Virginia Argus. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1796-1816, 1807-02-24
!FANsLATToY.
Note of the Minister plenipotentiarv Of


France to the Secretary of State.
The undersigned, minister plenipotentia-
~ OF his imperial and royal majesty, to his
excellency the president of the u. States of
America, has the honor to remind the Sc
cretary of state, that at the beginning Of
last year and during the session of congress,
M. Chevallie, attorney in fact of the heirs
oil NJ. dc Beaumdrch1is, took various steps
with the secretary of the treasury to obtain
liquidation of the debt contracted by the
u. 5. with the said Beaumarchais.
At the request of the attorney in fact, to
whom the treasury opposed a receipt of M.
dc Bcaumarchais in order to place to the
debt ofhis heirs a million ofGureS tournois,
the undersigned addressed, on the lst Jan.
1906, to the secretary of the treasury, an
official note, which left no doubt of the des-
tination os the million in dispute, the en-
ployment Of which, agreeabIv to the orders
of the king, was consecrated to special
and secret service, and consequently,
which had not and could not have any con-
neXion with the transactions, bargains, sup
plies, and generally with any mercantile
operations which NJ. de Beaumarchais
might have been concerned in with the
government of the United States of Ame-
RIGA.
This note, or rather this official declara-
ton of the Minister Plenipotentiary of
France, ought to have removed the ONLY
obstacle which was opposed to the entire
liquidation with the heirs of Mr.. de Beau
marchais, because the Justice Of their claim
is demonstrated to conviction and thew
were far from expecting that the secreta-
~ of the treasury would still retain doubts
upon the legitimacy of their credit.
The heirs of MIR. dc Bcaumarchas now
confide their interests to the protection of
the French government as well as to the
justice of the federal government and the
undersigned, in declaring to the secretary
OF state, that this affair, on being examined
in France with the most scruDulous atten-
tion, has presented to the Judgment of the
most enlightened and impartial men moth
ing but an incontestiblc conclusion in favor
of the heirs of Mr.. de Bcaumarchais, will
add, that il is no longer to- Mr.. Chevallie, it
is no longer 60 a mere attorney in fact, that
the said heirs have recourse to obtain
justice too long refused; but to the French
government itself, which calls with conf
dcnce and through the organ of its minister
plenipotcntiary, tho attention of the secre-
tary of state to interests M less sacred than
the cause which produced them.
When the French government raises ITS
voice in favor of the unfortunate heirs of
Mr.. de BeaunarchaS, the undersigned
thinks it useless TO recall to view the nature
and the Importance of the services, which
.heir author rendered TO the cause Of indie
pcndence. 1t would be to turn the mind
back towards a period equally glorious for
the twonationS, but that France, ALWAYS ge-
Herous, knows how to forget, because the
y. States remember it.
After the ministerial declaration res
pecting the employment of the million, a
declaration, which doubtless (and as con-
sequence Of those mutual sentiments of res
pect and confidence, which governments
ought To have for communications of this
nature) would have been sufficient for the
secretary Of the treasury, if his powers had
not been so limited; it is the duty Of the
undersigned, agreeably to the formal and
repeated instructions, which he has rcCeiv-
ed in this respect, to address himself di-
rectlv and in the name OF his government to
that of the United States, and to request
from the secretary of state, that at length
justice should be done to the claim of the
heirs of Mr. de Beaumarchais a clam
which the French government would not
have honored with its support, if it were
not founded upon the immutable principles
of reason and of right
The undersigned sei2es with eagerness
this occasion of offering to the secretary Of
state the homage of his high consideration
(SignedD TURREAU.
Washington, Jam ID, 1907.
Faithfully translated.
JACOB WAGNER,
Chief Clerk, Department ofState.