9093. WESTERN POSTS, Demand for surrender.—
The President * * * authorized
Mr. Gouverneur Morris to enter into conference
with the British ministers in order to
discover their sentiments on their * * *
retention of the western posts contrary to the
treaty of peace. * * * The letters of Mr.
Morris * * * [to the President] state the
communications, oral and written, which have
passed between him and the ministers; and
from these the Secretary of State draws the
following inference: That the British court
is decided not to surrender the posts in any
event; and that they will urge as a pretext that
though our courts of justice are now open to
British subjects, they were so long shut after
the peace as to have defeated irremediably the
recovery of debts in many cases. They suggest,
indeed, the idea of an indemnification on our
part. But, probably, were we disposed to admit
their right to indemnification, they would
take care to set it so high as to insure a disagreement.
* * * The Secretary of State
is of opinion * * * that the demands of the
posts * * * should not be again made till
we are in readiness to do ourselves the justice
which may be refused.—
Official Report. Washington ed. vii, 517.
Ford ed., v, 261.
(Dec. 1790)
