Translation of a Note from Luis Pinto de Souza, Secretary of Foreign Affairs at Lisbon, to Edward Church, Consul for the United States. In answer to the letter you addressed to me of yesterday's date, on the protection and convoy which you solicit in favour of the vessels of the United States of America which have to sail to their destinations, in danger from the cruisers of Algiers, I am ordered to inform you that her most faithful majesty, desirous of manifesting to the said States whatsoever may benefit their navigation or commerce as far as may be compatible with her own supreme justice, is very ready to give her royal orders that the vessels of the said States shall enjoy in their passage, the same protection which she has ordered to be extended to the vessels of the Hanseatick Towns until the conclusion of the ratification of the truce adjusted between her most faithful majesty and the regency of Algiers. Provided nevertheless, that the vessels of the United States which shall desire to shelter themselves under the protection of the said convoys, shall unite and assemble in sufficient number to merit to be convoyed; as this measure cannot be practised in favour of a few, for clear reasons which manifest themselves. I am with the greatest esteem, sir, your servant, LUIS PINTO DE SOUZA. Palace of Queluz, Oct. 22, 1793. Edward Church, Esq. to the Secretary of State. October 22, 1793. P. M. Lisbon, SIR,-I wrote you this morning that I had written to his excellency Luis Pinto, minister,&c. &c. I herewith send a copy of my letter,and at the same time have the pleasure to enclose a most favourable, friendly, and pleasing answer from his excellency which I have this moment received, and which you will immediately see the necessity of communicating by expresses to all parts of the Union, that our merchants may not be exposed to the heavy premium of a supposed desperate risk. I have also the pleasure to inform you from good authority, through a secret but direct channel, that a remonstrance was yesterday presented to the prince by some of the highest and most influential of the nobility, wherein they state, that the late trace has greatly dishonoured this nation; that to ratify it would be to render the disgrace indelible; or even to accede to a peace or truce on the terms once offered by this nation, which were to withdraw their ships from the Mediterranean, but to pay nothing. They say it is now be neath the dignity of the crown to accept the offers of peace from that nation (supposing a peace admissible with those piratical infidels) upon any other terms than a full indemnification for all expenses in maintaining their naval armament for about ten years in the Mediterranean for the protection of their commerce against the hostilities of that nation; and declare that it would be far better and more honourable for the nation to maintain eternal war against them, than to consent to a peace or truce on any other terms. This is the present state of this English Portuguese truce, which, from present appearances, promises no duration. It is also whispered, but not from equal authority, that orders are gone to the Portuguese fleet in the straits not to suffer any vessels captured by the Algerines to be carried into Algiers, if it should appear that they were bound to or from any port belonging to the dominions of Portugal. I inquired concerning the truth of this report from one who is very able, and on all possible occasions perfectly disposed to give me every information which he thinks may concern me to know. His answer was, Our fleet in the Mediterranean have no authority that I know of from this court, to know or believe any thing about a peace or truce with Algiers; if they have any such information it is from a different quarter. I have it from good authority that there has been a very severe action between the French and the whole force of Sardinia, collected and commanded by the king in person. The battle is said to have been long and bloody; but the lat ter were finally routed and pursued with very great slaugh ter, both on the field of action, and in the pursuit. The king of Sardinia was on his march towards Nice, near which be expected to meet the French, and intended to give them battle, but the French advanced about four leagues from Nice, when the above mentioned action ensued. This court seems to be very much alarmed at a report circulating in the palace, that the king of Prussia proposes to withdraw his forces from the field of action, and to retire to his own dominions in peace. Various causes are assigned for this extraordinary and unexpected manœuvre. It is cer tain that the report has made a very considerable impression on this court, which encourages me to hope it is not without some foundation. There are sixteen American vessels now in this 1 port. have requested them to get ready for sea as fast as possible, when the convoy will be ordered to attend them. There are about 30 ships from the Hanseatick Towns now here: they are ordered to be ready on the 25th. We have no orders yet. I am, sir, &c. EDWD. CHURCH. List of American Vessels in the Port of Lisbon. Elisha Mayhew, Newburyport. Wilmington, D. Brig Lively, Ship Wilmington Brig Nancy, Brig Union, Ship America, Brig Nancy, Brig Leopard, Ship Lark, Brig Recovery, The N. B. The schooner Violet, captain Babson, sailed for Boston the 7th instant, and has probably escaped. brig Betsey, captain Joshua Atkins, sailed for Boston the 9th. The bark Henry, captain Roberteau, from Newburyport, is arrived this morning from Virginia, but last from Falmouth, saw nothing of the Algerines. EDWD. CHURCH. Lisbon, October 15, 1793. 1793, Sunday, October 20. Arrived in this port the schooner Alice, or Elsy, of Boston, but last from North Carolina. Same day, arrived the brigantine Betsey, of Portsmouth, but last from Virginia, and reports that thirteen vessels were ready to sail about the same time, eleven for Cadiz, and two for Lisbon. These vessels had seven weeks passage. MESSAGE FROM THE President oF THE UNITED STATES, to congreSS RELATIVE TO PORTUGAL AND ALGIERS. DEC 23, 1793. SINCE the communications which were made to you on the affairs of the United States with Spain, and on the truce between Portugal and Algiers, some other papers have been received, which, making a part of the same subjects, are now communicated for your information. GEORGE WASHINGTON. TRANSLATION. J. de Jaudenes to the Secretary of State. December 18, 1793. SIR,-In addition to the various papers which on different occasions we have had the honour to put into your hands relative to the affairs of the Indians, our neighbours and allies, we have now the pleasure to transmit you a copy of extracts concerning this subject which we have lately received from the governour of Louisiana. Its contents will confirm to you the reason with which we ought to complain of the conduct observed by the several agents of the United States on those frontiers. At the same time you will observe the salutary measure which the said governour proposes, to put an end to such atrocities and disorders as have been committed, and, as is probable, will continue until an efficacious remedy be applied. What is mentioned in the enclosed copy appears to have all the requisites of humanity, good faith, and sincere correspondence. In this expectation we request you to be so good as to give information of the whole to the President of the United States, to the end that these may determine what they shall judge convenient seeing how much good may be produced by the friendly convention proposed, and how much evil by the omission of it. We repeat assurances of the most sincere good will and greatest respect, and have the honour to subscribe ourselves, sir, &c. JOSEPH DE JAUDENES. In the absence of Joseph de Viar, JOSEPH DE JAUDENES, for him. TRANSLATION. Extract of a Letter from the Governour of Louisiana, relative to the Affairs of the Indians. New Orleans, Oct. 28, 1793. THE Cherokee nation, furious for the assassinations committed at the Hanging Maws on several of their principal chiefs, and for the repeated hostilities of their neighbours, the Americans, have taken the field to the number of six or seven hundred warriors, to avenge themselves of such outrages as appears by the enclosed extract of a letter, which I have lately received from a principal person residing in the same nation; of whom the Americans having conceived some suspicion offered five hundred dollars as a reward for his head a disgraceful measure which people who value themselves so much for humanity and equity ought in my opinion to be ashamed to teach to men, savage indeed, but ignorant nevertheless of such perfidies. The pains which I have taken to tranquillize the Cherokee nation have been rendered useless by the bad faith and the insults of their neighbours; insomuch that I see myself in a situation either to ruin the confidence and good opinion with which I have inspired them as to the Spanish nation, or to aid them with arms and ammunition until I shall receive information of the determination which his majesty has taken in consequence of the petition which that nation has addressed to him. I will endeavour to satisfy them with some little matter of ammunition, which will be given to those Indians, as well at Pensacola as at Mobile, by way of present, and conformably to what we have been used to practise with the other nations our allies. In the confines of Georgia the Americans have provoked equally the Creek nation by the burning of the towns Hotchleteaga, and of Chatehouchy, killing in both several men, and taking away women, boys, and children. The burning of the first town took place the 21st of September, and of the 2d the 26th of the same month. There was at the time in the Indian town of Ocfasky, a little way distant from the burning of Chatehouchy, a commissary Seagrove, an agent of Congress, with speeches of peace, who would have paid with his head that burning, if he had not been protected by the white Lieutenant of Ocfasky, and an agent of Mr. Panton. At a meeting held by the chiefs of the upper and lower Creeks, the 27th day of August, they determined to divide themselves into four bodies, and to pass the river Oconee at different places, and on the same day, to attack the possessions of the Georgians. However, our commissary, captain Peter Olivier was able to make them desist from their enterprise, by threatening to retire from the nation, and to leave them abandoned by Spain. After the burnings before mentioned, it was impossible to restrain those Indians in their resentment, so that various parties of them went out for war; and the towns petitioned us for arms and ammunition. The commissary of Congress, Seagrove, remains at Rocklanding, from whence he is to go to the Indian town of Tokepatchy, with new propositions of peace. From what is here related, of which you will make the proper use, it is clearly evident, that the Americans of the frontiers are those who provoke the Indians with hostilities; and that far from exciting these against those, they owe to us the little efficacy with which hitherto they have repelled their |