1. For background to this document, see “Cabinet Meeting. Proposed Rules Concerning Arming and Equipping of Vessels by Belligerents in the Ports of the United States,” July 29–30, 1793, and “Cabinet Meeting. Proposed Rules Governing Belligerents,” August 3, 1793.

In JCHW description begins John C. Hamilton, ed., The Works of Alexander Hamilton (New York, 1851–1856). description ends , IV, 467–68, this document is dated August 15, 1793.

In the “Anas” Jefferson described the cabinet’s discussion of the fitting out of privateers as follows: “We proceeded to consider what should be done as to the French privateers arrived in our ports, & their prizes taken since they were ordered away. Randolph recapitulated his old opinion. Hamilton proposed to suppress the privateers by military coercion & deliver the prizes to their owners. I proposed to require from Mr. Genet a delivery of the prizes to their owners, otherwise that, in consequence of the assurances we had given the British Minister, we should be bound to pay for them & must take credit for it with France, and to inform him that we would allow no further asylum in our ports to the sd privateers: (These were the Citoyen Genet, Sans Culottes, Vainqueur de la Bastile & Petite Democrate. The two last had been armed subsequent to the prohibition.) My proposn was agreed to with an addition that the governors should be notified that the privateers were no longer permitted to stay in our ports” (Ford, Writings of Jefferson description begins Paul Leicester Ford, ed., The Writings of Thomas Jefferson (New York, 1892–1899). description ends , I, 255).

2. Jefferson informed Genet of this decision in a letter of August 7, 1793, using wording very similar to that of the cabinet opinion (ASP description begins American State Papers, Documents, Legislative and Executive, of the Congress of the United States (Washington, 1832–1861). description ends , Foreign Relations, I, 167).

3. On August 7, 1793, Knox sent a circular letter to the governors of the states listing the rules drawn up by the cabinet concerning belligerent ships in American ports. For H’s draft of these rules, see “Cabinet Meeting. Proposed Rules Concerning Arming and Equipping of Vessels by Belligerents in the Ports of the United States,” July 29–30, 1793. Knox requested that each governor “in your capacity as Commander in Chief of your Militia, would in the earliest stage possible, suppress all practices throughout the state … which shall be a violation of these regulations, or the neutrality of the United States …” (LS, to Thomas Mifflin, Pennsylvania Historical and Museum Commission, Harrisburg).

4. Washington informed Jefferson of his approval of these cabinet decisions on August 4, 1793 (GW description begins John C. Fitzpatrick, ed., The Writings of George Washington (Washington, 1931–1944). description ends , XXXIII, 37–38).