Republic from being excluded from the business of the new world, and
from falling into the disagreeable situation in which the kingdom of
Portugal is at present, considering that according to the informations
of your petitioners, the Congress has excluded that kingdom from all
commerce and business with North America, solely, because it had
perceived that it suffered itself to be too strongly directed by the
influence of the British Court. This example makes us fear with reason
that if the propositions made, in the name of America, by Mr. Adams to
this Republic, should remain, as they still are, without an answer, or
that, if, contrary to all expectation, they should be rejected, in that
case the Republic ought not to expect a better treatment.

That, for these reasons and many others, the petitioners had flattered
themselves that we should long ago have opened negotiations, and a
closer correspondence, with the United States of America. But this
important work appeared to meet with difficulties with some, as
incompatible with the accession of this Republic to the armed
neutrality, and, in course, with the accepted mediation; whilst that
others cannot be persuaded to make this so necessary step, in the
opinion that we cannot draw any advantage, or at least of much
importance, from a more strict connection with America: Reasons,
according to the petitioners, the frivolity of which is apparent to
every one who is not filled with prejudice, without having occasion to
employ many words to point it out. For, as to the first point,
supposing, for a moment, that it might be made a question whether the
Republic, after her accession to the armed neutrality, before the war
with England, could take a step of this nature, without renouncing at
the same time the advantages of the armed neutrality which it had
embraced; it is at least very certain, that every difficulty concerning
the competency of the Republic to take a similar step vanishes and
disappears of itself at present, when it finds itself involved in a war
with Great Britain, since from that moment she could not only demand the
assistance and succour of all the confederates in the armed neutrality,
but that thereby the finds herself authorized, for her own defence, to
employ all sorts of means, violent and others, which she could not
before adopt nor put in use, while she was really in the position of a
neutral power which would profit of the advantages of the armed
neutra