it be true that a thirst for honours, greediness of wealth and a desire of perpetuating power, have already ripened this conspiracy against liberty?

If this ought to be no longer considered as a suspicion, all is explained. War is necessary in order to raise troops and obtain supplies: an unnatural war against old friends, against brothers, against republicans, is more especially necessary it is necessary that this war should excite civil commotions, shock every idea of morality, and rouse to resistance the true sons of America and pretences will arise in abundance for stigmatizing with sedition the honourable defenders of principles, and for substituting a monarchical in the room of a representative go

vernment.

It would be hereafter unnecessary to dissemble. Such are the criminal practices of the English cabinet. Such is the blind propensity of a government which it influences: and it is the French Republick which sacrificed the blood and fortune of its citizens in the cause of liberty; it is the French Republick that is instigated to strike the fatal blow! But superior to the influence of her resentments, she will be actuated by nothing but the happiness of the two Republicks, and she will appeal to the whole universe to judge of the sincerity of the dispositions, which she has never ceased, and which she will never cease to manifest, for living in peace with America.

P. S. It is of extreme importance to lay before the publick, the letters written to Mr. Gerry, Envoy of the United States, by the Minister of Exterior Relations, as soon as this strange 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 6. 7. 8. 10. 11.]

Note. The names were in fact sent to the minister, who immediately deposited them in the proper place.

[The following letter of the citizen, designated by the letter Z. it is not less essential to publish.]

13 Prairial, 6th year, (June 1, 1798.)

To the Minister of Exterior Relations.

MR. GERRY having communicated to me the letter which you yesterday wrote to him, by which you expressly desire, that he may make known to you the persons meant by the letters W. X. Y. Z. in the correspondence of the American Envoys, printed in a publick paper of the United States of America, dated 12 April (O. S.)

My sensibility must be much affected on finding myself under the letter Z. acting a part in company with certain intriguers, whose plan it doubtless was to take advantage of the good faith of the American Envoys and make them their dupes. Finding myself implicated in this affair, and wishing to remove my un

easiness respecting the disagreeable impressions and the consequence which the publication of your letter to Mr. Gerry might produce, I thought it my duty to hasten to you, and pray you citizen minister, to be pleased to declare in writing that in the conferences I had with those gentlemen, I pursued the communications which you authorized me to make to them, in the manner I shall state below.

In the beginning of last Brumaire (October 22, 1797,) having been to pay my respects to the citizen minister of exterior relations, and the conversation turning upon the United States of America, he expressed to me his surprise, that none of the Americans, and especially the new Envoys ever came to his house; that this was not the way to open a negotiation, the success of which they had more reason than we to wish; that he would receive them individually with great pleasure and particularly Mr. Gerry whom he had known at Boston. Knowing my friendly connexions with Mr. Gerry, he charged me to impart to them what he had said. I accordingly waited on Mr. Gerry, who having sent for his colleagues, I communicated to them the conversation I had had with the citizen minister.

Messrs. Pinckney and Marshall declined waiting on the minister upon the ground of ceremony; but as the same reason did not apply to Mr. Gerry, it was agreed that he should go the next day, and that I should accompany him, Mr. Gerry at that time not being able to express himself in French. The next day we went; but not finding the minister 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 usual complimets, Mr. Gerry having expressed to the miniser his desire to see harmony and a good understanding re-established between the two republicks, 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 President's speech at the opening of Congress, and gave an explanation of some others; that he could not delay, but for a few days, communicating this determination officially to them, that until then, if they had any propositions to make, which could be agreeable to the Directory, he would communicate them with alacrity that considering the circumstance, and the services of the same 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 inscriptions for the sum of fifteen or sixteen 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 so far, but that he would confer with his colleagues upon the subject. It is to be observed that as the minister spoke nothing but French, I repeated in English to Mr. Gerry what he had said to him, and that although cer

tain that he very well understood the answers of Mr. Gerry, I repeated them to him in French. We took our leave of the minister who just received a courier, and he charged me on parting to repeat to Mr. Gerry and his colleagues what he had said to us. Accordingly I repeated to Messrs. Pinckney and Marshall, in the presence of Mr. Gerry, the conversation which we had had with the minister.

A few days afterwards Mr. Gerry requested me to accompany him again on a visit to the minister, and having repeated to him the extreme desire he felt to see the most perfect union re-established between the two nations, he resorted to the insufficiency of their powers, and proposed in the name of his colleagues and himself, that one of them should immediately depart for America with the propositions which the French government might make. The minister answered that it would require six months to have an answer, and that it was of importance to have a speedy determination; that he was extremely desirous to have frequent communications with them individually and ami cably. This course appearing to him to be the best adapted to come at the issue of a speedy negotiation, he therefore lamented that he had yet had no communication with them.

Such, citizen minister, as far as my memory serves me, are the particulars of the only two conferences at which I was present.. I shall add that no person has had a greater desire than myself to see this negotiation succeed. Health and respect, HAUTEVAL.

MR. SKIPWITH'S COMMUNICATIONS.

To the Secretary of State of the United States of America? Paris, August 4, 1798.

SIR, I have the honour to send you enclosed, the official copy of an arrête of the Executive Directory of the French Republick, concerning the French privateers in the West-Indies, which was transmitted to me by the French minister of foreign affairs. I have the honour to be, sir, &c.

FULWAR SKIPWITH.

Paris, August 8, 1798.

SIR,-Having had the honour of transmitting to you, three official copies of the arrête of the Directory, of the 13th Thermidor, concerning their privateers in the West-Indies, the present is merely to enclose you a copy of a letter which I yes. terday received from the minister of foreign relations, on the subject of that arrêté. I have the honour to be, sir, &c. FULWAR SKIPWITH.

TRANSLATION.

The Minister of Exterior Relations to citizen Skipwith, Consul General of the United States of America. Paris, 19 Thermidor, 6th year of the French Republick. (August 6 1798.)

CITIZEN,-You will have seen in No. 961, of the Redacteur, a copy of a decree made by the Directory, in order to cause the privateers to return within the rules and limits whence they ought never to have departed.

By this measure foreign powers will be convinced that the Executive Directory, when informed of the abuses which may be directed against them, takes every pains to stop them, and to prevent their return.

You will doubtless see in the intention and the acts of the Directory, cause for feeling a security with respect to the commerce of your fellow citizens, so long as it shall be confined within just bounds.

I wish, citizen, that for the good of the two countries, the conduct of the Federal government may correspond with that of the Directory. In this supposition, the friendly relations of the two people would be soon re-established.

C. M. TALLEYRAND.

CONSULATE GENERAL OF THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA.

Fulwar Skipwith, Consul-General for the United States, near the French Republick, to Timothy Pickering, Esq. Secretary of State of the United States. Paris, August 22, 1798.

SIR,-With a copy of a letter I have just received from the minister of foreign affairs, I have the honour, under cover hereof, to transmit to you copies of two letters, which have been officially communicated to me, from the minister of marine, to all principal, civil and military officers, at the different ports of this Republick, concerning the safety and protection of American citizens in general, and those seamen in particular, who were detained, or are in confinement at those ports. Agreeably to the intimations contained in the minister's letter to me, I have this day made application to the minister of police in favour of the American seamen, who, by means of one of the publick authorities at L'Orient, had been arrested as Englishmen, and are at present confined at Orleans as prisoners of war. In a few days, I expect to obtain their liberation, and shall procure their passages home.

I have likewise the pleasure of forwarding to you an official copy of an arrêté of the Directory for raising the embargo, imposed by government on all vessels belonging to the United States, in the ports of this Republick.

I deem it my duty to observe, that from informal communications, which I have recently and repeatedly had with some of

the best informed individuals of the government on the subject of American vessels and property, now under trial before the different tribunals of this Republick, I have derived such informations of the present disposition and intentions of the Directory, as to be satisfied myself, that they will ere long endeavour to provoke in the legislature a revision of their maritime laws, and that such a system will be organized as will secure the most important rights of neutrality upon the seas: this pleasing event is generally expected, and will, I am persuaded, arrive before this can reach you. Though many of the late arrêtés of the Directory have certainly encouraged the tribunals in the most pernicious applications of existing laws in regard to neutral property captured and brought in for adjudication, yet it may not be unimportant to remark to you, sir, that the Directory, however well disposed, cannot change the conduct of the tribunals in regard to American and other neutral vessels now before them, without legislative interference; and that owing to particular circumstances, it appears evidently that some time is necessary for them to prepare and dispose that body to alter some laws and make others, which shall cause the tribunals and privateers to respect neutrals in general, and the flag of the United States in particular: but from the present manifest dispositions and endeavours of the Directory to produce that end, I am happy to add, that the tribunal of cassation, before whom appeals have been made on most of the American property condemned in France, appear disposed to procrastinate pronouncing upon them until the sentiment of the legislature shall be declared upon the laws which are operating against their success. I have the honour to be, &c.

FULWAR SKIPWITH.

TRANSLATION.

LIBERTY.

EQUALITY.

The Minister of Foreign Relations to Mr. Fular Skipwith, Consul General of the United States to the French Repub. lick. Paris, 3d Fructidor, 6th year of the French Republick. (August 20, 1798.)

I SEND you, sir, copies of two letters written by the Minister of Marine to all the principal officers civil and military of the ports of the Republick. Their contents will prove to you the attention of the government to remedy the abuses committed against its intentions.

With respect to the persons detained in the civil prisons of Orleans, because they are not possessed of papers to prove that they are not English, and who claim to be Americans, be pleased to call upon the Minister of General Police, to whose functions belong all the measures of safety. The Minister of Marine informs me, that he has transmitted their petition to