that it was not only impracticable but wholly impossible to consider the
Ohio as the boundary; that the treaty of Fort Harmar had been made in
good faith and with the very tribes who professed to own the lands
ceded. In vain did they admit the former mistakes of the government in
setting up a claim to the whole country south of the Great Lakes. The
jealous and apprehensive chieftains, spurred on and encouraged by
British promise of support, refused to listen to all appeals,
contemptuously rejected all offers of money or compensation, and
insisted to the last on the Ohio as the boundary.

That the full responsibility for this action on the part of the tribes
must be laid at the door of the British, goes without successful
challenge. If at the beginning they had only furnished a little
ammunition, as Brant says, they were now fast becoming openly hostile.
The French Revolution had opened, and England and France were battling
for supremacy. In order to cut off supplies of food from the French
people, England had seized all cargoes of corn, flour and meal bound for
French ports, and had purchased them for the benefit of his majesty's
service. This action had greatly irritated the American merchants and
had led to serious remonstrance on the part of the government. England
had also asserted the right to board neutral vessels and impress British
seamen whenever found. Many an American ship had been hailed on the high
seas, and forced to submit to a humiliating search. It was claimed that
many American sailors had been seized and forced to enter the British
service. Added to all this, the Citizen Genet had, in the early part of
the year 1793, arrived in America. As the representative of the French
Republic he was armed with numerous blank commissions for privateers, to
be delivered "to such French and American owners as should apply for the
same." An attack was to be launched on British commerce. Before he
arrived at Philadelphia the British minister had laid before the
President a list of complaints "founded principally on the proceedings
of Mr. Genet, who, at Charleston, undertook to authorize the fitting and
arming of vessels, enlisting men, and giving commissions to cruise and
commit hostilities on nations with whom the United States were at
peace." Washington did everything in his power to preserve neutrality.
On the twenty-second of April, 1793, and twenty-three days before Genet
arrived at Philadelphia, the President iss