| 1797-] Public Affairs. —France Weft Indies «.« America. 
new member of the Dire€étory was not to 
be named till Prairial of the 5th year (the 
month following the renewal of a third of 
the council. ) 
The jealoufy which had for fome time 
exifted between France and America, on 
account of the alledged ingratitude of the 
latter in treating Great Brirain as the moft 
favoured nation, has, fince the notification 
of Gen. Wathington’s refignation, broken 
out with greater violence. (See America.) 
The Republican and Imperial armies 
in Italy have remained nearly inactive 
‘fince our lafi fatement. Genera] Buona- 
|. parte, on the 26th of December, had his 
_ head-quarters at Milan, from whence he 
informed the Directory, that the Auttrian 
troops, under general -Alvinzy, were 
pofted on the Brenta and in the Tyrol : 
that the army of the Republic extended 
along the Adige, and occupied the line 
of Monteballo, Carona, Rivoli; and that 
it had an advanced guard before Verona, 
and another before Porto Legnago. 
Mantua at that time remained blocked 
wp with the utmoft itri€tnefs. According 
to a letter from the Emperor to general 
Wurmfer, which had been interrupted, 
that place muft have been reduced to the 
Jat extremity ; the garrifon were faid to 
have had no provifions for a confiderable 
period but horfe flein. : 
The Republican general then affured 
the Direétory, that the Republic had no 
army which wifhed more than that of 
Italy the maintenance of the facred Con- 
'ftitution of 1795, the only refuge of liber- 
ty and of the French people; and that 
they were eager and ready to fight the 
new sevolutionifts, whatever might be 
. their defigns. 
About the fame time, general Buonaparte 
alfo informed the Directory, that the Ve- 
‘netians had favourably received the army: 
of general Alvinzy, which obliged him <o 
take fome new precautions. He took pof- 
feffion of the cattle of Bergamo, which 
commanded the city of the fame name, 
to prevent the partizans of the Auftrians 
from ftrengthening his communications 
between the Adda.and the Adige ; for 
this. province of the territory of Venice 
was jil-difpofed towards the French. In 
the city of Bergamo there was a committee 
whofe bufinefs it was to circulate the moft 
abfurd reports relative to the army; and 
in this province the French foldiers had 
been moft frequently affaflinated, and the 
Aufirian prifoners moft favoured in their 
defertion. 
The fort of Kehl, on the Rhine, after 
_ the trenches had been opened before it two 
67 
months, and after it had coft the Auf- 
trians from 14,000 tou 18,000 men, and 
50,000,0c0 of. florins, was evacuated by 
the French; they carried away all the 
artillery, and formed it into a park on the 
left fide of the Rhine, they left nothing 
to the Auftrians, their fucceffors, but afhes 
and ruins. 
West INDIES. 
By accounts from the ifland of Mar- 
tinico, dated the 16th of Otober, 1796, 
the Britifh government were informed, 
that their effairs in Grenada wore the mott 
favourable afpeét ; tranquillity was com- 
pletely reflored, and the communications 
throughout the ifland was perfeétiy open. | 
At that time a negociation for a general 
exchange of prifoners had been opened 
with the commiffioners of the French Re- 
public at Guadaloupe; two hundred had 
then been interchanged. . 
In the ifland of St. Vincent, the Bri- 
gands and Charibs had been fubdued in 
Odtober. The number of Brigands who 
had furrendered or been taken fince the 
4th of July, amounted to 7255 the number 
of Charibs to 4633, including women and 
children.—The whole lofs of his: Majefty’s 
forces, under the command of major-ge- 
nera! Hunter, in the ifland of St. Vin- 
cent, fince the commencement cf the 
Charib war, amounted to thirty-five rank 
and file killed, and ninety-fix wounded. 
* AMERICA. 
A difpute of a very ferious nature ap- 
pears to have taken place between the 
French Republic and the United States of 
America. M. Adet, the French minifter 
at Philadelphia, on the 27th of Oétober, 
tranfmitted to the fecretary of ftare of the 
United States -a public manifefto, ftating, 
on the part of the French Republic, the 
grounds of complaint. 
This ambaffador lays it down as a rule 
with his Republic, that her flag will treat 
the flag cf neutrals in the fame manner as 
they fhall fuffer it to be treated by the 
Englith. He then hints at the connivance 
which the. Americans have frequently 
given to the Englifh when they have feized 
{hips bound from America to France :— 
that in the year 1795, Mr. Jay was 
ordered by the United States to remon- 
ftrate with the Englifh on this fubjeét, 
which created a hope that the grievance 
would not be repeated, and, therefore, the 
French Republic ordered her fiag to re- 
{pect the American veifels. The Committee 
of Public Safety had every regfan to believe 
that this open and liberal conduét would 
determine the United States to ufe every 
effort to put a flop to the Vexations im- 
Og pofed 
