Message from General Washington to Congress, May 21.

“Gentlemen of the Senate, and of the House of Representatives,

“I lay before you certain information, whereby it would appear that some encroachment as about to be made on our territory, by an Officer and party of British troops. Proceeding upon a supposition of the authenticity of this information, although of a private nature, I have caused the representation to be made to the British Minister, a copy of which accompanies this Message.

“It cannot be necessary to comment upon the very serious nature of such an encroachment, nor to urge that this new state of things suggests the propriety of placing the united States in a posture of effectual preparation for an event, which, notwithstanding the endeavours making to avert it, may, y circumstances beyond our controul, be forced upon us. G. Washington.”

By a letter from Mr. Randolph, the American Secretary of State, to Mr Hammond, the information alluded to we find to be, “That Governor Simcoe had gone to the foot of the Rapids of teh Miami, followed by three companies of a British regiment, in order to build a fort there”ߝWhich Mr. Hammond, in his answer, rather qualifies than denies.

In the debate in Congress, on taking off the embargo, several members said they had voted for the embargo, merely as a part of a general plan of retaliation upon Great Britain; but that as the more effential parts of that plan, particularly the prohibiting of all commercial intercourse between America and Great Britain had been over-ruled, the embargo was injurious only to the subjects of teh United States, and therefore ought to be taken off.

In Philadelphia and several other ports, the masters and mates of American ships held meetings, and published resolutions, declaring that they would not put to sea, until they could be assured that their flag would be respected, and their persons protected from such indignities as many of them had lately experienced. This they did after the embargo was at an end.


Citation: Glasgow Advertiser (Glasgow, United Kingdom), 11 July 1794, available at the Scissors and Paste Database, http://www.scissorsandpaste.net/376.