From whence I conclude none had ever been given,
And thence, that none had ever been intended.
In the latter case, this infraction would date from the signature of the treaty. But founding it on the not giving the order with convenient speed, it dates from April, 1783, when the order for evacuating New York was given, as there can be no reason why it should have been inconvenient to give this order as early.
The infraction, then, respecting the upper posts, was before the treaty was known in America.
That respecting the negroes, was as soon as it was known.
I have observed that these infractions were highly injurious.
The first, by depriving us of our fur trade, profitable in itself, and valuable as a means of remittance for paying the debts; by intercepting our friendly and neighborly intercourse with the Indian nations, and consequently keeping us in constant, expensive, and barbarous war with them.
The second, by withdrawing the cultivators of the soil, the produce of which was to pay the debts.
2d. After fixing the date of the British infractions, I have shown,
That, as they preceded, so they produced the acts on our part complained of, as obstacles to the recovery of the debts.