The Writings of Thomas Jefferson, Vol. 4 (of 9): Being His Autobiography, Correspondence, Reports, Messages, Addresses, and Other Writings, Official and PrivateJefferson, Thomas
History
The Writings of Thomas Jefferson, Vol. 4 (of 9): Being His Autobiography, Correspondence, Reports, Messages, Addresses, and Other Writings, Official and Private
Jefferson, Thomas
United States -- Politics and government -- 1775-1783; United States -- Politics and government -- 1783-1865
Genet had presented himself or his credentials to the President,
before he was received by him, without his consent or consultation, and
directly in contravention of the state of peace existing and declared to
exist in the President's proclamation, and which it was incumbent on him
to preserve till the Constitutional authority should otherwise declare.
These proceedings became immediately, as was naturally to be expected,
the subject of complaint by the representative here of that power against
whom they would chiefly operate, &c. This was the true sense of the
proclamation in the view of the draughtsman and of the two signers; but
H. had other views. The instrument was badly drawn, and made the P. go
out of his line to declare things which, though true, it was not exactly
his province to declare. The instrument was communicated to me after it
was drawn, but I was busy, and only run an eye over it to see that it was
not made a declaration of neutrality, and gave it back again, without, I
believe, changing a tittle. Pacificus has now changed his signature to
"no Jacobin." Three papers under this signature have been published in
Dunlap. I suppose they will get into Fenno. They are commentaries on the
laws of nations and on the different parts of our treaty with France. As
yet they have presented no very important heresy. Congress will not meet
till the legal day. It was referred to a meeting at my office to consider
and advice on it. I was for calling them. Kin. against it. H. said his
judgment was against it. But he would join any two who should concur so as
to make a majority either way. R. was pointedly against it. We agreed to
give our opinions separately, and though the P. was in his own judgment
for calling them, he acquiesced in the majority. I pass on to the other
letter; so adieu. Yours affectionately.
TO GOVERNEUR MORRIS.
PHILADELPHIA, August 16, 1793.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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