To John Jay from Rufus King, 9 December 1793
From Rufus King
Philadelphia 9. Decr. 1793
Dear Sir
I inclose Mr. Dallas’ publication relative to his interview with Mr. Genet— At present I am unable to inform you in what manner Col. Hamilton & General Knox will proceed— Mr. Jefferson’s report of this transaction to the President, states that Mr. Dallas informed him that Genet had said “that he would appeal from the President to the People”; and I understand that the President will not object to the publication of this Report—1
I also inclose an extract from a Message of the President to the two houses, which was accompanied with a voluminous correspondence, including Mr. Genet’s Letters to Mr. Jefferson with their Answers, & Mr. Jefferson’s Letter dated in August last requesting the Recall of Mr. Genet— This Message with the Letters &c have been publicly read in the House of Representatives, and who have ordered them to be printed—2 The Effect has been altogether such as was expected, and Mr. Genet is left without a single Advocate.
There can be no impropriety should you think it expedient to send the extract of the Message to Childs’ for Publication— The residue of the message respects the state of the negotiation with England, as well in relation to the treaty of Peace, as to her Regulations impeding our navigation— Yours very sincerely
Rufus King
ALS, NNC (EJ: 06683).
1. On Dallas’s publication of 9 Dec., and TJ’s report of 10 July 1793, see the editorial note “John Jay and the Genet Affair,” and notes 50 and 52, above.
2. See A Message of the president of the United States to Congress relative to France and Great-Britain. Delivered December 5, 1793. With the papers therein referred to. To which are added the French originals. Published by order of the House of Representatives. (Philadelphia, 1793; , no. 26334).