation of
a treaty OF friendship with France without
any recognition Of the obligation of the
French government 10 satisfy them: and
leavesthis adjustment entirely to the chan
ces of inturiIy.
Thus trane'led. our ENJOYS did their
best. They negotiated treaty, in which
Ihey did ali their ln,tru6lIons rsquir ed.
/ i'hey did more. They not only steered
clear OF remuneration of The claims, bu,
also paredlhe way o their Ultimate adjust
mcnt b. their recognition in the follow inc
sJipnlaticns
| g" Art. Q. The ministers pIenipotentiarv
OF the wo Pa:t,es not being abe to agree
at present respecting The treaty of alliance
oi 6th February, l778, The treaty Of an4irv
! and commerce OF thc same date. and The
convention of The 18th November, !77y.
( nor upon The indemuities mutually due or
| Claimed the parJes sill negotiate further
/ on these subjects at a convenient time,
aad until they may have agreed upon these
/ points, the said treaties aud convention
shall have no operation, and the relations
OF he two countries shall be regulated as
follows. &c"
hrt. 5ih. The debts contracted by one
q the two nations with individuals of the
other, by the individuals OF one with the
individuals of the other, shall be paid, or
the pay may be prosecuted in the
| same manner IS If there had been no mis-
undcrs andiug between the two statcs.-
But his clause shall not extend "a lndem-
mites claimed on account Of captures or
conflscationS."
This treaty, containing these stipulali
| ons, was laid before the senate by Mr.. A.
dams in the winter Of 1901. That bo-
dy, then decidedly federal, refused to adj.
wise tbe rauficaGonof the treaty unless nc
I second arttrtf. wac evDurcroJ ~. ,.....-