_ SPATE PAPERS. 
The minister next adverts: to 
“Jay’s mission. He states, that 
France was deceived by the. decla- 
rations of our executive when that 
business was set on foor; and that 
the directory considers the British 
treaty as depriving France ofall 
the advantageous stipulations in- 
tended to be secured to her by the 
treaty ot 1778, as tending to render 
the neutrality of America advanta- 
geous to England to the detriment 
of France. This treaty abandons 
the modern law of nations, which 
even England had sanctioned in 
eleven treaties, and we in every 
prior commercial treaty with Eu- 
ropean nations. It gives the Eng- 
lish the facility of obtaining the 
transportation’ of naval stores and 
‘warlike implements whithersoever 
they please under the shelter of 
the American flag, while this faci- 
lity is denied to France; and thus 
it changes, during the war, the re- 
spective footing of the belligerent 
owers with respect to us, The 
treaty, he further states, cuts off the 
‘supplies of provisions, which France 
lcoked for from this country, by 
stipulating that the British may in 
every situation seize our provision 
vessels bound to the ports of their 
enemies. In short, he considers it 
as a breach of our neutrality, unless 
the French be allowed to partake 
in the advantages it holds out to 
Great Britain. He also claims this 
participation in pursuance of ghe 
second article of the treaty of 1778, 
which'grants the French all the ad- 
vantages of commerce and naviga- 
tion enjoyed by the more favoured 
nations. And in this point of view 
the orders to the French vessels of 
war to treat the American flag in 
every respect as we shall suffer it 
to be treated by the English, have 
been issued. 
[311 
The minister proceeds to protest, 
in the name and by the orders of 
the executive direGtory, against the 
violation of the 17th article. He 
claims replevy of all seizures, and 
the annulling of all judicial acts 
with respect to the French prizes, 
and protests against all opposition 
to the sale of prizes. He protests 
against the violation of the same 
articles by our admitting into, our 
ports British armed vessels, and 
against the interpretation put by 
our executive upon that article, 
He declares, that the dire¢tary con- 
siders our treaty with Britain asa 
violation of their treaty with us, 
and as equivalent to a treaty of al- 
liance with that nation; and, in 
consequence, orders ‘him to suspend 
his ministerial fun@tions here. The 
dire¢tory declare, that they do not 
wish this measure to be considered 
in the light of a rupture, but as a 
mark of their sense of injury, which 
is to last until they can obtain sa- 
tisfafion. They reiterate their ex- 
pressions of friendship for the peo- 
ple, notwithstanding the wrongs of 
the executive. 
The minister concludes by stat. 
ing, that the French republic al, 
ways had it at heart to cultivate 
hatmony by a mutual interchange 
of good offices ; but that our admi- 
nistration have as constantly en- 
deavoured “to break asynder the 
ties which conne&t the two na- 
tions. Early under the republic, 
the French colonies were opened to 
us ; the ports of France also on the 
same footing as to their own vessels. 
When England violated the neu. 
tral flag, France, obliged to make 
use of reprisals, exempted from the 
measure the Americans; and though 
forced, for a while, much against 
their inclination, to withdraw the 
exemption, 
X 4 
