h or Little Democrat was armed, equipped,
and manned, in the port of Philadelphia, under the very eye of the
government, as if meant to insult it. Having fallen down the river, and
being evidently on the point of departure for a cruise, Mr. Genet was
desired in my letter of July the 2th, on the part of the President,
to detain her till some inquiry and determination on the case should
be had. Yet within three or four days after, she was sent out by orders
from Mr. Genet himself, and is, at this time, cruising on our coasts, as
appears by the protest of the master of one of our vessels maltreated by
her.

The government thus insulted and set at defiance by Mr. Genet, and
committed in its duties and engagements to others, determined still to
see in these proceedings but the character of the individual, and not to
believe, and it does not believe, that they are by instructions from his
employers. They had assured the British Minister here, that the vessels
already armed in our ports should be obliged to leave them, and that no
more should be armed in them. Yet more had been armed, and those before
armed had either not gone away, or gone only to return with new prizes.
They now informed him that the order for departure should be enforced,
and the prizes made contrary to it should be restored or compensated.
The same thing was notified to Mr. Genet in my letter of August the 7th,
and that he might not conclude the promise of compensation to be of no
concern to him, and go on in his courses, he was reminded that it would
be a fair article of account against his nation.

Mr. Genet, not content with using our force, whether we will or not, in
the military line against nations with whom we are at peace, undertakes
also to direct the civil government; and particularly, for the executive
and legislative bodies, to pronounce what powers may or may not be
exercised by the one or the other. Thus in his letter of June the 8th,
he promises to respect the political opinions of the President, till
the Representatives shall have confirmed or rejected them; as if the
President had undertaken to decide what belonged to the decision of
Congress. In his letter of June the 4th, he says more openly, that the
President ought not to have taken on himself to decide on the subject
of the letter, but that it was of importance enough to have consulted
Congress thereon; and in that of June the 22nd, he tells the President
in direct terms, that Congre