affured, by the treaty or treaties that shall ter minate the war. ARTICLE IX. The contracting parties declare, that being refolved to fulfil each on its own part, the claufes and conditions of the prefent Treaty of Alliance, according to its own power and circumstances, there fhall be no after-claim of compenfation, on one fide or the other, whatever may be the event of the war. ARTICLE X. The Moft Chriftian King and the United States agree to invite or admit other powers, who may have received injuries from England, to make common caufe with them, and to accede to the prefent alliance, under fuch conditions as shall be freely agreed to, and settled between all the parties. ARTICLE XI. The two parties guarantee mutually from the present time and for ever, against all other powers, to wit, the United States to his Moft Christian Majesty, the present poffeffions of the Crown of France in America, as well as those which it may acquire by the future treaty of peace; Ff3 peace; and his Most Christian Majesty guarantees on his part to the United States, their liberty, fovereignty, and independence, abfolute and unlimited, as well in matters of government as commerce, and alfo their poffeffions, and the additions or conquests that their confederation may obtain during the war, from any of the dominions now or heretofore poffeffed by Great-Britain in North-America, conformable to the 5th and 6th articles above written; the whole as their poffeffion shall be fixed and asfured to the faid States, at the moment of the ceffation of their prefent war with England. ARTICLE XII. In order to fix more precisely the sense and application of the preceding article, the contracting parties declare, that in cafe of a rupture between France and England, the reciprocal guarantee declared in the faid article fhall have its full force and effect, the moment fuch war fhall break out; and if fuch rupture fhall not take place, the mutual obligations of the said guarantee shall not commence until the moment of the ceffation of the prefent war, between the United States and England, fhall have afcertained their poffeffions. ARTICLE ARTICLE XIII. The prefent treaty fhall be ratified on both fides, and the ratifications fhall be exchanged in the space of fix months, or fooner, if poffible. IN FAITH WHEREOF the refpective Plenipotentiaries, to wit, on the part of the Most Christian King, Conrad Alexander Gerard, Royal Syndic of the City of Strafbourg, and Secretary of his Majesty's Council of State; and on the part of the United States, Benjamin Franklin, Deputy to the General Congrefs from the State of Pennsylvania, and Prefident of the Convention of faid State; Silas Deane, heretofore Deputy from the State of Connecticut; and Arthur Lee, Counsellor at Law, have figned the above Articles both in the French and English languages; declaring, nevertheless, that the present Treaty was originally compofed and concluded in the French language, and they have hereunto affixed their seals, |