594 
ders, no-new collisions have taken place, nor 
seem immediately to be apprehended. To 
eur former grounds of complaint has been 
added a very serious One, as you will see by 
the decree, a copy of which is now commu- 
nicated. Whether this decree, which pro- 
fesses to be conformable to that~ of the 
French Government of Nov. 21, 1806, here- 
tofore communicated to Congress, wll also 
be conformed o that in. its construction and 
application in relation to the United States, 
had not been ascertained at the date of our 
last communications + bese, however, gave 
reason to expect such a conturmity. 
With the other nations vo: Kurupe our har- 
mony has been uninterru ted, and commerce 
and friendly intercourse have been main- 
tained on their usual footing. 
Our peace with the several ftates on the 
coast of Barbary appears as firm as at any 
former period, and as iixely to Continue as 
that o any other nation. 
Among our Indian neighbours in the north- 
western quarier, some termentation was ob- 
served, svon aiter the late occurrences, threat- 
ening the continuaice of our peace. Mes- 
Sages were said to de interchanged, and tokeis 
to be passing, which usuaily denote a state of 
restlessness among them; and tlie character 
of tne agitato’s poited to the sources of ex- 
Citement. Measures were immediately taken 
for providing ayainft that danger; instruc- 
tlans were given to require expianations, and, 
with assurances of our continued friendship, 
to admonish the trives to remain quiet at 
home, teking no part in quarrels not belong- 
ingtothem 4s far as we are yet informed, 
the tribes in our vicinity, who are most ad- 
vanced in the pursuits of industry, are sin- 
cerely dispused to adhere to their friendship 
with us, and to their peace with all others. 
While those more remote do not present ap- 
pearances sufficiently quiet to justify the in- 
termission of military precaution on our part. 
The great tribes on our. south-western 
quarter, much advanced beyond the others in 
agricuitural.and houshold arts, appear tran- 
qui], and identifying their views with ours, 
in proportion to their advancements. “With 
the whole of these people, in every quarter, 
I shall continue to inculcate peace, and friend- 
ship with all their neighbours, and perse- 
verance in those occupations and pursuits 
which will best promote their own well-being. 
The appropriations of the last session, for 
the defence of our sea-port towns and har- 
bours, were made under expectation that a 
continuance of our peace would permit us to 
proceed in that work according to our conve- 
nience. it has been thought better to apply 
the sums then given towards the defence of 
New York, Charleston, and New Orleans 
chiefly, as most open and most likely first to 
need protection ; and to leave places less im- 
mediately in danger to the provisions of the 
present session. 
The gun-boats too, already provided, have, 
State of Public Affairs in December. 
[Jan. 1, 
on a like principle, been chiefly assigned to 
New York, New Orleans, and the Chesa- 
peake. Whether our moveable force on the 
water, sO material in aid of the defensive 
works on the land; should be augmented in 
this or any other form, is leit to the wisdom 
of the Legislature.—For the purpose of man- 
ning these vessels, in sudden atiacks on our 
harbours, it is .a matter for consideration, 
whether the seamen of the United States 
may not justly be formed into a special mi- 
litia, to be called on ‘ur tourso duty in de- 
fence of the harbeurs where they sbali hap- 
pen to be; the ordinary mn itia of the place 
furnishing that portion which may consist of 
landsmen. 
ihe moment our peace was threatened, I 
deemed it indispensable to secure a gieater 
provision of those articies ci milita y sto-eg, 
with which our mag zines were not suffici- 
ently furnished. To nave awaited a pres 
vious ana special sanction by law, would have 
lost oc-asions which might not be retrieved, 
I did not hesitate there.ore to authorise en- 
gagements ior such Supplements to our exist- 
ing stock, a3 would sender it adequate to the 
emergencies treatening us: and i trust that 
the Legislature, feeling the same anxiety for 
the sa:ety of our country, so materially ad- 
vanced by tiis precaution, will approve when 
done, what they would have seen so impor- 
tant to be do:e, if then assembled. Ex. 
pences, also unprovided for, arose out of the 
necessity of cailing all our gun-boats into 
actual service for tne defence of our har- 
bours, of all which accounts will be laid be- 
fere you. 
Whether a regular army is to be raised, 
and to what extent, must depend on the ine 
formation so shortly expected. In the mean 
time I have called on the States for quotas of 
militia, to be in readiness for present defence ; 
and have,-moreover, encouraged the accep- 
tance of volunteers; and [am happy to ine 
form you, that these have offered themselves 
with great alacrity in every part of the 
Union: they are ordered to be ‘organized, 
and ready at a moment’s warning, to proceed 
on any service to which they may be called; 
and every preparation within the executive 
power, has been made to insure us the benefit 
of early exertions. 
I informed Congress at their last session, 
of the enterprises against the public peace, 
whigh were believed to be in preparation by - 
Aaron Burr and his associates, of the mea- 
sures taken to defeat them, and te bring the 
ofierders to justice. Their enterprises were 
happily defeated by the patriotic exertions of 
‘the militia whenever called into action, by 
the fidelity of the army, and energy of the 
Commander-in chief, in promptly arranging 
the difiiculties pre:enting themselves on the 
Sabine, repairing to meet those arising on the 
Mississippi, and dissipating before their ex- 
plosion pilots engendering there : 
think it my duty to lay before you the pro- 
ceedings, 
J. shalk - 
—. 
