4 But in my opinion, it is unnecessary 
and would be unwise to extend 
| them. Taking care always to, keep 
yourselves, by suitable establish. 
ments, on a respettz ble defensive 
posture, we may s safely trust to tem- 
emergencies. 
, Harmony, liberal intercourse 
with ali nations, are recommended 
| by policy, humanity, and interest. 
But even our commercial policy 
should hold an equal and impartial 
hand; neither seeking not grant- 
ing eaclusive favours or preferences, 
consulting the natural course of 
things: diffusing and diversifying 
by gentle, means the streams of 
commerce, but forcing nothing ; 
establishing, with powers so dis: 
posed, inorder to give trade a 
staple course, to define the rights 
of our merchants, and to endlale 
the government to support them ; 
conventional rules of intercourse, 
the best that present circumstances 
and mutual, opinion will permit, 
-but temporary, and liable to be 
‘from time to time abandoned or 
varied, as experience and circum- 
,Stances “shall . ‘didtate ; constantly 
keeping i in view that it is folly in 
“one,nation to look for disinterested 
:favours trom another: that it must 
pay with, a proportion of its in- 
dependence for whatever it may 
“accept under that character 5, that, 
by such acceptance, it may place 
itself in the condition of having 
given equivalents for nominal fa- 
.vours, and yet of being reproached 
pwith ingratitude for not giving 
more. There can be no greater 
cerror than to expect or calcilate 
upon real ‘favours from nation to 
nation. It is an illusion ‘which 
ex rience must cure; which a 1 just 
pride bught to discard.’ 
In offering to you, my country. 
§; TsAsT E; oP A PE \R OS: 
porary alliances for extraordinary 
[303 
men, these counsels of an old and 
affectionate friend, I dare not hope 
they will make the strong and 
lasting impression 1, could wish : 
that they will controul the usail , 
current of the passions, or preveuc 
our nation from runing the course 
which has hitherto marked the 
destiny of nations. Butif I may 
even flatter myself that they may 
be productive of some partial be. 
nefit, some occasional good ; that 
they may now andrthen recur to 
moderate the fury of party spirits 
to warn against the mischiets ot 
foreign intrigue, to guard against 
the impostors of pretended pa- 
triotism,; this hope will be a tulJ 
recompense for the solicitude of 
your welfare, by which they have 
been dictated. 
How far in the discharge of my 
oficial duties I have been guided 
by the principles which have been 
delineated, the public records- ard 
other evadenecs of my conduct 
must witness to you and to the 
world. To myself the assurance 
of my own conscience is, that I 
have at least believed myself to be 
guided by them. 
In relation to the still subsisting 
war in Europe, my proclamation 
of the 22d of April, 1793, is the 
index to my plan. Santtioned by 
your approved voice, and by that 
of your -representatives in both 
houses of congress, the spirit of that 
measure has continually governed 
me, uninfluenced by any attempts to 
deter or divert me from it. 
After deliberate examination, 
with the aid of the best lights 1 
could obtain, I was well satisfied 
that our country, under all the 
‘circumstances of the-case, had a 
right to, take, and was bound ir 
duty and interest to take a neutral 
position, 
