powers advantages not stipulated 
| by treaties anterior td the war, or 
suffers thi, power to seize upon 
them. - The neutrd! government 
cannot then complain if the Other 
_belligéterit powet will enjoy ad- 
vantages whicli its enemy enjoys, 
or if it Seizes upon them 3 other. 
‘wise that neutral government 
would deviate, with respe& to it; 
from the line of neutfality, and 
would become its enemy. 
The undersigned minister pleni- 
potentiary thinks it useless further 
to develope these principles. He 
does not doubt that the secretary 
of state feels all thei force; atid 
that the government of the United 
States will maintain from all vio- 
lation a neuttality which France 
has always respected; and will al. 
ways respeét, when her eneitiies do 
fot make it turn’to her detriment. 
The undersigned minister pleni- 
potentiary embraces this oppor- 
tunity of reiterating to thesecretary 
of state the assurarice of his esteem; 
and informs him, at the same time, 
that ‘he will cause this note to be 
printed, in order to make publicly 
known the motives which; at the 
present juhéture, influence the 
French republic. 
Done at Philadelphia, 6th Bru- 
maire, sth year of the French 
Republic, one and indivisible. 
{z7th O&. 1796, O. S.) 
(Signed) P. A. Aver. 
~ 
Reply of the Executive Government 
of America 10 Citizen Adet’s Note; 
inclosing the Decree of the Dire&ory 
respecting Nentral Vessels, 
Str, - 
I HAVE the honour to acknow- 
ledge the receipt of your note, of 
the 27th ult. covering a decree of 
the executive dircétory of the 
STATE PAPERS. 
[307 
French republic, concerning the 
commerce of neutral nat ons. 
This decree makes no distin¢tion 
between neutral powers, who can 
claim only the rights secured to 
them by the law of nations, and 
others between whom and_ the 
French republic treaties have im. 
posed special obliga:iois. Where 
no treatis exist, the republic, by 
selzing and confiscating the ;ro- 
perty of their enemies found on 
board neutral vessels, would ouly 
exercise an acknowledged mnguat 
under the law of nations. If, to- 
wards such neatral nations, the 
French republic has forborne to 
execute this right, the forbearance 
has been perfectly gratuitous. The 
United States, by virtue of their 
treaty of commerce with France, 
stand on different ground. 
In the year 1778, France vo- 
juntarily entered into a commercial 
treaty with us, on principles of per. 
fect reciprocity, and expressly sti- 
pulating rhit free ships shoul! make 
Free guods, That 1s, if France 
should be at war with any nation 
with whom the United States 
should be at peace, the goods 
(except coritraband), and the per. 
sons of her enemies (soldiers in 
actual service excepted) found on 
board the vessels of the United 
States; were to be free from cap. 
ture. ‘that, on the other hand, 
if the United States should en. 
gage in war with any nation, while 
France remained at peace, then 
the goods (except contraband), and 
the persons of our enemies ‘soldiers 
in aétual service excepted) found 
on board French vessels, were also 
to be free from capture. This is 
plainly expressed in the 23d arti. 
cle of that treaty, and d/monstrates 
that the reciprocity thereby stipu- 
X 2 laced 
