The papers here enclosed, will prove to you that the sovereignty of your country is violated with impunity, not by the legitimate exercise which we have thought proper to make of some rights granted to us by treaty, but by the spoliation, the pillage, the bad treatment exercised by our enemies in contempt of your laws, and even under shadow of the signs of your sovereignty. On all the seas, an audacious piracy pursues, even in your vessels, French property, and also that of the Americans, when destined for our ports. Your political rights are counted for nothing-in vain do the principles of neutrality establish that friendly vessels make friendly goods; in vain, sir, does the President of the United States endeavour, by his proclamation, to reclaim the observation of this maxim; in vain does the desire of preserving peace lead to sacrifice the interests of France to that of the moment; in vain does the thirst of riches preponderate over honor in the political balance of America; all this management, all this condescension, all this humility, end in nothing; our enemies laugh at it; and the French, too confident, are punished for having believed that the American nation had a flag; that they had some respect for their laws, some conviction of their strength, and entertained some sentiment of their dignity. It is not possible for me, sir, to paint to you all my sensibility at this scandal, which tends to the diminution of your commerce, to the oppression of ours, and to the debasement and vilification of republics. It is for the Americans to make known their generous indignation at this outrage, and I must confine myself to demand of you, a second time, to inform me of the measures which you have taken, in order to obtain restitution of the property plundered from my fellow citizens under the protection of your flag. It is from our Government they have learned that the Americans were our allies; that the American nation was sovereign; and that they knew how to make themselves respected. It is then under the very sanction of the French nation, that they have confided their property and persons to the safeguard of the American flag, and on her they submit the care of causing those rights to be respected. But, if our fellow citizens have been deceived, if you are not in a condition to maintain the sovereignty of your People, speak; we have guaranteed it when slaves; we shall be able to render it formidable, having become free men.

Secretary of State to Mr. Genet.

PHILADELPHIA, August 7, 1793.

SIR: In a letter of June 5th, I had the honor to inform you, that the President, after reconsidering, at your request, the case of vessels armed within our ports to commit hostilities on nations at peace

with the United States, had finally determined, that it could not be admitted, and desired, that all those which had been so armed, should depart from our ports. It being understood afterwards, that these vessels either still remained in our ports, or had only left them to cruise on our coasts, and return again with their prizes, and that another vessel, the Little Democrat, had been since armed at Philadelphia, it was desired in my letter of the 12th of July, that such vessels, with their prizes, should be detained, till a determination should be had of what was to be done under these circumstances. In disregard, however, of this desire, the Little Democrat went out immediately on a cruise.

I have now in charge to inform you, that the President considers the United States as bound pursuant to positive assurances, given in conformity to the laws of neutrality, to effectuate the restoration of, or to make compensation for prizes, which shall have been made, of any of the parties at war with France, subsequent to the 5th day of June last, by privateers fitted out of our ports.

That it is consequently expected, that you will cause restitution to be made of all prizes taken and brought into our ports, subsequent to the above mentioned day, by such privateers; in defect of which, the President considers it as incumbent upon the United States to indemnify the owners of those prizes. The indemnification to be reimbursed by the French nation.

That, besides taking efficacious measures to prevent the future fitting out privateers in the ports of the United States, they will not give asylum therein, to any which shall have been at any time so fitted out, and will cause restitution of all such prizes as shall be hereafter brought within their ports, by any of the said privateers.

It would have been but proper respect to the authority of the country, had that been consulted before these armaments were undertaken. It would have been satisfactory, however, if their sense of them, when declared, had been duly acquiesced in. Reparation of the injury to which the United States have been made so involuntarily instrumental, is all which now remains, and in this, your compliance cannot but be expected.

In consequence of the information given in your letter of the 4th instant, that certain citizens of St. Domingo, lately arrived in the United States. were associating for the purpose of undertaking a military expedition from the territory of the United States, against that Island, the Governor of Maryland, within which State the expedition is understood to be preparing, is instructed to take effec tual measures to prevent the same.

I have the honor to be, &c.

TH. JEFFERSON.

No. 129.

Circular letter from James Wood, Lieutenant Governor of Virginia, to the Commandants of counties, in which are ports of navigation. RICHMOND, August 22, 1793.

SIR: It having been decided by the President of the United States, that no armed vessel, which has been or shall be originally fitted out, in any part of the United States, as a cruiser or privateer, by either of the parties at war, is to have asylum in any of the ports of the United States in case any vessel within the foregoing description should arrive in any port or harbor within the limits of your county, you are to cause her to be ordered to depart immediately; and, in case of her refusal, you are to take effectual measures to oblige her to depart. Force is not to be resorted to, until every proper effort has been previously made to procure the early departure without it. If any such vessel or vessels shall have sent or brought. subsequent to the fifth instant, or should hereafter send or bring any prize or prizes into any port or harbor within your county, you will cause such prize or prizes to be immediately secured by your militia, for the purpose of being restored to the former owners. The following are the names of the privateers comprehended within the meaning of this letter, that have hitherto come to the knowledge of the Government of the United States :

Citizen Genet,
Sans Culotte,

Vanqueur de Bastile, S

Petit Democrat,

Carmagnole,

Fitted out at Charleston, South Carolina,

Philadelphia,
Delaware.

You will be plessed to transmit in writing to the Governor, all the cases, with the evidences thereon, which may occur in pursuance of this communication.

Circular letter from the Secretary of State to the merchants of the United States.

To

PHILADELPHIA, August 27, 1793.

GENTLEMEN: Complaint having been made to the Government of the United States, of some instances of unjustifiable vexation and spoliation, committed on our merchant vessels by the privateers of the Powers at war, and it being possible that other instances may have happened, of which no information has been given to the Go

Ternment, I have it in charge from the President to assure the merchants of the United States, concerned in foreign commerce or navigation, that due attention will be paid to any injuries they may suf fer on the high seas, or in foreign countries, contrary to the law of nations, or to existing treaties: and that, on their forwarding hither well authenticated evidence of the same. proper proceedings will be adopted for their relief. The just and friendly dispositions of the several belligerent Powers afford well-founded expectation that they will not hesitate to take effectual measures for restraining their armed vessels from committing aggressions and vexations on our citizens or their property.

There being no particular portion or description of the mercantile body pointed out by the laws for receiving communications of this nature. I take the liberty of addressing it to the merchants of Charleston, for the State of South Carolina, and of requesting that, through them, it may be made known to all those of their State whom it may

concern.

Information will be freely received, either from the individuals aggrieved. or from any associations of merchants, who will be pleased to take the trouble of giving it, in a case so interesting to theinselves and their country.

I have the honor to be,

With great respect, Gentlemen, &c.
TH. JEFFERSON.

To

GENTLEMEN: I take the liberty of requesting you to communicate the enclosed to the merchants of

and have the honor to

be, with great respect, Gentlemen, &c.

TH. JEFFERSON.

No. 131.

Secretary of State to the British Minister in the United States.
PHILADELPHIA, September 5, 1793.

SIR: I am honored with yours of August 30th; mine of the 7th of that month assured you that measures were taking for excluding from all further asylum, in our ports. vessels armed in them, to cruise on nations with which we were at peace, and for the restoration of the prizes the Lovely Lass, Prince William Henry, and the Jane, of Dublin; and that, should the measures for restitution fail in their effect, the President considered it as incumbent on the United States, to make compensation for the vessels. We are bound by our treaties with three of the belligerent nations, by all the means in our power to protect and defend their vessels and effects in our ports or waters, or on the seas near our shores, and to recover and restore

the same to the right owners, when taken from them. If all tire means in our power are used, and fail in their effect, we are not bound by our treaties with those nations to make compensation.

Though we have no similar treaty with Great Britain, it was the opinion of the President, that we should use towards that nation the same rule which, under this article, was to govern us with the other nations; and even to extend it to captures made on the high seas, and brought into our ports, if done by vessels which had been armed within them.

Having, for particular reasons, forborne to use all the means in our power, for the restitution of the three vessels mentioned in my letter of August 7th, the President thought it incumbent on the United States to make compensation for them; and, though nothing was said in that letter of other vessels taken under like circumstances, and brought in after the 5th of June and before the date of that letter, yet, where the same forbearance had taken place. it was, and is his opinion, that compensation would be equally due. As to prizes made under the same circumstances, and brought in after the date of that letter, the President determined that all the means in our power should be used for their restitution. If these fail, as we should not be bound by our treaties to make compensation to the other Powers, in the analogous cases, he did not mean to give an opinion that it ought to be done to Great Britain. But still, if any cases shall arise, subsequent to that date, the circumstances of which shall place them on similar ground with those before it. the President would think compensation equally incumbent on the United States.

Instructions are given to the Governors of the different States to use all the means in their power for restoring prizes of this last description, found within their ports. Though they will, of course, take measures to be informed of them, and the General Government has given them the aid of the Custom House Officers for this purpose, yet you will be sensible of the importance of multiplying the channels of their information, as far as shall depend upon yourself, or any persons under your direction, in order that the Governors may use the means in their power for making restitution. Without knowledge of the capture, they cannot restore it. It would always be best to give the notice to them directly; but any information which you shall be pleased to send to me also, at any time, shall be forwarded to them as quickly as distance will permit.

Hence, you will perceive, sir, that the President contemplates restitution or compensation, in the cases before the 7th of August, and after that date, restitution, if it can be effected by any means in our power; and that it will be important that you should substantiate the fact that such prizes are in our ports or waters. Your list of the privateers illicitly armed in our ports, is, I believe, correct.

With respect to losses by detention. waste, spoliation, sustained by vessels taken as before mentioned, between the dates of June 5 and August 7, it is proposed, as a provisional measure, that the Collector of the Customs of the District, and the British Consul, or any