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BOOK English, who were upon the whole, as being masters of the sea, much more profited by the 1795. breach than the observance of this liberal and equitable maxim. Hitherto, however, America had avowed, in the strongest terms, her adherence to the grand principle of the armed neutrality; protesting against, and, as far as she was able, resisting the violation of it by either of the belligerent powers. But by the 12th, 17th, and 18th articles, of the treaty concluded by Mr. Jay, the States of America conceded, if not the right, at least the exercise of the right, claimed by Great Britain during the war, and for two years after;-coldly in respect to France, and complaisantly with regard to England, declaring, "that at the expiration of this term the two contracting parties will endeavour further to regulate their commerce in this respect according to the situation in which his majesty the king of Great Britain may then find himself with respect to the West Indies ;" and, till the arrival of this uncertain period, even provisions are declared liable to seizure, on paying the value of the articles, with the additional expense of demurrage.

In return for this great concession, the court of London was profuse in her favors and acknowledgments. By the second article she agreed to evacuate all the forts within the bound

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ary-line assigned to the United States by the BOOK treaty of 1783. By the twelfth, the Americans were allowed to trade to the British West India 1795. islands in their own vessels, not exceeding seventy tons burden; and the thirteenth admitted them to a free participation of the British commerce in the East Indies. It was indeed by a mockery of friendship to France declared in the twenty-fifth article, that nothing in this treaty should be construed contrary to former and existing public treaties with other sovereigns or states; but as the spirit of this treaty was obviously and altogether in favor of the English, this affected adherence to the letter of the treaty with France was calculated only to add contempt to their resentment. The forts given up by Great Britain to America, by the second article of the treaty now concluded, were Niagara, Oswego, Detroit, Michillimakinac, and Miami, constructed in 1793; all of great importance for the command of the lakes, or restraining the inroads of the northern tribes of Indians. When the treaty reached America, it excited great astonishment, and no less contention. It was considered, by a great and respectable part of the continent, as an entire dereliction of amity with France, and as amounting to little less than a virtual declaration of war against her; laying unavoidably the foundation of great political

BOOK animosity in America, by dividing the people of XXI. the United States into two great and hostilę 1795. factions, one attached to the Gallic, and the

Defensive treaty be

Britain and

other to the Anglican, interest. When it was submitted by the president, agreeably to the forms of the constitution, to the senate, for their approbation, vehement debates took place; and at length, tempted no doubt by the reciprocal concessions and advantages offered by England, the ratification of it was voted by a small majority. It has been upon high authority asserted, "that the president, general Washington, on perceiving the treaty to be so little conformable to the instructions given to Mr. Jay, and so little consistent with what he deemed to be the interests of the United States, was long before he could prevail upon himself to present it to the senate for their sanction *." When that sanction was given, however, he did not think it expedient or proper to withhold his own; and the treaty was, in the end, formally ratified.

In the month of February 1795, a treaty of tween Great defensive alliance was concluded with the imRussia. perial crown of Russia, containing some extraordinary stipulations, apparently not very beneficial to the interests of Great Britain. By the fourth and principal article of this treaty,

Travels of the Duke de Liancourt in North America,

९

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1795,

if the king of Great Britain is attacked or dis- BOOK turbed by any other power, her imperial majesty shall immediately send to his assistance ten thousand infantry and two thousand horse. On the other hand, if Russia is attacked by any European power, even in ASIA, Great Britain shall immediately send to her assistance a squadron of twelve ships of the line, which shall remain in the Baltic from the beginning of May to the commencement of the month of October. The idea of sending a fleet to the assistance of Russia in the Baltic, in case the Turks or Tartars should invade her immensely-remote provinces bordering upon the Euxine or the Caspian, is so extravagant, that the real meaning of the empress, probably, was merely to take advantage of the presence of an English squadron in the north, in order to improve her own marine by imitating the example, and habituating the Russians to the practice of the skilful manœuvres, of the English ships and seamen.

Parliament

Corsica.

It must not be omitted, that a session of par- Session of liament was held in the month of February at held in Corte, the ancient capital of Corsica, by sir Gilbert Elliot, the viceroy of that newly-acquired kingdom. His excellency communicated to them his majesty's gracious intentions to take upon himself the whole charges of their military establishment; and also declared, that they

BOOK would have the benefit of a great naval force,

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without any expense. By his majesty's taking 1795. upon himself the charges and expense of the Corsican establishment, the viceroy doubtless meant no more than that his majesty would pledge himself for his faithful commons at Westminster: though, by the Constitutional Act, the island of Corsica was no more under subjection to Great Britain, i. e. to the British legislature, than to the Great Mogul. The viceroy, therefore, had reason on his side when he exhorted this assembly "to reflect on the advantages which they enjoyed, and which he truly observed were the exclusive privileges of the Corsican nation:"-there being certainly no other ex ample in history of any government taking upon itself to defray the expenses of another government, which asserted, and was in actual possession of, the most perfect independency. His excellency also, with true Catholic devotion, informed the legislative body," that a settlement of their religious establishment had been reserved for them, in concert with his holiness the Pope." At the close of this gracious speech, his excellency piously prayed, "that God would so bless and enlighten their counsels, as to render this first parliament of Corsica an example to all succeeding ones."-A petition as soon as uttered lost in empty air.