itizens of the United States," were
carried away. They also indicated that these embarkations were made in
spite of their presence and remonstrance and for this reason asked
General Washington for "further directions on this subject."[28] Other
reports of the commissioners to General Washington, June 17, 1783,
show that on many other occasions Negroes not residing within the
British lines were taken away. To the remonstrances of the
commissioners, Sir Guy Carleton gave a deaf ear. They, in the
meantime, wrote General Washington that they had interpreted
Carleton's silence as a "determination that all future applications
should remain equally unnoticed." That they realized that their
efforts were fruitless goes without saying, for they confessed that
their work was ineffective and that the British vessels were never
subjected to any rigid inspections and it was, therefore, impossible
to determine, from the register provided by Sir Guy Carleton, the
exact number of Negroes carried away in those vessels.[29]

The work of the commissioners, nevertheless, was noteworthy. They
called Washington's attention to the fact that Sir Guy Carleton
affected to distinguish between the cases of such Negroes as came
within the British lines in consequence of the promise of freedom and
protection promulgated by Carleton's predecessors and such as came in
either previous to the proclamations or subsequent to the cessation of
hostilities. "Negroes of the first description," insisted Carleton,
"were not included in the treaty." The commissioners soon realized
that even this limited construction given to the article was not
intended to be fulfilled by Carleton's subordinate officers. They
based their contention upon the fact that printed certificates
granting Negroes the privilege of embarking[30] were distributed by
the commandant of New York City, "as their convenience might
require."[31] These certificates fell into the hands of many persons
for whom they were not intended. So loosely were they distributed that
one was picked up by the commissioners who transmitted the same to
General Washington.

On the other hand, the commissioners insisted that the treaty
stipulated specifically that his Brittanic Majesty should withdraw all
his armies, garrisons and fleets from the United States and from every
port, place and harbor within the same without causing any destruction
or carrying away any Negroes or other property of the American
inhabit