Memoir, Correspondence, And Miscellanies, From The Papers Of Thomas Jefferson, Volume 3 eBook

This eBook from the Gutenberg Project consists of approximately 747 pages of information about Memoir, Correspondence, And Miscellanies, From The Papers Of Thomas Jefferson, Volume 3.

Memoir, Correspondence, And Miscellanies, From The Papers Of Thomas Jefferson, Volume 3 eBook

This eBook from the Gutenberg Project consists of approximately 747 pages of information about Memoir, Correspondence, And Miscellanies, From The Papers Of Thomas Jefferson, Volume 3.

June 22.  ’Le gouvernement federal s’est empresse, pousse par je ne se gais quelle influence.’

June 22.  ’Je ne puis attribuer des demarches de cette nature qu’a des impressions etrangeres dont le terns et la verite triompheront.’

June 25.  ’On poursuit avec acharnement, en vertu des instructions de M. le President, les armateurs Francais.’

June 14.  ’Ce refus tend a accomplir le systeme infernal du roi d’Angleterre, et des autres rois ses accomplices, pour faire perir par la famine les Republicans Francais avec la liberte.

June 8.  ‘La lache abandon de ses amis.’

July 25.  ’En vain le desirde conserver la paix fait-il sacrifier les interets de la France a cet interet du moment; en vain la soif des richesses l’emporte-t-elle sur l’honneur dans la balance politique de l’Amerique.  Tous ces menagemens, toute cette condescendance, toute cette humilite n’aboutissent a rien:  nos ennemis en rient, et les Francais trop confiants sont punis pour avoir cru que la nation Americaine avoit un pavilion, qu’elle avoit quelque egard pours ses loix, quelque conviction de ses forces, et qu’elle tenoit au sentiment de sa dignite.  Il ne m’est pas possible de peindre toute ma sensibilite sur ce scandale, qui tend a la diminution de votre commerce, a l’oppression du notre, et a l’abaissement, a l’avilissement des republiques.  Si nos concitoyens ont ete trompes, si vous n’etes point en etat de soutenir la souverainete de votre peuple, parlez; nous l’avons garantie quand nous etions esclaves, nous saurons la rendre redoubtable etant devenus libres.’  We draw a veil over the sensations which these expressions excite.  No words can render them; but they will not escape the sensibility of a friendly and magnanimous nation, who will do us justice.  We see in them neither the portrait of ourselves, nor the pencil of our friends; but an attempt to embroil both; to add still another nation to the enemies of his country, and to draw on both a reproach, which it is hoped will never stain the history of either.  The written proofs, of which Mr. Genet was himself the bearer, were too unequivocal to leave a doubt that the French nation are constant in their friendship to us.  The resolves of their National Convention, the letters of their Executive Council attest this truth, in terms which render it necessary to seek in some other hypothesis, the solution of Mr. Genet’s machinations against our peace and friendship.

Conscious, on our part, of the same friendly and sincere dispositions, we can with truth affirm, both for our nation and government, that we have never omitted a reasonable occasion of manifesting them.  For I will not consider as of that character, opportunities of sallying forth from our ports to way-lay, rob, and murder defenceless merchants and others, who have done us no injury, and who were coming to trade with us in the confidence of our peace and amity.  The violation of all the laws of order and morality

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Memoir, Correspondence, And Miscellanies, From The Papers Of Thomas Jefferson, Volume 3 from Project Gutenberg. Public domain.