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cated. But this was not long the case-he there found the Democratic Society, organized--and there were those, who managed the plot, behind the scenes; from whom he took the sign, and presently interchanged communications of future purposes, under the assurance of mutual pledges. Alexander J. Dallas, secretary of the commonwealth of Pennsylvania, was carly distinguished as one of the minister's confidential friends. Many others, of much influence, also known to be hostile to the federal administration, became his bosom companions.

Encouraged, and supported by these leaders, Mr. Genet, changed his language; and openly avowing, publicly defended his measures: which he scrupled not, to repeat.

Mr. Jefferson, at that time secretary of state, of the United States, was of course, placed officially, in a situation of direct intercourse, with this infuriated foreigner: who, afterwards, had the impudence to accuse him of holding two languages towards him, "the one public and official, the other private and confidential." A few quotations taken from the letters of the secretary, to Mr. Governeir Morris, American minister in Paris, will vouch for what has been said, as to Mr. Genet; proofs of other matters, will appear in proper time; so far as shall be thought pertinent to this history.

Which connects itself with the preceding narrative only, by means of the disgusting and disgraceful part which Kentucky, by her executive, was induced to act, in the same Frenchified drama.

"On the declaration of war, (says the despatch) between France, and England; the United States, being at peace with both, their situation was so new and unexpected by themselves, that their citizens were not in the first instance sensible of the new duties resulting therefrom, and of the restraints it would impose even on their dispositions towards the belligerant powers. Some of them imagined (and chiefly their transient scafaring citizens) that they were free to indulge those dispositions, to take side with either party, and enrich themselves by depredations on the commerce of the other, and were meditating enterprises of this nature, as there was reason to believe.

In this state of the public mind, and before it should take an erroneous direction, difficult to be set right, and dangerous to themselves, and their country, the president thought it expedient, through the channel of a proclamation, to remind our fellow citizens, that we were in a state of peace with all the belligerant powers; that in that state, it was our duty neither to aid nor injure any; to exhort and warn them against acts which might contravene this duty, and particularly those of positive hostility; for the punishment of which the laws would be appealed to; and to put them on their guard also as to the risks they would run, if they should attempt to carry articles of contraband to any. This proclamation ordered on the 19th, and signed the 22d, of April, was sent to you in my letter of the 20th of the same month"-1793.

"On the day of its publication, we received through the channel of the newspapers, the first intimation that Mr. Genet had arrived on the 3th of the month at Charleston, in character of minister plenipotentiary, from his nation to the United States; and that soon after he had sent on to Philadelphia the vessel in which he came, and would himself perform the journey by land. His landing at one of the most distant parts of the United States from his points both of departure and destination, was calculated to excite attention; and very soon afterwards, we learn that he was undertaking to authorize the fitting and arming vessels in the port, enlisting men, foreigners and citizens, and giving them commissions to cruise and commit hostilities, on nations, at peace with us; that these vessels were taking and bringing prizes into our ports; that the consuls of France were assuming to hold courts of admiralty on them, to try, condemn, and authorize their sale, as legal prize; and all this before Mr. Genct 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 presi dent's proclamation, and incumbent on him to preserve until the constitutional authority should otherwise declare."

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Further "Mr. Genet asserts his right of arming within our ports, and of enlisting our citizens, and that we have no right to restrain him, or punish them. Examining this question under the law of nations, founded on the general sense and usage of mankind, we have produced proofs from the most enlightened and approved writers on the subject, that a neutral nation must, in all things relating to the war, observe an exact impartiality towards the parties-that favours to one, to the prejudice of the other, would import a fraudulent neutrality, of which no nation would be the dupe; that no succour should be given to either, unless stipulated by treaty, in men, arms, or any thing else, directly serving for war; that the right of raising troops, being one of the rights of sovereignty, and consequently appertaining exclusively to the nation itself, no foreign power or person can levy men within its territory, without its consent; and he who does may be rightfully and severely punished: that if the United States have a right to refuse permission to arm vessels and raise men within their ports and territories, they are bound by the laws of neutrality to exercise that right, and to prohibit, such armament and enlistment."

Again--"Mr. Genet, however, assumes a new and bolder line of conduct. After deciding for himself ultimately, and without respect to the authority of the country, he proceeds to do, what even his sovereign could not authorize; to put himself within the country on a line with its government, act as co-sovereign of the country, arms vessels, levies men, gives out commissions of war, independent of them, and in direct opposition to their orders and efforts. When the government forbids their citizens to arm and engage in the war, he undertakes to arm and engage them. When they forbid vessels to be fitted in their ports for cruising on nations with whom they are at peace, he commissions them to fit, and cruise. When they forbid an unceded jurisdiction to be exercised within their territory by foreign agents, he undertakes to uphold that exercise, and to avow it openly."

Lastly-"Mr. Genet, not content with using our force, whether we will, or not, in the military line, against nations with whom we are at peace, undertakes to direct the civil government; and particularly for the executive, and legislative bodies, to pronounce what may or may not be exercised by the one, or the other. Thus in his letter of June the 8th, he promises to respect the political opinions of the president, till the representatives shall have confirmed, or rejected them---as if the president had undertaken to decide, what had belonged to the decision of congress. In his letter of June 14th, he says, more openly, that the president ought not to have taken on himself to decide on the subject of the letter, but that it was of importance enough to have consulted congress thereon: and in that of June 22d, he tells the president, in direct terms, that congress ought already to have been occupied on certain questions which he had been too hasty in deciding. Thus making himself, and not the president, the judge of the powers ascribed by the constitution to the executive, and dictating to him the occasion when he should exercise the power of convening congress, at an earlier day than their own act prescribed."

Let this suffice for the portrait of Mr. Genet.

In the mean time, there were inflammatory publications from the Philadelphia Democratic society; and other societies of the same kind, instituted in different parts of the state of Pennsylvania: and an increased opposition to the revenue laws of the United States. Kentucky was not insensible to the impulse.

In August, as already mentioned, of this year, one of these societies was established in Lexington; whose prototype, was that of Philadelphia; and whose movements, were of the same character. The old subjects, of Indian war, and the navigation of the Mississippi, were made to take the front of complaint; while the excise brought up the rear. The two former had served the turn of a Spanish, the addition of the latter was now auxiliary to a French, intrigue. These constituted the tub to be thrown out to the whale: while the real design, was carefully concealed from all but the initiated. And the great body

of the people, entirely ignorant of that part of the intrigue, in both instances, which was calculated to draw the country into a new war; were induced to act a part in the plot which it might be hoped, they would have disdained, had they known its extent, and object.

For the sake of continuity, this subject will be pursued to

its result.

In the month of October, the Lexington society resolved, "That the right of the people on the waters of the Mississippi, to the navigation, was undoubted; and that it ought to be peremptorily demanded of Spain, by the government of the United States."

At this time, it is to be remembered, Kentucky had a regularly organized state government; and members in congress. Nor was this clamour raised through ignorance of the fact, that the government had pressed the subject of this navigation on the attention of Spain, and urged the concession of the right, which had at all times been as pertinaciously withheld. It was not that the clandestine negotiations on this subject between citizens of Kentucky and the agents of Spain, were unknown in this society, that it was revived in a new style, and flourished in a new dress-No: it had been enlisted under a different banner, a French flag; while one of the stipulated services to be performed by this society, was to disaffect the people with their government; which they well knew, in its embarrassed condition, could effect nothing, on the subject of that navigation. But, to subserve the project of Genet for carrying an expedition from Kentucky against New Orleans; the intention was, to inflame the public mind, against Spain, as well as against the president, and congress, by this new zeal in the display of patriotism.

It may be assumed with safety, that Mr. Genet, was not long in Philadelphia, before he made himself acquainted with the political character of Kentucky in relation to party, to the French revolution, &c. Inasmuch as it is incredible, that a man who had been so attentive to the south, should be regard

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