conceive that it was hoped to render the farce more impofing by falts and public prayers? Doubtlefs a great object caufed them to hazard the holding up as difcoveries of the greateft importance, the incoherent prating of two intriguers, who were foreigners with refpect to France. Perhaps it was fuppofed that the citizens of the United States would judge of the French government by thefe caricatures, and that the French government would be fenfible to fuch a marked provocation. The effect of the outrage was calculated from the malignity of the intention, and not from the littleness of the means. In one word, they flattered themfelves with exciting indignation inftead of pity. They wished for war; and they wished that infulted France might declare it against a people, whofe caufe the defended, and that it might be restored by her to the arms of England. By that war, the British cabinet would gain an ally, who would labour for its intereft, fecond its projects upon the French and Spanish colonies, and retard the moment of its humiliation by that war too the British government would accelerate the execution of a favourite plan of which it has never loft fight. It is known, that fince it defpaired of reuniting to the triple crown, the states whofe independence it was obliged to acknowledge, it afpired at leaft to prejudice them in favour of limited monarchy; that it endeavoured to fortify, by the fimilarity of conftitutional forins, the habits common to the English and American people; and that it took care to keep for a long time one of the fons of George III. in the vicinity of the United States. Can it then be true, that, to the difgrace of the human mind, many citizens of the United States fhould be found who are feriously reconciled to the English form of government? Can it then be true, that men, called by the public confidence to the head of the government of the United States, have written in favour of the British conftitution, merely to prepare its adoption in their own country? Can it be true that a thirst for honours, greedinefs of wealth, and a defire of perpetuating power, have already ripened this confpiracy against liberty? If this ought to be no longer confidered as a fufpicion, all is explained. War is neceffary in order to raife troops and obtain fupplies: an unnatural war against old friends, against brothers, against republicans, is more efpecially neceffary: it is neceffary that this war fhould excite civil commotions, fhock every idea of morality, and roufe to refutance the true fons of America: and pretences will arife in abundance for ftigmatizing with fedition the honourable defenders of principles, and for fubftituting a monarchical in the room of a reprefentative government. It would be hereafter unneclary to diffemble. Such, are the criminal criminal practices of the English cabinet. Such is the blind propenfity of a government which it influences: and it is the French republic which facrificed the blood and fortune of its citizens in the caufe of liberty; it is the French republic that is inftigated to ftrike the fatal blow! But fuperior to the influence of her refentments, fhe will be actuated by nothing but the happiness of the two republics, and fhe will appeal to the whole universe to judge of the fincerity of the difpofitions, which the has never ceafed, and which the will never ceafe to manifeft, for living in peace with America. P. S. It is of extreme importance to lay before the public the letters written to Mr. Gerry, envoy of the United States,. by the minister of exterior relations, as foon as this ftrange publication came to his knowledge; and it is of equal importance to know the answers given by Mr. Gerry. Both are as follow. [See the preceding numbers VI. VII. VIII. X. XI.] Note, The names were in fact fent to the minifter, who immediately depofited them in the proper place. [The following Letter of the Citizen defignated by the Letter Z. it is not lefs effential to publifb.] 13th Prairial, 6th Year (June 1, 1798). To the Minifter of Exterior Relations. MR. Gerry having communicated to me the letter which you yesterday wrote to him, by which you exprefsly defire, that he may make known to you the perfons meant by the letters W. X. Y. Z. in the correfpondence of the American envoys, printed in a public paper of the United States of America, dated 12th of April (O. S.); My fenfibility must be much affected on finding myself, under the letter Z. acting a part in company with certain intriguers, whofe plan it doubtlefs was to take advantage of the good faith of the American envoys, and make them their dupés. Finding myself implicated in this affair, and withing to remove my unea finefs refpecting the difagreeable impreffions, and the conféquence which the publication of your letter to Mr. Gerry might produce, I thought it my duty to haften to you, and pray you, Citizen Minifter, to be pleased to declare in writing, that, in the con ferences I had with thofe gentlemen, I purfued the communications which you authorized me to make to them, in the manner 1 fhall state below. In the beginning of laft Brumaire (October 22, 1797), having been to pay my refpects to the citizen minifter of exterior relations, and the converfation turning upon the United States of America, he expreffed to me his forprife, that none of the Ame-' VOL. VIII. E e ricans ricans, and especially the new envoys, ever came to his houfe; that this was not the way to open a negotiation, the fuccefs of which they had more reason than we to with; that he would receive them individually with great pleasure, and particularly Mr. Gerry, whom he had known at Bofton. Knowing my friendly connexions with Mr. Gerry, he charged me to impart to them what he had faid. I accordingly waited on Mr. Gerry, who having fent for his colleagues, I communicated to them the converfation I had had with the Citizen Minister. Meffrs. Pinckney and Marshall declined waiting on the minister upon the ground of ceremony; but, as the fame reafon did not apply to Mr. Gerry, it was agreed that he fhould go the next day, and that I fhould accompany him, Mr. Gerry at that time not being able to exprefs himself in French. The next day we went; but not finding the minifter at home, Mr. Gerry requested him to appoint a time for an interview, which was fixed for a few days after. We attended accordingly, and after the ufual compliments, Mr. Gerry having expreffed to the minifter his defire to fee harmony and a good understanding re-established between the two republics, the minister answered him, that the Directory had made a determination not to treat with them, unless they previously made reparation for some parts of the Prefident's fpeech at the opening of Congrefs, and gave an explanation of fome others; that he could not delay, but for a few days, communicating this determination officially to them; that until then, if they had any propofitions to make, which could be agreeable to the Directory, he would communicate them, with alacrity; that confidering the circumstance, and the fervices of the fame kind which France had formerly rendered to the United States, the best way would be for them to offer to make a loan to France, either by taking Batavian infcriptions for the fum of fifteen or fixteen millions of florins, or in any other manner. Mr. Gerry, after having replied in a polite, but evasive manner, to the first article, added on the subject of the loan, that their powers did not extend fo far, but that he would confer with his colleagues upon the fubject. It is to be obferved, that, as the minifter fpoke nothing but French, I repeated in Eng ifh to Mr. Gerry what he had faid to him, and that although certain that he very well understood the answers of Mr. Gerry, 1 repeated them to him in French. We took our leave of the minuter who just received a courier, and he charged me on parting to repeat to Mr. Gerry and his colleagues what he bad Laid to us. Accordingly I repeated to Meffrs. Pinckney and Marshall, in the prefence of Mr. Gerry, the converfation which we had had with the minifter. A few days afterwards Mr. Gerry requested me to accompany him again on a vifit to the minifter, and having repeated to him the extreme defire he felt to fee the most perfect union re-esta blished heblifhed between the two nations, he resorted to the infufficiency of their powers, and propofed, in the name of his colleagues and himself, that one of them thould immediately depart for America with the propofitions which the French government might make. The minister answered, that it would require fix months to have an anfwer, and that it was of importance to have a speedy determination; that he was extremely defirous to have frequent communications with them individually and amicably; this course appearing to him to be the best adapted to come at the iffue of a fpeedy negotiation: he therefore lamented that he had yet had no communication with them. Such, Citizen Minifter, as far as my memory ferves me, are the particulars of the only two conferences at which I was prefent. I fhall add that no perfon has had a greater defire than myfelf to fee this negotiation fucceed. Health and respect. Mr. Skipwith's Communications. HAUTEVAL To the Secretary of State of the United States of America. I HAVE the honour to fend you enclosed, the official copy of an arrêté of the Executive Directory of the French republic, concerning the French privateers in the Weft Indies, which was tranfmitted to me by the French minister of foreign affairs. I have the honour to be, Sir, HAVING had the honour of transmitting to you three official copies of the arrêté of the Directory of the 13th Thermidor, concerning their privateers in the Weft Indies, the prefent is merely to enclose you a copy of a letter which I yesterday received from the minifter of foreign relations, on the subject of that arrêté. The Secretary of State. I have the honour to be, Sir, * July 31, 1798. The arrêté here referred to. Ee 2 Paris, Paris, 19th Thermidor, 6th Year of the The Minifter of Exterior Relations to Citizen Skipwith, Conful-gene- Citizen, YOU will have feen in No. 961 of the Redacteur, a copy of By this measure foreign powers will be convinced that the Exe- You will doubtlefs fee in the intention and the acts of the I with, Citizen, that, for the good of the two countries, the (Signed) C. M. TALLEYRAND. Confulate-general of the United States of America. Fulwar Skipwith, Conful-general for the United States, near the Sir, Paris, 22d August 1798. WITH a copy of a letter I have juft received from the minifter |