f paying their
debts. To this the Duke of Leeds replied that he wished to "consider
the treaty subject generally" and thought that some compensation could
be mutually made. He declared, nevertheless, that he would rather
"make a new treaty than perform the Seventh Article of the Treaty of
Paris."[41]

Subsequent diplomatic negotiations between Jefferson and Hammond, the
Minister of Great Britain, indicate that Washington was not satisfied
with the status of the case after Jefferson cited specific infractions
of the Seventh Article of the treaty, enclosing documents supporting
these claims. Hammond informed the United States, November 30, 1791,
that the King had suspended the execution of the Seventh Article in
consequence of the non-compliance on the part of the United States of
the Fourth, Fifth and Sixth Articles. In short, he insisted that the
stipulations should be performed in the order in which they stood. He
stated, moreover, that the "two objects were so mutually connected
with each other as not to admit of separation either in the mode of
discussing them or in any subsequent engagements which might result
from that discussion."[42]

It was soon evident then that such extended discussions were
fruitless. This state of affairs, to be sure, could not exist very
much longer. Citizens of the United States were pressing "more
zealously" for the return of the Negroes. For almost a decade the
subject had been discussed without an amicable adjustment. In a
communication to the Congress, April 16, 1794, Washington showed that
he had grasped the situation by informing that body of the fact that
"despatches received from our minister in London contain a serious
aspect of our affairs with Great Britain." He suggested, therefore, to
the Senate that an envoy extraordinary be sent to England. To this end
Washington appointed John Jay to settle the infractions of the Treaty
of Paris.[43]

In Jay's instructions nothing was specifically said concerning the
carrying away of the Negroes by the British, but, as it appeared from
subsequent transactions, it is quite certain that the infractions of
the Seventh Article as well as those of other articles were to be
adjusted. In this wise, the "irrepressible question"--relating to the
return of Negroes carried away by Great Britain during the
Revolutionary War became one of the purposes of Jay's mission.[44]

During the negotiation with Grenville there took place many heated
debates