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Washington’s Neutrality Proclamation and the Genęt Affair |
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Edmond Charles Édouard Genęt (1763-1834) had been a representative for
France in Vienna, St. Petersburg, and Berlin just before the French Revolution.
A short time later, in 1792, he was removed from his position in Russia because
of his revolutionary passions.
At this time, Americans were following the French Revolution very closely, but
France’s declaration of war on Great Britain hadn’t greatly affected American
politics, yet. This changed in 1972, when none other than Edmond Charles Genęt
was chosen to serve as the new French envoy to the United States. When he
arrived, French supporters went crazy. Genęt saw this and decided to use his
new popularity and influence to act on his radical beliefs. He attempted to
gather troops to launch an attack on Spanish Florida and pay fleets of
privateers to cripple British commerce. These actions violated Washington’s
promise to remain "friendly and impartial toward the belligerent
powers" which was the basis of his Neutrality Proclamation. Washington
devised this treaty, which excluded the United States from the French
Revolutionary Wars because America was still relatively young and unprepared
for involvement in such international conflict.
Reluctant to break his own terms and irritated by such deliberate acts of
rebellion, the President, backed by Alexander Hamilton (pro-British), reacted with
strong opposition towards Genęt’s demonstrations. Many other French supporters
similar to Genęt had been tried for violating the neutrality, but were
protected by pro-French juries. Washington banned the use of U.S. ports to the
privateers, so Genęt threatened to turn to the people for their opinion. This
had gone too far, so the President promptly implored that the French government
recall their troublesome minister. They consented without argument, and Genęt
was asked to return to his country.
Before he arrived in France, Genęt was disheartened to discover that his
political party, the Girondists, had fallen. This meant that if he went back
home, he would probably be killed. So Washington had sympathy towards Edmond
Charles Genęt, and disallowed his extradition. He remained in America,
refrained from causing further trouble, and married the daughter of Gov. George
Clinton of New York.