24 



sarily secures to the party and their friends the island and fisheries.'' 

 Among the benefits to the United States would be the acquisition of 

 '•two States to the Union," and the securing of the fisheries jointly with 

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



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

 was accordinglj' matured and adopted by Congress in the course of the 

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

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

 one of their objects in forming an alliance 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 iniiuence in the 

 western hemisphere. But the fact is now well ascertained that they 

 were averse to the design against Canada, 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 a long letter on the subject. He thought the plan 

 both impracticable and unwise. Among his reasons for the latter opin- 

 ion was, that France would engross "the whole trade of Newfoundland 

 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 1778, and annulled by act of Congress in the j^ear 1800, con- 

 tained the following provisions : 



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

 masters, and mariners of the states, provinces, and dominioriis of each 

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

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

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

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

 hold ; and in like manner the subjects, people, and inhabitants of the- 

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

 coasts, or places M'hich 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 treat}'-, the said ship or vessel, with its lading, proot 

 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 far as the Most Christian King or the United States shall 

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



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

 never disturb the subjects of the Most Christian King in the enjoyment 

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

 in the indefinite and exclusive right which 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 which 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 world, 

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

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

 United States was kept secret for some weeks, to give time for their 

 return. During hostilities, St. Pierre and Miquelon, if not almost abaur 

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



