CONTENTS I. French "Treaty of Alliance, Eventual and Defensive," May Secret Journal of Congress, 1775-1781, pp. 82-83; 86-87 II. Letter of Washington "to Thomas Jefferson, Secretary of III. "Circular and Questions Submitted by the President to the Secretaries and Attorney-General," April 18, 1793.... 5 V. Hamilton's Answers to President's Circular, April - May 2, 21 Hamilton's Works (Lodge ed.), Vol. IV, pp. 366-408; or VIII. Hamilton's "Instructions to the Collectors of the Customs," 53 Hamilton's Works (Lodge ed.), Vol. IV, pp. 236-241 IX. Neutrality Law, “An Act in Addition to the Act for the Pun- Statutes at Large, Vol. I, pp. 381-383 56 I. TREATY OF ALLIANCE, EVENTUAL AND DEFENSIVE. [UNITED STATES AND FRANCE, 1778] ARTICLE I. 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. ARTICLE II. 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. ARTICLE IX. 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. ARTICLE XI. 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 guarantees, on his part, to the United States, their liberty, sovereignty, and independence, absolute and unlimited, as well in matters of government as of commerce, and also their possessions, and the additions or conquests that their confed |