Richmond enquirer. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1815-1867, 1826-11-28
MR.. MoMRoEs CLAIMS
documents relating to Mr.. 1fonroe's FRS. .aEs
sion to France.

documents relating to Mr. .1Ionroe's First AIS
sion to France.
lNr. Skipwith accompanied Mr.. Monroe tc
france IN this mission, Secretary. The state o.
our commerce then, Mr.. Monroe's arrival
and the pressure on him requiring the aid of Con.
sui, and one with whom he was acquainted, and
IN whose rectitude and decision he could confide
ne appointed MIR. Skipwith Professionally, TO that
onice' and IN which he was confirmed b. the Pre-
silent. Mr.. NJ. made this appointment with the
greater confidence, because he had taken him as
secretary, on the suggestion Of Mr.. Randolph, the
secretary OF State, that it would be gratifying 10
me president if he did With Others whom
MIR. M. then employed assistant Secretaries,
was Mr. Gouvain, the author of the following do =
euineni, who spoke both languages very correctly.
! MI. NJ. took him on the recomner da,ion OF many
OF Cur respectable citizens, VINO were connected
| IN commerce with his family, a very respectable
one at Hayre. He remained with Mr.. NJ nearly
TWO years, attended him in mary interviews with
the French Government, and the members in
divdaay who composed it, and was very use
full
MIR. GOUvAIN'S LETTER.
owe II 10 my own conscience TO show the
great injustice which has been done Mr.. Monroe
oy The imputatons which have been RAISED ain.t
his conduct and intentions, during his mis-, ion to
The French Republic.
From the time of my appointment as Mr.. MS
Secretary 10 the epoch, at which my dome,ti az
lars compelled me 10 relinqush the office oil Sc
cretary, which held this Minister, had it
In my power to follow all his measures with the
greatest accuracy, because lived constantly with
him, and assisted as Interpreter in all the confer
eDces WHICH took place between him and the
french Government, and translated rot only The
oihcial but private notes, which be presented to
that Government, and likewise all those which he
received, without exception.
40 cohiound the calumna,ors Of Mr.. Monroe
as Minister OF the United States TO the French
Republic, it viii be sufficient to go back TO the
epoch OF his arrival in France and 10 retrace the
actual state OF the political relations which then
existed between The two Governments. The
French Government was never nearer rupture
with the United States than it then was. a con-
siderable number of American vessels had then
been seized by French priva,eers, and carried into
their ports; many cargoes had been condemned
and many crews Imprisoned. In fine, the treaty
OF i1.S, with the United States OF a merica, had
oeen broken in such manner by The French, that
II might be considered annueI.
such was the stale OF affairs when EIr. Monroe
arrived in France, and sothing less than the IN
wearied zeal, and great prudence which he dts
p'ayet N these circumstances could have sue
ceeded to obtain the Ieparaiion of the intractionS
made by the French, OF the treaty Of l779 MOI
only dii ne succeed ia obtaining of the French
Government an In jemnity 10 the nerican nier-
WANTS anu captains, ICT tne detention OF Their
sells, crews, Sc. Sc. bu, by the frmness which he
showed. and The consideration which he observed
towards The Committees of the Government, he
finished, by restoring 10 its iul vigoI, and 10 full
extent, the treaty of fiendship and commerce of
lIIS; treaty which, as is well known could not
be more advantageous to The enemies OF France, as
one OF its articles stipulated, that the property &C
snowledged to belong 20 enemy, found on board
an American vessel, should be respected in the
mi 4 !, b.Io -, Ar.
This attwss the more generous the part Of the
French Government, from the consideration that
at this epoch, tie English did not hesitate to seize
almost every American vessel on the slightest
pcion that they were charged on French account,
as was seen especially in tile trade with tie Yves:
Indies.
TO give just idea of the difficulties which
Mr.. Monroe had 10 suTmount 10 obtain an object
desirable for the prosperity Of the United States
thai of restoring lie confidence and friendship
which had before existed between the two Go
vernmens, II is essential to state the personal dis
positions OF The members OF the Cony eniion, who
composed then the diplomatic section of the
III ench Government. How many scenes have
not witnessed, in which Mr. NJ. has been forced
10 bear the most cutting sarcasms against his Govern
ment and It's members? With what warmth has he
not employed to calm their spirits! Threilard
Thuriot, and Mein de Douay, comrosed Then the
diplomatic section of the Committee of Public
Safety. One cied advice received from America
from the F5ench agents, who complained bitterly
of the injustice which they said was committed
daily against The French, by the administrative de-
partments, and as they concluded in accord with
the spirit OF their Government, " no protected to
the utmost of their ability, the Engl.h party 10
the prejudice of the French. Oilers reproached
openly, the Americans, Of indifference for France
IN a war, In which they seemed to lnsnuate, that
the United States ought 10 lend them assistance
and especially by loans Of money. At length they
charged the Americans with the hlackesi irsiaii-
tude towards France, for tie important services
rendered in the conquest Of their INDEPENDENCE,
which they said could not have been obtained
without the aid which France had given thy,n
In one OF the conferences, that which mortified
Mr.. Monroe beyond all expression, was the opin-
ion which they declared respecting the President,
General Washington. They painted him as
man intoxicated with ambition, and who would
finish by usurping 50 on ali the poweg with which
he invested. They reproached this Pre-i-
dent, more especially, with having shewn a mark i
ed parlaliiy for the declared enemies Of France
with having received with zeal into his house
French etnigrants; and they declared how much
they DISCUS ed by his preservation in his
apartments with the greatest care, Of the portrait OF
Lewis XVI
1t was hen that Mr.. Monroe raised himself with
tie greatest frmness with which he was inspired
by his esteem for man whose virtue and pa'IiJ-
tism had, I'LL then, commanded the admiration oil
the whole world, end for wh HON I've had personally
the greatest venerajion. lie called 10 mini the
services which General Washington had rendered
liberty; the sacrifices which he he'd made in hat
cause, and above all, the acknowledged morality
of his principles. lie used arguments the most
persuasive to convince the Committed Of The friend