7. The French republic promifes to procure to his majesty the king of Sardinia, at the period of a general or continental peace, all the advantages which circumftances may permit him to obtain. 8. Neither of the contracting powers fhall conclude a feparate peace with the common enemy, and no armistice fhall be agreed to by the French republic, in which his Sardinian majefty is not in cluded. 9. All the contributions impofed on the ftates of his Sardinian ma jefty which are not yet paid up, fhall cease to be demanded immediately after the exchange of the ratifications of the prefent treaty. 10. The furnishings, which from the fame period fhall be made in the ftates of his majefty the king of Sardinia to the French troops, or to prifoners of war, and alfo those which may have already been made in virtue of private contracts, and which have not yet been paid for by the French republic, hall be returned in kind to the troops forming the contingent of his Sardinian majefty: and if the amount of the furnishings fhould exceed the wants of the contingent, the overplus fhall be repaid in fpecie. 11. The two contracting parties fhall immediately appoint commiffioners charged to negotiate in their name a treaty of commerce agreeably to the bafis ftipulated in article 7, of the treaty of peace concluded at Paris between the French republic and the king of Sardinia, Meanwhile the pofts and all other commercial relations fhall be reeftablished without delay in the fame manner as they were before the war. 12. The ratifications of the prefent treaty of alliance fhall be ex changed at Paris in the shortest delay poffible. Done and figned at Turin on the 16th of Germinal (April 5), 5th year of the French republic. (Signed) H. CLARKE. CLEMENT DAMIAN. The executive directory ratity and fign the prefent treaty of alli ance with his majefty the king of Sardinia, negotiated in the name of the French republic by Henry James Clarke, general of divifion, appointed by an order of the executive directory on the 13th Ventofe laft, and charged with inftructions to the above effect. Done at the national palace on the 22d Germinal, 5th year of the French republic. Meffage from the Prefident of the United States to Congress. Gentlemen of the Senate and Houfe of Representatives, I have received information from the commiffioner appointed on the part of the United States, purfuant to the third article of our treaty with Spain, that the running and marking of the boundary line between the colonies of Eaft and Weft Florida, and the territory of the United States, have been delayed by the officers of his catholic majefty, and that they have declared their intention to maintain his jurifdiction, and to fufpend the withdrawing his troops from the military pofts they occupy with the territory of the United States, until the two governments fhall, by negotiation, have fettled the meaning of the fecond article refpecting the withdrawing the troops, ftores, or fettlements of either party in the territory of the other; that is, whether when the Spanish gar rifons withdraw, they are to leave the works ftanding or to demolith them; and until, by an additional article to the treaty, the real property of the inhabitants fhall be fe. cured, and likewife until the Spanish officers are fure the Indians will be pacific. The two firft queftions, if to be determined by negotiation, might be made fubjects of difcuffion for years; and as no limitation of time can be prefcrib d to the other, a certainty in the opinion of the Spanish officers, that the Indians will be pacific, it will be impofiible to fuffer it to remain an obftacle to the fulfilment of the treaty on the part of Spain. the United States and Spain, on the 25th April, 1796. This country is rendered peculiarly valuable by its inhabitants, who are reprefented to amount to nearly four thoufand, generally well affected and much attached to. the United States, and zealous for the establishment of a government under their authority. I therefore recommend to your confideration, the expediency of erecting a government in the diftrict of the Natchez, fimilar to that established for the territory north-west of the river Ohio, but with certain modifications relative to titles or claims of lands, whether of individuals or companies, or to claims of jurifdiction of any individual ftate. JOHN ADAMS. Speech of the Prefident of the United Gentlemen of the Senate, and Gentlemen of the Houfe of To remove the firft difficulty, I have determined to leave it to the difcretion of the officers of his catholic majefty, when they withdraw United States, June 12, 1796. his troops from the forts within the territory of the United States, either to leave the works ftanding or to demolish them. And to remove the fecond, I fhall caufe an affurance to be publifhed, and to be particularly communicated to the minifter of his catholic majesty, and to the governor of Louisiana, that the fettlers or occupants of the lands in question fhall not be difturbed in their poffeffions by the troops of the United States; but, on the contrary, that they fhall be protected in all their lawful claims; and to prevent or remove every doubt on this point, it merits the confideration of congrefs, whether it will not be expedient immediately to pass a law, giving pofitive affurances to thofe inhabitants who by fair and regular grants, or by Occupancy, have obtained legal titles, or equitable claims to lands in that country, prior to the final ratification of the treaty between The perfonal inconveniencies to the members of the fenate and of the houfe of reprefentatives, in leaving their families and private affairs, at this feafon of the year, are fo obvious, that I the more regret the extraordinary occafion which had rendered the convention of congrefs indifpenfable. It would have afforded me the higheft fatisfaction to have been able to congratulate you on a restoration of peace to the nations of Europe, whofe animofities have endangered our tranquillity.-But we have still abundant cause of gratitude to the fupreme difpenfer of of national bleffings, for general health and promifing feafons; for domeftic and focial happinefs; for the rapid progrefs and ample acquifitions of industry, through extenfive territories, for civil, political and religious liberty; while other ftates are defolated with foreign war, or convulfed with inteftine divifions, the United States prefent the pleafing profpect of a nation governed by mild and equal laws; generally fa:isfied with the poffeffion of their rights; neither envy. ing the advantages nor fearing the power of other nations; folicitous only for the maintenance of order and juftice, and the prefervation of liberty; increafing daily in the attachment to a fyftem of government, in proportion to their experience of its utility; yielding a ready and general obedience to laws flowing from reason, and refting on the only folid foundation the affection of the people. It is with extreme regret that I hall be obliged to turn your thoughts to other circumftances, which admonith us that fome of thefe felicities may not be lafting; but if the ice of our profperity is full, and a reflux commencing, a vigilant circumfpection becomes us, that we may meet our reverses with fortitude, and extricate our felves from their confequences, with all the fkill we poffefs, and all the efforts in our power. In giving to congrefs information of the fate of the union, and recommending to their confideration fuch meafures as appear to me to be expedient or necellary, according to my conftitutional duty, the caufes and the objects of the prefent extraordinary feffion will be explained. After the prefident of the United States received information, that the French government had expreffed ferious difcontents, at fome proceedings of the government of thefe States, faid to affect the interefts of France, he thought it expedient to fend to that country a new minifter, fully inftructed to enter on fuch amicable difcuffions, and to give fuch candid explanations, as might happily remove the discontents and fufpicions of the French government, and vindicate the conduct of the United States. For this purpofe he felected from among his fellow citizens a charac ter whofe integrity, talents, experience and fervices, had placed m in the rank of the mott efteemed and refpected in the nation. The direct object of his mithion was expreffed in his letter of credence to the French republic, being "to maintain that good underftanding, which from the commencement of alliance had fubfifted between the two nations; and to efface unfavourable impreffions, banish fufpicions, and reftore that cordiality, which was at once the evidence and pledge of a friendly union." And his inftructions were to the fame effect," faithfully to reprefent the difpofition of the govern ment and people of the United States, their difpofition being one, to remove jealoufies, and obviate complaints, by fhewing that they were groundlefs, to restore that mutual confidence, which had been fo unfortunately and injuriously impaired, and to explain the rela tive interefts of both countries and the real fentiments of his own." A minifter thus fpecially com. miffioned, it was expected, would have proved the inftrument of reftoring mutual confidence between the two republics: the firft ftep of the French government corre fponded with that expectation; a few few days before his arrival at Paris, the French minifter of foreign relations informed the American minifter, the prefident at Paris, of the formalities to be observed by himself in taking leave, and by his fucceffor preparatory to his reception. Thefe formalities they obferved, and on the 9th of December prefented officially to the minifter of foreign relations, the one a copy of his letters of recall, the other a copy of his letters of credence. These were laid before the executive directory; two days after wards, the minister of foreign relations informed the recalled American minifter, that the executive directory had determined not to receive another minifter plenipotentiary from the United States, until after the redress of grievances demanded of the American government, and which the French republic had a right to expect from it. The American minifter immediately endeavoured to afcertain whether by refufing to receive him, it was intended that he should retire from the territories of the French republic, and verbal anfwers were given that fuch was the intention of the directory. For his own juftification he defired a written anfwer, but obtained none until towards the lait of January, when receiving notice in writing to quit the territories of the republic, he proceeded to Amfterdam, where he propofed to wait for inftruction from this government. During his refidence at Paris, cards of hofpitality were refufed him, and he was threatened with being fubje&ted to the jurifdiction of the minifter of police-but with becom. ing firmness he infifted on the protection of the law of nations, due to him as the known minister of a foreign power. You will derive further information from his dif patches which will be laid before you. As it is often neceffary that nations fhould treat for the mutual advantage of their affairs, and efpecially to accommodate and terminate differences, and as they can treat only by minifters, the right of embafly is well known and establifhed by the law and ufage of nations; the refufal on the part of France to receive and hear our mi. nifter is then the denial of a right; but the refufal to receive him, until we have acceded to their demands without difcuffion, and without investigation, is to treat us neither as allies, nor as friends, nor as a fovereign state. With this conduct of the French government, it will be proper to take into view the public audience given to the late minifter of the United States on his taking leave of the executive directory. The fpeech of the prefident difclofes fentiments more alarming than the refufal of a minifter, because more dangerous to our independence and union; and at the fame time ftudioufly marked with indignities towards the government of the United States. It evinces a difpofition to feparate the people of the United States from the government; to perfuade them that they have different affections, principles, and interests, from thofe of their fellow citizens, whom they themselves have chofen to manage their common concerns, and thus to produce divifions fatal to our peace. Such at empts ought to be repelled, with a decifion which fhall convince France and the world that we are not a degraded people, humiliated under a colonial fpirit of fear and fenfe of inferiority, fitted to be the miterable inftruments of foreign in Huence, fluence, and regardless of national honour, character, and interest. I fhould have been happy to have thrown a veil over thefe tranfactions, if it had been poffible to conceal them; but they have paff ed on the great theatre of the world in the face of all Europe and America, and with fuch circumstances of publicity and folemnity, that, they cannot be difguifed, and will not foon be forgotten; they have inflicted a wound in the American breaft; it is my fincere defire, however, that it may be healed; it is my fincere defire, and in this I prefume I concur with you, and with - our conflituents, to preferve peace and friendship with all nations; and believing that neither the honour nor the intereft of the United States abfolutely forbid the repetition of advances for fecuring thefe defirable objects with France, I fhall institute a fresh ttempt at negotiation, and fhall not fail to promote and accelerate an accommodation, on terms compatible with the rights, duties, interefts, and honour of the ation;--if we have committed errors, and thefe can be demonftrated, we fhall be willing to correct them; if we have done injuries, we fhall be willing on conviction to redress them, and equal measures of justice we have a right to expect from France and every other nation. The diplomatic intercourse between the United States and France being at prefent fufpended, the government has no means of obtaining official information from that country; nevertheless there is reafon to believe, that the executive directory pafied a decree on the fecond of March laft, contravening in part the treaty of amity and commerce of one thousand seven hundred and feven ty-eight, injurious to our lawful commerce, and endangering the lives of our citizens.-A copy of this decree will be laid before you.. While we are endeavouring to adjaft all our differences with France by amicable negotiation, the progrefs of the war in Europe, the depredations on our commerce, the perfonal injuries to our citizens, and the general complexion of affairs, render it my indifpenfable du ty to recommend to your confideration effectual measures of defence. The commerce of the United States has become an interefting object of attention, whether we confider it in relation to the wealth and finances, or the strength and refources of the nation. With a fea coaft of near two thousand miles in extent, opening a wide field for fisheries, navigation, and commerce, a great portion of our citizens naturally apply their induftry and enterprife to thefe objects; any ferious and permanent injury to commerce would not fail to produce the most embarrassing diforders; to prevent it from being undermined and destroyed, it is effential that it receive an adequate protection. The naval eftablishment muft occur to every man, who confiders the injuries committed on our commerce, the infults offered to our citizens, and the defeription of the veffels by which thefe abufes have been practifed; as the fufferings of our mercantile and feafaring citi zens cannot be afcribed to the omiffion of duties demandable, confidering the neutral fituation of our country, they are to be attributed to the hope of impunity arifing from a fuppofed inability on our part to afford protection to refift the confequences of fuch impreffions on the minds of foreign na |