regular extinguishment of the publick debt, and a provision of funds to defray any extraordinary expenses, will of course call for your serious attention. Although the imposition of new burdens cannot be in itself agreeable, yet there is no ground to doubt that the American people will expect from you such measures as their actual engagements, their present security and future interests demand.

Gentlemen of the Senate, and Gentlemen of the House of Representatives, The present situation of our country imposes an obligation on all the departments of government to adopt an explicit and decided conduct: In my situation, an exposition of the principles by which my administration will be governed, ought not to be omitted.

It is impossible to conceal from ourselves, or the world, what has been before observed, that endeavours have been employed to foster and establish a division between the govern-' ment and people of the United States. To investigate the causes which have encouraged this attempt is not necessary; but to repel, by decided and united councils, insinuations so derogatory to the honour, and aggressions so dangerous to the constitution, union, and even independence of the nation, is an indispensable duty.

It must not be permitted to be doubted whether the people of the United States will support the government established by their voluntary consent, and appointed by their free choice; or whether by surrendering themselves to the direction of foreign and domestick factions, in opposition to their own government, they will forfeit the honourable station they have hitherto main tained.

For myself, having never been indifferent to what concerned the interests of my country, devoted the best part of my life to obtain and support its independence, and constantly witnessed the patriotism, fidelity, and perseverance of my fellow citizens, on the most trying occasions, it is not for me to hesitate or abandon a cause in which my heart has been so long engaged.

Convinced that the conduct of the government has been just and impartial to foreign nations; that those internal regulations which have been established by law, for the preservation of peace, are in their nature proper, and that they have been fairly executed, nothing will ever be done by me to impair the national engagements; to innovate upon principles which have been so deliberately and uprightly established; or to surrender in any manner the rights of the government. To enable me to maintain this declaration, I rely, under God, with entire confidence, on the firm and enlightened support of the national legislature, and upon the virtue and patriotism of my fellow citiJOHN ADAMS.

zens.

DOCUMENTS

REFERRED TO IN THE PRESIDENT'S SPEECH TO BOTH HOUSES OF CONGRESS, ON THE SIXTEENTH MAY, 1797.

Department of State, May 17, 1797.

SIR, By the direction of the President of the United States, I have the honour to present the enclosed papers, numbered from 1 to 18, as noted below, to be laid before the House of Representatives. And am, &c.

The Speaker of the House of

TIMOTHY PICKERING.

Representatives of the United States.

No. 1. General Pinckney's letter to the Secretary of State, dated at Paris, December 20th, 1796.

No. 2. Report of Major Mountflorence, to General Pinckney, dated at Paris, December 18th, 1796.

No. 3. Extract of a letter from General Pinckney, to the Secretary of State, dated at Paris, January 6th, 1797.

No. 4. Extract of a letter from General Pinckney, to the Se. cretary of State, dated at Amsterdam, February 18th, 1797. No. 5. Extract of a letter from General Pinckney, to the Secretary of State, dated at Amsterdam, March 5th, 1797. No. 6. Extract of a letter from Major Mountflorence, to General Pinckney, dated Paris, February 14th, 1797.

No. 7. Extract of a letter from Major Mountflorence, to General Pinckney, dated Paris, February 21st, 1797.

No. 8. Extract of a letter from General Pinckney, to the Secretary of State, dated Amsterdam, March 8th, 1797.

No. 9. Speech of Mr. Barras, President of the Executive Directory of the French Republick, to Mr. Monroe, December 30th, 1796.

No. 10. Decree of the Executive Directory of the French Republick, dated March 2d, 1797.

No. 11. Extract of a letter from John Quincy Adams, Esq. to the Secretary of State, dated at the Hague, November 4th,

1796.

No. 12. Extract of a letter from the Committee of Foreign Relations of the Batavian National Assembly, to John Quincy Adams, Esquire, dated at the Hague, September 27th, 1796.

No. 13. Extract of a letter from John Quincy Adams, Esq. minister of the United States, at the Hague, to the committee of foreign relations of the Batavian national assembly, dated at the Hague, October 31st, 1796.

No. 14. Extract of a letter from John Quincy Adams, Esq.

minister of the United States, at the Hague, to the Secretary of State, dated February 17th, 1797.

No. 15. Extract of a letter from Rufus King, Esq. minister of the United States in London, to the Secretary of State, dated March 12th, 1797.

No. 16. Letter from the Chevalier de Yrujo, envoy extraor. dinary, and minister plenipotentiary of his Catholick majesty, to the Secretary of State, dated May 6th, 1797.

No. 17. Letter from the Secretary of State, to the Chevalier de Yrujo, the minister of his Catholick majesty to the United States, dated May 17th, 1797.

No. 18. Letter from General Pinckney, to the Secretary of State, dated Paris, February 1st, 1797.

No. I.

Paris, 30th Frimaire, (December 20, 1796.)

DEAR SIR,-We left Bordeaux on the 25th of November, having been detained there until that time; first by the badness of the weather, which prevented the unloading of the baggage, and afterwards by some necessary alterations being made to my carriage, to encounter the bad roads we were threatened with. The roads were even worse than the horrible description we had heard of them, and we broke down twice, and were obliged to get three new wheels, out of four, before we reached this city, which we at length did on the evening of the 5th of De. cember. I here met my secretary major Henry Rutledge, and on the morning of the next day, (December 6) I transmitted by him to Mr. Monroe, his letters of recall, with my compliments, and that I would wait upon him at any hour he would appoint; I received for answer, that Mr. Monroe would see me whenever I pleased. I immediately waited on him, and we had a long conversation on the affairs of America; in which he with a great deal of frankness communicated all the late measures of this government with respect to ours, and of which you must long before this have been apprized, both by Mr. Adet, and the despatches of Mr. Monroe. He also showed me a letter which he had received from M. de la Croix, the minister of foreign affairs, in the following words:

TRANSLATION.

"The Minister for Foreign Affairs, to Citizen Monroe, Minister Plenipotentiary of the United States. Paris, 12 Frimaire, 5th year of the French Republick.

"CITIZEN MINISTER,-The arrival of Mr. Pinckney at Paris appearing to be near at hand, if it has not already taken place, I conceive that I should communicate to you certain formalities which you are to fulfil on the occasion. The usage is, that the minister recalled and his successor send to the minister for foreign affairs, a copy of their letters of credence and recall. As I presume your letters of recall have already been sent to you, I request you to communicate them to me as soon as possible. Greeting and fraternity, CH. DE LA CROIX."

I told Mr. Monroe that I thought it would be more respectful to the minister to acquaint him with my arrival, and to inform him, that we would wait upon him at any hour he should appoint, with my letters of credence, and his letters of recall. Accordingly Mr. Monroe, in my presence and with my approbation, sent him the following letter:

"The Minister Plenipotentiary of the United States of America, to the Minister of Foreign Affairs of the French Republick. Paris, 6th Dec. 1796, (16 Frimaire,) 21st year of the Independence of the United States of America.

"CITIZEN MINISTER,-I have the honour to inform you, that my successor, Mr. Pinckney, is arrived, and is desirous of waiting upon you, for the purpose of presenting a copy of his letter of credence for the Directoire Executif of the French republick. By him I have also received my letter of recall. Permit me, therefore, to request that you will be so obliging as to appoint a time when Mr. Pinckney and myself shall have the honour to attend you for the purpose of presenting you copies of those documents. Accept the assurance of my respect.

JAMES MONROE."

On Friday morning (Dec. 9th,) I received a letter from Mr. Monroe, informing me, that M. De la Croix had appointed that day, between one and four o'clock, P.M. to receive us. M. De la Croix's letter was conceived in the following terms:

TRANSLATION.

The Minister for Foreign Affairs, to Citizen Monroe, Minister Plenipotentiary of the United States of America. Paris, 19 Frimaire, 5th year, (Dec. 9, 1796.)

"CITIZEN MINISTER,—I have received the letter which you did me the honour to write to me, in which you request an interview for citizen Pinckney, designated for your successor, for the purpose of delivering copies of his letters of credence, and your letters of recall. I shall be glad to receive you between the hours of one and four o'clock this afternoon, if convenient to you. I pray you to propose this to citizen Pinckney. Greeting and fraternity.

successor.

CH. DE LA CROIX."

Mr. Monroe and myself, with my secretary, Major Rutledge, about two o'clock, waited upon M. De la Croix, and I was introduced by Mr. Monroe as the person appointed as his The minister at first received us with great stiff. ness, but afterwards on our conversing on some general subjects, he unbent and behaved with civility; and on receiv ing the official copies of our letters of credence and recall, said he would deliver them without delay to the Directory. He desired Major Rutledge to let him have our names of baptism, and our ages, that cards of hospitality might be made out; which he said were necessary to reside here unmolested. This requisition was immediately complied with, and he pro mised to send the cards the next morning. When this interview was known, the reports which had been spread abroad before my arrival, of my not being received by the Directory, vanished, and the general idea seemed to be that there would be no objection to receive me as minister from America. At 11 o'clock on Monday (Dec. 12th) Mr. Prevost (Mr. Monroe's secretary) called upon me, and told me that Mr. Monroe had just received a letter from M. De la Croix, and desired to know if I had received one,-I said no; he then showed me M. De la Croix's to Mr. Monroe, which was as follows:

TRANSLATION.

"The Minister for Foreign Affairs to Citizen Monroe, Minister Plenipotentiary of the United States of America. Paris, 21 Frimaire, 5th year of the French Republick one and indivisible. "CITIZEN MINISTER,-I hastened to lay before the Executive Directory, the copies of your letters of recall, and of the letters of credence of Mr. Pinckney, whom the President of the