cence or licentiousness of the preceding reigns, had succeeded a most philosophical spirit of inquiry. As early as '75 the nation was entirely occupied with discussions on the unlimited

of any disorder, shall remain out of cannon-shot, and may send their boats aboard the merchant ship which they shall so meet with, and may enter her to the number of two or three men only, towhom the master or commander of such ship or vessel shall exhibit his passport concerning the property of the ship, made out according to the form inserted in this present treaty, and the ship, when she shall have showed such passport, shall be free and at liberty to pursue her voyage, so as it shall not be lawful to molest or search her in any manner, or to give her chase or force her to quit her intended course.

"ART. 28. It is also agreed, that all goods when once put on board the ships or vessels of either of the two contracting parties, shall be subject to no farther visitation; but all visitation or search shall be made beforehand, and all prohibited goods shall be stopped on the spot, before the same be put on board, unless there are manifest tokens or proofs of fraudulent practice; nor shall either the persons or goods of the subjects of his most christian Majesty or the United States, be put under any arrest or molested by any other kind of embargo for that cause; and only the subject of that state to whom the said goods have been or shall be prohibited, and who shall presume to sell or alienate such sort of goods, shall be duly punished for the offence.

"ART. 29. The two contracting parties grant mutually the liberty of having each in the ports of the other, consuls, vice consuls, agents, and commissaries, whose functions shall be regulated by a particular agreement.

"ART. 30. And the more to favour and facilitate the commerce which the subjects of the United States may have with France, the most christian king will grant them in Europe one or more free ports, where they may bring and dispose of all the produce and merchandise of the thirteen United States; and his Majesty will also continue to the subjects of the said states, the free ports which have been and are open in the French islands of America: of all

freedom of commerce, the suppression of "corvées" and taxes on consumption; the liberty of conscience, and of the press; the recal of the Protestants; the suppression of monas

which free ports the said subjects of the United States shall enjoy the use, agreeable to the regulations which relate to them.

“ART. 31. The present treaty shall be ratified on both sides, and the ratifications shall be exchanged in the space of six months, or sooner if possible.

"In faith whereof the respective plenipotentiaries have signed the above articles, both in the French and English languages, declaring nevertheless, that the present treaty was originally composed and concluded in the French language, and they have thereto affixed their seals.

"Done at Paris, this sixth day of February, one thousand seven hundred and seventy-eight.

"C. A. GERARD, [L. S.] "B. FRANKLIN, [L. S.]

“SILAS DEANE, [L. S.]

“ ARTHUR LEE. [L. S.]"

TREATY OF ALLIANCE.

"THE most christian king and the United States of North America, to wit: New-Hampshire, Massachusetts Bay, Rhode Island, Connecticut, New-York, New-Jersey, Pennsylvania, Delaware, Maryland, Virginia, North Carolina, South Carolina, and Georgia, having this day concluded a treaty of amity and commerce, for the reciprocal advantage of their subjects and citizens, have thought it necessary to take into consideration the means of strengthening those engagements, and of rendering them useful to the safety and tranquillity of the two parties; particularly in case Great Britain in resentment of that connexion and of the good correspondence which is the object of the said treaty, should break the peace with France, either by direct hostilities, or by hindering her commerce and

teries; the abolition of torture; a civil code; and a new system of public instruction. Those, who will be at the pains of reading the Memoirs and Correspondence of the eminent

the

navigation in a manner contrary to the rights of nations, and the peace subsisting between the two crowns: and his Majesty and the said United States, having resolved in that case to join their councils and efforts against the enterprises of their common enemy, respective plenipotentiaries empowered to concert the clauses and conditions proper to fulfil the said intentions, have, after the most mature deliberation, concluded and determined on the following articles:

"ART. 1. If war should break out between France and Great Britain during the continuance of the present war between the United States and England, his Majesty and the said United States shall make it a common cause, and aid each other mutually with their good offices, their counsels and their forces, according to the exigence of conjunctures, as becomes good and faithful allies.

"ART. 2. The essential and direct end of the present defensive alliance is to maintain effectually the liberty, sovereignty, and independence absolute and unlimited, of the said United States, as well in matters of government as of commerce.

"ART. 3. The two contracting parties shall each on its own part, and in the manner it may judge most proper, make all the efforts in its power against their common enemy, in order to attain the end proposed.

"ART. 4. The contracting parties agree, that in case either of them should form any particular enterprise in which the concurrence of the other may be desired, the party whose concurrence is desired, shall readily and with good faith, join to act in concert for that purpose, as far as circumstances and its own particular situation will permit; and in that case, they shall regulate, by a particular convention, the quantity and kind of succour to be furnished, and the time and manner of its being brought into action, as well as the advantages which are to be its compensation.

"ART. 5. If the United States should think fit to attempt the reduction of the British power, remaining in the northern parts of America, or the islands of Bermudas, those countries or islands, in

persons, who figured in those times, now before the public in a voluminous form, will obtain in a pleasing way, a lively idea of the manner in which the educated classes of the

case of success, shall be confederated with, or dependant upon the said United States.

"ART. 6. The most christian king renounces forever the possession of the islands of Bermudas, as well as of any part of the continent of North America, which, before the treaty of Paris in 1763, or in virtue of that treaty, were acknowledged to belong to the crown of Great Britain, or to the United States, heretofore called British colonies, or which are at this time, or have lately been under the power of the king and crown of Great Britain.

"ART. 7. If his most christian Majesty shall think proper to attack any of the islands situated in the Gulf of Mexico, or near that gulf, which are at present under the power of Great Britain, all the said isles, in case of success, shall appertain to the crown of France.

"ART. 8. Neither of the two parties shall conclude either truce or peace with Great Britain, without the formal consent of the other first obtained; and they mutually engage not to lay down their arms until the independence of the United States shall have been formally or tacitly assured, by the treaty or treaties that shall terminate the war.

"ART. 9. The contracting parties declare, that being resolved to fulfil each on its own part, the clauses and conditions of the present treaty of alliance, according to its own power and circumstances, there shall be no after claim of compensation on one side or the other, whatever may be the event of the war.

ART. 10. The most christian king and the United States agree to invite or admit other powers who may have received injuries from England, to make common cause with them, and to accede to the present alliance, under such conditions as shall be freely agreed to, and settled between all the parties.

"ART. 11. The two parties guarantee mutually from the present time, and forever, against all other powers, to wit: The United States to his most christian majesty, the present possessions of the crown of France in America, as well as those which it may acquire by the future treaty of peace: And his most christian Majesty gua-

French nation were occupied, during the memorable years that preceded the American Revolution.

The treaty was kept secret till the month of March in order that the French government might have time to recall its fishermen ; withdraw its commerce; give notice to its colonies; and put its navy in a proper condition to proceed to sea. In April, the Count d'Estaing sailed with a large squadron from Toulon for the American coast. Either the prepa

rations for war were so openly made, that each party was only waiting for the first direct aggression, or the French

rantees on his part to the United States, their liberty, sovereignty, and independence, absolute and unlimited, as well in matters of government as commerce, and also their possessions, and the additions or conquests that their confederation may obtain during the war, from any of the dominions now, or heretofore possessed by Great Britain in North America, conformable to the fifth and sixth articles above written, the whole as their possession shall be fixed and assured to the said states, at the moment of the cessation of their present war with England.

"ART. 12. In order to fix more precisely the sense and application of the preceding article, the contracting parties declare, that in case of a rupture between France and England, the reciprocal guarantee declared in the said article, shall have its full force and effect the moment such war shall break out; and if such rupture shall not take place, the mutual obligations of the said guarantee shall not commence until the moment of the cessation of the present war between the United States and England shall have ascertained their possessions.

"ART. 13. The present treaty shall be ratified on both sides, and the ratifications shall be exchanged in the space of six months, or sooner if possible.

"Done at Paris, this sixth day of February, one thousand seven hundred and seventy-eight.

"C. A. GERARD, [L..S.] "B. FRANKLIN, [L. S.] "SILAS DEANE, [L. S.] "ARTHUR LEE.

[L. S.]"