ur compliance cannot but be expected.

In consequence of the information given in your letter of the 4th
instant, that certain citizens of St. Domingo, lately arrived in
the United States, were associating for the purpose of undertaking a
military expedition from the territory of the United States, against
that island, the Governor of Maryland, within which State the expedition
is understood to be preparing, is instructed to take effectual measures
to prevent the same.

I have the honor to be, with great respect, Sir, your most obedient and
most humble servant,

Th: Jefferson.

LETTER CLXIII.--TO GOUVERNEUR MORRIS, August 16,1793

TO GOUVERNEUR MORRIS.

Philadelphia, August 16,1793.

Sir,

In my letter of January the 13th, I enclosed to you copies of several
letters which had passed between Mr. Ternant, Mr. Genet, and myself,
on the occurrences to which the present war had given rise within our
ports. The object of this communication was to enable you to explain
the principles on which our government was conducting itself towards
the belligerent parties; principles which might not in all cases be
satisfactory to all, but were meant to be just and impartial to all. Mr.
Genet had been then but a little time with us; and but a little more was
necessary to develope in him a character and conduct so unexpected
and so extraordinary, as to place us in the most distressing dilemma,
between our regard for his nation, which is constant and sincere, and a
regard for our laws, the authority of which must be maintained; for
the peace of our country, which the executive magistrate is charged to
preserve; for its honor, offended in the person of that magistrate; and
for its character grossly traduced, in the conversations and letters of
this gentleman. In the course of these transactions, it has been a great
comfort to us to believe, that none of them were within the intentions
or expectations of his employers. These had been too recently expressed
in acts which nothing could discolor, in the letters of the Executive
Council, in the letter and decrees of the National Assembly, and in the
general demeanor of the nation towards us, to ascribe to them things
of so contrary a character. Our first duty, therefore, was, to draw
a strong line between their intentions and the proceedings of their
Minister; our second, to lay those proceedings faithfully before them.

On the declaration of war between France and England, the