lation of his country, and that every man of virtue was disposed to espouse her cause. His reception at Charleston was calculated to increase his most sanguine views. From the Supreme Magistrate of the state, and from every class of citizens, he received warm expressions of enthusiastick devotion to the new 'Republick. Taking these as evidence of the general disposition of the American people, he did not wait to present his official letter to the Executive, and to be accredited by him; but availing himself of the favourable situation of Charleston to fit out privateers against the West Indian trade, he presumed to authorize the arming of ships in that port, and to give commissions to cruise against the commerce of a nation with whom the United States were at amity. Prizes taken by these privateers were brought into American harbours, and French Consuls were opening Courts of Admiralty to condemn them.

From Charleston Mr. Genet travelled by land to Philadelphia, receiving in every part of his way the same ardent declarations of attachment to France. Although the unwarrantable conduct of Mr. Genet at Charleston was well known in Philadelphia, yet his entrance into the city was rendered pompous and triumphal, and " crowds flocked from every avenue of the city to meet the Republican Ambassador of an allied nation." On the day after his arrival, addresses were presented to him from particular societies, and from individual citizens, in which they expressed their exultation at the victories of France, and declared that in their opinion, her success was essential to the safety of the American states.

On the 18th of May he presented his credentials to the President. These contained respectful sentiments towards the government of the United States, and abounded with devotions to the American people The President received him in an open and ingenuous

manner, and with sincerity expressed his regard for the French nation.

In this conference Mr. Genet declared that his government had no desire to engage the United States in the European war, but wished them to pursue their own interest; yet he persisted in the exercise of his assumed power, and a French privateer captured an English merchantman within the Capes of the Delaware, while on her way to the ocean. This prize being taken in the waters of the United States, and therefore under the control of the government, the British minister complained of this illicit proceeding, and demanded restitution of the property unlawfully taken from his countrymen.

The Cabinet unanimously agreed that the proceedings of Mr. Genet were not warranted by any existing treaties between the two nations, were therefore violations of neutral rights, and that the government ought to prevent the repetition of them. They also agreed that restitution ought to be made, of the prize taken within the waters of the Delaware. Respecting prizes taken upon the high seas, in virtue of commissions issued by Genet, and brought into the American ports, the Cabinet were divided. Mr. Jefferson and Mr. Randolph held that the government was under no obligation to restore them to their original owners. Colonel Hamilton and General Knox contended that, to maintain an honest neutrality, the United States were bound to restore the prizes.

The President took time to deliberate on those points on which his Council were not agreed.

Principles in which they were united, he established; and directed the Secretary of State to give the information to the Ministers of France and

necessary

Britain.

Mr. Genet complained heavily of these rules of the American Government, as a violation of neutral right,

and as a breach of existing treaties between the two nations.

In his comments upon these treaties, he claimed for France every thing which the two nations had bound themselves not to grant to other countries, converting negative stipulations which respected other nations, into grants of positive privileges to the contracting parties.

He was informed, that out of respect to him, the subject had been reviewed in the Cabinet; but that the President saw no reason to change his opinion. Mr. Genet still refused acquiescence, and seemed to have entertained the expectation, that he should be able so far to avail himself of the partiality of the Americans for France, as to bend the Administration to his own purposes, or to overthrow it.

Prosecutions having been commenced against two of the American citizens, whom Genet engaged at Charleston, to cruise in the service of France, he demanded these men of the civil magistrate who had arrested them, in the following very extraordinary lan guage.

"I have this moment been informed that two officers in the service of the Republick of France, citizens Gideon Henfield and John Singletary, have been arrested on board the privateer of the French Republick, the Citizen Genet, and conducted to prison. The crime laid to their charge, the crime which my mind cannot conceive, and which my pen almost refuses to state, is the serving of France, and defending with her children the common glorious cause of liberty.

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Being ignorant of any positive law or treaty which deprives Americans of this privilege, and authorizes officers of police arbitrarily to take mariners in the service of France from on board their vessels, I call upon your intervention, sir, and that of the President of the United States, in order to obtain the immediate releasement of the above mentioned officers, who have

acquired by the sentiments animating them, and by the act of their engagement, anteriour to every act to the contrary, the right of French citizens, if they have lost that of American citizens."

The President considered this insolent demand as an attack upon the honour and independence of the United States; but without noticing the intemperate language of the French Minister, he steadily pursued the publick interest.

The leading individuals of that portion of the American people who had been opposed to the adoption of the National constitution, and were opposed to the nieasures of the Administration under it, in the partialities and prejudices manifested throughout the Union towards France and Great Britain, saw the probable means to weaken the confidence, and alienate the affection which the citizens of the United States manifested towards the President; and in this way to bring about a revolution in the national government. In pursuance of this plan, the resentments and the enthusiastick sympathies of the people were fostered; and democratick societies, in imitation of the Jacobin Club in Paris, were formed. The victories of France were celebrated by feasts, bonfires, and other publick rejoicings.

The measures adopted by the Executive to preserve the peace of the nation, were vilified in the newspapers devoted to the opposition; the proclamation of neutrality was declared to be an exercise of power, with which the Constitution did not invest the President; and the measures of the Administration generally were pronounced to be unfriendly to France, and to carry evidence of their intention to break with that Republick and to join in the royal crusade against liberty. Mr. Genet was justified in the construction of the existing treaties between the two nations, and he was urged to persist in his opposition to the measures of the American government.

The President deeply felt the insult offered to the nation, by the attempt of the French Minister to con tinue the exercise of an usurped authority within the United States; but he knew the importance of yielding to the feelings of his countrymen, as far as consisted with the dignity of his station, and with the independence, the peace, and welfare of his country. He contented himself with confuting in a cool and dis. passionate manner the extravagant positions of Mr Genet, and inflexibly adhered to his system.

Private business called him to Mount Vernon, and he was absent from the seat of government from the 24th of June to the 11th of July. During his absence the Heads of Departments superintended the execution of the measures that had been agreed upon in the Cabinet. At this time an event took place which fully exhibits the rashness of the French Minister, and shows the difficulty to which he subjected the administration.

A French privateer brought an English merchantman, the Little Sarah, into Philadelphia. This vessel Genet equipped as a privateer. Having mounted fourteen iron cannon, and six swivels, and taken on board one hundred and twenty men, a number of whom were Americans, she was about to sail under the name of La Petite Democrat. In this situation the Secretary of the Treasury reported her case to the Secretaries of State and of War. Governour Mifflin was in consequence requested to make examination, and on the 14th of July he reported that she was to sail next day. By desire of the Heads of Departments the Governour sent Mr. Dallas, Secretary of State for Pennsylvania, to request Mr. Genet to relieve them from the disagreeable necessity of preventing by force the sailing of a privateer equipped in their ports. This request excited in that Minister the most violent passion, which he vented in very intemperate and abusive language, declared that La Petite Democrat would repel force by force, and threatened to appeal from the Executive to