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to support it. The enemy was over
thrown. We had in this little aflair, 3
or 4 men wounded ; but the Colonel ol
the cossacks was killed. Thirty men
and twenty-five horses remained in our
power. There is nothing so miserable
or so cowardly as the cossacks ; they
are a reproach to human nature. Thty
cross the Bug and violate every day
the neutrality of Austria, to pillage a
house in Gallicia, and to get a glass of
brandy, which tht y are very fond of;
but our light cavalry is familiarized,
since last campaign, with the way us
fighting of these miserable fellows, who
may stop by their numbers, and the
rattling they make in charging, troops
not in the habit of seeing them ; but
when they are known, two thousand of
these wretches are not capable' , fef charg
ing a squadron which waits their attack
with firmness.
Marshal Angereau has croosed the
Vistula at Utrala.—General Lapisse
has entered Plousk, and has driven the
enemy from thence.
Marshal Soult has crossed the Vistu
la at Vizogard.
Marshal Hessicres arrived on the 18th
at Kikol, with the second corps of the
reserve of cavalry. The head is ar
rived at Siepez. Different skirmishes
had '.alien place between our cavalry
and some Prussian hussars, u good
number of whom have been taken.—
The right bank of the Vistula is entire
ly cleared of them.
Marshal Ncy with his corps, sup
ports Marshal Bessieres. He was ar
rived on llie 18tli,at Rypin. His right
is supported by the Prince of Ponte- .
Corvo. I
All is then in motion. If the enemy ;
persists in remaining in his position,
there will he a battle in a few days.
With the help of God, the issue of it
cannot be uncertain. The Russian ar
my is commanded by Marshal Kamen
skoy, an old man of 75 years of age.
He has under him Generals Benigsen
and Buxhovvdtn.
General Michulson has decidedly en
tered Moldavia. Some reports stale
that he entered Yassi on the 29,1 h No
vember. It is even asserted that one
of his generals has taken Bender by as
sault, and put the whole garrison to
the sword. Here then is a war declar
ed against the Porte, without pretext
or reason ; but it was judged at St. Pe
tersburgh, that the moment when
France and Prussia, the two powers
most interested to maintain the inde
pendence of Turkey, were at war, be
came the favorable moment to subju
gate that, power. The events of a
month have disconcerted these escala
tions, and the Porte will owe its preser
vation to them.
The Grand-Duke of Berg is lying ill
in the lever. He is gelling better.
The weather is as mild as at Paris,
in the month of October, and wet;
which renders the roads difficult. We
have contrived to procure a sufficient
. qu rtitity of wine to supportßhe strength
of the soldiers.
The King of Poland’s Palace is fine
and well furnished. There are many
fine palaces and houses at Warsaw.
Our hospitals are well established here;
which is no small advantage in this
country. The enemy appears to have
a great number of sick ; there are also
many deserters. We do not speak of
the Prussians ; for even whole corps of
them have deserted not to be under the
Russians, obliged to pocket continual
affronts.
MENTZ, Dec. 26.
A German Journal, which has an
extensive circulation, makes the follow-.
ing reflections on Russia: The posi- j
tion of this empire, it says, is at the i
present moment vety alarming. An in
numerable French army is now march
ing across Poland, which already as
sembles all its strength, in order to take
advantage of so fine an opportunity,
which perhaps will not ofTr itself a se
cond time, to recover and found its in
dependence. The Turks are rising in
the south, in order to make an effort to
avenge their long state of abasement
and to prepare a barrier for the future.
Persia, in short, who is already send
ing ambassadors to Napoleon, will not
so favorable an opportunity of
repelling from her frontiers so danger
ous a neighbor, who every day pene
trates still further towards the centre
of her empire. These facts are unde
niable, and what would it be, were the
King ol Sweden, embracing a policy
more suitable to his present interests,
to wish also to profit of present circum
stances to demand and retake from
Russia the provinces which his prede
cessors lost, and which the Swedish na
tion still regrets. Attacked on so nu>-
nv points, disturbed on the Baltic and
Black seas, whose mouths will be shut
. i
up from her, what resistance will this
great yet feeble (fasque ) and dispro- j
portionate body present to a French ar
my? already capable of annihilating it
without all this assistance.
BERLIN, Dec. 23.
We are on the eve of the greatest
events. distinguished traveler who
has arrived here from the headquar
ters, states, that preparations were mak
ing on both sides for a general engage
ment ; which, according to all appear
ance, was to take place yesterday, or
to-day, at farthest. The Russians ap
peared to be resolved on defending the
entrenchments they have thrown up on
the Bug and Narew.
'l'lie continual ruins have so swelled
the rivers here, that apprehensions are
entertained of an inundation.
It is said, that the Prussian com
mandants who gave up the fortress of
Magdeburg, Stettin, andCustrin, have
been tried before a Council of War.
It is added, the two first have been
cashiered, and the latter condemned to
death.
nHH ; ; 1— —
WASHINGTON CITY, Feb. 24.
The following important MESSAGE
was yesterday communicated to both
houses of congress ; on the contents
of which we congratulate the nation.
To the Senate and House of Representa
tives of the United States. .
I transmit to Congress a letter from
our ministers plenipotentiary at Lon
don, informing us that they have agreed
j with the British commissioners to con-
I elude a treaty on all the points which
hud formed the object of tlnir negocia
tioti, and on terms which they trusted
we would approve.
Also, a letter from our minister
plenipotentiary at Paris, covering one
to him from the minister of marine of
that government, assuring him that the
imperial decree lately passed was not
to affect our commerce, which would
still be governed by the rules of the
treaty established between the two
countries.
Also, a letter from Cowles Mead, se
cretary of the Missisippi territory, act
ing governor, informing us the Aa
ron Burr had surrendered himself to
the civil authority of that territory.
TH: JEFFERSON.
February 19, 1807.
(COPY.)
London, Dec. 27, 1806.
SIR,
We have the pleasure to acquaint
you that we have this day agreed with
the British commissioners to conclude
a treaty on all the points which have
formed the object of our negotiation,
and on terms which we trust our gov
ernment will approve. It will require
only a few days to reduce it to form.
When that is done, we shall transmit
it to you by a special messenger. We
hasten to communicate to you this in
teresting intelligence for the informa
tion and guidance of our government
in such nitasures as may have refer
ence to the subject. We have the hon
or to be with the greatest consideration
and esteem, sir,
\our most ob’t servants,
JAMES MONROE,
WM. PINCKNEY.
James Madison, Secretary of State,
Washington.
Paris, 24th Dec. 1806.
SIR,
I have the honor of transmitting
, the copy inclosed of a 1< tter from his
majesty’s minister of marine and colo
! nies, in answer to mine of the 10th in
j stant, on the subject of the imperial ar
| rete of the 21 st of Nov. 1806.
An additional explanation, which it
may be well to communicate, is, that
| neutral vessels coming from England
i or her colonies into the ports of France,
See. since the dale of the aforesaid ar
rete, will not be received, and that if
any person or persons, charged with
, live ship or other vessel and cargo, shall
he detected in evading this regulation
| *>y means of false declarations, they shall
. forfeit the said ship or other vessel and
: cargo.
1 am, Sir,
With the highest respect,
Your most obedient, and
Very humble servant,
(Signed) JOHN ARMSTRONG.
J\lr. Madison , Washington.
■
[TRANSLATION.]
Imperial Decree of the 21s/ Nov. 1806.
Art. 1. The British islands are de
clarer! in a state of blockade.
Art. 2. AH commerce and corres
pondence with the British islands are
prohibited. In consequence, letters or
packets addressed either to England,
j to an Englishman, or in the English
I language, shall not p?ss through the
post-office and shall be seized.
Art. 3. Every subject of England,
of whatever rank and condition soever,
who shall be found in the countries oc
cupied by our troopa, or by those of
our allies, shall be made a prisoner of
war.
Art. 4. All magazines, merchandise,
or property whatsoever, belonging to a
subject of England, shall be declared
lawful prize.
Art. 5. The trade in English mer
chandise is forbidden. All merchan
dise belonging to England or coming
from its manufactories and colonies, is
declared lawful prize.
Art. 6. One half of the proceeds of
the confiscation of the merchandise and
property, declared good prize by the
preceding articles, shall he applied to
indemnify the merchants for the losses
which they have suffered by the cap
ture of merchant vessels by English
cruizers.
Art. 7. No vessel coming directly
from England or from the English co
lonies, or having been there since the
publication of the present decree, shall
be received into any port.
Art. 8. Every vessel contravening
the above clause, by means of a false
declaration, shall be seized, and the
vessel and cargo confiscated, as if they
were English property.
Art. 9. Our tribunal of prizes at Par
is is charger] with the definitive adjudi
cation of all the controversies, which
may arise within our empire, or in the'
countries occupied by the French ar
my relative to the execution of the pre
sent decree. Our tribunal of prizes at
Milan, shall be charged with the defin
itive adjudication of the said controver
sies, which may arise within the extent
of our kingdom of Italy.
Art. 10. The present decree shall he
communicated by our minister of tx
terior relations, to the kings of Spain,
of Naples, of Holland, and of Etruria,
and to our allies, whose subjects, like
ours, are the victims of the injustice
and the barbarism of the English mar
itime laws.
Our ministers of exterior relations,
of war, of marine, of finances, of police,
and our post-masters general, are
charged, each in what concerns him,
with the execution of the present decree.
Faithfully trans]at<*&
JACOB WAGNER,
Chief clerk , Dtp. State.
Gen. Armstrong to the minister of ma
rine and colonies.
The undersigned minister plenipo
tentiary of the United States of Amer
ica has the honor of demanding from j
his excelrency, the minister of marine j
and colonies, the official explanation j
which may have been given to the im
perial decree of the 21st of November, i
1806, so fur as that decree involves the
right of neutral nations.
The undersigned would more parti
cularly wish to be informed whether by
by “ British islands” mentioned in ar
ticle 1, are to be understood all islands
in the possession of his Britannic ma
jesty, and islands merely , or whether’ the
rule will be so construed, as to extend
the blockade to the continental posses- \
sions also, of his said majesty ?
Whether it be meant that the arrete 1
shall operate from its date, and that
seizures made under it before notice !
shall have been given, shall be consid
ered legal ?
Whether American vessels, navigat
ing the high or narrow seas, shall be 1
liable to seizure, on evidence only, that
they are going to, or returning from a
port or ports of his Britannic majesty ?
And whether articles 2 and 5, shall
operate only as domestic regulations,
or whether their injunctions shall ex
tend to citizens of foreign and indepen
dent nations ?
His excellency the minister of ma
rine is sufficiently aware of the interest
cf the U xited States in the interpreta
tion which shall he given to these arti
cles, and will readily and justly appre
ciate the motives of the undersigned in
requesting that his excellency’s answer
may be given as promptly as possible.
The undersigned has the honor of
renewing, &c.
(Signed)
JOHN ARMSTRONG.
Paris, Dec. 10, 1806.
[TRANSLATION.]
Paris, 24th dks. 1806.
Mr. Minister Plenipotentiary ,
I hasten to answer the note you did
me the honor to address to me on the
20th of this month.
I consider the imperial dccre of tne
21st of November last, as, thus far,
conveying no modification of the regu
lations at present observed in France
| with regard to neutral navigators, nor
; consequently cf the convention of the
30th of September, 1800, (Bth Vende
miare, 9th year) with the United States
of America.
But although by tills answer, the four
questions upon which your excellency
has desired to know my opinion, have
been implicit}’ resolved, I think I can
add, Ist, That the declaration express
ed by the Ist article of the decree of
the 21st November, not at all changing
the present French laws concerning
maritime captures, there is no reason
for enquiring what interpretation, or re
striction or extension may be given to
this article.
2d, That seizures, contrary to the
present regulations concerning cruiz
ing, shall not be allowed to the captures.
3d, That an American vessel cannot
be taken at sea for the mere reason that
she is going to a port of England, offs,
returning from one, because conforma
bly with the 7th article of the said de
cree, we are limited in France not to ad
mit vessels coming from England or
the English colonies.
4th. l'hot the provisions of articles
2d and sth of said decree, naturally ap
ply to foreign citizens domiciliated in
France or in the countries occupied by
the troops of his majesty the emperor
and king, inasmuch as they have the
character of a general law; but that it
will he proper that your excellency
should communicate with the minister
of exterior relations as to what concerns
the correspondence of the citizens of
the United States of America with
England.
1 pray your excellency, Mr. Minister .
Plenipotentiary, to receive the ass.ur- ”•
ance of my high consideration. The
minister ol marine and of the colonies?
(Signed) DECRES.
It will not escape gen. Armstrong
that my answers cannot have the deve
lopement which they would receive
from the minister of exterior relations,
and that it is naturally.to him that he
ought to address himself for these ex
planations, which I am very happy to
give him, because he wishes them, but
upon which I have much less positive
information than the Prince of Ikne
venlum.
(Signed) DECRES.
Faithfully translated.
J. WAGNER, Chief Cik.defi. State.
• •• •
[ The Hon, Copies Mead’s Letter refer
red to in the President's Message, shall
appear in our next.']
FROM THE NATIONAL INTELLIGENCER
COM MU Hi CAT 10 H.
Gen. Eaton, on appearing before
the committee of claims, on- the 11th
• inst. thus addressed the chair:—
Sir — On a review of the statement,
1 accompanying my petition of 20th Feb.
! 1804, now before this honorable commit
tee, I cannot find a paragraph which
: needs correction, or modification. That
statement surveys the chief ground and
origin of my claims. Have the good
ness Sir, to pass attentively over it, and
to carry forward, in the examination?a
view of the events which have since oc
curred to establish the correctness of
the measures there adverted to. It will
’ satisfy you that a perseverance in those
| measures has given peace to this coun
-1 try, and emaixi/.utibn to three hundred
of our fellow citizens ; and that, while it
has done something to stamp a good
impression upon the pirates of Barbary,
it has saved your treasury more than a
million of dollars My reward hitherto,
j is penury and wounds. I ought not, per-
I haps to say this ; it carries something
! which savors of reproach ; this 1 dn’ftot
! mean. I have no where been refused
| indemnity. On the contrary, three
! years ago, when as yet the effects of my
arrangements had not been realized,
your committee expressed an opinion
that I had a well founded claim upon the
government. But the delay, in the de
cision necessary to a reimbursement of
my expenditures, has greatly distres
sed me in my individual concerns—Ex
penditures, of which my country now
reaps the benefit, and of which a vast
majority of my countrymen appear to
be very sensible.
I do not present myself here to ask
alms, nor to expect gratuities—nor yet
to draw on your sensibility to awaken a
consideration for all the sacrifices to
which I yielded, in standing to the du
ties of my station at the court of a pirat
ical despot, and on the coast of savage
enemy. You cannot make me such in
demnity—You cannot, Sir, under any
shape 1 can present the claim, award me
a remuneration for the sacrifices of pro
perty incident to the vexatious imposi
tions and proscriptions which the Bey of
Tunis practised on me, in consequence
ol my resistance to his unwarrantable