Under stress of war, France decreed to neutral vessels the right of trading in the French colonies, and other rights of French ships. England, refusing to recognize the trade as neutral, seized and condemned the American ships under the Rule of 1756. This caused much distress and more indignation, but war was temporarily avoided by the Jay Treaty. This extract is from letters addressed to the secretary of state.

St. Eustatia, March 1, 1794.

. . . on the 20th ultimo I had the honor of addressing you, and \ of expressing, with deep concern, my apprehensions of the design of the British nation upon the flag of the United States; and had not all communication have ceased, between Martinique and the British islands, for a month previous to my letter, I might, possibly, have derived such authentic information of the then prevailing symptoms of events, as would have justified my giving, to the American vessels in these seas, as well as to the Executive of the United States, an official and more satisfactory account; but, placed as I have been, I have done no more than to suggest to them, from time to time, my suspicions of a nation long used to committing acts of violence and of depredation.

The ship Delaware, in which I had taken passage for Philadelphia, was, on the 7th instant, captured by the Experiment privateer, of Bermudas, and carried into Monserat; on her arrival stripped of her sails; and, by order of the judge, the captain's papers and mine were peremptorily demanded: I waived a compliance, and at the instant waited on the judge; and, in the- mildest terms, observed the impropriety of my exposing, by compulsion, public papers; which, if the United States were not at war with England, ought to be deemed sacred; or my private papers, which did not, in the most indirect manner, relate to the ship or cargo in question. Such assurances did not satisfy the curiosity of the judge; and, the next day, my desk was seized and forced. The ship Delaware, with thirty-three other American vessels, have been condemned, in the vice court of admiralty of Monserat; about the same number have been also in St. Kitts; and upwards of one hundred and fifty more have been arrested, and carried into the different ports of the English Windward Islands, and no doubt will share the same fate.

The judges of the courts of admiralty of these English and Dutch Islands pretend to derive their sole authority from Mr. Dundas's instructions, (a copy of which I have the honor herein to transmit you) and some of these gentlemen are so candid as to say, that the Powers combined against France mean to suppress every species of neutral commerce, with the people composing that nation, while at war.

This conduct, arbitrary and unauthorized, on the part of the coalesced despots, in my poor opinion, does not seem to satisfy the avarice and ambitious views of Great Britain; whose privateers, and even government vessels, have, in frequent instances, seized our flag; though cleared from America, for neutral and her own ports, or bound from such ports to America.

The ship Sidney, of Baltimore, cleared for this place, had arrived, two weeks since, under the cannon of one of its fortresses, and was there captured by a small English privateer, carried into St. Kitts, is libelled, and, in the general opinion of that island, will be condemned. Other vessels from America, cleared and actually on a direct passage to neutral and British ports, have been likewise taken and libelled, in British courts of admiralty; and judged sir, have been heard to say, that although no documents could be found to prove that such vessels intended to trade with the French, yet it was reasonable to suppose that such might have been their designs.

Conceiving that it must be dear and interesting to the United States to secure the services and attachment of their seamen; I have made use of my feeble exertions to obtain them safe passages home; in part I have succeeded; and shall not hesitate, should the necessity of the case require, to charter a vessel for such as should experience a want of conveyance; but, it is with pride and gratification I have the pleasure of observing, sir, that these honest tars cannot be diverted from hastening to the arms of their much injured country....

[March 7.] My letter, of the 1st instant, will have afforded some detail of the situation of about two hundred and twenty sail of American vessels, seized upon by British vessels of war, and carried into different English Windward ports. The whole of those vessels, with thirty others, which have been captured since my last respects, were, immediately on their arrival in those different ports, libelled; but only those in Dominique, Antigua, Montserat, and St. Kitts, have been condemned; making, in the whole, about one hundred and fifty sail. The greater part of the people, belonging to those vessels, have rendezvoused here, in order to obtain passages for America; and, having been stripped, many of them, of the little resources they had possessed, I have ventured to procure, on account of the United States, a sufficiency of bread, beef, and water, to support them to their respective homes; vouchers and receipts of which, I will have the honor to lay before the Executive of the United States, on my arrival in Philadelphia; and, I flatter myself that the step will meet their approbation, when they become satisfied that my sole motive for undertaking the measure has been to guard our seamen; many of whom would have entered into foreign service.

I have not heard as yet of any other official communication having been received from the combined Powers, maritime, than the instructions of Mr. Dundas, (a copy of which I had the honor to transmit, in my letter of the 1st instant) but, the prevailing Dutch and English opinion seem to be, that they mean to suppress not only all neutral commerce, directly carried on with the French, but that French manufactures and produce shall serve to contaminate any vessel in which they may be found.

American State Papers, Foreign Relations (edited by Walter Lowrie and Matthew St. Clair Clarke, Washington, 1832), I, 428-429 passim.