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101 [฀3 ] The Politics of Citizenship expatriation, naturalization, and the rise of party i hold the right of expatriation to be inherent in every man by the laws of nature, and incapable of being rightfully taken from him even by the united will of every other person in the nation. if the laws have provided no particular mode by which the right may be exercised, the individual may do it by any effectual and unequivocal act or declaration. —Thomas Jefferson, 1806 Under this unhappy prospect, the national character and existence of america are lost; and instead of being members of a great nation, we become a band of miserable algerines.—William Rawle When Gideon Henfield, a “sea-faring man” from salem, massachusetts, joined the crew of the privateer Citizen Genet, he was assured that the first prize would be his to command. The vessel had been armed in charleston, with the enthusiastic support of Governor William moultrie and with funds provided by the first ambassador from the new french republic, edmond charles Genet— “citizen Genet” himself—in april of 1793. With six guns and fifty hands, most of them american citizens, the privateer set out to strike a blow in the great new war of the french revolution, or in the terms of Genet: “the common glorious cause of liberty.”1 Within weeks of her departure, the Citizen Genet seized the British merchantman William in Delaware Bay. as promised, Henfield was given command of the William as prize-master, and he set sail for Philadelphia to dispose of the ship and its goods in a french prize court, to the highest bidder. But when Henfield arrived in Philadelphia, he was arrested for committing “depredations on the commerce of nations currently at peace with the United states.” much had changed since Henfield had left charleston. The Washington administration had issued an executive proclamation stating that the United states remained at peace the citizenship revolution 102 with Great Britain and the numerous european powers allied against france—a proclamation against the opinion of many americans who believed that treaty obligations required the United states to aid the french in their desperate hour. The British pressed Washington to live up to his pledges of neutrality. Having learned of the capture of the William, George Hammond, the British minister to the United states, warned that Great Britain would not abide “breaches of that neutrality which the United states profess to observe.” Washington demanded the prosecution of american citizens engaged in privateering, and U.s. district attorney for Pennsylvania, William rawle, had Henfield and his fellow american, John singletary, arrested when they arrived in Philadelphia.2 When Henfield was first brought before the magistrates, he pled ignorance . He assured the mayor that he was in fact an american citizen, and “that as such he would die.” He loved his country and would never “intend anything to her prejudice.” He had no knowledge of Washington ’s proclamation. He “had the greatest respect” for Washington. if he had only known of the wishes of the president, he would never have accepted a position on the Citizen Genet.3 But one month later, at the grand inquest prepared to indict him, Henfield changed his tune. To the inquest he declared that he “espoused the cause of france” and “considered himself as a frenchman.” in time, he intended to “move his family”—still in salem, massachusetts —“within [french] dominions.”4 He claimed to have relinquished his american citizenship. He had exercised his “natural right of expatriation ,” one of the inalienable and universal rights of man. it was a novel defense. Henfield’s trial became the kind of show trial that mobilizes and clarifies fierce partisan sentiments. it was at once a contest between those who denied Washington’s legitimate authority to issue a “Proclamation of neutrality” and those who did not, between those who believed americans should be fighting with france and those who did not, between those who celebrated the principles of the “rights of man” as the same as the principles of ’76 and those who did not, and between strong supporters of Hamilton and the growing opposition to his plans and policies. The trial, and its surrounding drama, catalyzed and completed the trends toward the formation of national party politics. By mingling deep differences over fundamental political principles with local, national, and international politics, the prosecution of Henfield exposed real divisions in the american political landscape. Ultimately, the zeal which surrounded the Henfield case revealed the...

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