Harper's encyclopædia of United States history from 458 1906, based upon the plan of Benson John Lossing .. . mericans toelect Jefferson President reached France,the Directory issued a decree (March 2,1797) purporting to define the authoritygranted to French cruisers by a former de-cree. It was intended to annihilateAmerican commerce in European treaty with America was declared tobe so modified as to make American ves-sels and their cargoes liable to capturefor any cause recognized as lawful groundof capture by Jays treaty. They also de-creed that any American found serving on
Harper's encyclopædia of United States history from 458 1906, based upon the plan of Benson John Lossing .. . mericans toelect Jefferson President reached France,the Directory issued a decree (March 2,1797) purporting to define the authoritygranted to French cruisers by a former de-cree. It was intended to annihilateAmerican commerce in European treaty with America was declared tobe so modified as to make American ves-sels and their cargoes liable to capturefor any cause recognized as lawful groundof capture by Jays treaty. They also de-creed that any American found serving onboard hostile armed vessels should betreated as pirates, even though they mightplead imprisonment and compulsion as anexcuse; in other words, American seamen,impressed by the British, were made liableto be hanged by the French. On Jan. 18,1798, a sweeping decree against Americancommerce was promulgated by the FrenchDirectory. It declared to be good prizesall vessels having merchandise on boardthe production of England or her colonies,whoever the owner of the merchantmanmight be; and forbade, also, the entrance. MOUTH OP FRENCH CBEKK. 1707, the Secretary of State laid beforeCongress a full exhibit of the wrongsinflicted by the French on Americancommerce. Skipwith, American consul-general in France, had presented to theDirectory 170 claims, many of them forprovisions furnished, examined, and al-lowed; for 103 vessels embargoed at Bor-deaux, for which promised indemnity hadnever been paid; and to these wrongs wereadded enormous depredations then goingon in the West Indies, seizing and confis-cating the property of Americans withoutrestraint. American vessels were capt-ured and their crews treated with indig-nity and cruelty. Encouraged by the ac-cession of Spain to their alliance and thevictories of Bonaparte in Italy, the FrenchDirectory grew every day more were countenanced by a great partyin the United States, which had failedby only two votes to give a President
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Keywords: ., bookauthorwilsonwoodrow18561924, bookcentury1900, bookdecade1900
