There being no particular portion or description of the mercantile body pointed out by the laws for receiving communications of this nature, I take the liberty of addressing it to the merchants of -------- for the state of --------- requesting that through them, it may be made known to all those of their State whom it may concern.  Information will be freely received either from the individuals aggrieved, or from any associations of merchants who will be pleased to take the trouble of giving it, in a case so interesting to themselves and their country.

I have the honor to be, with great respect, Gentlemen, your most obedient servant,

Th:  Jefferson.

LETTER CLXV.—­TO MR. GORE, September 2, 1793

TO MR. GORE.

Philadelphia, September 2, 1793.

Sir,

The President is informed through the channel of a letter from yourself to Mr. Lear, that M. Duplaine, Consul of France at Boston, has lately, with an armed force, seized and rescued a vessel from the officer of a court of justice, by process from which she was under arrest in his custody:  and that he has in like manner, with an armed force, opposed and prevented the officer, charged with process from a court against another vessel, from serving that process.  This daring violation of the laws requires the more attention, as it is by a foreigner clothed with a public character, arrogating an unfounded right to admiralty jurisdiction, and probably meaning to assert it by this act of force.  You know that by the law of nations, consuls are not diplomatic characters, and have no immunities whatever against the laws of the land.  To put this altogether out of dispute, a clause was inserted in our consular convention with France, making them amenable to the laws of the land, as other inhabitants.  Consequently, M. Duplaine is liable to arrest, imprisonment, and other punishments, even capital, as other foreign subjects resident here.  The President therefore desires that you will immediately institute such a prosecution against him, as the laws will warrant.  If there be any doubt as to the character of his offence, whether of a higher or lower grade, it will be best to prosecute for that which will admit the least doubt, because an acquittal, though it might be founded merely on the opinion that the grade of offence with which he is charged is higher than his act would support, yet it might be construed by the uninformed to be a judiciary decision against his amenability to the law, or perhaps in favor of the jurisdiction these Consuls are assuming.  The process, therefore, should be of the surest kind, and all the proceedings well grounded.  In particular, if an arrest, as is probable, be the first step, it should be so managed as to leave room neither for escape nor rescue.  It should be attended with every mark of respect, consistent with safe custody, and his confinement as mild and comfortable also, as that would permit.  These are the distinctions to which a Consul is entitled, that is to say, of a particular decorum of deportment towards him, indicative of respect to the sovereign whose officer he is.