The Writings of Thomas Jefferson, Vol. 4 (of 9): Being His Autobiography, Correspondence, Reports, Messages, Addresses, and Other Writings, Official and Private — John Shaqi
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
complaint by the representative 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 22d, 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 all the points of difference which have arisen, and the grounds on
which they rest.
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