There is so many trials to come on before mine, that if I am libelled, I shall not get away under three months at least.

There cannot be any vessel's papers more regular than mine are. If I am cleared, I shall be obliged to come home from here, after selling the remainder of the cargo; if I attempt to go from this to a French port, I shall be a prize to the French, so I hope to be able to give you a more agreeable account in my next.

I remain, with respect, yours,
PETER ODLIN.

No. 277.

Letter from Peter Odlin to Messrs. Smith and Ridgway.

CAPE NICHOLA MOLE, March 20th, 1797.❤

GENTLEMEN: I wrote you from Curracoa the 19th and 22d of February; also from this port the 9th, of which I sent a duplicate, informing you of my misfortune in being brought in here by the frigate Acquilon, which I hope were duly received: since which I have been libelled here, under pretence that I had oznaburgs on board, which I sold in Curracao. They say that oznaburgs is a substitute for sails, for French cruizers. If there is no plea for condemnation they will make one. There have five or six been condemned here since I arrived, and there is not the least prospect of my being cleared, for they have no money for the support of the navy, and they are obliged to do it through policy to support their navy. There is scarce an instance of a vessel's being libelled but what they are condemned.

I have given security for the cost, and laid in my claim for the property, damages, and detention, but there are so many cases come on before mine, that I am afraid that it will not be tried under three weeks at least. I shall do every thing in my power to expedite the business, and act with the greatest caution, and have every thing as regular as possible; but there is nothing to be done without money, and they robbed me of all I had.

I have borrowed of Mr. Thomas 8300, to pay lawyer's fees and other expenses, which I could not avoid; and have drawn on you at thirty days sight, for the amount, which, I have no doubt, will meet due honor. The frigate that took my money out has not yet arrived, and my people are on board of her; they are going to unload the vessel now she is libelled, and I suppose they will turn me out of her, as it is their general practice as soon as the vessel is libelled. If they do so, it will be very expensive for me ashore. If I am condemned I shall appeal, if I can get security, which I hope to be able to obtain

*This ought to be 1798...but is 1797 in the original.

here; but if you write me on the receipt of this, it is very probable I shall be here, (direct your letter to the care of Mr. Tissiere, for me.) I must refer you to the bearer, Mr. Thomas, for further information, as he has been with me ever since I left Curracoa, can give you every information with respect to me.

I remain, with respect, yours,

PETER ODLIN,

Copy of a list of American vessels laying at Cape Nichola Mole, on the 1st day of April, 1798, sent in for adjudication.

Brig Malabar, Philadelphia, Da Costa; bound from Philadelphia to Petitguare, laden with provisions, dry goods, and iron ware; condemned for three casks of nails, and for having Oznaburgs, which are esteemed contraband.

Schooner Friendship, Philadelphia, Odlin; bound from Curacoa to Acquin, having sold the cargo at Curacoa, and proceeding from thence with cash to Acquin, to purchase a cargo, was captured, sent in, and is libelled for having cash and going to a French port, which the Judge esteems contraband.

Sloop Driver, Philadelphia, Cushman; bound from Philadelphia to Cape Francois, laden with provisions; sent in for adjudication.

Brig Nancy, Baltimore, Jemmil; bound from Baltimore to Cape Francois, laden with wine, dry goods, and soap; sent in, is libelled and expected to be condemned, having Oznaburgs.

Schooner Adeline, Baltimore, Tear; bound from Baltimore to Cape Francois, laden entirely with flour, sent in, and is condemned, because the owners (McFarden & Co.) were British subjects, and carrying on a trade to French ports: the Judge, likewise [in the] condemnation said that the Cape was in a state of blockade, which the owners must have known.

Schooner Polly, Baltimore, Hains; bound from Gonnaives to Baltimore, laden with coffee and cotton; sent in for adjudication.

Schooner Sisters. Baltimore, Smith; from Baltimore to Jeremie; cleared for a French port, has nothing contraband on board; sent in for adjudication and libelled.

Ship Henry, New York. Bunker; bound from Gonnaives to New York, laden with coffee and cotton; sent in and libelled, because she came out to Cape Francois a cartel ship, and brought cash for the purchase of a homeward cargo.

Schooner Nancy, New York, Norton; bound from New York to Cape Francois, laden with provisious; sent in for adjudication.

Brig Sally, Charleston, Huston; bound from Charleston to this port, but cleared for a Spanish port in Cuba-arrived safe at this port; after her arrival, she was seized by the Collector of Customs, by or der of the Judge, for a pretence of a breach of the laws of trade, having naval stores on board.

Schooner Fanny, Charleston, Mills; bound from Charleston to St. Thomas's; sent in by a man of war, and condemned, vessel and cargo, on suspicion of French property.

Sloop Polly, Charleston, Pendleton; bound from Charleston to the Havanna: taken by a frigate in sight of the Moro; sent in and libelled, and will be condemned, having contraband articles.

Sloop James. Charleston, Johnson; seize at Jeremie, on suspieion of gunpowder, and carrying it to the enemy; having been cleared for a French port, but voluntarily went into Jeremie, to which port she was bound; she was tried at Jeremie by the Marshal, and condemned, the captain appealed to this Court, and is libelled as French property, not finding any gunpowder.

Schooner Fanny, Newburyport, Ganderson; bound from Jacmel to Aux Cayes, having touched at the former port and could not sell; proceeding from thence to Aux Cayes, was taken, sent in, and is libelled.

Schooner William, Wilmington, Burr; bound from Wilmington to Montechriste, laden with provisions; sent in for adjudication. The abovementioned vessels were sent in here, from the 20th of February to the 1st of April. and their cargoes, according to their invoices, amount to two hundred and fifty thousand dollars, and there is no great prospect of either of them being cleared.

P. O.

No. 2.

No. 278.

Secretary of State to Mr. Adams, Minister to Prussia.

DEPARTMENT OF STATE, Philadelphia, March 17th, 1798.

SIR: A letter from Mr. Fenwick, the American Consul at Bordeaux, dated the 25th January last, to a merchant of this city, contains the following passage:

"Enclosed is a law just passed. I leave you to judge its effects. The preamble gives room to believe it is meant, principally, at the Americans, and is an invective and reproach against them.

"Many think the Danes, Swedes, and Prussians, are engaged in concert to the measure, on certain conditions, and its effects will only operate against the Americans." Unfortunately, the preamble was not transmitted: the law enclosed consists of these two articles :

[TRANSLATION.]

ART. 1st. The condition of vessels, in relation to their equality as neutrals, shall be determined by the cargoes; consequently, all those that shall carry goods, taken from England, or from her colonies, shall be declared lawful prizes, to whomsoever they may belong.

2d. Every vesssel which, in the course of her voyage, shall enter into the ports of England, shall not be permitted to enter into those of the French Republic, unless she be compelled to put in, and she shall be bound to depart as soon as the necessity ceases."

As the war continues, and as it now seems scarcely possible for the United States to avoid becoming a party in it, you will, doubtless, be determined by your instructions of the 15th and 17th of July last, in renewing our treaties with Prussia and Sweden. and to reject the article, in each, which stipulates that free ships shall make free goods. With this prospect before us, no considerations occur which should induce its admission. But the reasons suggested in those instructions are now strongly enforced by the law of the French Republic, before cited, if, as Mr. Fenwick supposes, though general in its expressions, it is really and exclusively intended to operate against the Americans. In this case, a renewal of that stipulation is positively to be refused. The Swedish and Prussian commerce will then be only on the footing of the commerce of Denmark, with whom we have no treaty; and, if we must be involved in the war, it will be desirable that the commerce of those three Powers, in relation to the United States, should rest on one and the same principle.

But, if this iniquitous French laws exists, (and we have no room to doubt it,) will all the Northern Powers submit to it? We hope not. We hope that the inordinate ambition of France, and avowed design to subjugate all Europe, (of which she already calls herself the great nation," and "the conqueror,") will excite the resistance of all the Powers whom her arms have not reached, and rouse anew those whom the course of events have induced to submit. At present, Britain appears to be the only bulwark against the universal domination of France, by sea as well as by land. It is plain that those Powers, who have avoided becoming parties in the present war, and have congratulated themselves on their superior policy and good fortune, will, finally, have no reason to rejoice: they were only reserved for future plunder and oppression. This is now strikingly verified in respect to the United States. Her exactions are as unexpected as her victories have been unexampled. Instead of stipulating for even future compensation for the many millions of which she has authorized her cruisers to rob us, she demands immediate contributions to the enor mous amount of her depredations; making then [them] the measure, not of rendering justice, but of increasing her oppressions!

A full knowledge of her treatment of our Envoys, and of the propositions made to them, would confound her partisans among us; convince our citizens, in general, of the impossibility of preserving their property, and independence, but by resistance, and produce general unanimity in the measures requisite for that end; or, if I am mistaken in this opinion, we are already under the yoke of foreign domination. I have the honor to be, &c.

TIMOTHY PICKERING.

No. 280.

Extract of a document published in France in 1798, commenting upon the communications made by the President of the United States to the American Congress, on the 14th Germinal, 6th year, (April 3, 1798.)

[TRANSLATION.]

"The American and English papers have lately resounded with the publication of the most strange communications which the En voys of the United States have thought it their duty to make to their Government.

It is with respect to those Envoys a deplorable monument of credulity and contradictions: and it is, with respect to that Government, a provocation still more deplorable.

It is requisite, by the evidence of facts, and the very words of the Envoys themselves, to show their inconceivable error. It is requisite, by the force of reason, and the mere sentiment of the happiness of the two republics, to answer to the provocation so visibly suggested by the British Government.

That Government, indeed. after so many and such ridiculous efforts against the French Republic, endeavors to organize corruption around it.

Crown desperate on account of so many glorious treaties of peace, which the latter has concluded, it has flattered itself, by its peculiar perfidies, to rekindle the former wars in Europe, and to excite against it a new war in America; but all this system of British corruption shall be exposed and confounded; and the American People shall know the height of the precipice to which they are urged by the servile friends of their former oppressors. For a long time the French Republic complained, and certainly it had a right to do so, against the inexecution of the most important parts of the Convention of 1788, concluded between France and the United States. The maritime hostilities were soon followed by the most aggravating injuries. It was in vain that the Republic made a sacrifice of armaments which might compromit the American neutrality.

The most legitimate of its armaments was soon after contested. The French vessels experienced a thousand vexations. Their prizes were no longer under the protection of the treaties. The Courts of Justice arrogated a jurisdiction over them: lengthy and ruinous chicaneries discouraged the captors: the French ports in the two worlds were soon declared to be blockaded by British proclamations: the vessels which departed from them were stopped on a loose suspicion of being enemies' property: those which carried provisions thither were turned back.

On the other hand, the British ships of war entered the ports of the United States, after seizing French property, or property claimed to

be such.

By degrees they became stationary there, and made of them milita