•382 A. D. 179(3. 



the Americans. But when they found that his remonflrances had net 

 had the efted they looked for, and moreover faw a treaty conckided 

 by him, which they conceived to be very injurious to their interefts, 

 they again (2"^ July 1795) decreed, that their condud to neutral flags 

 fhould be regulated exadly by that of their enemies : and they openly 

 expreiTed their difpleafure againfl: the Americans, whom they accufed 

 of ingratitude to their befl friends ; as if the afTiftance given them in 

 the revolutionary war b'y the old government of France had proceeded 

 from friendship. 



Mr. Adet, the ambafllidor fram France to the United flates, had pre- 

 fented a remonftrance (29'" September 1795), ^\ herein he infifted on 

 the mutual duties of neutrality. Having received -no anfwer, he made 

 feveral further applications (29"" March, 8'" April, and 20'" April, 1796) 

 to none of which he got any anfwer. In his laft note (27'" Odober 

 1796) he obferved, that * neutrality no longer exifls, when, in the 

 ' courfe of the war, the neutral nation grants to one of the belligerent 

 ' powers advantages not Jljpulated by treaties anterior to the zvar, or fufFers 

 ' that power to feize upon them.' 



To this note Mr. Pickering, the American fecretary of ftate, replied 

 (3*^ November 1796) that by the treaty of 1778 with France it was ex- 

 prefsly ftipulated, that free Jhips Jhoiild make free goods ; that the Ameri- 

 cans, being now at peace, have the right of carrying the property of 

 the enemies of France ; and that the French cannot exped that they 

 Ihould gratuiioufly renounce that privilege, merely becaufe it operates 

 to the difadvantage of the contrading party engaged in war. He main- 

 tained, that the capture of American veflels, carrying French property, 

 by the Britifli was warranted by the law of nations, and that the fpecial 

 ftipulation, contained in the treaty between France and the United ftates, 

 was ' an exception to an univerfal rule ;' whence it was to be inferred, 

 that France had no right to objed againfl American vefTels carrying 

 Britifh property, and that Great Britain had a right to objed to their 

 carrying French property. 



In about three weeks after the receipt of Mr. Pickering's anfwer, Mr. 

 Adet (apparently furniflied with conditional orders from his govern- 

 ment, who could not be but offended at the repeated negled of his re- 

 monflrances) gave notice that the French government had fufpended 

 him from his fundions : and nearly about the fame time the diredory 

 refufed to receive Mr. Pinckney, who arrived in Paris as ambaffador 

 from the United ftates. Thus wei'e thofe two republics, whofe evident 

 intereff it was to preferve a mutual friendly intercourfe, apparently on 

 the eve of plunging into hoftilitics. 



The French government, encouraged by the difcontents prevailing 

 in Ireland, projeded an invafion of that country, which fupplies the 

 Britifh navy, the chief objed of their apprehenfions, with almofl all 



