n o r t h-c a r olina gazette vol 8 saturday september 7 1793 n 0 - 4co the following letter has been.tranfmittedby the secret dry of the treofury to the collectors of the different ports in the united states : to the collectors 6f the customs philadelphia j jupitjf a t th i 1793 sir it appearing that repeated contraventions of our neutrality have taken place in the ports of the united states without having bce'n tlifeovercd in time for prevention or rcmc'ly i have it in command from the prc&dent to addrefs to the colle&ors of to any of thofe parties they will be aban doned to the penalties which the kws of war authorize vii equipments of veflels in the ports of the united s ates which are of a nature folely adapted war are deemed unlawful ; except thofe ftranded or wrecked as men tioned in the eighteenth'arjicle of our treat with france the fixtcenth of our treaty with the united netherlands the ninth of our treaty with pruffia ; and except thole mentioned in the nineteenth article of our treaty with france the fevjnteenth of our treaty with the unitta ntetherlanj the eighteenth of our treaty with prufna viii vefiels of either of the parties not armed previous to their coming into the ports of the united states which hall not lave infringed any of rhe foregoing rules rnay lawfully engage or inlift therein their owijubje&sorcitizen:,notbeir)gjnhabitanis of the united states ; except privateers or the powers at war with france and except thofe veflels which fhall have made piize or the fubje&s people or property of france coming with their prizes into the ports of the united states punuant to the feven teenth article of our treaty of amity and commerce with france you will be particular ly careful to ob ferve and to notify as dire&ed in other in ftances the cafe of any citizen of the unit ed states who fhall be found in the fer vice of either of the parties at war in cafe any veitel fhall be found in the a£t df contravening any of the rules or principles which are the ground of this inftruelion flic is to be refufed a clearance until fhe fhall have complied with what the governor fhall have decided in reference to her care however is to be taken not to embarrafs trade or to vex any of the partiesconcernec'i in order that contraventions may be bet ter afcertained it is defired that the officer who fhall firft go on board any effel arri ving within your diftricr fhall make an accurate furvey of her then condition as to military equipment i to be forthwith reported to you and that prior to her clearance a like furvey be made that any tranfgreffion of the rules laid down may be afcertained but as the propriety of any fuch infpe£l ion of a vejfd of war in the immediate jervice of the goverment of a foreign nation h not without qucftion in reference to the ufage of nations no attempt is be made to in fpecl any fuch veftel till further order on the point _ tne prefident defires me to fignify to you his mod particular expectation that the inftru&ion contained in thi letter will be excuted with the greatcit vigilance aaivity care and i npariality omiflions will tend to expofe the tfovernmcrtt to injurious imputations and fufpicions ; and ftfoportion ably to commit ihe good faith and peace of the country ; obje£h of too much impor tance not to engage every proper exertion of your zeal with confideration i am sir your obedient fervant rules adopted by tire prudent of the united states t the original arming arid equipping of veflels in the ports of the united states by any of the belligerent parties for military fervice offenfive or ddvnfive is deemed unlawful the refpe£ttve diftritls a particular inftrocl ioa on the fubjech it is expe&ed that the officers of the cuf toms in tach diftrift will in the courfe of their official functions have a vigilant eye upon whatever may be palling within the ports harbours creeks inlets and waters of fuch diitri of a nature to contravene ihe laws of neutrality and upon difcovery of shy thing of the kind will give immediate notice to the governor of the ftatc and to the attorney of the judicial diftritl com prehending the diftridl of the cuftoms with in which any fuch contravention may hap pen to aflift the judgment of the officers on this head i franfmit herewith a fchedule of rules concerning fundry particulars which have been adopted by the prefident as deductions from the laws of neutrality e'lablifhed and received among nations whatever hall be contrary to thefe rules will of courfe be to be noticed as above jnentioned france national convenikxy may barrere read the following defpatches which give an account ot the progrefs of the royalifts letter ft 07,1 the co^mnandai.t fthe-jjtfr drvu jkn of the army cfi clave } to the adrhim ftrattrs r f the departmait cf marnt o.r.d loire st crcrgss may 24 u upon recei\ing yeflerday evening the alarming news that the rebels were at tenij ting to pafs the loire near chalons i inftantly ordered the general to be beat and collecting as many rrcops as i coulu left st george's at ten o'clock at night and advanced cowards per girault at the head of the national guai , and a c-r irh ineiu of cavalry before 1 iu . patched exprcfles to the commandar laieijj la pleffoniere savemers aru la pointe with orucis to 0-.1 tl : general im nediately and fend out numercu .-••) fre quent patroles on the rigkt and left of n.e banks in order to guard the whele extent of the pofts with all pollble attention i defpatched the gendarmes to go ihc rounds and fee again to the execution of thofe cr ders niyfelf and the national gu-r<js un der rny command remained watchina un der arms i'rorn ten o'clcch laft night to five in the morning when we rctar-^d to bt george's i kept all the while patroies ir ceflantly going ua ail fides where chev could be of ule i he rebels huve indeed cffocr uated nothing as yec but they are k force from rochiiort to bt florent and i":c:ii to meditate lrcih auempta upon that line there are fome other poi'its which pur fuant to our treaties and the determinations of the executive i ought to notice to you if any veitd of cither of the powers at war with france qiould bring or lend within your diftri a prize made of the fubjects people or property of france it is imme ili nelv to bs notified to the governor of the ftate in ord-r that mefifures may be taken purfuant to the 17th article of our treaty with frame to oblige filch veffcl and her prize or fuel prize when fent in without die capturing veilel to depart ny priv its r of any of the powers at war with france coining within a diftri£r of ine united st.ites can by the 2id article 01 oar treaty with france tnjoy any other privilege hanthatof pur chafing fuch viftu ah as jh-ll be neceffmry for her going to the next port ofiheprinct or ftate from which jhc bus her ommijjion if flie houkl do any thing befi.de this it is immediately to be reported to the governor and the attorney of the dilhict you will obferve by the rules tranfmitted that the term privateer is underltood not to extend to veflels armed r"or merchandife and war commonly called with us utters of marque hof ofcourfe to veiicls of war in the immediate fervicc of the government of cither of the powers at war no arokd veflel which has been or fhall he trfginauy fitted out in any port of the united states by cither of the parties at irnr is henceforth to have afylum in any of the unitctl states if any fuch -" armed veitel hall appear within your dist rict flie is immediately to be notified to the governor and attorney of the dill riclj which is alfo to be done in refpeci to arty jui/.r that fuch armed veflel ihall bring or fend in at foot is a lift of fuch armed veifels of the above description as have hi therto tome to the knowledge of the ex ecutive the purchafing within and exporting from the united states by way ofmtrcbau life articles commonly called contraband being generally warlike inftruments and prilitary lores is free to all the parties at war and is not to be interfered with if oui o\vi citizens undertake to carry them ii equipments of merchants veflels by cither ot the belligerent parties in the ports of the united states purely for the accom modation of them as fuch is deemed law ful iii equipments in the ports of the uni ted state of vefleli of war in the imme diate fervice of the government df any cf the belligerent parties which if done to other veflels would be df a doubtful nature as being applicable thofe which hall have made prize of the fubjecls people or pro perty of france coming with their prizes into the ports of the united states purfuant to the feventeenth article of our treaty of amity and commerce with france iv equipments in the ports of the uni ted states by any of the parties at war with france of veil els fitted for merchan dize and war whether without commifli ons which are doubtful in the nature as being applicable either to commerce or war are deemed lawful ; except thofe which ihall have made prize of the fubjetts peo ple or property of france coming with their prizes into the ports of the united states pui fuant to the feventecth article of our treaty of amity and commerce with france r ou ...'__ v " i have juft beat the general again and fliall prqeeed with my national i:u.m!s to ivcure th.c wcaked and inoll threatened polls in the interim i conjure you ci tizen-adminiftraid.s t:-.k everv necefiorv mcaiure to haften the reenforcements of which we ftand in fuch great need ; 1 have juft heard from the commandant of havini ers that the rebels hate appeared on the fide ot rochefort with 2uo fcoci'e and izx fired feveral voliki oy^r the barges signed « gauvellieil letter irom citizen gourdm i vmmundant of the jjle of chalmnts to citizen gauviltier " from the ifiand of chzhnnes may 24 " citizen « we ha e pafled the night in trar.quiiil - tj bun to-day i fent feven men viiil-vart labourers to obtain intelligence j the ban ditti told them that they gave them the whole day to confider which fide they would take ; on their return they informed us tha their grand army iuri/ed yeiterday v equipments of any of the veflels of france in the ports of the united states which are doubtful in their nature as being applicable to commerce or war are deemed lawful vi equipments of every kind in the united states of privateers of the powers at war with france are deeded unlawful