Memoir, Correspondence, and Miscellanies, From the Papers of Thomas Jefferson, Volume 3Jefferson, Thomas
History
Memoir, Correspondence, and Miscellanies, From the Papers of Thomas Jefferson, Volume 3
Jefferson, Thomas
United States -- Politics and government -- 1775-1783; United States -- Politics and government -- 1783-1865
here of that power against whom they would chiefly operate. The British
minister presented several memorials thereon, to which we gave the
answer of May the 15th, heretofore enclosed to you, corresponding in
substance with a letter of the same date written to Mr. Ternant, the
Minister of France then residing here, a copy of which I send herewith.
On the next day Mr. Genet reached this place, about five or six weeks
after he had arrived at Charleston, and might have been at Philadelphia,
if he had steered for it directly. He was immediately presented to the
President, and received by him as the Minister of the Republic; and as
the conduct before stated seemed to bespeak a design of forcing us into
the war without allowing us the exercise of any free will in the case,
nothing could be more assuaging than his assurance to the President at
his reception, which he repeated to me afterwards in conversation, and
in public to the citizens of Philadelphia in answer to an address from
them, that on account of our remote situation and other circumstances,
France did not expect that we should become a party to the war, but
wished to see us pursue our prosperity and happiness in peace. In a
conversation a few days after, Mr. Genet told me that M. de Ternant had
delivered him my letter of May the 15th. He spoke something of the case
of the Grange, and then of the armament at Charleston, explained the
circumstances which had led him to it before he had been received by
the government and had consulted its will, expressed a hope that the
President had not so absolutely decided against the measure but that he
would hear what was to be said in support of it, that he would write me
a letter on the subject, in which he thought he could justify it
under our treaty; but that if the President should finally determine
otherwise, he must submit; for that assuredly his instructions were to
do what would be agreeable to us. He accordingly wrote the letter of
May the 27th. The President took the case again into consideration, and
found nothing in that letter which could shake the grounds of his former
decision. My letter of June the 5th notifying this to him, his of June
the 8th and 14th, mine of the 17th, and his again of the 22nd, will show
what further passed on this subject, and that he was far from retaining
his disposition to acquiesce in the ultimate will of the President.
It would be tedious to pursue this and our subsequent correspondence
through all their details. Referring therefore for these to the letters
themselves, which shall accompany this, I will present a summary view
only of the points of difference which have arisen, and the grounds on
which they rest.
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