24 



sarily secures to the party and their friends tlio island and fisheries."* 

 Among the. benefits to the United Stales would be the acquisition of 

 *'two States to the Union," iind the securing of the fisheries jointly witb 

 France, "to the total exclusion of Great Brittdn." 



An alliance with France secured, a plan to reduce Canada at least 

 was accordingly matured and adopted by Congress in the course of the 

 last-mentionud year. It was the prevalent opinion in the United States 

 that the French ministry not only approved of this measure, but that 

 one of their objects in forming an allianc-c with us was to regain a part 

 or the whole of the possessions in America which they had lost in, pre- 

 vious wars, and thus regain their former position and iniluence in the 

 western hemisj)here. But the fact is now well ascertained tlmt they 

 were averse to the design against Can:ida, and that, from the first, it 

 was their settled policy to leave that colony and Nova Scotia depend- 

 encies of England. Washington dissented from Congress, and pre- 

 sented that body with along letter on the sul)j(^c-t. He thought the plau' 

 both impracticable and unwise. Aiijong liis reasons fnr the latter opin- 

 ion was, that France would engross "the whole trade of Newf<)andlan(t 

 whenever she pleased," and thus secure "the finest nursery of seamen 

 in the world." The expedition was never undertaken. 



The treaty of commerce between- France and the United States con- 

 cluded in 177S, and annulled by act of Congress in the year ISOO, con- 

 tained the following provisions : 



"Art. 9. The subjects, inhabitants, merchants, commanders of ships^ 

 masters, and mariners of the states, provinces, and dominions of eacb 

 party, respectively, shall abstain and forbear to fish in all places pos- 

 sessed, or which shall be possessed, by the other pauty. The Most Chris- 

 tian King's subjects shall not fish in the havens, bays,, creeks, roads, 

 coasts, or places which the said United Stales hold, or shall hereafter 

 hold ; and in like manner the subjects, peo^:»le, and inhabitants <.>f the 

 said United States shall not fish in the havens, bays, creeks, roads^ 

 coasts, or places which the Most Christian King possesses, or shall here- 

 after possess. And if any ship or vessel shall be found fishing contrary 

 to the tenor of this treaty, the said ship or vessel, with its lading, proof 

 being made thereof, shall be confiscated. It is, however, understood that 

 the exclusion stipulated in the present article shall take place only so 

 long and so llir as the Most Christian King or the United States shall 

 not in this respect have granted an exemption to some oJ.her nation. 



"Art. 10. The United States, their citizens and inhabitants, shall 

 never disturl) the subjects of the Most Christian King in the enjoyment 

 and exercise of the right of fishing on the Banks of NcwlbundJand, nor 

 in the indefinite and exclusive right w^hich belongs to them on that part 

 of the coast of that island which is designated by the treaty of Utrecht^ 

 nor in the rights relative to all and each of the isles wliit-h belong to his 

 Most Christian Majesty — the whole conformable to the true sense of the 

 treaties of Utrecht and Paris." 



Embarked in war with the greatest maritime power in the worlds 

 France had need of all her seamen ; and to secure for her ships-of-war 

 her fishermen absent at Newfoundland, her treaty of alhance with the 

 United States was kept secret fl)r some weeks, to give tinie lor their 

 return. During hostilities, St. Pierre and Mi(]uek)n, if not almost aban- 

 doned by fishing-vessels, were the scene of no incidents to detain us.. 



