Mutual ARTICLE XI. The two parties guaranty mutually from guaranty. the prefent time, and for ever against all other powers, to wit: The United States to his Most Christian Majefty, the prefent poffeffions of the crown of France in America, as well as those which it may acquire by the future treaty of peace: And his Moft Chriftian Majesty guaranties on his part to the United States, their liberty, fovereignty and independence, abfolute and unlimited, as well in matters of government as commerce, and alfo their poffeffions, and the additions or conquefts, that their confederation may obtain during the war, from any of the dominions now, or heretofore poffeffed by Great-Britain in NorthAmerica, conformable to the 5th and 6th articles above written, the whole as their poffef fion fhall be fixed and affured to the said states, at the moment of the ceffation of their prefent war with England, when to ARTICLE XII. In order to fix more precifely the fenfe and Guaranty application of the preceding article, the coneommence. tracting parties declare, that in cafe of a rup. ture between France and England, the reciprocal guarantee declared in the faid article, hall have its full force and effect the moment fuch war fhall break out; and if fuch rupture fhall not take place, the mutual obligations of the faid guarantee fhall not commence until the moment of the ceffation of the prefent war, between the United States and England, fhall have afcertained their poffeffions. ARTICLE ONZE. Les deux parties fe garantiffent mutuelle. ment dès à prefent et pour toujours envers et contre tous, favoir, les Etats Unis à fa Majestè très Chrêtienne les poffeffions actuelles de la couronne de France en Amérique, ainfy que celles qu'elle pourra acquérir par le futur traité de paix; Et fa Majeftè très Chrêtienne, garantit de fon côté aux Etats Unis leur liberté, leur fouveraineté et leur indépendance abfoluë et illimitée, tant en matiére de politique que de commerce, ainfy que leurs poffeflions et les accroiffements ou conquêtes que leur conféderation pourra fe procurer pendant la guerre, d'aucun des domaines maintenant ou ci-devant poffedés par la Grande Brétagne dans l'Amerique feptentrionale, comformément aux articles cinq et fix ci-deffus, et tout ainfy que leurs poffeffions feront fixées et affurées aux dits Etats, au moment de la ceffation de leur guerre actuelle contre l'Angleterre. ARTICLE DOUZE. Afin de fixer plus précisément le fens et l'application de l'article précédent, les parties contractantes déclarent qu'en cas de rupture entre la France et l'Angleterre, la garantie réciproque enoncée dans le fufdit article, aura toute fa force et valeur du moment où la guerre éclatera, et fi la rupture n'avoit pas lieu, les obligations mutuelles de la dite garantie, ne commenceroient, que du moment fufdit, où la ceffation de la guerre actuelle entre les Etats Unis et l'Angleterre, aura fixé leurs poffeffions. Ratifica tion. ARTICLE XIIL The prefent treaty fhall be ratified on both fides, and the ratifications fhall be exchanged in the space of fix months, or fooner if poffible. In faith whereof the refpective plenipotentiaries, to wit: On the part of the Moft Chrif tian king, Conrad Alexander Gerard, Royal Syndic of the city of Strasbourgh, and Secrecretary of his Majefty's Council of State; and on the part of the United States, Benjamin Franklin, Deputy to the General Congrefs from the state of Pennfylvania and Prefident of the Convention of the fame ftate; Silas Deane, heretofore Deputy from the state of Connecticut, and Arthur Lee, Counsellor at Law, have figned the above articles both in the French and English languages, declaring nevertheless, that the prefent treaty was originally compofed and concluded in the French language, and they have hereunto affixed their feals. Done at Paris, this fixth day of February, one thousand feven hundred and feventy eight. ARTICLE TREIZE. Le prefent traité fera ratiffié de part et d'autre et les ratifications feront échangées dans l'efpace de fix mois ou plutôt fi faire fe peut. En foi dequoi les plénipotentiaires refpectifs, favoir, de la part du Roi très Chrêtien le Sr. Conrad, Alexandre Gerard, Sindic Royal de la Ville de Strasbourg et Sécrétaire du Confeil d'Etat de fa Majefté, et de la part des Etats Unis les Srs. Benjamin Franklin, Deputé au Congrès Général de la part de l'etat de Penfylvanie et Prefident de la Convention du même etat; Siles Deane cy-devant Député de l'etat de Connecticut, et Arthur Lée Confeiller ès Loix, ont figné les articles ci-dessus, tant en langue Françoife qu'en langue Angloife, déclarant néanmoins, que le prefent traité, à été originairement redigé et arrêté en langue Françoife, et ils les ont munis du cachet de leurs armes. Fait à Paris, le fixieme jour du mois de -TREATY of AMITY and COMMERCE. HE Most Christian King, and the thir THE teen United States of North America, to wit: New-Hampfhire, Maffachusetts-Bay, Rhode-Island, Connecticut, New-York, NewJersey, Pennsylvania, Delaware, Maryland, Virginia, North-Carolina, South-Carolina, and Georgia, willing to fix in an equitable and permanent manner, the rules which ought to be followed relative to the correspondence and commerce which the two parties defire to ef tablish, between their refpective countries, ftates and fubjects, his Moft Christian Majesty and the faid United States, have judged that the faid end could not be better obtained than by taking for the bafis of their agreement, the moft perfect equality and reciprocity, and by carefully avoiding all those burthenfome preferences which are ufually fources of debate, embarrafïment and difcontent; by leaving al |