most explicit manner. Carry, therefore, Citizen, to Mr. Murray those
positive expressions in order to convince him of our sincerity, and
prevail upon him to transmit them to his Government.

I presume, Citizen, that this letter will find you at The Hague; if not,
I ask it may be sent back to you at Paris.

Salute and fraternity,

CH. MAU. TALLEYRAND.



FEBRUARY 25, 1799.

_Gentlemen of the Senate_:

The proposition of a fresh negotiation with France in consequence
of advances made by the French Government has excited so general an
attention and so much conversation as to have given occasion to many
manifestations of the public opinion, from which it appears to me that
a new modification of the embassy will give more general satisfaction
to the legislature and to the nation, and perhaps better answer the
purposes we have in view.

It is upon this supposition and with this expectation that I now
nominate Oliver Ellsworth, esq., Chief Justice of the United States;
Patrick Henry, esq., late governor of Virginia, and William Vans Murray,
esq., our minister resident at The Hague, to be envoys extraordinary and
ministers plenipotentiary to the French Republic, with full powers to