by armaments fitted out in its ports, were of opinion that the
government should interpose to restore the prizes. Jefferson and
Randolph contended that the case should be left to the decision of
courts of justice; arguing, that if the courts should decide the
commissions given by Genet to be invalid, they would, as a matter of
course, order restitution to be made.[54]

Washington reserved his decision upon this point, and took time to
deliberate. The cabinet had agreed unanimously that the jurisdiction of
every independent nation, within the limits of its own territory, being
of a nature to exclude the exercise of any authority therein by any
foreign power, the proceedings complained of, not being warranted by any
treaty, were usurpations of national sovereignty and violations of
neutral rights, a repetition of which it was the duty of the government
to prevent. Also, that the efficacy of the laws should be tried against
those citizens of the United States who had joined in perpetrating the
offence. These principles being considered as settled, the president
directed the secretary of state to communicate the fact to the ministers
of France and Great Britain. Circular letters, also, were addressed to
the governors of several states requiring their co-operation, with
military force if necessary, to carry out the principles and rules
agreed upon.

FOOTNOTES:

[47] The number of people who met and welcomed Genet at Gray's ferry was
greatly exaggerated, as usual on such occasions, by the friends of the
movement. It was called "a great concourse of citizens," but Hamilton,
who was then in Philadelphia, and whose truthfulness has never been
questioned, placed the number at an insignificant figure. In a letter to
a friend, he said, "It is seldom easy to speak with absolute certainty
in such cases, but from all I could observe, or have been able to learn,
I believe the number would be stated high at a hundred persons." Of a
meeting convened at evening to receive Mr. Genet, Hamilton said, "From
forty to one hundred persons give you the extremes of the number
present." On the ensuing evening a much greater number attended.
Altogether the demonstration, in _numbers_, was a failure.

[48] Griswold's _Republican Court_, page 350.

[49] _Old New York, or Reminiscences of the past Sixty Years_, pages
115-119, inclusive.

[50] Hamilton's Works, v. 566.

[51] Life of Washington, v. 164.

[52] A little later, Jefferson wrote