1. French minister Pierre-Auguste Adet’s letter of 19 Aug. to Edmund Randolph reiterated complaints originally stated in his letter to Randolph of 10 August. In the earlier letter, he had informed the secretary of state about actions of the British ship Africa. “The neutrality of the United States,” Adet wrote, “and the law of nations, have just been violated in the most serious manner. It is but too true that the English wished to take citizen Fauchet and his papers from on board one of your vessels, and in the waters of the United States. The letters from citizens Fauchet and Pichon, that of the consul at Newport, the affidavit of the passengers of the packet the Peggy, leave no doubt upon this wicked attempt.” Moreover, the British vice-consul, Thomas William Moore, was aboard the Africa when it confronted the American ship. Adet asked: “Were such an infraction of the laws of nations passed over in silence, what safety should I then find here? Who would prevent the pirates of Great Britain from forcing my house in the night, from carrying me off in one of their vessels, and loading me with irons?”

In the letter of 19 Aug., Adet reminded Randolph that in the letter of 10 Aug., he had requested reparation in proportion “to the outrage committed towards the republic of France on the person of my predecessor” and “had every reason to expect it.” Adet demanded to know by “what fatality is it, sir, that the captain of the Africa, whose injurious proceedings are known, still finds an asylum” in U.S. ports, “insults by his menaces the authority of your country; and dares to claim the same advantages enjoyed by the French frigate Medusa at Newport, and preserves his station in the middle of the entrance of that port?”

Adet also recalled Randolph’s repeated assurances that the recent treaty between the United States and Great Britain would not weaken the agreement between America and France. Adet had “never doubted it,” but, he asked, “Are those dispositions and your promises ineffectual?” Confident that “the present circumstances will convince me that I am not deceived, and that the republic will have a positive proof of that friendship,” Adet expected Randolph would undertake “the necessary measures in order to prevent the Africa from using your ports as a station whence to cruise on the French frigate Medusa” (all in ASP description begins Walter Lowrie et al., eds. American State Papers. Documents, Legislative and Executive, of the Congress of the United States. 38 vols. Washington, D.C., Gales and Seaton, 1832–61. description ends , Foreign Relations, 1:662, 665).

Pickering dated his answer to Adet 25 August. Temporarily assigned to State Department duties, he noted that Adet’s letter of 10 Aug. had come to his hands three days earlier. Since then, Pickering had made the necessary inquiries to reply to Adet as quickly as possible. The “outrage” committed by the Africa engaged “the immediate attention of our government.” The incident was brought to the attention of British minister George Hammond, but his departure for England caused delay. Pickering assured Adet “measures have been taken … for obtaining every reparation in our power … and for asserting the just rights of the French Republic, so far as they have been infringed within the jurisdiction of the United States” (DNA: RG 59, Domestic Letters).