"strong
in the greatness of her means," Genet had opened his diplomatic
correspondence by a request for immediate payment, by anticipation, of
the remaining installments of the debt due France by the United States,
amounting to two millions, three hundred thousand dollars, and offered,
as an inducement, to invest the amount in provisions and other American
products, to be shipped partly to the St. Domingo, and partly to France.
But neither his propositions for an alliance nor his application for
money were received with favor. The United States government well knew
that his assurance that the offered relaxation of commercial
restrictions, as a boon of pure good will toward the Americans, was only
a convenient plan for obtaining needed supplies. The request for money
was met by a candid statement by the secretary of the treasury, that his
government had no means of anticipating the payment of the French debt,
except by borrowing money in Europe, which could not be done then on
reasonable terms. Hamilton also told Genet that, even were there no
other obstacle, the anticipation of payment at that time might be
regarded by Great Britain as a breach of neutrality.

This reply greatly offended the French minister, and he threatened to
make the debt to France available for his purpose, by giving assignments
of it in payment for provisions and other supplies. Hamilton calmly
replied that his government would decidedly object to that procedure,
and expressed a hope that, in a matter of mutual concern, nothing would
be done but by mutual consent.

While the British minister, in view of the dereliction of duty on the
part of his government, manifested in its omission to comply with some
of the stipulations of the treaty of 1783, should have been
comparatively silent, the grounds of some of his complaints were too
obviously just, not to be seriously considered. Cabinet meetings were
accordingly held, and the subject was fully discussed. The capture of
_The Grange_ within American waters (in Delaware bay), and the demand,
not only for its restitution, but of all others captured on the high
seas by the privateers authorized by Genet, made by the British
minister, was the chief topic. It was unanimously agreed that _The
Grange_ should be restored, but there was a difference of opinion
respecting the others. Hamilton and Knox, assuming, as a basis for
argument, that it is the duty of a neutral nation to remedy every injury
sustained