ch they intend to establish between their
respective States, countries and inhabitants, have judged that
the said end cannot be better obtained than by establishing the
most perfect equality and reciprocity for the basis of their
agreement, and by avoiding all those burdensome preferences which
are usually the sources of debate, embarrassment, and discontent;
by leaving also each party at liberty to make, respecting
commerce and navigation, such ulterior regulations as it shall
find most convenient to itself; and by founding the advantages of
commerce solely upon reciprocal utility and the just rules of
free intercourse; reserving withal to each party the liberty of
admitting at its pleasure other nations to a participation of the
same advantages.

On these principles their said High Mightinesses the
States-General of the United Netherlands have named for their
Plenipotentiaries, from the midst of their assembly, Messieurs
their Deputies for the Foreign Affairs; and the said United
States of America, on their part, have furnished with full powers
Mr. John Adams, late Commissioner of the United States of America
at the Court of Versailles, heretofore Delegate in Congress from
the State of Massachusetts Bay, and Chief Justice of the said
State, who have agreed and concluded as follows, to wit:

ARTICLE I.

There shall be a firm, inviolable, and universal peace and
sincere friendship between their High Mightinesses, the Lords,
the States-General of the United Netherlands, and the United
States of America, and between the subjects and inhabitants of
the said parties, and between the countries, islands, cities, and
places situated under the jurisdiction of the said United
Netherlands and the said United States of America, their subjects
and inhabitants, of every degree, without exception of persons or
places.

ARTICLE II.

The subjects of the said States-General of the United Netherlands
shall pay in the ports, havens, roads, countries, islands,
cities, or places of the United States of America, or any of
them, no other nor greater duties or imposts, of whatever nature
or denomination they may be, than those which the nations the (p. 076)
most favoured are or shall be obliged to pay; and they shall
enjoy all the rights, li