1792-April-01: Jefferson again raised the issue of a new commercial treaty with France, suggesting that American trade with the French West Indies be placed …

1792-April-01: Jefferson again raised the issue of a new commercial treaty with France, suggesting that American trade with the French West Indies be placed on the same legal footing as French national trade. Ternant proposed a compromise where American ships could carry only U.S. soil and fishery products to the colonies and return with goods solely for American consumption, albeit at a slightly higher tariff than French vessels. When the French government failed to respond to these overtures, Jefferson shifted his focus toward negotiating a new treaty with Great Britain. This diplomatic pivot illustrated how the unresolved status of trade with Saint-Domingue was driving American foreign policy toward a more pro-British alignment.